Advice for students on academic integrity in exams

Can I use ChatGPT or other artificial intelligence generation software in my exams? 

No. Outsourcing your exam, whether to a human or a piece of software, is a breach of the Student Academic Conduct Statute.

The only exception is if your Course Director has explicitly stated in writing that the use of such software is allowed for the exam in question. 

Will my online test or exam be invigilated? 

Not unless this has been explicitly stated - please see Invigilated (supervised) exams.  

Most exams are held as online, non-invigilated exams on Inspera. Only a small number of courses need to be invigilated.

Non-invigilated examinations and tests are designed to test higher-order thinking and your understanding of subject matter, rather than memorisation of content.

The University expects students to meet expectations of academic integrity when completing tests and examinations. You will be asked to read and agree to a declaration of academic integrity before you complete an online test or examination. For more information, please see Academic integrity in online assessment.

In addition, student submissions for examinations and tests may be submitted through Turnitin, which checks for copied or plagiarised work using text-comparison software.

What is an open-book exam?

In an open-book examination you must work independently on your answers.

Open-book exams

You may consult notes and other material as you work. If you use this material in your examination answer, it must be referenced. This applies to published or unpublished work that is not your own, internet sources, lecture slides and/or notes and other resources provided by your teacher.

You may be tempted to ‘cut and paste’ or copy material. In an examination, you are being asked to use an academic approach and uphold standards of integrity, meaning you should exercise judgement about the material you use in support of your answers and ensure that it is properly referenced.

Remember that you have limited time to complete your examination or test – which means that it would be unwise to rely on access to material during the examination without preparation and studying.

What is a restricted-book ‘lite’ examination?

In a restricted-book lite examination you must work independently on your answers.

During the examination, you may consult only the material specified by your course director. If you use this material in your examination answer, it must be referenced.

Remember that you have limited time to complete your examination or test – which means that it would be unwise to rely on access to material during the examination without preparation and studying.

How do I check what sources or material I can use in my exam?

If you have specific questions about what sources or material you can use in your examination, talk to your lecturer or course director. It is important you are very clear about what sources are appropriate and how to reference these sources in your work.

Can I use work that I have submitted for another assessment?  

No. The examination or test environment asks you to answer the questions posed in an authentic way – by using and applying your knowledge on the day. You are prohibited from using work that has been submitted for academic credit in any University of Auckland course, or elsewhere.

In addition, it is highly unlikely that the type of questions posed in online examinations will be satisfactorily answered by material submitted for another assignment.

Can I use an answer that I have prepared before the examination? 

It is not a sensible strategy to ‘pre-prepare’ whole answers. Test and examination questions will be designed to test your understanding and application of knowledge, and how you can connect ideas and concepts across a course.

What is Turnitin and how does it work with tests and exams? 

Turnitin is an originality-checking service. In text and essay-based examinations, your work may be submitted through Turnitin to check for plagiarised content. See Turnitin for students.

Does Inspera lock down my browser to restrict my access to the internet? 

No. The Inspera ‘Safe Exam Browser’ function is not being used for final examinations.

Can I access Chegg.com or other study-help sites during my exam? 

No. Accessing any third-party website to either ask a live question, or copy or view material during your exam, constitutes academic misconduct.