Science Testing Support

Testing help for DRC students

Science Testing Support (also called PBSci Testing) provides testing accommodations for students with authorization from the Disability Resource Center (DRC). To be eligible for accommodations, you must be enrolled in one or more of the following undergraduate course codes provided by the Division of Physical & Biological Sciences: ASTR, BIOC, BIOE, BIOL, CHEM, EART, ESCI, MATH, METX, OCEA, PHYS.

To receive testing arrangements you must:

Request your Academic Access (AA) letters in Accommodate.
Discuss your DRC exam accommodations with your professor: Start by talking to your professor about your DRC accommodations and find out who will be responsible for providing your testing accommodations.
Contact Science Testing Support: If it is determined that Science Testing Support will be handling your testing accommodations, please email us at testing.pbsci@ucsc.edu. Make sure to include your complete exam schedule.

Scheduling process

We typically schedule out an entire week of exams in advance, at the beginning of the previous week (e.g., Week 6 exams are scheduled on Week 5’s Monday). The scheduling process is done manually, and we send out Google Calendar invitations to any students who appear on the ‘AIM’ report at the time of scheduling. Therefore, it’s crucial for students to submit their AA letters in AIM promptly for each of their classes where they intend to use their exam accommodations. This requirement ensures that we have sufficient time to accommodate exam requests, which is why we ask for at least 10 business days’ notice.

For finals week, we require at least 15 business days’ notice due to the increased volume of exams and scheduling demands.

It’s important for students to understand that they should not expect their exams to be automatically scheduled, especially if they have not submitted their AA letters in AIM by the time of our scheduling and/or were just recently authorized with exam accommodations close to the exam date. In such cases, students will need to reach out to their professor or contact me directly at testing.pbsci@ucsc.edu to inquire whether they can still be scheduled despite the late notice. Exam accommodations cannot guaranteed unless students communicate their needs in a timely manner, providing their professor (and by extension Science Testing) with enough notice to make the necessary arrangements. That said, we always put in a good faith effort to provide the accommodation as long as seating and proctor availability allows it.

Google calendar invites

Our exam accommodations are scheduled through Google Calendar. You will receive a Google Calendar email detailing your accommodations, including the time and location of your exam. Please confirm your accommodations by accepting the invitation (click “YES” on your calendar invite).

If, by the Friday afternoon before your exam, you have not received the invitation in your inbox, kindly email us at testing.pbsci@ucsc.edu to ensure that we are aware of your midterm exam date.

Testing policies

Proctors are scheduled to be in the testing room 15 minutes before the exam start time. We strongly recommend arriving with ample time for check-in to ensure a prompt start to the exam. Please have your student ID (or another form of photo ID) with you.

Additionally, please remember to bring your own testing supplies, including a pen or pencil, eraser, scantron, and any other allowed materials such as a calculator, formula sheet, cheat sheet, etc., to facilitate a smooth testing experience. We provide earplugs upon request. Feel free to ask the proctor if you would like to use one during your exam.

If you arrive more than 30 minutes past the scheduled start time of your exam you will need to get approval from your instructor for your late start. Please note that being late will not result in an extension of your end time.

Exam invitations are based off of the information that you have set up in your AIM student portal. Ensure the accuracy of all details related to your accommodation request. Given limited testing space, it is crucial to update your accommodation information in your AIM student portal if you do not plan to use accommodation for your science coure(s).

Science Testing Support only provides DRC testing accommodations for undergraduate courses provided by the UC Santa Cruz Division of Physical & Biological Sciences. We do not support testing for courses outside of our Division.

Time conflicts

Science Testing Support is unable to reschedule an exam without instructor approval. Requests for resolving time conflicts must be submitted at least 3 business days before the scheduled exam date.

If your extended testing time results in a conflict with another course, it is the student’s responsibility to work with both their instructor and Science Testing to arrange an alternate exam time. We strongly advise students to promptly email their instructor and cc: testing.pbsci@ucsc.edu to bring this matter to our attention. This allows us to work together to determine and approve an alternate start time.

Please note that the alternate testing times must fall within our window of proctor availability, which is Monday through Friday, 8 A.M.–10 P.M.).

Formula sheets

Students authorized by the DRC for the use of formula sheets are only permitted to use sheets approved and submitted by their professor to Science Testing Support. To initiate this process, students are recommended to create a proposed formula sheet and submit it to their professor for approval. Subsequently, the professor retains the approved sheet and delivers it to the Science Testing along with the exam.

It is crucial for students to take responsibility for coordinating this with their professor, as proctors will not permit the use of formula sheets that have not been vetted and approved by the instructor.

Information for faculty

You may receive Accommodation Authorization letters from students who have contacted the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to request exam accommodations. As the instructor, you are responsible for notifying Science Testing Support if you plan to use Science Testing to arrange accommodations for your course this quarter.

Science Testing makes every effort to aid instructors in the implementation of exam accommodations by helping to provide testing space and proctors for in-person exams. However, please note that Science Testing cannot support online exams. You are expected to manage your own online exams, including the implementation of exam accommodations for any DRC students taking the exam online.

Please complete the request form that was sent to you by email as soon as possible for each course that you will be teaching, even if there are no students with testing accommodations currently on your roster. It often takes time for students to get set up with the DRC, and students may be authorized with exam accommodations at any time throughout the entire quarter. The information you provide on the form helps Science Testing to prepare for the upcoming quarter, and also helps us provide better service to faculty and students.

If you cannot access the form, please request exam support by sending an email to testing.pbsci@ucsc.edu or by calling Peter Phan, the Science Testing Coordinator at 831-459-3493.

IMPORTANT
In order to ensure timely accommodations, please submit your exam schedules a minimum of 10 working days before your exam date. If you request accommodations for a specific exam or activity with less than 10 days’ notice, we may not be able to guarantee fulfillment within that timeframe. For finals week, we require at least 15 business days’ notice due to the increased volume of exams and scheduling demands.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding testing accommodations, feel free to reach out to us at testing.pbsci@ucsc.edu.

Contact Us
Email: testing.pbsci@ucsc.edu
Phone: (831) 459-3493
Office: Jack Baskin Engineering Building – Room 153C