NACO

National Accreditation Committee of Opticians

NATIONAL EXAMINATION

CANDIDATE POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Approved & Adopted June 5, 1998

1. Examination Entrance & Environment

1.1 Candidates are responsible for knowing the correct location, scheduled date and time of the Examination.

1.2 Candidates are expected to arrive at the examination site on the day and time stated.

1.3 Candidates are responsible for maintaining their own mental and physical health throughout the examination.

1.4 No candidate will be permitted to enter or challenge the examination upon arriving late for his or her scheduled time.

1.5 Candidates must leave books, papers, memoranda, audiovisual aids, cassette players, computers, or any other memory aids or devices outside the examination environment unless authorized by the Examination Moderator.

1.6 Candidates may not speak or communicate with any other examination candidate within the examination environment.

1.7 The candidate who is ill or has a valid reason for missing an examination must notify the Examination Moderator, Chief Examiner or the National Examination Central Registry office prior to, or on the same day as the examination. Failure to do so will result in the forfeit of the examination fees. A doctor’s certificate and certificate written evidence must support illness and/or valid reason.

1.8 The Examination Moderator has the responsibility and authority to request a candidate to leave the examination environment at any time if in his/her judgment the candidate displays unsafe and/or inappropriate behavior.

1.9 The Examination Moderator has the responsibility and authority to request a candidate to leave the examination environment at any time if in his/her judgment the candidate is suspect to or has committed examination dishonesty.

1.10 The Examination Moderator has the responsibility and authority to over-rule any of the above for extenuating circumstances.

1.11 A written request must be submitted to their provincial regulatory body by any candidate requesting special considerations of examination procedures due to disability, temporary illness, or extenuating circumstances. Requests will be reviewed and acted upon by the National Examination Committee.

2. Examination Dishonesty

Policy Statement:

The National Accreditation Commission of Opticians (NACO), in common with provincial regulatory colleges’, provincial associations’, and educational institutions condemns examination dishonesty. Intellectual honesty is preeminent to the functioning of any examination process.

2.1 Plagiarism in the examination is the deliberate formal presentation or submission of the product or illustrations of other as one’s own.

2.2 Cheating is the use of unauthorized aids, assistance or materials in the submission of practical skill evidence required in the examination. During the examination it is considered cheating to communicate with other candidates to obtain information, to copy from the work of others, or to deliberately expose or convey information to other candidates.

Confirmed Violations:

Dependent on the individual circumstances, one or more of the following penalties will be applied by the examination moderator. Penalties will be noted on the candidate’s record.

Penalties:

a) Zero percent grade will be assigned on the examination station in which the offense occurred.

b) Zero percent grade on the examination as a whole.

c) Suspension from the examination station.

d) Expulsion from the examination as a whole.

3. Examination Review

Policy Statement:

National Examination candidates have the right to a review

of their examination to have their areas of weakness identified.

3.1 Process of Review

a) Candidates must submit a written request for a review of their examination within 30 calendar days following receipt of the examination results.

b) Candidates must address the request for a review to their provincial regulatory body. The request will be reviewed and acted upon by the Chair of the National Examination Committee, the Examination Moderator, and/or the provincial Examination Coordinator.

c) Candidates are expected to request the particular examination section(s) they are requiring a review upon.

d) A fee of $35.00 per section payable to NACO must accompany request for a review.

4. Candidate Appeals

Policy Statement:

National Examination candidates have the right to appeal administrative and grading decisions, where a judgment by an Examiner or Examination Moderator significantly affects the examination outcome of the candidate, or the candidate perceives they may have been treated unjustly in the implementation or examination policies and/or procedures.

4.1 Process of Appeal

a) There are two levels to the appeal processes. The candidates submission of appeal will be reviewed by the Chair of the National Examination Committee and the Examination Moderator on an informal basis. Their responsibility will be to review the material in the candidates submission for completeness and clarity and determine whether the appeal will be forwarded to the second level, which is a formal appeal. Candidates who are unable to provide a reasonable basis for a change or decision on policy implementation may not be granted a formal appeal. Formal appeals may or may not require the physical appearance of the candidate.

b) The candidate must decide on the central issue(s) contained in their appeal and submit rational written evidence related to each issue.

c) Candidates must present a written appeal to the Chair of the National Examination Committee within 90 calendar days following receipt of

the examination results. Candidates may submit a written request for an extension of this deadline in extraordinary circumstances. Failure to comply will result in the appeal being denied.

d) Candidates must present written documentation enclosing the circumstances of the appeal. The appeal documentation is expected to include:

d.1 The nature of the appeal

d.2 The appropriate rationale for the appeal

d.3 A summary of events that resulted in the submission of the appeal

d.4 The reasons why a judgment should be resolved

d.5 The expected action to be taken at the conclusion of the appeal

e) The Chair of the National Examination Committee is contracted with reviewing the documentation for completeness and clarity, consulting with the provincial regulatory body, the Examination Moderator, and issuing a decision for a formal appeal or dismissal. Neither the Chair nor the Moderator may grant resolution to the formal appeal.

f) The Chair is required to schedule the formal appeal within 60 calendar days of receipt of the complete documentation. The candidate, the Appeal’s Committee and where applicable, the Examiner will be contacted concerning the date, time and location for the formal appeal.

g) The Examiner(s) or Examination Moderator if named in the appeal is encouraged to submit written documentation regarding the original judgment or grading for distribution to the candidate and Committee Members. The Chair is required to distribute all written documentation to the provincial regulatory body and all parties involved in the formal appeal.

h) The formal appeal will be recorded. Records will be maintained in confidentiality of the Chair, the Formal Appeals Committee, and as required by regulation under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Records of the appeal, upon conclusion will be kept in the candidates file at the National Examination Central Registry.

i) All formal appeals will be assessed a fee of $150.00 payable to the National Accreditation Commission of Opticians, and due upon the candidates notification of the scheduled date of the formal appeal.

J) All conclusions and judgments of the Appeal Committee are final and complete.

k) Candidates will be assessed and responsible for payment of all financial costs for appeals requiring legal judgements, where such judgements are awarded in favor of the policies of the National Accreditation Committee of Opticians.

5. Formal Appeal Committee

Policy Statement:

The Formal Appeal Committee hears appeals concerning National Examination policies, procedures and grading judgment. Committee Members are appointed by the Chair of the National Examination Committee. The Committee is composed of the following members:

a) The Chair (National Examination Committee)

b) The Examination Moderator (*void if named in the appeal)

c) One field expert (from the province of the exam)

d) One National Examination Committee Member

e) A public representative of the hosting provincial regulatory body

*The Examination Moderator will be replaced by an additional member of the National Examination Committee