An exam flow is like a roadmap for your simulation session. It outlines the sequence of activities-such as honor codes, door notes, evaluations, and timing settings-to ensure each exam runs smoothly and consistently for all participants.

What Is an Exam Flow?

An exam flow defines:

• Which components are included in the session (e.g., honor code, door notes, evaluations)
• How long the session is recorded
• How much time is allocated for post-encounter activities
• Whether participants can move forward manually or must wait for timers to expire

There are two types of flows:

• Student/Admin-driven: Participants can advance before the timer ends
• System-driven: Participants must wait until the timer expires before moving to the next phase

Things to Know Before You Begin

• Refresh the Control Interface after editing an exam flow in an exam room. The system will prompt you to do this if needed.
• You cannot edit an exam flow if the associated scenario is actively being used in a live session. Wait until the session is complete to make changes.

Why Exam Flows Matter

Using exam flows ensures:

• A consistent experience for all learners
• Accurate timing and delivery of evaluations
• Smooth transitions between simulation phases
• Clear expectations for both learners and facilitators

Getting Started: Create an Exam Flow

To set up an exam flow:

1. Open the Course: Navigate to the course where you want to create the exam flow.
2. Add a New Scenario: Go to the Curriculum area and click Add New Scenario.
3. Enter Scenario Details
   • Title (required)
   • Overview and Learning Objectives (optional)
   • Select Standardized Patient as the scenario type
4. Configure Exam Flow Settings

Exam Phase Advancement

• Proctor or Student Driven: Allows manual advancement by proctor or learner
• System Automated: Learners must wait for the timer to expire before advancing Learn more about System Automated exam flows

Audio and User Settings

• Audio Announcements: Text-to-voice prompts for timing and instructions
• Allow Multiple Users: Enables multiple learners to log into the same room/session

Exam Phases

• Honor Code: Learners must accept the institutional honor code
• Door Notes: Pre-encounter info (1-hour limit)
• Exam EMR: Electronic medical records (1-hour limit)
• Encounter: Live interaction with SP (4-hour limit, recording optional)
• Post Encounter: Evaluation phase (1-hour limit)

Save the Exam Flow: Click Save to finalize your configuration.

Add a Follow-Up to Your Exam Flow

To include additional components after the main exam:

• Click + Add Follow-up
• This creates a new section for follow-up configuration
• Previously selected components will collapse but remain saved

Once saved, the exam flow settings will appear on the scenario's home page.

Disable Exam Encounter Recording

For sensitive scenarios (e.g., pelvic or breast exams), you may want to disable recording while keeping the structured flow intact.

Steps to Disable Recording:

1. Create SP Scenario: Use the Standardized Patient scenario type and enter details.
2. Configure Exam Flow: In the Encounter phase, toggle Recording is OFF and click Save.
3. Assign to Room: Assign the scenario to the appropriate exam room and verify setup.
4. Conduct the Encounter
   • Monitor Interface: Live stream may be active; recording light is off
   • Control Interface: Red background shows phase is active; no recording light
   • Participant/Patient Interfaces: No changes
5. Complete the Encounter: Ensure no recording is created.
6. Conduct Follow-Up (if applicable): Follow-up phase behaves like the encounter phase with recording disabled.
7. Remote OSCE Behavior: Remote OSCE monitors cannot view scenarios with recording disabled.

Important Reminders

• Refresh the Control Interface after editing an exam flow before starting a session.
• You cannot edit an exam flow while its associated scenario is actively capturing a session. Wait until the session ends.

For more details, visit: SimCapture Enterprise with Exam System: How to set up exam flows and use EMR forms