INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS FOR THE ONLINE SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

General Rules:
▪ On the day of each of your Online Summative Assessments, you must ensure that you access the 
Student Comms App prior to the Online Summative Assessment start time (08h00) in order to be 
authenticated to take the assessment. Authentication commences at 06h30 and closes 12h00. As 
such, you must authenticate before 12h00.  
▪ Students will require access to the internet in order to access the OSA. 
▪ You must remain online for the full duration of your Online Summative Assessment (OSA). 
▪ You must complete your OSA in the online answer booklet provided on MANCOSAConnect. Do not 
complete your assessment using MS Word or any other third-party application unless you are 
instructed to do so by MANCOSA. 
▪ Do not attempt to open your assessment in multiple browsers / tabs / windows. Should you do this, 
your work will not be saved. 
▪ Should you complete your assessment while not connected to the internet your work will not be 
saved. 
▪ Students are encouraged to save their work regularly to ensure that their work is not lost.  
▪ Students must access the OSA portal using their MANCOSAConnect login credentials. 
▪ The dates, start and end times for your OSAs are provided in your personalised timetable issued on 
the Student Comms app. Students will also be able to download their personalised timetable via the 
MyMANCOSA student portal.  
▪ All sessions will be for an eight (8) hour duration. 
▪ All sessions will run from 08h00 to 16h00 on the respective scheduled dates. 
▪ All sessions are scheduled according to South African Standard Time. 
▪ Your completed OSA must be submitted within the stipulated timeframe. You will not be able to 
submit your assessment outside of the stipulated times. If the assessment is not submitted on time, it 
will be annotated as a fail and you will be required to re-register for the module.  
▪ Students are reminded to submit their own work – no group work is permitted in the OSAs, and should 
you submit work which is not their own, this will constitute academic misconduct and you will be 
penalised in accordance with institutional policies, procedures and codes of conduct. 
▪ MANCOSA may deploy any of the following security measures to ensure the integrity of the 
assessment is maintained: 
➢ Randomised assessments questions 
➢ Turnitin software may be utilised to review submitted answers 
➢ Appropriate software, such as proctoring using SMOWL, to detect irregular activity during the 
OSA: 

