The Student Examination Agreement (SEA) form is required for all students in the MSOL program, as well as for students who are taking courses through UCLA Extension or Summer Session.

The SEA form is an agreement between you, the MSOL program, and your assigned proctor or instructor. The SEA form confirms whether you will be testing on-campus at UCLA or off-campus with a proctor.

Submit your SEA form at least two weeks in advance of an exam.

ON-CAMPUS EXAMS: If you plan to test on-campus at UCLA, your SEA form will inform your instructor how many exams to prepare and allow our office to reserve the appropriate accommodations. See “OPTION 1” below.

OFF-CAMPUS EXAMS: If you plan to test off-campus with a proctor, your SEA form will allow our office to deliver your exams and liaise between your instructor and proctor. See “OPTION 2” below.

Your off-campus proctor must have the following:
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• A verified business email address. (Gmail, Yahoo, etc. are not accepted.)
• Reliable access to the internet.
• The ability to download and print PDF documents.
• Access to a scanner in order to send your completed exam to the MSOL office.

Please submit your SEA form to the SEA Form Submission Form.

After your SEA form is approved, the test center on your SEA form will be automatically renewed for each in-person exam you take through MSOL. SEA forms do not expire and remain valid for the duration of your time in the MSOL program.

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REMOTE ONLINE ASSESSMENTS: If your course will have fully remote online assessments, you do not need to submit a SEA form to indicate that you will test remotely.

No, you do not need to complete a new SEA form each quarter.

Once your SEA form is approved, the test center on your SEA form will be automatically renewed for each in-person exam you take through MSOL. SEA forms do not expire and remain valid for the duration of your time in the MSOL program.

A new SEA form is only required when:

• You are a new admit to the MSOL program (including UNEX students)
• You have never submitted a SEA form before
• You need to change from an off-campus proctor to UCLA (or from UCLA to an off-campus proctor)
• You need to change your current proctor to a new proctor
  • Our office can store up to two proctors at once: your “primary” proctor and an “alternate” substitute.
  • You may alternate between the two proctors OR switch back to test on campus, but you must email our office two weeks in advance of an exam to let us know.

If the above does not apply, you do NOT need to submit a new SEA form. The last SEA form you submitted will be automatically renewed until you indicate otherwise.

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REMOTE ONLINE ASSESSMENTS: If your course will have fully remote online assessments, you do not need to submit a SEA form to indicate that you will test remotely.

If you have determined that a new SEA form is required, please submit your completed form to msengrol@seas.ucla.edu at least two weeks in advance of your next exam.

SEA forms for midterm exams are due by the Friday of Week 3. SEA forms for final exams are due by the Friday of Week 8.

A new SEA form is only required for final exams if your test center has changed since midterm exams. Your prior SEA form will automatically roll over to each exam.

If your course will have fully remote online assessments, you DO NOT need to submit a SEA form to indicate that you will test remotely and online.

You DO need to submit a SEA form if:

The traditional assessment for MSOL courses is in-person proctored exams. Unless stated otherwise by your instructor, please assume that your course will have in-person proctored exams.

It is the sole discretion of each instructor whether to hold an online assessment instead of an in-person proctored exam.

To verify the activities and expectations for your course, please see the course syllabus.

MSOL exams have historically been held in-person for all courses. With the resumption of in-person activities, our program is allowing instructors to continue holding online assessments. However, we also understand the benefits of getting to interact with online classmates in person.

Given the wide variety of circumstances of our program’s nontraditional students, in-person exams have always been intended to be as seamless and easy to access as possible. MSOL students may test on multiple dates, and professionals ranging from librarians to HR representatives to faculty may serve as proctors for those outside the UCLA area.

We recommend that you begin your proctor search with your local library, community college, or your employer’s HR and training divisions. Our office is able to assist should you need additional recommendations.

Scenario A: You normally take your in-person exams on-campus on the Saturday of an exam week.

Solution A: You must choose one in-person exam to be proctored off-campus on the Friday before the official exam date. We cannot proctor additional in-person exams before or after the designated exam time. Please submit a completed SEA form at least two weeks in advance to indicate your testing preferences and locations.

Scenario B: You normally take your in-person exams off-campus with an independent proctor or test center.

Solution B: You can take both in-person exams on one day, or take one in-person exam on Friday and the other in-person exam on Saturday.

The resources below will help you locate a certified test center. These resources do not represent endorsement by the MSOL program, nor are they intended to be comprehensive lists. For additional options, please contact your local public library and/or send an email to our office.

Scroll down to OPTION 2: OFF-CAMPUS EXAMS for more information about proctor eligibility.

