Hello!

Exam timetables went live at the start of the week! This is the earliest they have been released with the aim to give you additional time to plan. I am also working with the SU and the University on how we can best support you during revision and exam time, normally we would have the petting zoo and lots of other destress activities but this year for obvious reasons we can’t. If there is anything fun virtually, you would like to see done to support you please do let us know!

You said – We Did!! Change has happened!

In response to student feedback from Faculty Forums on the Semester 1 online assessments, the University are going to be offering new online 1:1 Exams Skills tutorials from 12 April to 7 May 2021.

These 50-minute online tutorials are designed to help students prepare for different kinds of exams, e.g. open-book, multiple choice, short answer, and develop effective exam strategies. They can ask questions and discuss any concerns with one of our Exam Skills tutors.  These tutorials complement a range of other support including:

• Self-access interactive short courses -  Support for Online Exams, Time Management and Presentation Skills
• Exam-related blog posts on our Academic Skills blog

We are also offering a short Presentation Skills course (three sessions) after Easter. This is bookable through MySkills.

Find out more about our Exams Skills and Writing tutorials.

You are all incredible and once again, all your hard work has really made a fantastic impact in shaping our community!

Exam timetable issues

There have been several issues raised with the ‘bunching’ of exams this year. I have spoken to Academic Registry who explain that it is not uncommon for exams to take place on consecutive days or for 2 exams to take place in 1 day in a non-covid year. The exam timetables have been designed with the intension of exams taking the designated time allocated within a 24-hour window. The duration of Semester 1 exams has been raised at Academic Council and at the faculty forums. We have been reassured that the structure and content of exams will have been re-evaluated please do get in touch with your Director of Studies if you have not heard about this or have any further questions.

Some of the reasons how the exam timetable has been put together by Academic Registry this year:

1. A 3-week exam period: All exams across the university have to be fitted in this window to allow all students to either progress or graduate by early July (fingers crossed the government roadmap happens and we can have a gradution!). Any extension to this window means delayed graduation for our finalists, potentially impacting jobs / further education prospects for our students. This short turn around ensures that marking, moderation, exam boards and programme boards are completed within a 3-week period.
2. Large number of Unit choices: There are a large number of optional units available to students across the University, all of which have to be fitted in this 3 -week exam window. It is therefore inevitable that some exams will be close. Contrary to what it may seem, this pattern is not unusual, both in a pre-pandemic exam period, or during S2 last year and S1 this year, when 24hr open online exam periods have been in place.
3. The 24-hr open online exam format. This format has been in operation for the last two exam periods to provide fairness and parity across both semesters for all students (especially those students in international time zones or with internet access issues). This was the preferred exam format highlighted at Academic Council, Faculty Forums and in the exam survey.

How much time should you be spending on the exam?

While online exams are open over a 24-hr period, the time taken to attempt the assessment should still not take longer than the standard 2 or 3 hr to complete. Understandably, some you might work on the exam paper far longer, but contrary to student perceptions, the evidence from the data analysis of mark distributions with submission time data, does not really confer any added advantage. However, I appreciate that the feedback from Semester 1 exams was that for some departments the workload expected was not achievable or realistic in a 2 or 3 hour window, this has been fedback and departments have been asked to redesign their exams for s2 with student consultation. 

What options are open to you?

1. Talk to your DoS / personal tutor / SU Advice & Support for advice on your options
2. You could consider deferring 1 or 2 of your exams till August. Under the 'No-detriment' measures in place for 20-21, this will be treated as a first attempt. This means, for example, that you will keep your full mark when you eventually attempt it. Further details are here What to do if you need to defer your examination (bath.ac.uk)
3. If there are individual circumstances that significantly impair your ability to undertake exams, you could claim for an IMC - details here