Prof Richard Barnes Student Director Assessment Matters Prof Richard Barnes Student Director

Aims & Content To explain the assessment process including: Finding the exam timetable Submitting written work What your results mean What happens if you fail a module(s) Feedback on your results How your degree will be classified To give you an opportunity to ask questions

Assessment Methods What assessment does each module set? See ‘Methods of Assessment Table 2016-17’ which can be found on Canvas

Exams and Essays

Examinations Exam timetable Materials in the exam room Portal under ‘Students & Teaching’ Materials in the exam room Each module sets its own requirements Past papers & instructions University’s digital repository (https://hydra.hull.ac.uk/ ) You need to log in (using campus username and password) Search for papers via the module code.

How do I submit my essay/assignment? All essays to be submitted using the ‘Assignments’ tool on the Canvas site of the module for which the assignment is being submitted. All essays MUST have a header, containing the following information: your student number. the relevant module name. the relevant module code. the word count for your essay. More detailed guidance can be found on the Law Information site (including how to create document headers etc.)

Assessment Rules & Regulations

Word length If you exceed the stated word length for an assessed essay then the penalties are:  10%-20% over the specified word limit = deduction of 10 marks. More than 20% over the specified word limit = mark of zero to be awarded to the work. According to this policy, no penalty will be applied for essays that exceed the published word limit by less than 10% (e.g. 5,499 words do not incur a penalty on a published word limit of 5,000 words or 2,749 words do not incur a penalty on a published word limit of 2,500 words).

Word Length – What’s Included? Unless otherwise specified, the published word limit does not include references in footnotes, appendices, references and bibliography lists. It is Law School policy, however, that footnotes should not be used for anything other than references. Any substantive textual material contained in footnotes will not be read by the marker.

Late Submission If you hand your work in after the stated deadline then the penalties are:   Up to and including 24 hours after the deadline = a penalty of 10 marks. More than 24 hours and up to 5 days and including after the deadline = a penalty of 10 marks or the mark is reduced to 40, whichever is the lower. More than 5 days after the deadline = a mark of zero is awarded.

Academic Misconduct Defined as ‘any conduct by a candidate which may gain an illegitimate advantage or benefit for him/herself or another or which may create a disadvantage or loss for another’ Cheating in an examination by using materials prohibited in the examination room Using false statements to obtain an examination withdrawal or coursework extension Plagiarism For more information see http://www2.hull.ac.uk/student/studenthandbook/academic/unfairmeans.aspx

What if I’m experiencing difficulties?

Mitigating Circumstances If you are having difficulties which are affecting your ability to study then please let your AST know ASAP. Before or during the assessment period you can apply for extensions for coursework or mitigating circumstances if you cannot sit an examination.

Mitigating Circumstances Alternatively, you might have completed your assessments under circumstances that adversely affected your performance. If you inform us of those circumstances then the Law School has discretion to recommend the offer of a ‘fresh attempt’ (known as ADA) or to refer the matter for consideration by the Exam Boards (but this is used only in very exceptional circumstances). |

Mitigating Circumstances You make these applications by filling out, with the help of your AST, either a mitigating circumstances form (SAS-M) or an extension request form (SAS-EXT). These are available via the Portal and on the 4th floor. All applications MUST be for good reason and supported with evidence – local doctors note, death certificate etc. All applications MUST be made within SEVEN days of the relevant assessment.

Mitigating Circumstances Fit to sit Either ‘submit or sit’ or apply for mitigating circumstances Changing the way you think about Hull | 7 October 2009 | 16

Results

Marking Grades Grading descriptors First Class 70% or over Upper Second Class 60% - 69% Lower Second Class 50% - 50% Third Class 40% - 49% Compensatable Fail 35% - 39% Uncompensatable Fail below 34% Grading descriptors Available on Canvas

Marking The Law School employs ‘step marking’ for assessments. This means that the only marks permissible at the initial marking stage are x2, x5 and x8, e.g.: 52 = a bare 2ii 55 = a good 2ii 58 = a strong 2ii This will apply to all individual exam and assessment questions (i.e. first, second and agreed marks) but not to the aggregate mark for an exam script (e.g. 72 + 72 + 75 = 73) or where two separate forms of assessments are combined.

When and how will I get my results? First semester results will be made available via the Portal (MyAdmin) on in February You should discuss them with your AST. Your AST will have a breakdown of your marks.

Results: Possible Scenarios

Possible Scenarios - Progress The pass mark for each module is 40%. You pass all modules (120 credits or 6 modules per stage) = progress to next stage or to classification.

Possible Scenarios: Fail in one module You achieve a mark between 0-34 – you have a right of resit.

Possible Scenarios – Pass by Compensation You fail up to 2 modules with marks between 35-39 = pass by compensation. This is automatic (provided average of 40 and no marks below 35). However, the Law School tends to recommend that you resit the module(s) because of the University’s ‘maxima’ and the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s requirement that you must pass core modules.

Sub-Module elements Where a student fails an assessment at the sub-modular level (e.g. essay and exam) and fails the module overall, they are only required to re-sit the failed element. The other passed sub-module elements are carried forward, although the re-sit overall mark is capped at 40. For example, student gets 25 in the essay and 42 in the exam leading to overall mark of 34 = resit the essay only.

Resit Resit marks are capped at 40 regardless of the actual mark awarded.

Unhappy with your mark? There is no ‘remarking’ at University. You can not re-sit just because you do not like the mark. Seek feedback in order to understand why you received the mark that you did.

How will your degree be classified?

Classification In most cases, degrees are classified according to the weighted average of the Diploma (level 5 – worth 40%) and Honours (level 6 – worth 60%) stages. We round up only at the final average stage so, for example, Diploma stage average + Honours stage average = 59.45 we round up to 60.

Borderline candidates A candidate two or less below the classification threshold after rounding (e.g. 57.45-59.44) must be considered for the higher classification. Such candidates must be awarded the higher classification:  Where more than 50% (i.e. 7 or more modules) of the credits in the Diploma and Honours stages are in the higher class;   OR  Where exactly 50% (i.e. 6 modules) of the credits in the Diploma and Honours stages are in the higher class AND more than 50% of the credits in the final stage are in the higher class (i.e. 4 or more final year modules).

Borderline candidates (continued) To summarise, borderline students either have to have: 7 modules in the higher class across the final two years;  or   6 modules in the higher class with at least 4 modules in the higher class in the final year.

Feedback

Feedback The Law School’s Feedback Policy will be made available Canvas.

Feedback Individual Feedback Global Feedback Contact module convenor or AST Within a reasonable timeframe: For all assessments, we aim to make feedback available within four weeks of the date of submission or assessment. This feedback will be made readily available for you to collect for a period of three weeks. After this period it will be archived. We will deal with late requests for feedback within a reasonable period of time. Think about what feedback you want/need Global Feedback

Key Points to Remember Keep life simple and pass your assessments. If you are experiencing ‘problems’ then tell your AST. If you are unsure about what your results mean then speak with your AST. | 35

Best of luck in the upcoming assessments! Finally Best of luck in the upcoming assessments! Any questions? | 36