Examination Regulations
| Category | General Regulations |
|---|---|
| Type | Policy |
| Approved by | Council |
| Date Policy Took Effect | |
| Last Approved Revision | |
| Sponsor | Professor Vernon Squire - Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) |
| Responsible Officer | |
| Review Date |
Policy Content
Internal Assessment and Terms Requirements
1 The final grade for most papers (not including dissertations, theses, or other research exercises) incorporates the results for formal examinations conducted under the authority of the Senate at the end of the teaching period concerned (final examinations). Additionally, or alternatively, some or all of the final grade is based on results for essays, assignments, laboratory or other practical work, and tests or examinations (sometimes known as terms tests) conducted by individual departments and schools (internal assessment).
2 Some departments require that students gain terms (i.e. fulfil certain specified conditions) before they may sit final examinations. Terms are gained by attending classes and by completing oral, written and practical work to the satisfaction of the Head of Department. Students must familiarise themselves with any Terms Requirements of the departments whose papers they are taking.
3 (a) A student who has failed to pass a paper may apply for Final Examination Only enrolment. If the application is approved, the student is permitted to have internal assessment results and terms carried over in the paper and to sit the fnal examination again without attending any part of the course.
Note: In some papers Final Examination Only enrolment is not normally available and students will be informed at the commencement of the classes if it is not available.
(b) This concession may be granted only once in a particular paper.
(c) The examination must be attempted at the end of the semester or full year in which a paper is offered next, except that it may be attempted earlier if the paper concerned is offered in a summer school.
(d) A student who has been granted Final Examination Only enrolment in a paper may cancel the enrolment for that paper until 1 February for a summer school paper or 10 May for a first semester paper or 10 September for a second semester or full year paper. Later cancellations will be permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
4 Special Terms Requirements apply in some Health Sciences programmes whose regulations contain specific requirements.
Notes:
(i) Application for Final Examination Only enrolment must be made on the prescribed form, available from the University's website or the University Information Centre, to the Head of Department concerned by 10 January for summer school papers, 1 March for full year and first semester papers, and 31 July for second semester papers. A fee will be charged if an application is approved.
(ii) Final Examination Only students may not attend any lectures, laboratories, or tutorials, or receive assistance from academic staff, or have access to electronic holdings of course material, or receive printed course material.
(iii) Final Examination Only enrolments are not taken into account in any consideration of a student’s status as a full-time or part-time student.
Examinations and Assessment
1 Candidates are required to sit examinations at times and places which shall be determined by the Senate.
2 The examinations shall be carried out in such manner as the Senate may prescribe. Candidates shall be subject to these regulations and to the Examination Rules and any other supplementary regulations prescribed and promulgated by the Senate from time to time.
3 No candidate shall communicate with an examiner in regard to an examination either in the examination script or otherwise before the official release of confirmed final results, except through the Manager, Student Administration.
4 (a) At all University final examinations, other than Special Examinations, a candidate
(i) who has been prevented from taking any final examination through illness or other circumstances beyond his or her control, or
(ii) who considers that performance in any final examination has been seriously impaired by illness or other exceptional circumstances beyond his or her control at the time of, or in the 14 day period immediately prior to the examination,
may apply for special consideration.
(b) The special consideration may consist of the following, except that the provisions in clauses (iv) and (vi) are not available for candidates enrolled in programmes in Dentistry, Medical Laboratory Science, Medical Radiation Therapy, Medicine, Pharmacy and Physiotherapy or in Health Sciences postgraduate programmes:
(i) a decision that no action is justified or appropriate; or
(ii) adjusting an examination mark; or
(iii) granting a Special Examination in the paper concerned; or
(iv) granting an Aegrotat Pass in the paper concerned, where the examiners certify that the candidate's performance and competence in the paper were well above the minimum standard required to pass the paper (normally taken as a C+ standard or better); or
(v) granting the choice of an adjusted examination mark or a Special Examination; or
(vi) granting the choice of an Aegrotat Pass or a Special Examination.
(c) Honours may not be awarded to a candidate who has received Aegrotat Passes in examinations which count for more than 30% of the final year of the Honours programme.
(d) A claim for special consideration must be made within five calendar days of the last final examination for which special consideration is being sought and must be supported by a medical certificate or other appropriate evidence.
(e) A candidate may not apply for special consideration after the date of the official release of confirmed final results.
(f) These regulations should be read in conjunction with any relevant examination regulations set out for individual programmes.
Note: Candidates seeking special consideration for all programmes in Dentistry, Medical Laboratory Science, Medical Radiation Therapy, Medicine, Pharmacy and Physiotherapy and postgraduate programmes in Health Sciences should apply to the relevant Department, School or Faculty Office. Candidates in all other programmes should apply to Student Administration.
