Assessment Arrangements

A student must apply to resit if they are required to

• Resubmit coursework
• Repeat a placement
• Resit an exam outwith the first diet

This includes students covered by extenuating circumstances ie Medical Certificates, Good Cause.

Undergraduate and postgraduate taught candidates holding a valid class certificate are permitted a total of three/two opportunities of assessment respectively. For courses at Level 4 and above, including postgraduate taught courses, the timing and format of the resit shall be approved by the Head of the relevant School.  Students must formally apply to enter resit examinations (and must have a valid Class Certificate for the related course(s)). 

Where re-assessment is by re-submission of written work, it must normally be submitted by the first day of the summer diet. However, candidates may be declared as having passed in June if they have completed the required work by then in order to obtain the necessary credits to graduate.

Although the first entry to a prescribed degree assessment for a course may include an element of in-course assessment, this may not always be practicable for the second, or a subsequent, entry.  While the resit result for some courses will be based entirely on the written examination, for others a new element of in-course assessment will be required or the result for the in-course assessment submitted for the first attempt will be carried forward and counted at the resit attempt. Schools are required to provide this information to students in Course Handbooks.

Class Certificates

Any student who wishes to resit after the Class Certificate has expired must contact Registry (undergraduate@abdn.ac.uk) and make a case to have their class certificate extended. This will be passed to the Convener of Students' Progress Committee (CSPC) by the Registry Officer for a decision.

Students who are refused a Class Certificate  or who are deemed withdrawn (C7’d) from a course in the system for monitoring students’ progress, lose the right to appear for any associated end-of-course written examination, including resit exams,  unless they have an appeal against the decision pending

Details of resit fees are available at: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/infohub/study/reassessment.php

If you have any queries, please email exams@abdn.ac.uk or phone +44 (0)1224 273588.

Disability-related exam arrangements are put in place by Schools, the Central Timetabling Team and IT Services using the disability database. Information and deadlines for students requesting provisions in examinations is available here. The disability database is a central point for all disability-related information for exams.

The Central Timetabling Team make arrangements for students who require the use of a computer, extra time and the use of a scribe/reader.

• Guidance for Those with Responsibility for Making Examination Arrangements for Disabled Candidates 
• Recommendations Concerning Students with Specific Learning Differences 

Computer Rooms

Registry are responsible for arranging rooms and invigilators for all computer exams (regardless of students’ other requirements). Computers are set up in exam-mode (blank Word document with no internet access) by IT Services, unless otherwise requested.

Scribes and Readers

Scribes and readers are arranged by Registry. Schools are responsible for liaising with the scribe/reader to confirm the arrangements for the day of the exam.

Extra Time Rooms

Any students who require extra time for their exams and have no other IT or accommodation requirements will be placed in extra time exam rooms. Registry organise these rooms and will advise Schools once these are booked.

Private Rooms and Fewer than 10 Students per Room

Schools are responsible for rooms and invigilators for students requiring private rooms or where there is a less than 10 students per room exams (NB except computer exams).

Please email roombookings@abdn.ac.uk with your requirements if you would like to use rooms from the Central Teaching Pool.

There are three formal diets which are the responsibility of the Central Timetabling Team (CTT):

• December
• May
• June/July (summer resit diet)

Exams held outwith the formal diets are the responsibility of the School.

It is University Policy that no student is required to sit more than two examinations in one day.

School Examination Officer

Each School has a School Examination Officer(s). It is through the School Examination Officer and Central Timetabling Team all exam timetables are processed. The School Examination Officer gathers, coordinates and disseminates all exam information within their School, and liaises with the CTT.

Each summer the CTT send School Examination Officers a copy of the exam data held centrally to update for the immediate session ahead. A clash free exam timetable is then created using:

• Student registration on courses at end of the 2^ndweek of teaching per half session
• Resit(s) registration by the Resit Application deadline

Publication of the Examination Timetable

The examination timetable is usually finalised and published to students 4 weeks before each exam diet.

Producing the Exam Timetables

The Central Timetabling Team produces the exam timetable based on individual students’ registration on courses. The Team wait until student course selection has finished and run the student registration numbers at the end of the second week of teaching to ensure all selections are captured.

Using specialist software, the exam timetable is calculated to ensure students don’t experience exam clashes based on their individual course choices.  The timetable needs to take account of approximately 13,000 students and therefore takes approximately four weeks to produce, including an opportunity for Schools to review the proposed timetable.

The Central Timetabling Team is required to produce the exam timetable four weeks before an exam diet commences, however the Team aims to produce the timetable to provide five weeks notice. The Team continues to explore ways to increase the notice period further.

Exam Timetable Information for Students

Staff should not give any exam scheduling information directly to students. After publication they should advise students to:

• View the timetable via MyTimetable
• Visit the InfoHub noticeboard and website

Students taking examinations externally are referred to the Infohub website, however a paper copy of the examination timetable can be sent on request.

For postgraduate taught courses scheduled outwith the normal examination diets, parent Schools must inform students of the date, time and venue of all such examinations.

Contact Information

Queries regarding either the exam timetable or resits can be sent to exams@abdn.ac.uk. Alternatively you can contact us by phone on +44 (0) 1224 273588.

The University of Aberdeen can host exams for other institutions. It may not be possible to accommodate requests if they clash with other events on campus and University holidays.

Exams can be held between 9.00am - 4.00pm, Monday – Friday.

Exam Hosting Fee

We charge a fee for hosting an exam, plus an invigilation fee. The amount charged depends on the length of the exam. The costs should be paid by the candidate via the link to the Online Store which will be provided by the Exams Team.

Any courier costs for returning completed exam scripts to the home institution must also be covered by the candidate.

Request to Host an Exam

An official request from the home institute confirming the date and time of the exam(s), and whether there are any special requirements, must be made in writing at least 2 weeks before the exam. Arrangements cannot be made until this information is received.

Requests should be sent to:

Central Timetabling Team
Exams, Registry
Macrobert Building
Aberdeen AB24 5UA
Email: exams@abdn.ac.uk

AQH Course Co-ordinators are responsible, under the ultimate authority of their Head of School, for preparing written examination papers in consultation with those involved with the delivery of a course.

External Examiners must be asked to approve final papers and should be sent all relevant Course Handbooks to enable them to ascertain whether the draft questions are fair and appropriate in relation to the course aims and learning outcomes.

Examination papers, approved by the External Examiner, must be submitted to (academicservices@abdn.ac.uk) by 31 October each year.

Setting and Arranging Assessments Guidance

Students who have withdrawn from the University with the intention of obtaining additional credits to allow them to return to the University, and those who have left the University but who may require additional credits to satisfy the requirements for an award (e.g. a non-honours degree or a certificate or diploma), are eligible to take undergraduate course examinations as an external candidate if they possess a valid Class Certificate.

External candidates entering course examinations at the end of the first half session; end of the second half session; or over the resit examination diet must submit their resit application and the appropriate fee (where applicable) via the Online Store by the resit application dates as published through the Infohub website.

External candidates can request a copy of the relevant examination timetable.  A self-addressed stamped envelope is required.  The timetable is available as a PDF file at www.abdn.ac.uk/infohub.