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Testing Policies and Procedures

The following policies and procedures apply only to  exams for Gulf Coast State College and all non-Gulf Coast State College students who requested proctoring services. Please see College Placement Test/PERT, CLEP Exams, Pearson VUE/Florida Teacher Certification Exams and TABE for those exam policies and procedures.

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  • All Gulf Coast State College, Non-GCSC students, PERT, TABE, and CLEP must schedule their exam appointments in Register Blast at least 72 hours before your desired testing date and time. Those who are taking either a Pearson Vue exam or the MSSC exam do not need to make an appointment with the Testing Center. Note: If a student is unable to make an appointment, please contact us at 850-769-1551, ext. 5807 or email us at testingcenter@gulfcoast.edu.
  • It is your responsibility to schedule your exam appointment so that you can complete your exam prior to the Gulf Coast State College Testing Center's closing times (See Hours of Operation). The last exam appointment time for most examinations are on Monday-Thursday is at 5:30 p.m. and on Friday at 2:00 p.m.  GCSC Testing does reserve the right to refuse your ability to test beyond the last appointment times.
  • If you need to take your exam at a off-campus location, you must arrange for Off-Campus Proctored Exam Request form at least one week in advance of your exam date. For instructions on arranging an off-campus proctor, see Off-Campus Proctoring.
  • Please arrive at the Gulf Coast State College Testing Center at least 15 minutes before your scheduled exam time.
  • When you arrive for your exam appointment, you must sign in on the computer in the Student Union West First Floor, Room 80  to take your scheduled exam(s). After signing in, come to the waiting area for checking in where a Testing Center staff member will assist you.
  • You will need to present a valid photo ID (either a school-issued ID, military ID, driver's license, state-issued ID, passport) before you will be allowed to test.
  • For PERT testers, you will need to have knowledge of your Social Security number as this is a State of Florida test. For Dual Enrolled Students, you will also need to have a voucher from your high school prior to testing. For CLEP testers, a CLEP Ticket ID must be presented as well in order to test.
  • The following items are not permitted in the testing room: any electronic devices, watches, hats, purses, cell phones, pencil bags, backpacks, sunglasses, tobacco products, e-cigarettes (Gulf Coast State College is a tobacco-free campus), food and/or drinks (including water), and books/notes (unless permitted by your instructor). You should leave any of the listed items in your car, however, lockers  will be provided to store any of the above items if you must bring them. [Note: Student Accessibility Resources students may be allowed to have the listed items above if the items are permitted in their accommodation plan.]
  • If permitted by your instructor, pencils, erasers, basic, scientific, and/or graphing calculators, headphones, and/or scratch paper will be provided by the Gulf Coast State College Testing Center and must be returned at the end of your exam. 
  • Students who create disturbances or conduct themselves in a manner that may jeopardize either the security of an exam, safety of other students, or the quietness of the Testing Center may be escorted out of the Testing Center and an incident report will be filed.
  • Students may not use any unauthorized materials, taking an exam form someone else, communicating with other students, and/or tamper with testing computers or equipment. Violation of this policy will constitute cheating and a incident report will be filed.
  • Students are not permitted to remove any testing materials like paper tests, scratch paper, computer equipment, and/or GCSC property from the Testing Center. Violation of this policy will constitute cheating and a incident report will be filed.
  • Leaving the testing room or taking breaks (including restroom breaks) during an exam is not permitted. Students must stay in the testing room until their examination is complete.
  • It is your responsibility to keep track of your testing time, not the Testing Center's staff. Clocks are provided for all students while testing.
  • The Gulf Coast State College Testing Center uses a visual monitoring and recording system during all testing.
  • Gulf Coast State College policy states that children (anyone under the age of 18 years old who is not a dual-enrolled student) are not allowed to sit in the testing area unaccompanied by an adult nor are they allowed to be with you in the testing room.
You must have your instructor's written permission sent to the Testing Center before taking an exam outside of an exam's testing window. We must receive an email confirmation from your instructor. If we do not have this notification, you will not be permitted to test.
Any academic misconduct, including cheating or violating any of the Testing Center policies stated above, is destructive to the spirit of an educational environment and therefore is not tolerated by Gulf Coast State College. If a student is found to be cheating or has violated any of the Testing Center's policies, an incident report will be filed by the Coordinator of Testing to the student's instructor, the academic chair of the department, and the Dean of Student Affairs.
Gulf Coast State College does not discriminate against any person in its programs, activities, policies or procedures on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, marital status, religion, age, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. All questions or inquiries regarding compliance with laws relating to non-discrimination and all complaints regarding sexual misconduct or discrimination, may be directed to Lee Wood, Executive Director, Human Resources/Title II/504/Title IX Coordinator and Employment Equity Officer, Gulf Coast State College, 5230 W. US Highway 98, Panama City, FL 32401.