Student Guide to Impromptu Oral Checks

0. Before Your Real Exam: The System Check Quiz

If your exam uses webcam proctoring, your course will also contain a second, separate activity called “System Check & Practice Area.” This is a zero-stakes, ungrade-counting quiz with unlimited attempts.

You must complete it before your exam window so that any camera, microphone, or browser permission problems are caught early — not during your real attempt. It takes about 2 minutes and includes:

A 15-second practice video (tell us your favourite movie — nothing is graded here).
One throwaway multiple-choice question so you can see how question navigation and auto-submit work.

If anything fails in the System Check quiz (black camera preview, no microphone, browser blocking WebRTC), fix it now using Section 4 below and re-run the System Check quiz until it passes cleanly.

1. What Are Oral Verification Checks?

Some online exams on ExamNode include three short questions bookending your exam:

Question 01 (Identity Check — 60 Seconds): Completed right at the start of your exam.
Question 98 (Brainstorm / Rough Notes — ~60 Seconds): A short text box near the end of your exam, just before Question 99. Jot down 2-3 rough bullet points about one question you found challenging — this is scratch space, not a graded essay.
Question 99 (Reasoning Reflection — 90 Seconds): Completed right after Question 98, using your own notes as a guide.

These questions use your web browser to record audio and video directly inside Moodle—no external apps, downloads, or software installations are required.

2. Why “Messy Speech” is Rewarded (Do NOT Script!)

Students often worry: “What if I stutter or pause while speaking?”

Natural, everyday conversational speech earns the highest marks. Markers are listening for genuine human understanding, not a polished theatrical performance:

Pauses and hesitations (“um”, “ah”, stopping to think) show that you are formulating thoughts in real time.
Conversational explanations (“I picked B because rule X rules out C”) are far better than memorized textbook definitions.
Do NOT read from a script or notes. Reading text off your screen makes your speech robotic and will be flagged by markers as scripted.

3. What is the Physical Verification Step?

At the beginning of Question 01, you will see a prompt asking you to perform a quick, 3-second physical action before speaking. Examples include:

Holding a pen horizontally across your chin.
Lifting a mug or water bottle as if taking a drink.
Touching your collar or shoulder with your hand.

Why we do this: This simple check verifies your live presence, protects you against unauthorized account use, and ensures your camera is functioning properly.

4. Pre-Exam Hardware & Browser Checklist

Complete these checks at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled exam:

1. Supported Web Browsers

Use modern desktop browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.
Ensure your browser is updated to the latest stable version.
Avoid browser extensions (such as aggressive ad-blockers or privacy shields) that block WebRTC or media access on examnode.com.au.

2. Granting Camera & Microphone Permissions

When you open Question 01, your browser will ask for permission to access your camera and microphone:

Click Allow on the pop-up prompt.
If blocked, look at the top address bar next to the URL (https://examnode.com.au).
Click the Padlock icon (🔒) or Site Settings icon.
Set both Camera and Microphone to Allow, then refresh the page.

3. Close “Camera Stealing” Applications

Your operating system can only share your camera with one application at a time. Completely close:

Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Discord, Skype, FaceTime, Webex, or OBS Studio.

5. Troubleshooting Mid-Exam Emergencies

The recording widget is black or shows “Hardware Error”: Close background video apps (Teams/Zoom) and refresh the quiz page. Moodle saves all your answers automatically.
Microphone is not picking up sound: Check your system sound settings to ensure the correct default input device is selected.
If hardware fails completely: Do not panic. Complete all remaining written/objective questions in your exam. When finished, submit the exam and immediately email your Unit Coordinator. Your coordinator can review your attempt and issue a time override for the oral component if needed.