Set a Final Exam Schedule

At some point after a term has been published in EMS Academic Planning, you must schedule the final exams for the term. EMS Academic Planning provides the functionality to automate the final exam scheduling process using templates. You create a final exam schedule template based on all unique course schedule patterns (for example, MWF 9 am-9:50 am, TR 1 pm-2:20 pm, and so on), and their corresponding final exam days and times. In addition to creating a template, you have the flexibility to define common exams, specify the final exam schedules for specific courses, specify the final exam for multiple courses, and/or exclude certain courses from the final exam scheduling process.

Unless specified in Final Exam Settings, EMS Academic Planning attempts to schedule the final exam for a course in the same room that the course has been using for the term. The final exam session publishing process adds the final exam as a separate booking in the course's reservation.

Create a Final Exam Schedule Template 

  1. On the EMS Academic Planning menu bar, click Academic Planning > CoursesFinal Exam Schedule Templates. The Final Exam Schedule Templates window opens. This window lists all the final exam schedule templates that are currently configured in your EMS database.
  2. Click New. The Final Exam Schedule Template dialog opens. The Final Exam Schedule Template tab is the active tab.
  3. In Description, enter a description (maximum 50 characters, including spaces).
  4. Open the Schedule tab.
  5. Continue to one of the following procedures to create a list of unique course schedule patterns.

Manually Create a Final Exam Schedule Template 

  1. Click New

    The Final Exam Schedule Days dialog opens.

  2. Enter the information for a unique course schedule pattern and the corresponding final exam day and time, and then click OK.  
  1. Repeat this procedure as many times as needed to create a final exam schedule template for each unique course schedule pattern in the term.
  2. Click OK.

    The Final Exam Schedule Templates window opens and includes the newly configured final exam schedule template automatically selected.

If any meeting patterns are left without a corresponding final exam time, then courses that fit that meeting pattern in the term will not have a final exam scheduled for them.

Import a Term to Create a Final Exam Schedule Template 

  1. Click Import, and on the list that opens, select Term

    The Term Picker dialog opens, listing the terms currently configured in your EMS database.

  1. Select your Domain and Term for which you are creating the final exam schedule template, and then click OK.

    EMS Campus scans the term and identifies unique meeting patterns to begin the template building process. After the import is complete, a message opens indicating this.

  2. Click OK.

    The Schedule tab shows the imported patterns.

  3. Select an individual pattern, or Ctrl-click to select multiple patterns, and then click Edit to open the Final Exam Schedule Days dialog and assign the final exam day of the week and the final exam start and end times.
  4. Click OK to close the Final Exam Schedule Days dialog.
  5. Click OK to close the Final Exam Schedule Template dialog.

    The Final Exam Schedule Templates window displays with the newly configured final exam schedule template automatically selected.

If any meeting patterns are left without a corresponding final exam time, then courses that fit that meeting pattern in the term will not have a final exam scheduled for them.

Import a File to Create a Final Exam Schedule Template 

You can import your course schedule patterns from a tab-delimited text file. 

  1. Click Import, and then on the list that opens, click File

    The Open File dialog opens.

  2. Browse to and select the import file, and then click Open

    An informational message appears.

  3. Click OK to close the message. 

    The imported patterns display on the Schedule tab.

  4. Select an individual pattern, or Ctrl-click to select multiple patterns, and then click Edit to open the Final Exam Schedule Days dialog and assign the final exam day of the week and the final exam start and end times.
  5. Click OK to close the Final Exam Schedule Days dialog.
  6. Click OK to close the dialog.

    The Final Exam Schedule Templates window displays the newly configured final exam schedule template automatically selected.

If any meeting patterns are left without a corresponding final exam time, then courses that fit that meeting pattern in the term will not have a final exam scheduled for them.

Specify Final Exam Settings for a Specific Course 

  1. Open the specific course in the Course Navigator through either the Academic Browser, the Academic Book, or the Navigator.
  2. In the middle pane of the Navigator, select a course date record, and then click Edit

    The Course Dates dialog opens on the Course Dates tab.

  3. Open the Final Exam Settings tab.
  4. Courses with multiple course dates, lab components, or short-term courses are marked as No Exam Required. Do any of the following:
    • If a final exam is not required for the course, then clear the Final Exam Required option, and go to Step 5.
    • If the course is having a final exam at a day/time other than what is specified by the template, select Special/Common Exam, and then enter the date, and start and end times for the special/common exam.
    • Optionally, if you want the seat fill percentage to be a different value than the default value, update the seat fill percentage for the exam.
    • If the exam is to take place in a different room (not the same room that the course has been using all semester), click the Search icon next to Room Required to open the Room Selector dialog and select a different room for the exam.
    • If the exam is to take place in the same room that the course has been using all semester, then select Require Current Room.

      During publishing of the final exam session, if the same room is unavailable, EMS leaves the course unassigned for a manual search.

  5. Optionally, in Notes, enter details.
  6. Click OK

Specify Final Exam Settings for Multiple Courses 

  1. On the EMS Academic Planning menu bar, click Academic Planning > CoursesAcademic Browser

    The Academic Browser opens.

  2. If needed, open the Filter tab.
  3. In Domain, select a domain and on the Term list, select a term.
  4. Set other criteria as needed to provide assistance in locating the courses for which you want to set preferences and requirements, and then click Get Data

    The courses that meet your search criteria display on the Results tab.

  5. In the search results, Ctrl-click to select the multiple courses for which you are setting the final exam schedule.
  6. On the Tools menu, click Set Final Exam Settings

    The Set Course Final Exam Settings dialog opens.

  7. Do one of the following:
    • If a final exam is not required for the courses, then select Final Exam Not Required, and then continue to the next step.

      Typically, courses with multiple course dates, lab components, or short-term courses are marked as “No Exam Required.

    • If the courses are having their final exams at a day/time other than what is specified by the template, select Special/Common Exam, and then enter the date, and start and end times for the special/common exam.

      All the selected courses will meet at the date/time specified.

    • If the final exams for all the selected courses are to be in the same room, then select Common Exam Room.
    • If the exam/exams are to take place in a different room (not the same rooms that the courses have been using all semester), click the Search icon next to Room Required to open the Room Selector dialog and select a different room for the exams.

    All courses will meet in this room for the final exams.

    • If the exams are to take place in the same rooms that the courses have been using all semester, then select Require Current Room.

    If no room is requested, or Require Current Room is selected, then each course will have the final exam in its own room. During publishing of the final exam session, if the same room is unavailable, EMS leaves the course unassigned for a manual search.

  8. Optionally, do one or both of the following:
    • If you want the seat fill percentage to be a different value than the default value, update the seat fill percentage for the exam.
    • In the Notes field, enter any information that is pertinent to the course or final exam.
  9. Click OK.
  10. The Related Courses Dates dialog opens. It lists the courses you selected in Academic Browser > Results tab.

  11. Select the courses to which the final exam settings are to be applied, or click Select All to select all the courses in a single step, and then click OK. 

    A message opens indicating that any final exam settings that exist for the selected courses will be overwritten, and asking you if it is OK to continue.

  12. Click Yes

    A second success message opens.

  13. Click OK to close the second message and the Related Course Dates dialog.