Proctoring (SMOWL) General Rules 
Should an OSA include a proctoring component, students are expected to adhere to the 
following rules: 
▪ SMOWL Registration is compulsory prior to the start of the OSA. Students must ensure that 
they complete their SMOWL registration on the day of the Practice OSA, or if they miss 
the Practice OSA, on the morning of the first OSA they write. 
▪ If you are unable to see yourself in active monitoring mode, select the “Course Blocks” 
button on the top right-hand corner of the screen, on MANCOSAConnect to display the 
SMOWL Toggle screen where you will be able to see yourself in active monitoring mode.  
▪ Students must not seek assistance from any personnel or third parties during the OSA. 
▪ Students should avoid talking whilst attempting the OSA. 
▪ Students must not allow a third party to write the OSA on their behalf. 
▪ Students must be seated in front of their computer and remain present and active on 
their laptop/computer for the duration of the OSA, from logging in, to the final submission 
of the completed OSA. Students are permitted to take comfort breaks during their OSAs 
and are encouraged to use their time wisely and ensure these breaks do not disrupt the 
flow of their OSAs/do not disrupt the duration of their OSAs. 
▪ The use of messenger services, including, but not limited to WhatsApp, Facebook 
Messenger, We Chat, and Telegram during the OSA is prohibited. 
▪ Utilizing third-party writing or proxy-plagiarism services, including, but not limited to 
Chegg, Grammarly, and private tutors, is strictly prohibited. 
▪ No Video Calling or Remote Desktop Software: The use of video calling software, like 
Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Discord, among others or remote access software, such 
as AnyDesk, Team Viewer, Chrome Remote Desktop, Remote PC among others, is not 
permitted during the OSA. 
▪ If the SMOWL proctoring system detects any breach of the OSA rules, MANCOSA will be 
notified. 
Please be aware that disciplinary action may be taken if it is determined that a student 
has violated any of the OSA rules. Disciplinary actions may include but are not limited to, 
disqualification from the OSA, academic penalties, and further investigation in 
accordance with MANCOSA's academic integrity and student code of conduct policies. 
▪ Students unable to sit for the scheduled online assessment must submit an aegrotat application 
within five (5) calendar days of the scheduled online summative assessment. The application must 
be submitted online via the MyMANCOSA student portal with the appropriate evidence as per the 
guidelines provided in the Institutional Rules.  
▪ Re-mark requests must be submitted online via the Re-mark button on the MANCOSAConnect portal 
together with proof of payment within five (5) calendar days of MANCOSA’s official release of results 
in order to be processed. 
▪ The standard examination subminimum grade as stipulated in the Programme Handbook for each 
respective programme is applicable to this online summative assessment component. In order to pass the module students must meet the relevant subminimum criteria in each assessment 
component and attain an overall pass mark as applicable to that particular programme. 
▪ In the unlikely event that a student has two (2) online summative assessments scheduled at the same 
time, the student will be expected to attempt one (1) of the assessments and schedule the other in 
the next available online summative assessment cycle for the applicable intake. 
Assessment Process:  
▪ Present your answers in an orderly manner, appropriate to the requirements of each question. 
▪ Students are encouraged to have their materials and learning resources prepared and available for 
reference during the online assessment. 
▪ Once you have completed your assessment you will need to click on “submit” for your completed 
assessment to be submitted for marking. 
Before starting the online summative assessment: 
▪ Ensure that the correct question paper has been uploaded. Please read the question paper cover 
page carefully. The onus is on the student to ensure that they have the correct question paper. 
Should the question paper be incorrect, please alert MANCOSA immediately via the LiveChat which 
will be displayed on the portal during the sessions. 
▪ Only one (1) submission attempt is permitted.  
▪ Ensure that you have entered your correct student details on the online answer booklet.  
During the online summative assessment: 
▪ You must complete your OSA in the online answer booklet provided in MANCOSAConnect. Do not 
complete your assessment using MS Word or any other third-party application unless you are 
instructed to do so by MANCOSA. 
▪ Read all questions carefully to ensure that you understand what is required before answering the questions. 

Online connectivity: 

▪ Students must ensure they have stable internet connectivity for the duration of their Online 
Summative Assessment.  
▪ If you are using a laptop, ensure that your computer battery is charged. 
▪ Students are reminded to ensure that they have the necessary power cables set up. 
Communication and support:  
▪ Queries related to the online summative assessment will be prioritised during the scheduled 
assessment period.  
▪ Students are to communicate their queries via the LiveChat or support number displayed on the 

MANCOSAConnect portal. 
▪ Students can also raise queries and concerns via the Student Comms App by clicking the chat box 
icon found on the app. 
▪ Students can raise queries via a dedicated SMOWL help line using the following number:  
(031) 818 0720. 

Marking and Results: 
▪ The online summative assessment will be marked and moderated online. 
▪ Students can expect a 6 week turn-around time from the last written paper of the Online Summative 
Assessment cycle to the release of their results. 
▪ Students who have attempted and failed the assessment will be granted a supplementary 
opportunity at a date to be communicated. 

Misconduct: 
▪ Students found guilty of any academic misconduct or breach of the assessment rules will be 
penalised in accordance with institutional policies, procedures and codes of conduct.  
▪ Students may not impersonate, nor allow themselves to be impersonated by any person for the purposes of this assessment. 
▪ Students may only submit their original work for the OSA, and no part of this work may be written or 
completed by a third party and/or extracted or copied from another student’s work. 
▪ Assessments may be subject to academic integrity checks. 

Please ensure you read this document in conjunction with MANCOSA’s Institutional Rules and Student Code of Conduct together with the relevant assessment related policies. In addition, you are required to familiarise yourselves with the rules prior to each session as there may be additional rules specific to the online summative assessment for a particular module. Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Student Services on 0861 80 00 00 or on the LiveChat.