Examinations
This information has been provided to help you. If there is anything you do not understand, please ask your tutor or the Course Lead.
Regulations
- All examinations will start on time. Candidates who arrive late must report to the invigilator. Late arrivals will be allowed to sit the examination but will not be given extra time.
- You must not take part in any unfair practice (such as copying another candidate’s work) during the examination.
- You may take into the examination room only the materials and equipment which are permitted such as pens, pencils, rubbers and any other instruments that have been approved for the examination.
- You must not take into the examination room any unauthorised materials or equipment. All personal belongings, bags, books, notes etc. must be placed in a designated area identified by the invigilator. Students taking open book examinations may only use books, notes etc. identified by the examiner. Students requiring further equipment from a bag after the commencement of the examination must ask the invigilator to obtain it for them.
- Students are requested to switch off mobile phones and place them with their belongings in the designated area. If a candidate is found in possession of their mobile phone during the examination they will be deemed to be contravening the examination regulations.
- Students are requested to ensure their watches do not chime hourly.
- You must write in black or blue ink.
- You must not talk to nor disturb other students once the examination has started.
- Do not borrow anything from another candidate during the examination.
- Students found copying, communicating with another student, or using any unauthorised materials may be expelled from the room. A written report on the incident will be submitted by the invigilator to the superintendent of examinations.
- Students may use the toilet adjoining the examination hall with authority from the invigilator. Exam papers, books and bags may not be taken into the toilet.
- Students are not permitted to leave the examination room until thirty minutes have elapsed, or may they leave in the last thirty minutes of the examination. Any candidate who has left the room without the invigilator’s authority shall not be allowed to re-enter it during the examination. Under special circumstances, the invigilator may act according to his/her discretion and the circumstances shall be reported to the superintendent of examinations.
- Any student who wishes to leave the examination early must have their script collected by the invigilator before they leave their desk.
- Students may bring water and snacks into the examination hall but are not permitted to leave the hall to make hot drinks in the kitchen area. Noisy snacks that may disturb other candidates are not allowed.
- Items such as aromatherapy oils that may be disruptive to other students (e.g. migraine sufferers) may only be used in the examination hall with the prior consent of all the other participants.
- If the fire alarm sounds during the examination, students must follow the instructions of the invigilator. Students must leave the room in silence and must not take any papers or material from the room and must adhere to examination regulations. Students must not re-enter the room before they are instructed to do so.
Examination Instructions and Recommendations
- We recommend that you arrive at least 10 minutes before the start of each examination. Consider travelling to York the night before if you are dependent on trains, etc.
- Listen to the instructions given by the Invigilator before the start of the exam and do what you are asked to do.
- Students are requested to complete the attendance form and place it on the desk for collection by the invigilator.
- Tell the Invigilator at once if you think you have not been given the right question paper or if the question paper is incomplete.
- Read carefully the instructions printed on the front of the question paper. Do what you are asked to do.
- After question papers have been distributed, students may not consult the question papers until instructed to do so.
Advice and Assistance
If on the day of the examination you feel that your work may be affected by ill health or any other reason, tell the invigilator.
Put up your hand during the examination if you:
- Have a problem and are in doubt about what you should do
- Feel ill
- Need more paper
You may ask the invigilator for an explanation of the questions if you feel there is some ambiguity or lack of clarity.
The End of the Examination
- Ensure you have correctly followed the instructions given on both the question paper and the answer booklet. Students must ensure by the end of the examination that the front cover of the answer book has been completed, any additional sheets have been securely attached to the answer book with the tag provided and that their details have been entered on each additional sheet.
- When time is called at the end of the examination, students must stop writing immediately.
- Students must remain seated until all scripts have been collected and counted and the invigilator gives the signal to leave the room.
- Please be aware that there may still be examinations in progress elsewhere in the building. Look out for the signs, do not go into rooms (including the library and nutrition clinic) where there is an exam notice on the door and please be as quiet as possible.
Special Examination Arrangements
A candidate who has submitted to the Superintendent of Examinations (the Registrar) a medical certificate that he or she is unable through illness or accident to attend at the examination room but is fit to undergo examination may be examined in a special room if the Superintendent is able to make satisfactory arrangements for the examination.
In exceptional circumstances, a candidate may with the approval of the Principal sit for a written examination under approved conditions, at another comparable institution or place. Approval may be given provided that satisfactory arrangements can be made for the examination by the Superintendent of Examinations concerned that where the same paper is to be sat by other candidates the examination is taken at the same time as the paper in the Institution and that any expense incurred will be borne by the candidate.
A student requiring special provision for his/her examinations must discuss their situation in advance with the Registrar.
Students will normally be required to support their application with documentary evidence.
Arrangements will then be agreed in consultation with the Superintendent of Examinations, and the Course Lead or Chair of the Assessment board. Requests for special provision can be disregarded if not supported by appropriate supporting documentary evidence.
