Schedule Final Exams

This is a tutorial only. No login is required.  

INTRODUCTION

This guide reviews how CSUN staff granted security access to the Schedule of Classes (SOC) schedule final examinations using the Schedule Class Meetings component for the following pages: Meetings and Exam.

Exam Designation

The final exam designation is set in the SOLAR Catalog and defaults to the Schedule of Classes (SOC). Departments may add, modify or delete an exam to override the catalog exam designation. View the University Policy on Final Examinations in the online catalog. There is also a dedicated webpage in the "Process Repository" that publishes the dates when exams will be assigned to classes. The site also includes generic exam grids that can be used before exams are assigned to classes for fall and spring terms. Helpful to faculty planning their classes early.

Request a Catalog Exam Designation change:

1. Send the "chair approved" request to your SOLAR coordinator. Include the course, course ID, effective term, and exam value change.
2. The SOLAR coordinator will modify the email to include all terms (WI,SP,SU,FA) for scheduled courses that require manual updating.
3. The SOLAR coordinator sends the request to the SOC coordinator in Admissions & Records.
4. The SOC coordinator manually changes the exam designation for scheduled courses and then sends the request to the appropriate catalog contact.
5. After the SOLAR catalog is updated. Requestors will receive a confirmation of completion.

Exam Scheduler

The Exam Scheduler automatically assigns a final exam for most classes in fall and spring semesters. Because winter and summer classes have exams during the term, no exams will be scheduled in SOLAR. The scheduler assigns the same room to the exam as the room in which the class is regularly scheduled.

The following class types are not assigned an exam:

• aberrantly scheduled classes
• classes with a Catalog exam designation of No
• exams assigned " Last Class Meeting" (manually flagged in SOLAR each semester)

The scheduler runs twice a semester, before registration and after census. Before the "second and final" scheduler runs, audit exams for meeting pattern changes. When the meeting pattern no longer matches the exam, a facility conflict error displays on the NRSR0226 - Exam Valdtn report. Delete these exams to allow the scheduler to create a new one to match the revised meeting pattern. After the second scheduler job is completed, audit exams to resolve facility and instructor conflicts. Contact Room Reservations ( ) for classes that need a new exam room.

Best practices:

• To ensure optimum use of rooms, delete rooms assigned to canceled and tentative classes.
• Resolve facility conflicts BEFORE the second and final scheduler job runs.
• SOLAR will assign combined classes the same exam room, day and time.

Exam messages that display to students:

• Catalog Exam Designation = YES and class has a room, Class Search displays: Yes. Date/Time and Exam Location.
• Catalog Exam Designation = YES and no room, has a day and time, Class Search displays: Yes. Date/Time and no Exam Location.
• Catalog Exam Designation = YES and no room and no day and time, Class Search displays: Yes. Check with Instructor.
• Catalog Exam Designation = YES and Class Search is manually changed to display: Last Class Meeting. Check with Instructor.
• Catalog Exam Designation = NO and Class Search displays: No.

Common Final Exams

Scheduling common final exams is the responsibility of the department. Use "copy" to paste common parts in the Schedule Class Meetings component > Exam tab. To override a room conflict for common finals, check the Combined Exam box.

Step 1

1. Log into myNorthridge Portal.
2. Under the Staff Tab, click SOLAR SA.
3. Click Schedule Class Meetings.

Step 2

On the Find an Existing Value page:

1. Enter the Term
2. Enter a Subject
3. Click Search
4. Select a course from the Search Results

QUICK SEARCH TIP: Enter the Term and only the Class Nbr.

The Schedule Class Meetings component displays.

Step 3

Add an Exam

1. Go to the Exam page.
2. Enter an Exam Time Code or a date and time of your own.
3. Enter a Facility ID.
4. Click SAVE.

Learn about:

1. Exam Time Code
2. Combined Exam
3. Exam Date
4. Exam Start
5. Exam End
6. Class Exam Type
7. Facility ID

Step 4

Delete or Modify an Exam

1. Remove the ROOM.
2. SAVE.
3. Click the minus (-) button to delete the exam row.
4. SAVE.
5. Enter the new exam.
6. SAVE. 

Step 5

Exam Time Code

An Exam Time Code grid is sent to the SOLAR coordinators each fall and spring semesters.

To determine an exam code, follow the steps for the example that follows:

Class meets Tuesday/Thursday (TTH) at 9:30 am to 10:45 am in SH265

1. Select Class Days—
   Use filters to choose Yes for T and TH and No for all other days.
2. Class Start Time Range—
   Find the range for the class start time. The example class starts at 9:30 am, so the range would be 9:00 AM to 9:59 AM.
3. Exam Time Code—
   Write the code that corresponds to the range. The code for this example would be T0900TTH.

Exam Time Code Definition:
char 1 = day of exam (T)
chars 2-4 = exam start time (0900)
chars 6 + = class day pattern (TTH) 

Step 6

Audit Exams

Use the NRSR0226 - Exam Valdtn report to resolve facility and instructor exam conflicts.

Use the filter to sort columns in the spreadsheet to audit to view:

1. canceled and tentative classes that should not have an exam
2. instructor assignments to prevent exam conflicts
3. active classes missing exams
4. classes with facility conflicts
5. catalog exam designation 

Step 7

Troubleshooting Exams