Written examinations
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- Introduction.
- Invigilating examinations.
- Special exam arrangements.
- Grading schemes.
- UK undergraduate degree classifications.
- Some novel approaches.
- Hints, tips and suggestions.
- Further information.
1. Introduction
Written examinations (exams) are a common method of assessment in the UK. They frequently last between one and three hours and are intended to test a student's ability to recall, assimilate and apply the knowledge gained whilst studying a module or course unit. Many examinations will test the student through a mixture of both short and long answer questions and will include some elements which are core and mandatory and others elements in which the student may exercise some degree of choice (for example, answer all questions in section A and two from section B).
Examinations are taken at the end of a period of study which for many students is at the end of the term, semester or at the end of the academic year. Some UK universities have a semesterised year and hold examinations in January/February (end of semester 1) and again in May/June (at the end of semester 2). However, traditionally, the main examination time of the year is in May/June.
2. Invigilating examinations
Members of staff are asked to invigilate in examinations and you may be asked to invigilate for your own course examinations. The students will be advised of the materials they need to bring to the exam (eg pens, rulers, calculators in a clear plastic bag) and will be issued with a student identification number. Students are usually seated alphabetically and in separated rows of desks.
Universities vary but it is common for examination booklets to be used and students are asked to complete a front page (identifying the course and the student) and to clearly label and number any additional paper or booklets that they use. Students may record only their student number - not their name - on exam booklets as this enables anonymous marking to take place.
Silence is expected during the examination period and students will only be allowed to take breaks if this has been arranged before the exam.
3. Special exam arrangements
Special exam arrangements are made for students who have a recognised and reported disability. Accommodating adjustments may include enabling the student to take the exam in a smaller room, make use of a computer or give additional time or take rest breaks.
4. Grading schemes
Marking exam papers is a time-consuming activity that requires concentration and focus. In the UK papers are marked in a range of different ways that involve transparent standards and setting explicit assessment criteria. In some subjects this may involve marking to model answers or using precise ‘content' or ‘knowledge' checklists whilst in other subjects a more general set of criteria are given in marking sheets.
The drive to being equitable and transparent in marking has become a ‘quality' issue and it is considered good practice for students to have all the information about how they are going to be tested and the criteria which are going to used to judge their abilities before they begin their studies. In short this means that information about assessment is provided for students in course handbooks and they can be provided with past exam papers and sample mark sheets. It also means that if you wish to make changes to your assessment strategy for a course it can take time to implement as you will have to follow the quality assurance procedures in place in your university.
Adjusting to the use of such marking schemes does take a little time and the UK degree classification (see below) often encourages markers to grade qualitative/discursive, essay-styled exam answers in the middle range 35 - 75% rather than utilising the full 0 - 100% mark range. Therefore a mark of 72% in social sciences and arts is considered to be excellent. This is often a surprise for international staff who are more used to using a full mark range and awarding marks in the 90s for excellent work.
Quantitative subjects (where there is a right and wrong answer) do award marks across the full range and therefore you may well see marks in the teens and nineties in subjects such as physics and mathematics.
5. UK undergraduate degree classifications
| Percentage Mark | Description | Class | |
| 70+ | Excellent | 1st | First |
| 60 - 69 | Very good | 2 (i) | Two, one |
| 50 - 59 | Good | 2 (ii) | Two, two |
| 40 - 49 | Satisfactory | 3rd | Third |
| 39 - | Unsatisfactory | Fail | Fail |
Note the pass mark for Master's level programmes is usually 50%.
6. Some novel approaches
Many lecturers try to set exam questions that do not depend on having a good memory and luck, but some staff have taken this much further and have reorganised the way that they set examinations to reduce the emphasis on memory and luck still further. Two approaches are:
- Open book exams - by allowing students to take in their notes and books to the exam it is believed that you reduce the emphasis on memory and seek more to assess the academic skills of a student.
- Pre-release exams - by pre-releasing the topics or even the exam questions a few days before the exam you avoid the problems of students question spotting and the bias of chance and luck. If the students know what to prepare for, the examination can also be designed to test skills at a much higher level and the absolute standards can be more demanding.
7. Hints, tips and suggestions
When setting examination questions do get a colleague to read them through to check for ambiguities and bias. In some disciplines it is very important not to rely on certain kinds of background knowledge or to make cultural assumptions when setting questions. In others the precision of language is vital and the clarity of guidance to students is key.
One of the challenges of setting good exam questions is making sure that they will allow you to discriminate effectively between a good answer and an excellent answer. Building in room for students to be able to demonstrate their additional skills, evidence of further reading or creativity and initiative is sometimes very difficult. Do bear this in mind when drafting questions and maybe consider setting questions in three parts which could be described as being easy, intermediate and difficult in the challenge they provide for students.
The first time you mark a batch of exam scripts it can be very helpful to work with a colleague to compare your ‘internal calibration' with their's. It is not unusual for this to take a little while and the opportunity to discuss a small sample of your marks with an experienced UK marker will be most beneficial.
8. Further information
Brown, G.; Bull, J. and Pendlebury, M., 1997. Assessing Student Learning in Higher Education. Routledge: London. See chapter 4, Methods and Strategies: an overview. (A well-respected text that gives much background and great insight into the UK approach to assessment).
Butcher, C.; Davies, C. and Highton, M., 2006. Designing Learning: From Module Outline to Effective Teaching. Key Guides for Effective Teaching in Higher Education, Routledge :London. See: Chapter 6. Matching your assessment to outcomes. (A very useful chapter which considers a number of important issues to be addressed when designing appropriate assessment for courses including setting criteria that matches the level and outcomes of the course).
Haines, C., 2004. Assessing Students' Written Work: Marking Essays and Reports. Key Guides for Effective Teaching in Higher Education. Routledge : London. (A very practical little book that deals with the practice of marking.)
Jones, E. and Brown, S., 2007. Internationalising Higher Education. Routledge: London. See Chapter 5, Assessment and International Students : Helping clarify puzzling processes, by Brown and Joughin. (Although this chapter is written with a focus on international students' experiences of assessment there is much of relevance for international staff facing similar ‘surprises' and new perspectives).