Exams and Testing 

Accommodated Testing Policies and Procedures

What to Expect When You Arrive

• Student ID check is required at check-in.
• No food, drinks, or hats are allowed in the Testing Room.
• All personal belongings (bags, phones, smartwatches, etc.) must be stored in a locker, cubby, or chair outside the Testing Room.
• Cellphones, smartwatches, and electronic devices must be turned off or silenced and left with your personal belongings.

Registering for a Test or Changing a Registration

• Advance Registration: Test scheduling request must be done in the Accommodate program at least 72 hours (3 days) in advance. 
  • This policy ensures your professor and the Testing Center have time to prepare materials and organize the schedule as seating is limited.
• The Accommodate system will no longer accept registrations submitted after this deadline. 
• Changing or Canceling:
  • Space is limited, and adjustments are easier when changes are communicated early.
• If you need to change or cancel a registration, email the Testing Center as soon as possible after confirming with your professor.

Late Policy

• Arrive early: Plan to arrive 5–10 minutes before your scheduled exam time to complete the check-in process.
• Late arrivals:
• Students who arrive late may lose testing time.
• If you anticipate being late, notify both your professor and the Testing Center—and provide documentation if appropriate.
• If you arrive more than 10 minutes late without prior notice, your seat may be canceled, and you will need to contact your professor to reschedule.

Remember, these policies help maintain:

• The integrity of every exam
• A fair testing environment for all students
• A smooth, efficient Testing Center experience

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Make Up Exam Policy for Student Activities

Any student who is absent for an exam due to school athletics or school related activities, the Testing Center would like to help by offering to proctor make up exams. We recognize the need and are willing to try out a structure that still allows the Testing Center to maintain a secure and appropriate Testing environment, accommodate student needs and juggle the variety of proctoring responsibilities that continue to move through the Testing Center.

We would like to pilot a block of time:

• Thursday starting at 12:00pm, scheduling in half hour increments (12:30pm, 1:00pm. etc) with the last time slot at 3:30pm. This gives students 8 time slots to choose from. If Thursday afternoons do not work, then other arrangements must be made. The Mines Testing Center always requires at least a 72 hour advance notice. There is no implied guarantee that your exams will be able to be proctored by the Mines Testing Center. This is a pilot schedule, and seats are still limited.

The Testing Coordinator is not responsible for acquisition of testing materials or Internet logins or passwords. Students are responsible for communicating their makeup needs with their professors. As a part of the arrangement between the student and their professor, required materials and detailed proctoring instructions are sent within at least a day in advance by the professor directly to the Testing Coordinator email. Professors may pick up their exams from the Testing Center or they may be scanned back electronically.

What to Expect When You Arrive

• Student ID check is required at check-in.
• No food, drinks, or hats are allowed in the Testing Room.
• All personal belongings (bags, phones, smartwatches, etc.) must be stored in a locker, cubby, or chair outside the Testing Room.
• Cellphones, smartwatches, and electronic devices must be turned off or silenced and left with your personal belongings.

Late Policy

• Arrive early: Plan to arrive 5–10 minutes before your scheduled exam time to complete the check-in process.
• Late arrivals:
• If you arrive more than 10 minutes late without prior notice, your seat may be canceled, and you will need to contact your professor and coach to make other arrangements.

 

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South Dakota Mines is a Pearson VUE Test Site

South Dakota Mines is Pearson VUE test site for the following tests: NCEES exam (Fundamentals of Engineering or FE).

NCEES Testing: FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) Exam

In order to register for the FE Exam, candidates must FIRST go to the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions website – and complete the state registration form. Once registered with the state, candidates should go to the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) website to formally register for the exam. Once registered with NCEES, there will be a direct link provided to Pearson VUE where registration for a specific test site and test date may be completed.

NCEES candidates can learn more about the test, as well as register and schedule by logging into MyNCEES (www.ncees.org)

Note: Registration and scheduling are not available through test centers.

More About the FE Exam:

 FE Exam has been administered as a six-hour computer-based test. The test will be administered several times monthly on Mondays and Fridays. Tests are given specific to the following disciplines: Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Other Engineering Disciplines. 