Candidates who are physically disabled from writing a script may answer papers by other means. Any equipment shall be selected by the Superintendent of Examinations in consultation with the Course Lead.
In respect of the most common medical circumstances, the following arrangements are appropriate:
Dyslexia - A student may be permitted additional time for his/her examinations and/or the use of a word processor or other appropriate means, or other adjustments to their assessments as appropriate to the case. Students must discuss their situation in advance with the Registrar. Evidence is required, in the form of a recent report from an educational psychologist or other appropriate expert. Students who do not declare and provide evidence are assessed without adjustments or allowances.
Visual Impairment - A student may be permitted the use of a word processor or other appropriate means, and where appropriate, the typeface on the examination question paper shall be enlarged. If the visual impairment is known to be prolonged or permanent a student may be permitted additional time for his/her examination(s).
Hearing Impairment - A student shall be made aware of any announcements during an examination by the issue of written information.
Physically Impaired from Writing a Script - A student may be permitted the use of a word processor and/or other appropriate means. If the physical impairment is known to be prolonged or permanent a student may be permitted additional time for his/her examination(s).
The examination, in any of the above cases, may be conducted in a separate room under the superintendence of a nominated invigilator who shall not normally be a member of the Assessment board concerned.
If the Course Lead recommends that a student should receive special provision, they shall forward the application, supported by copies of documentary evidence, to the Superintendent.
The Superintendent of Examinations on receipt of a recommendation for special provision shall decide whether or not to approve the application for special provision and the provision that will be made available to the student. The decision of the Superintendent shall be final.
Candidates shall inform the Superintendent of Examinations within the first month of the academic session if they are unable, on religious grounds, to take examinations on certain days. The Superintendent of Examinations of the Institution shall, as far as possible, take account of this request during the compilation of the examinations time-table.
Viewing Exam papers
Once the results of an examination have been announced, students’ scripts will be held by the Superintendent of Examinations together with a copy of the question paper and the model answers / interpretations. These documents are kept for reference by the assessment boards and accrediting and validating bodies. Students who wish to view their scripts together with a copy of the question paper and the model answers/interpretations may do so at the College on weekdays (e.g. when in clinic), by request to the Student Services Manager/Officer responsible for your course. Papers may not be removed from the College premises under any circumstances. Students may not photocopy scripts, question papers or model answers.
Missed Examinations
If an examination is not attended the student will normally be deemed to have failed the exam with a mark of 0% and will have one opportunity to re-sit. The re-sit will be awarded a maximum mark of the bare pass mark (BSc 40%; MScs 50%).
However, in the case of illness or other exceptional circumstances the Assessment Board may choose, with the approval of the validating University, to:
- permit a supplementary examination to be held, or
- allow the examination to be taken in a subsequent year, or
- award an aegrotat award without distinction.
Examples of circumstances which the Assessment Board is likely to judge to be "good cause" include:
- illness
- accident
- close bereavement or other compassionate grounds
In such cases you must submit to the Board in advance of its meeting an explanatory letter together with a medical certificate or other documented evidence of the extenuating circumstances.
When the Assessment Board meets it will make a judgement as to whether or not the extenuating circumstances warranted the failure to attend. If in the Board’s judgement the circumstances warranted the failure to attend, it will agree on one of the options outlined above. If in the Board’s judgement the circumstances did not warrant the failure to attend, the student will be given one opportunity to re-sit.
In cases where the Board decides that the candidate should re-sit, if the re-sit examination is given a pass mark, the candidate will receive the maximum mark for a re-sit of the bare pass mark. If the re-sit examination is given a fail, there will be no further opportunity to re-sit, the given mark will be accepted and the examination will be failed.
Amongst the circumstances which are not normally considered "good cause" are:
- proximity or number of examinations or other assessments
- pressure of work or exceptional professional commitments, including sudden crises at work, unanticipated overtime or travel, or changes to shifts
- misreading of examination/coursework timetables
- poor time management
- scheduling of holidays or time abroad
Missed examinations may also mean that marks are not available for the relevant Assessment board meeting(s).
Viva Exams
A ‘viva voce’ is an oral examination that may be offered to a student in certain circumstances:
- If the mark for your dissertation is a borderline mark, you may be called to attend a viva examination where you will be questioned about your research and your dissertation by the External Examiner and the Research Director. If we call you to attend a viva examination we will inform you of the area with which the viva will deal – borderline pass/fail, borderline pass/merit, or borderline merit/distinction. Students due to submit their dissertations will be informed of the date for viva by the Registrar.
- As an alternative assessment approved by an Assessment Board for a student with, for example, dyslexia, who may be disadvantaged by only being examined in a written format.
Some courses use a form of viva voce as part of the standard assessment process for all students. This is specified in the module descriptions.
Students will receive instructions in preparing for a viva voce before the assessment takes place.
