You should read and follow any guidance your School has provided on your exams and assessments, including who to contact if you experience issues (such as technical problems). This will be available from your School student intranet, or on Blackboard. It is very important to pay attention to this specific guidance as it varies between Schools and programmes.
Final submission deadlines will always be stated in British local time (Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or British Summer Time (BST) depending on the time of year). If you live in a different time zone, it is your responsibility to convert your local time to British time. Time zone errors will not be accepted as mitigating circumstances for late submission.
If your exam script is to be submitted via Turnitin: For backup, consider submitting part of your completed work to Turnitin prior to the deadline so there is some record of achievement. This is not a requirement, but is good practice and provides evidence of work completed.
If your exam is a Blackboard test: Start the test once you are confident that any temporary technical issues (such as connectivity) are resolved. Once you click 'Begin the test' you will have a fixed amount of time. You will be able to exit and return to your test, but be aware of the maximum time you have been given to complete the test.
Most exams provide a window of availability and are set to allow for any temporary loss of access, which we hope will help you work around any temporary technical issues. If you have an issue do not worry, just login again and resume your exam. Your work is saved regularly. If you lose connectivity you should be able to return and access your answers as they were when your connection dropped.
If you have a technical issue, first check the IT Services Service Availability information or the Turnitin Service Status page (if the issue concerns Turnitin). If the service status shows a technical failure with a University system, this means the issue is known and being addressed by the University. In this case Schools will adjust submission deadlines (if necessary) and notify all relevant students of this change.
If you experience a network failure during an online exam window, close the browser and try again using a different browser or computer - or where possible try again later. If the issue is with your Wi-Fi, try moving to an area with a stronger signal or using a wired connection if possible, and limiting the number of applications open and running on your device. Get further guidance on fixing internet connectivity issues.
If the issue continues:
You cannot query or challenge a question during the exam. After the exam you can report the question to the programme team.
You cannot sit an exam after the availability window has passed, but if you missed the exam due to circumstances outside your control then you may submit a mitigating circumstances request.
Students can access support from their relevant Faculty / School:
Any student experiencing issues with Blackboard or Turnitin that prevent them from completing their exam submission can contact the eLearning team via the Support Portal.
If you need help outside of business hours (9-5pm UK time, Monday to Friday), support is available from our IT Support Centre.
(University Switchboard)
+44 (0) 161 306 6000
The University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
