Missed / Conflict Exams

Overview

This page covers how to handle situations where a student misses their exam reservation or cannot test during the standard window. For all missed exam inquiries, contact cbt-help@berkeley.edu.
When determining how to handle a missed exam, consider two factors: whether missing the exam was within the student's control (e.g., overslept) or outside it (e.g., a medical emergency), and whether it was a short-term interruption (e.g., a fire alarm during the exam) or a longer-term situation (e.g., illness spanning the entire testing window). The appropriate course of action will differ based on these circumstances.

When a Student Misses Their Reservation

If a student does not show up for their reserved slot, their reservation must be deleted before they can rebook into another available session. Reservations can be deleted by CBTF staff.

Students can also request deletion themselves by visiting a CBTF location in person and asking a proctor, or by emailing cbt-help@berkeley.edu. CBTF staff will delete reservations without requiring a reason, but there is no guarantee that seats will be available once a reservation is deleted.

If open slots remain in the testing window, the student can rebook on their own after deletion. If no slots remain, course staff must decide whether to grant the student an override or administer the exam remotely.

Late Arrivals

Overrides

An override gives a student permission to self-schedule for an exam outside of the standard testing window. Additional overrides are granted at the discretion of the CBTF lead, are subject to staffing availability, and are allocated per course based on roster size.

Overrides should be rare and are not guaranteed. They are intended for unforeseen or unforeseeable extenuating circumstances only. Course staff are responsible for determining whether a student's situation genuinely warrants an override before granting one.

Override Allocation

Each course receives a set number of overrides per exam based on course roster size. This allocation applies across the entire course — once your overrides are used, no additional overrides will be granted without review. To request an increase to your allocation, email cbt-help@berkeley.edu with the student's situation and we will assess on a case-by-case basis.

Because overrides are limited, course staff should carefully evaluate each request before granting one. Granting overrides freely undermines the integrity of the testing window and reduces your course's ability to accommodate students with genuine need later in the semester.

How to Grant an Override

1. Log into PrairieTest and navigate to your course
2. Select the exam you want to create an override for
3. Open the Overrides tab and click Add Override
4. Enter the student's Berkeley email address, the testing center, and the date range for when the exam should be taken
5. Inform the student to make a new reservation within the override window

Note that the student's previous reservation must be deleted before they can rebook — see below.

Conflict Exams

If a student has a scheduled conflict during the entire testing window (e.g., a university-sanctioned event, travel as a student athlete, or a documented medical situation), course staff can grant the student an override to take the exam during an earlier or later time. Course staff are also welcome to proctor the student themselves if they so desire.

Remote Exams

In cases where a student cannot test at the CBTF - due to an unresolvable conflict, a DSP accommodation the CBTF cannot fulfill, or instructor-granted permission - course staff are solely responsible for administering the exam. This is handled using a remote session in PrairieTest and is managed entirely by course staff, as if the CBTF were not involved.

To set up a remote session in PrairieTest:

1. Navigate to the exam in PrairieTest and click into the exam name
2. Under Actions, select Add Session
3. Enter a session name, location, start time, duration, and capacity
4. If the session is for a specific student only, disable self-reservations and manually add the student via the Reservations tab
5. Navigate to the Students tab and enter any time accommodation percentage for the student on your course side — this is separate from what the CBTF lead enters and must be done independently

For exams proctored by DSP: Set the session type to Unproctored. DSP staff cannot start exams in PrairieTest, so this mode allows the student to log in and begin the exam themselves at the listed start time.

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