Students must attend examinations, including make-up examinations, as scheduled. All exams are completed in-person; there is no option for remote exam administration.

Students are required to sit for examinations as scheduled. Unexcused absences will result in a “0” score for the examination.

All excused exam absences must be approved by the Office of Student and Academic Affairs. 

1.2.b.1. If a student is ill, he/she will be required to have documentation from a medical provider, without including private health information, to a dean in the Office of Student and Academic Affairs to be granted an authorized absence.

1.2.b.2. In cases of emergencies (e.g., death of immediate family member) or a conflict with religious holiday a dean in the Office of Student Affairs must be notified and may authorize an excused absence from the examination. A dean in the Office of Student and Academic Affairs will notify the applicable curricular faculty and/or staff of any emergency or excused absences.

1.2.b.3. Requests to defer an end-of-course examination due to insufficient preparation will not be considered unless significant, documented illness or life events warrants an excused absence, as granted by a dean in the Office of Student and Academic Affairs.

1.2.b.4 Documentation: All students granted an excused absence and unable to attend a scheduled examination or make-up session must provide supporting documentation. Documentation requirements will be specified by the Offices of Medical Education.

All make-up examinations are scheduled by the Office of Medical Curriculum. 

Students are expected to be seated and start their exam at the scheduled time.

1.4.1. Students will not be allowed in the exam room 15 minutes beyond the exam scheduled start time for any exam. Students arriving more than 15 minutes beyond the exam scheduled start time will receive a “0” score for the exam.

1.4.2. Students arriving 1-14 minutes after the exam's published start time must speak with a Student and Academic Affairs Dean immediately after the exam. Students arriving after the examination start time will forfeit the amount of time equal to their lateness. Recurrent tardiness is subject to a referral to the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC).

Students with documented disabilities may request accommodations for examinations in line with the University at Buffalo-SUNY Reasonable Accommodation Policy. Such requests should be directed to the Office of Accessibility Resources, 60 Capen Hall, which will evaluate each case individually to determine appropriate accommodations. Once approved for accommodation, students must inform the Office of Medical Curriculum. Specific contacts will be given to the student by the Office of Accessibility Resources. Students should meet with Accessibility Resources at least annually to keep their accommodation memo up-to-date.

Students are required to observe the following examination instructions:

• Students must ensure they meet any requirements for exam software as communicated by the Office of Medical Education or the relevant course/clerkship directors prior to the examination.
• Ensure that no unauthorized personal items or electronic devices are present at the designated workspace. All electronic devices must be turned off and stored securely away from the examination area. Smart watches and cell phones are amongst the unauthorized personal items. Students will need to demonstrate that they are not wearing a smart watch prior to starting any examination.
• Report to a proctor to obtain any required examination materials, such as scratch paper, before beginning the exam.
• Course directors are not available to answer content-related questions during the examination period. Students must rely solely on their preparation and understanding of the material.
• Upon completion of the exam, students must return all provided materials to a proctor. Students must sign the exam roster before leaving the examination room. Failure to complete either item will result in a meeting with an Office of Medical Education Dean. We reserve the right to withhold examination scores if either item is not completed.
• It is imperative that students uphold academic integrity throughout the examination. Incidents of academic dishonesty and/or professional misconduct will be addressed as described in the University at Buffalo Student Code of Conduct and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Code of Professional Conduct.

• The Office of Medical Curriculum, in conjunction with course directors, conducts a statistical analysis of each exam to review question performance. Scoring adjustments may be recommended based on these statistics.
  • The aforementioned statistical analysis of the exam will be conducted, and exam scores will be distributed to students through the Examplify portal, within five (5) business days of the exam being taken. Students will be notified when exam scores are available.
• Course directors and the Office of Medical Curriculum then collaborate to schedule secure exam reviews. If you are unable to attend a formal exam review session, and want to review your exam, you must email your curriculum coordinator to make an appointment. These appointments are available at the discretion of the Office of Medical Curriculum, in the interest of protecting exam security.
  • Exam review sessions, whether formally held in the exam hall or scheduled individually, follow the same security protocols as an exam itself. 
    • Students may not attend an exam review session if they have not yet taken the exam.
    • All electronic devices must be turned off and stored securely away from the review area. This includes cell phones, tablets, and additional laptops that are not being utilized exclusively for review through Examplify.
    • Notes are not allowed on any sheet of paper other than the provided error analysis sheet. Questions may not be written on the error analysis sheet in their entirety or verbatim; only topics or key words may be noted.
    • Before leaving the exam review space, students must show a proctor both their error analysis sheet and their laptop screen. Students may not exit the room with a printed copy of their exam, nor with a laptop that is logged into the exam review session.
    • Students may not discuss any questions or content from the exam with students who have yet to take the exam.
• After a formal exam review session, course directors have two (2) business days to make any additional scoring adjustments and finalize exam scores. Updated exam scores will then be re-distributed through the Examplify portal, and students will be notified.
• Exam scores, and a summary of individual question category performance for each exam, will remain available to students through Examplify for the duration of Phase 1.

• NBME grades examinations within 1-3 business days of exam completion (absent of any technical issues), which are then visible to the Offices of Medical Education.
• Exam scores are released to students within 5 days of grading by the NBME -students will be able to view results on their NBME Insights Portal.
• Subject Examinations (Shelf Exams)
  • If a student fails a shelf exam, they will be contacted directly by an Assistant Dean for Student and Academic Affairs within 1 business day of grades being made available to the Offices of Medical Education.
  • Students will then follow the policies and procedures laid out in the course or clerkship syllabus and the Academic Status Policy.

Approved by Curriculum Committee – October 1, 2026