5 Dishonest Practice
(a) When a candidate is suspected of dishonest practice in connection with an examination, or of a breach of a rule dealing with the conduct of examinations, the facts shall be reported in writing to the Manager, Student Administration, and the circumstances of the offence shall be considered in the manner provided by the Discipline Regulations.
(b) For the purpose of this regulation and the Discipline Regulations any dishonest practice occurring in the preparation or submission of any written, oral or any other work, including work in electronic form and whether in the course of an examination or not, which counts towards the attainment of a pass in any subject, or of any dissertation, thesis, or other research exercise, shall be deemed to be dishonest practice in connection with an examination.
(c) Plagiarism (including being party to someone else's plagiarism) is a form of dishonest practice. Plagiarism is defined as copying or paraphrasing another's work, whether intentionally or otherwise, and presenting it as one's own. All students have a responsibility to be aware of acceptable academic practice in relation to the use of material prepared by others, and for taking all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that no breach of acceptable practice occurs.
(d) Work submitted to the University for any of the purposes described in regulation 5(b) may be subjected to such processes (including electronic processes) of checking for plagiarism as the University may consider appropriate. Students submitting work acknowledge that the University may retain copies of that work in electronic form or otherwise and for such period as the University sees fit for the purpose of checking for plagiarism in any other work which may be submitted to it.
6 (a) When percentage marks are recorded for examinations or following the assessment of any thesis, dissertation, research essay, research project, or other course component, the following key shall be used for translating the marks into letter grades:
| Mark | Grade |
|---|---|
| 90-100 | A+ |
| 85-89 | A |
| 80-84 | A- |
| 75-79 | B+ |
| 70-74 | B |
| 65-69 | B- |
| 60-64 | C+ |
| 55-59 | C |
| 50-54 | C- |
| 40-49 | Fail D |
| Below 40 | Fail E |
(b) In awarding a class of honours for a degree or credit or distinction for a degree or diploma, the average mark for the relevant course components shall be calculated and the following key shall be used to determine the standard of award of the qualification:
| Mark | Standard of Award |
|---|---|
| 80-100 | First Class Honours, or Distinction |
| 70-79 | Second Class Honours (Division I), or Credit |
| 60-69 | Second Class Honours (Division II) |
| 50-59 | Third Class Honours |
7 Where a candidate has not complied with a University regulation in respect of a course or an examination (including a regulation relating to payment of course or examination fees), the Senate shall have power, having given the candidate reasonable opportunity of remedying the non-compliance
(a) to decline to credit to the candidate's course any subject taken at the said examination, or
(b) to suspend, for such a time as it may think fit, the release to the candidate of the results of any examinations, or
(c) to withhold the recommendation by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor or Dean concerned for the conferring of the degree, or presentation of the diploma.
8 (a) By making written application to the Manager, Student Administration, within four weeks from the date of the official release of confirmed final results for the teaching period concerned, any candidate for a degree, diploma or other qualification may have the marks recounted in any paper or subject.
(b) The application must be accompanied by the prescribed fee.
(c) A recount of marks shall cover a careful re-check of the marks recorded by the examiner, and ensure that no answer or any portion of an answer, or work done during the teaching period which counts towards the final result, has been overlooked. Work is not remarked.
9 (a) Examination scripts shall be retained by Departments for 12 weeks from the date of the official release of confirmed final results for that teaching period. After week 12, Departments should dispose of examination scripts.
(b) Within the period of the start of week 7 to the end of week 12 following the official release of confirmed final results a candidate may, after completing an application form available from the University Information Centre, collect the original of that candidate's script from the Department concerned. In cases where an examination script is collected by a candidate no consideration will be given to any subsequent issue arising from the marking of that script, nor the addition or compilation of the marks. (Note: Some examination answers involving problem solving and multiple choice questions will not be returned to candidates, but may be seen within the Department concerned by arrangement.) After week 12, Departments may dispose of all unclaimed examination scripts.
(c) Alternatively, a candidate may arrange through the Head of the appropriate Department to see that candidate's examination script for a particular examination in the presence of a member of the departmental staff within twelve weeks from the date of the official release of confirmed final results for the teaching period concerned.
(d) A Distance Learning or extramural candidate who cannot reasonably visit the campus from which a paper is taught in order to view an examination script at the Department concerned may request a photocopy of the script by writing to the Manager, Student Administration, within twelve weeks from the date of the official release of confirmed final results for the teaching period concerned.
10 In any case where it is shown to the satisfaction of the Vice-Chancellor that an alteration or amendment to a University regulation involving a change in a course of study, or in examination requirements, has caused hardship to a student, the Vice-Chancellor may make such provision as he or she shall think fit for the relief of such hardship.