Test Centers in the United States:

NCTA Proctor Network
San Francisco Bay Area Proctors (PDF)
Proctor Locations in Washington State

Test Centers in Canada:

Proctor Sites in Canada (PDF)
Proctor Sites by Province

Test Centers Abroad:

EducationUSA Advising Centers – EducationUSA is a U.S. Department of State network of over 430 international student advising centers in more than 175 countries and territories.

OFFICIAL EXAM DATES CAN BE FOUND UNDER THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR.

An in-person midterm exam should be taken on the official exam date OR on the Friday of Week 5. 

An in-person final exam should be taken on the official exam date OR on the Friday of Week 10.

Permission is NOT required to take an in-person exam with an independent off-campus proctor on the Friday before an official exam date.

Special accommodations are at the discretion of each instructor.

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REMOTE ONLINE ASSESSMENTS: If your course will have fully remote online assessments, your official assessment dates are those specified by your instructor.

It is your responsibility to inform the MSOL office of any in-person make-up sessions or special date accommodations. For courses with fully remote online assessments, no in-person arrangements will be made without express written notice and acknowledgement.

Our office handles all distribution of exams to independent proctors. You must inform us of any in-person make-up sessions or special date accommodations at least two weeks in advance of an exam date. Please do not assume that your instructor has notified our office.

For instructions, see “Do I need a SEA form for remote online assessments?” above.

MSOL discourages the practice of requesting alternate exam dates. To be fair and equitable to all students, as well as to maintain test integrity, we ask that you take your in-person exam on the official exam date OR the Friday before an official exam date.

If you find yourself in an extenuating circumstance that would prohibit you from taking your in-person exam on Friday or Saturday, please email your instructor directly and ask for written approval to test on a specific date. Approval is at the sole discretion of each instructor.

If an alternate date is granted, forward the written approval to msengrol@seas.ucla.edu at least two weeks prior to an exam.

Failure to inform our office of a change in test date, proctor, or test center will jeopardize your ability to take an exam.

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REMOTE ONLINE ASSESSMENTS: If your course will have fully remote online assessments, your official assessment dates are those specified by your instructor.

It is your responsibility to inform the MSOL office of any in-person make-up sessions or special date accommodations. For courses with fully remote online assessments, no in-person arrangements will be made without express written notice and acknowledgement.

Our office handles all distribution of exams to independent proctors. You must inform us of any in-person make-up sessions or special date accommodations at least two weeks in advance of an exam date. Please do not assume that your instructor has notified our office.

For instructions, see “Do I need a SEA form for remote online assessments?” above.

UCLA midterms are traditionally up to two (2) hours long. UCLA finals are traditionally up to three (3) hours long.

Please contact the Center for Accessible Education if you require special exam accommodations due to a documented disability.

Students are to notify instructors about extra time accommodations as early in each quarter as possible (e.g., prior to or at the beginning of instruction).

In order to release your Letters of Accommodation, please visit the CAE Student Portal. The CAE is also able to provide accommodation instructions for faculty.

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NOTE: Exams hosted by the CAE are separate from exams hosted by MSOL. Please follow the COVID-19 clearance guidelines provided by the CAE.

[Exam Instructions for Proctors – UCLA MSOL (PDF)]

Acceptable off-campus proctors include:

• College or university test center proctor.
• College or university faculty member — Academic relationship only.
• Test administrator at a professional or NCTA test center.
• Librarian.
• Military: Educational Services Officer or higher ranking officer.
• Education Coordinator or HR representative at your place of employment — Must submit their business card OR company directory listing with your SEA form.

Direct supervisors and engineering colleagues may not serve as exam proctors.

Proctors must have the following:

• A verified business email address.
• Reliable access to the internet.
• The ability to download and print PDF documents.
• Access to a scanner in order to send a completed exam back to instructors and the MSOL office.

Proctors must be able to perform the following functions:

• Verify the student’s identity via government issued ID before the exam.
• Administer the exam in a quiet and secure environment free of distractions or interruptions.
• Ensure the exam is taken in the time frame indicated on the exam instructions.
• Administer the exam on the specified dates provided by MSOL.
• Ensure the student does not leave the testing area once the exam has begun.
• Only allow access to the exam at the time of administration.

After the exam, proctors should submit the full PDF directly to the form provided by the MSOL office.

Proctors may shred an exam after it has been scanned and submitted back to instructors. Proctors are encouraged to hold onto original exams until an instructor or the MSOL office confirms receipt, in the rare event that a file is unusable and must be re-scanned.