At its meeting of 12 March 2008, the Senate Committee on Student Affairs (CSA) emphasized the importance of communicating the following to instructors at McGill:
 
University policy stipulates that multiple versions of multiple-choice examinations are required for mid-term and final examinations. 
 
            All instructors are required to abide by this policy. 
 
Instructors are reminded that multiple versions of examinations can be generated by scrambling the order of questions and/or answers.  Some scrambling software, such as Respondus, is free for McGill faculty and staff (www.mcgill.ca/cio/procurement/license).  Click on the Software Licensing website link, enter the product name (Respondus) and follow the links to access.  Instructors are reminded that minimal changes to the order of a block of questions do not scramble questions adequately.  The Associate Dean (Student Affairs) of your Faculty can provide additional information and guidance.

Please note that examination integrity is enhanced by random seating and a seating plan.  The 1990 Senate Regulations on Examination Security state that “A random seating chart shall be utilized by the instructor for every mid-term examination held in a classroom.”  Many classrooms have labelled seating (www.mcgill.ca/pia/plans/exam); this makes it easier to assign students to random seating. The plan can be posted 10-15 minutes before the examination room is opened to students. Once students are seated, the invigilators use copies of the plan to verify that students are in their assigned seats. 
 
See also guidance for instructors at www.mcgill.ca/students/srr/honest/staff.