How to set up an exam
From creating the exam for a term to handing out admit cards, in the order the screens expect.
This walkthrough sets up one exam end to end: the exam itself, each class on it, and the papers you print before exam day. Follow the links for detail on any step.
Prerequisites
- You have access to Exam > Exam Management.
- The academic session, the term, the classes, and their subjects already exist.
- Your school has a grade scale to score against. Grade scales are maintained by your FEMS administrator, not in these screens.
Plan for the class-level setup to take the longest. Each class sets its own subjects, marks, and pass marks, and none of that can be copied between classes.
Step 1: Create the exam
- Go to Exam > Exam Management and pick the Academic Session.
- Click Create New Exam.
- Fill in Basic Details: the Academic Term, the Exam Name, and the Grading System.
- Fill in the Exam Timeline. Dates have to run in order, and FEMS blocks the save with the exact problem if they don't.
- Pick the Select Template for printed transcripts, and choose which components print.
- Set the Exam Config Policy, including how many failed subjects make the whole result a fail, and the points at which admit cards and report cards unlock.
- Click Create Exam.
Two of these settings decide who the office can print for later, so set them deliberately: Admit card can be printed after and Report card can be printed after. Both withhold the document from students with outstanding fees on the installment they name. Leave them empty if your school doesn't withhold documents over fees.
Detail: Creating an exam and its timeline.
Step 2: Set each class up on the exam
Find the exam in the list and click Config. You land on Class Exams, which lists every class with a status of Active, Draft, or Not created yet.
For each class:
- Click Create Class Exam and pick the Class.
- On Exam Structure & Rules, add one Exam Component per part marks come in for, such as the written paper and continuous assessment.
- On Subject Configuration, work through the class's subjects. For each one set the exam date, start time, duration, weight, Full Marks, and Pass Marks, and say where it shows and where it counts.
- On Subject Pairing, group any subjects that pass or fail together. Skip this step for a class with none.
- Finish with Save & Continue so the class shows Active.
A class left on Draft is the most common reason teachers find nothing to mark later. Check the status column before you move on.
If a class's subject list comes up empty, the class's subjects haven't been assigned. That happens outside this wizard, so fix it there and come back.
Detail: Setting up a class exam.
Step 3: Check the routine
Go to Exam > Reports & Exam Docs and open Routine. Pick the session, term, campus, class, and exam, then click Search.
The routine opens in a new tab, built from the dates and times you entered in step 2. If it says no routine configuration was found, step 2 isn't finished for that class.
Read the routine before you print anything else. It's the cheapest place to catch two subjects scheduled at the same time.
Step 4: Print what you need before exam day
All of these live on Reports & Exam Docs under Exam Documents, and none of them need marks:
- Admit Card, for students. Print by class from the Group Admit Card tab, or one at a time by student ID. Admit cards only print between the exam's start and end dates, so don't plan this for the week before.
- Seat Plan, for the halls.
- Question Cover, for each question paper. It asks for the subject, total marks, duration, page count, and the instructions to examinees.
- Blank Mark Sheet, if your teachers collect marks on paper before typing them in.
These open in new browser tabs. If nothing opens, allow pop-ups for the site and search again.
Admit cards only print between the exam's start and end dates, and after the Admit Card Release date. If they won't print, check those three dates and the Admit card can be printed after fee setting before assuming a fault.
Detail: Printing admit cards, seat plans, and other exam papers.
Step 5: Tell teachers marks entry is open
Teachers enter marks in Exam > Marks Entry, one subject and one exam type at a time. Younger classes use Exam > Junior Exam Management > Junior Assessment Entry instead. The items teachers rate there are set in Junior Assessment Configuration, in the same menu.
Tell them the deadline. Your school's entry dates close marks entry for teachers once they pass, and only exam coordinators and admins can enter marks after that.
Detail: Entering marks as a teacher.
Before the exam starts, check these
- Every class on the exam reads Active, not Draft or Not created yet.
- Full marks and pass marks are the numbers your school actually uses, on every subject.
- The routine has no clashes.
- Admit cards print.
- Teachers know where to enter marks and by when.
FAQ
Do I create one exam per class? No. Create the exam once for the term, then set it up per class from Config.
Can I copy one class's setup to another class? No. Each class is set up on its own, because subjects, marks, and pass marks genuinely differ between classes.
Can I change the setup after teachers have started entering marks? You can, and results are worked out from the marks and the setup together, so the reports will change. Check the tabulation sheet afterwards and tell the teachers involved.
One class runs to different dates from the rest. Turn on the Exam Timeline override in that class's setup. Leave every other override off so the rest of the classes follow the exam.
Where do I set the grade boundaries? Not here. Grade scales are maintained outside this console. The exam only picks which scale to use.