Each semester, DTU holds written examinations in approximately 200 subjects —a logistical exercise requiring an extraordinary behind-the-scenes effort—as well as a lot of furniture, power and precautions.
December is one of the big exam months at DTU. This year 17,091 students will be sitting for their exams. On Ballerup Campus the University will hold 27 different examinations for 964 Beng students, and on Lyngby Campus 222 examinations for 16,127 students.
This is some of the things that keep the exam factory running smoothly:
Power for all
The vast majority of students bring a computer requiring a power supply:
• 1,250 earthed, two-way plug adaptors are laid
• 4,5 kilometres of cable are run out
• 20 extra breaker panels are installed
• 5,000 cables ties are needed to assemble everything
Seating for all
Making room for all the exams is a major logistical undertaking:
• 1,200 sets of tables and chairs are needed
• 400 of them alone are set up in the Assembly Hall on Lyngby Campus
• 42 rooms in eight buildings are set aside for written exams
Invigilators
Someone also has to be on hand to ensure that everything is done by the book:
• 180 invigilators are on site to minitor examinees
• 50 of them in a supervisory capacity
• 10 per cent of them are married couples
• 75 is the average age of invigilators
• 78 toilet breaks. Each invigilator accompanies an examinee to the bathroom an average of 78 times per exam.
Ssshh, we’re thinking…
Sprinklers, automatic blinds, roof work, and repairs are suspended, moved or rescheduled during exams. The air conditioning in the Assembly Hall even has a special ‘exam setting’, enabling optimum temperature with a minimum of noise.
Exam papers
There is also a lot of work for the lectures and professors…
It can take anywhere from 14 days to a month to prepare exam papers because they have to be original assignments. And following the exams all the examinees’ papers have to be marked.
Article in DTUavisen no. 7, September 2014.
Holger Koppel is 88 and has been an invigilator twice a year since 1990 when he began teaching accounting at DTU.
Back then, exam supervision was part of a lecturer's job. He has styed on at the exam factory even after retiring in 1996 at the age of 70