Last week I gave mid-term exams. Here is what I said to my students at the start of the exam.
“To take the exam you need a scantron and a pencil. (pause to sell scantrons to students who didn’t bring them and hand out pencils) On the scantron please put my name and the course section number 4882 in the period spot.
There are two important pieces of information you need to make sure you include. Your name, if there is no name on the test I cannot give you a grade. (class laughs) And the test version number. There are four versions A, B, C, and D. Put this letter in the Test No. spot. If you do not have a version number I also cannot give you a grade because I won’t know what test you took. (class laughs again)
Any questions? (pause) No, ok, we are ready to begin. Please put away all laptops, phones, books, and notes. Don’t make it look like you are cheating. If it looks like you’re cheating you probably are. (more laughter) Begin.”
Do you even want to know how many tests I got back without version numbers? At least they all remembered their name…
As the student turn in the exams I check them, because I’m nice like that and if they are missing something I hand it back to them. Then they get all embarrassed and put the version on for me.
This is my life.