Assessment Procedures for Weekly Quizzes, Checkpoints and Block/NMBE Exams
Introduction
The complete Phase 1 Assessment Policies for the College of Medicine can be found on the UI COM website. The assessment policies for Block courses, and local procedures, are summarized below.
Peoria Campus Assessment Procedures
The assessment policies for Block courses, and local procedures, are summarized below.
Weekly Quizzes
These are formative assessments which are graded by completion. The weekly quiz opens at noon on Friday and closes at noon on Sunday. Students can take the quiz any time during that 48-hour time period. The testing office will notify the student when the quiz is open; and it will be visible in BenWare. The quiz password will be shared with students via e-mail.
Students need to complete the quiz in one sitting. The total time allotted is 1.5 minutes per question; therefore, students have 30 minutes to complete a 20-question quiz. (Individual students may have timing accommodations that vary from this). The weekly quiz is to be taken individually, closed book, on the honor system.
Immediately following the quiz through Wednesday at 5pm, students will have the opportunity to review the full questions, correct answers, and answer rationales as well as leave comments on individual items. Students are allotted approximately 3 minutes per question during this review. Note: comments on individual items can be identified by faculty if/when necessary.
Quiz Grading
To receive full credit for a weekly quiz, before the deadline, you must:
- Spend at least 30 seconds per question on average across the quiz.
- Complete at least 85% of the items on the quiz.
- Review the quiz during the quiz review window.
Thus, on a quiz of 20 questions, a student must answer 17 questions and spend a minimum of 10 minutes on the quiz to receive completion credit. Students must also complete a review of the quiz to receive full credit.
Quiz results will be released to students after faculty review. The minimum pass level (MPL) for the weekly quiz will be released with the grade report. The MPL is not used for grading purposes.
Technical Issues and Absences
If you experience any technical issues during a quiz, remember to submit a Benware Ticket before noon on Sunday.
If you become ill (or have another emergent situation) and are unable to complete the quiz by the designated deadline, the Peoria Absence Excusal and Reporting Form request must be submitted before noon on Sunday.
Checkpoint Assessments:
These are summative assessments which are graded by the number items answered correctly. The checkpoint assessment opens at noon on Friday and closes at noon on Sunday. Students can take the checkpoint assessment any time during that 48-hour time period. The testing office will notify the student when the checkpoint assessment is open; and it will be visible in Benware. The checkpoint password will be shared with students via e-mail.
Students need to complete the checkpoint assessment in one sitting. The total time allotted is 1.5 minutes per question; therefore, students have 30 minutes to complete a 20-question quiz. (Individual students may have timing accommodations that vary from this). The weekly quiz is to be taken individually, closed book, on the honor system. A secure exam browser is utilized for these assessments.
Checkpoint Grading
At the conclusion of the assessment, students will not see the correct answers. At noon on Tuesday, students will have the opportunity to review the full questions, correct answers, and answer rationales. Students are allotted approximately 3 minutes per question during this review. This review will be available to you through 5:00 PM Thursday evening.
Assessment results will be released to students on Tuesday afternoons, in conjunction with the review session. The minimum pass level for the checkpoint assessment will be released with the grade report.
Technical Issues and Absences
If you experience any technical issues during a quiz, remember to submit a Benware Ticket before noon on Sunday.
If you become ill (or have another emergent situation) and are unable to complete the quiz by the designated deadline, the Peoria Absence Excusal and Reporting Form request must be submitted before noon on Sunday.
Block Exams and NMBE Exams
Location
Your exam room location will be listed one hour prior at the UICOMP front desk. It will also be available on Canvas at that time.
The exam room will be open 20 minutes prior to your exam. Please be seated no later than 10 minutes prior to your exam, sign into your laptop, and sign into Benware.
Tardiness
Students who arrive late but within 10 minutes of the scheduled start of an exam are eligible to sit for the exam.
Students who arrive more than 10 minutes late will be directed to the appropriate exam administrator. Students with an excused absence will be rescheduled to take the exam at a later date and/or time determined by the administration. Students with an unexcused absence will receive a score of zero and will be scheduled to take a retake block exam at a later date.
Personal Attire and Items:
Personal Attire and Items
Hats are NOT permitted (except for religious headgear).
Coats or jackets are NOT permitted (any clothing that fully unzips or unbuttons or opens).
Personal Attire and Items:
Shirts and pullover sweatshirts and sweaters are permitted.
Please leave personal items in your locker or outside the building. No food, watches, earbuds, headphones, or any other electronics or personal items allowed in the exam room. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) may grant other items allowed as part of accommodations.
Checking In
Checking In
The exam room will be open 20 minutes prior to your exam. Please be seated no later than 10 minutes prior to your exam.
Please leave personal items in your locker or outside the building.
The hall monitor will check you into the room for the exam. You can leave a snack with the hall monitor outside the room for any breaks, and you may leave your phone (turned OFF) in the phone holder by the hall monitor.
You can bring your UIC ID into the exam room as well as water in a clear water bottle.
Testing Environment
Dry erase boards, markers, earplugs, sanitizer, and Kleenexes will be provided as you enter the exam room.
Study carrels will be in place to create more privacy while testing. Each study carrel is labeled with a student name. Please find the study carrel with your name.
Block Exam Access and Final Score
You will be provided a UICOMP laptop for your exam. Sign onto your laptop as “guest-student”.
To access a Benware exam, you must know your UIC login.
You can access all standard Benware functions during exams:
- Lab values
- Calculator – NBME
- Highlight
- Strike-out answers
- Time left in exam
- Mark for review
- Comment
- Notes for question
After each Benware exam, you will have 30 minutes to comment on the exam items. To access the comment session:
- After you “End Test,” following the cartoon page, yellow-highlighted directions will be visible.
- Click on the link that takes you to the comments section.
- Use the same exam password to launch your comment session of exam items.
- Please add comments for any items of concern
You can view your final exam score in Benware on the first Monday following the Block exam.
NBME Exam Access and Final Score
To access an NBME exam, you must know your UIN number.
You will receive an email with your exam score from NBME within one week after your exam.