 

Candidates are encouraged to carefully review the NCEES website for information about the FE Exam. An NCEES Examination Guide is available for free online download, as is the FE Reference Handbook; the FE Reference Handbook may also be purchased in hard copy. Discipline-specific computer-based practice examinations may also be purchased. If you have the former hard-copy FE Exam Study Guide, it may have some utility in assisting with preparation for the test but is not specifically designed as preparation for the current test.

On exam day, test candidates may only take an NCEES-approved calculator into the test room. A copy of the FE Reference Handbook will be provided on the test computer, and erasable boards will be provided for notes and calculations. Pencils, paper, notes, and other related items are not allowed in the test room. Candidates should bring an approved form of picture identification that looks as the candidate currently does – if the candidate has a beard or a significantly different haircut than the picture on the ID, it is recommended that a new ID be procured, as a photograph of the candidate will be taken and provided to NCEES along with a copy of the ID. If the photo and the ID are not easily recognizable as the same individual, issues could arise. Candidates should arrive at least 30 minutes early to their exam to allow time for check-in procedures.  NCEES candidates are strongly encouraged to bring a lunch.  

If you have specific questions, please contact your Department Test Representative, Department Head, or the Testing Coordinator.

About Pearson VUE

Pearson VUE Authorized Test Centre Selects are privately owned, third-party testing facilities which are authorized by Pearson VUE to deliver on-site, on-demand testing for IT certification, academic admission and professional licensure exams. They have been carefully selected for their quality, service and amenities, which is upgraded to incorporate advanced security and surveillance technology.

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Earn College Credit Through Examination

SCHEDULING

If you are planning to use the SDSMT Testing Center for your CLEP, please do not register through College Board until you have communicated with the Testing Center and confirmed that you can be scheduled.  CLEP test takers are advised at this time to use the remote proctoring service (proctored by College Board/CLEP) instead of the SDSMT Testing Center. 

What is CLEP?

CLEP is the College-Level Examination Program, which allows Mines students to earn a limited number of credits toward their college degree requirements. CLEP offers general exams and subject exams. Subject exams measure achievement in specific college subjects and are used to grant credit for specific college courses.

South Dakota Mines accepts most, but not all, CLEP exams for credit. For SDBOR accepted CLEP exams: CLEP Guidelines

Should you try it?

CLEP examinations are designed for those individuals who have already done extensive study in a particular area or excelled in honors courses in high school in a particular subject. Several freshman and sophomore-level courses may be challenged using the CLEP Subject Examinations. A student should consult with a department head or the registrar regarding applicability of the credit toward a degree. A large majority of colleges accept CLEP credit, but required scores vary.

Cost

CLEP exams cost approximately $95 each.

Proctoring fees cost approximately $30.

CLEP Scores

Minimum scores are posted on the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) website – visit their “Recognition of Other College Credits Earned” webpage. CLEP Guidelines.

SDBOR Policies regarding applicability of credit are on the SDBOR web site, Policy 2.2.2.1, item 11.

CLEP scores should be sent directly from College Board to your college/institution. 

If interested, what do you do next?

If you are interested in CLEP testing, contact Coy Speer before you register to check on testing center availability, correct CLEP test, and proctoring options. Please email Julie McGeary. 

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Proctoring Exams for SD Mines Students

Testing Center Coordinator: Julie McGeary
Contact: Julie.McGeary@sdsmt.edu

South Dakota Mines Testing Center offers its services to Mines students as space permits. All students asking to use the Mines Testing Center for the proctoring of online exams are required to meet with and obtain a signature from the Testing Center. There is no implied guarantee that your exams will be able to be proctored by the Mines Testing Center, as space is extremely limited.

The student is responsible for ensuring that appropriate contact and proctoring forms, if necessary, are sent from the school to the Testing Center Coordinator, a minimum of three business days in advance of the student’s desired testing date.

The Testing Advisor is not responsible for acquisition of testing materials or Internet logins or passwords. As a part of the arrangement between the student and their school, required materials are sent by the school directly to the Testing Advisor via mail or email.

Test Day Reminders

Photo ID:

Remember to bring your photo ID. Students without a photo ID will not be permitted to take the test.

Acceptable Photo ID:

• Student ID
• Driver's License or government-issued ID card
• Passport

Prohibited Items:

All items not allowed for an exam will be stored in a locker in the testing center.

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