4. Assessment for the programme
4.1 (GR)
A student sitting an examination must comply with the rules given in the Notice to Candidates, which accompanies the Admission Notice for the examination, in addition to those given in this section.
Assessment methods
4.2
As indicated in the Programme Specification, each full course is examined by one three-hour unseen written examination; each half course is examined by one two-hour unseen written examination.
The exceptions AC1025 Principles of accounting are, AC3091 Financial reporting and AC3097 Management accounting which are examined by one three-hour and 15 minutes unseen written examination, that includes reading time. GY3157 Independent geographical study is examined by a final project report of between 8,000 and 10,000 words and IS3159 Research project in information systems is examined by a project report and evaluation form. The assessment of IS1060 Introduction to information systems and IS3139 Software engineering: theory and application also involves the submission of coursework in addition to unseen written examinations.
See the Glossary for the definition of 'examination' and 'written paper examination'.
Further information on the coursework and project requirements is in the subject guides and the Completing and submitting coursework booklet.
4.3
A student entering an examination must be examined in all elements of the assessment prescribed for that course in the same year. A student who fails to submit the required coursework for a course but sits the written paper or who fails to sit the written paper for a course but submits the required coursework/project will normally be judged not to have completed the examination assessment and will receive a result of 'attempt incomplete' for the course concerned. Receiving a result of attempt incomplete will count as an attempt at the examination.
4.4
Half courses are paired, averaged and rounded up to a whole number to produce marks for classification/grading purposes. Level 100 half courses cannot be paired with level 200 or 300 half courses.
4.5 (GR)
All examinations will be based on the syllabuses that are current for the year of the examination concerned. A student must ensure that they have studied the correct syllabuses.
4.6 (GR)
An examination is governed by the regulations in force at the time of the examination and not at the time that a student was initially registered or first attempted the examination concerned, except where the conditions for changing regulations with notice apply.
See the introduction for information on changing regulations.
4.7 (GR)
Where necessary, Examiners may change the format or rubric of a written paper examination, from that of the previous year, without giving prior notice to students.
4.8 (GR)
Examinations by written paper are held at established examination centres worldwide. In countries where there is an established examination centre, a student must use the facilities provided by that centre. The University will not establish an alternative centre in those countries.
See the website for a list of examination centres.
4.9 (GR)
All examinations are held at the discretion of the examination centre and are subject to any conditions they may impose.
Students taking law courses
4.10
In the examination for law courses (any course in Selection group F(iii) or L), questions may be set on recent legislation and current proposals for law reform within the scope of the syllabus. A student will be expected to be familiar with developments in the law occurring up to 15 February in the year of the examination.
Students registered for the BSc Accounting with Law, BSc Management with Law or BSc Sociology with Law should note that, at the request of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board, the University is providing these bodies with details of proven examination offences, including any action taken by the University.
Date of examinations
4.11
Written paper examinations take place normally in May/June each year.
4.12
Completed coursework and projects must be submitted direct to the EMFSS Student Assessment Office, to be received by 1 May in the year of the examination.
See the student handbook for the address.
4.13 (GR)
At any examination session, all students will be examined by the same written paper examination, on the same date, at the same time, except where there are unavoidable delays in the arrangement. However, the University reserves the right to set different papers in the same subject in separate countries and in different time zones.
4.14 (GR)
Where delays are unavoidable in countries other than the United Kingdom, the examination centre will arrange for the relevant examinations to be taken with as little deviation as possible from the original dates and times assigned to them. A student must abide by these revised arrangements. The University reserves the right not to mark an examination taken at a different time from that prescribed.
Sitting examinations
4.15 (GR)
A student who wishes to sit an examination in any given year must:
- have registered with the University as an International Programmes Student for the relevant programme of study
- have entered for the examination in accordance with the University's and the appropriate examination centre's instructions and deadlines
- have an effective date of registration of 30 November of the previous year.
In addition, for the Diploma in Economics and Diploma in Social Sciences, a student must have completed the relevant course of instruction for the course concerned at their chosen institution.
The full examination entry procedure is in the student handbookhttp://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/current_students/general_resources/handbooks/index.shtml.
4.16 (GR)
A student is required to apply to the relevant examination centre for permission to sit the examination. The University cannot accept responsibility for making examination arrangements on behalf of a student. It is entirely at the examination centre's discretion to accept or refuse an entry to an examination.
4.17 (GR)
A fee is normally charged by all examination centres except for London. This fee is payable by a student each time they make an examination entry. The University is not responsible for this fee and cannot influence the level of fee charged.
4.18 (GR)
A student who finds handwriting difficult due to medical or learning difficulties must apply to the University for special arrangements to be made. The University will not transcribe illegible scripts. Any script deemed illegible by the Board of Examiners will be assigned a mark of zero and a fail result will be given. This will count as an examination attempt.
In order to apply for special examination arrangements, contact specialneeds@london.ac.uk
See also section 12, Students with special access requirements.
4.19 (GR)
The University reserves the right to require a student sitting a written paper examination to remain in the examination room or its precincts for the duration of the relevant examination.
4.20 (GR)
All examination scripts are the property of the University and will not be returned to students. All question papers will be retained by the University.
4.21 (GR)
A student who finds handwriting difficult due to medical or learning difficulties must apply to the University for special arrangements to be made. The University will not transcribe illegible scripts. Any script deemed illegible by the Board of Examiners will be assigned a mark of zero and a fail result will be given. This will count as an examination attempt.
In order to apply for special examination arrangements contact: specialneeds@london.ac.uk
See also section 12, Students with special access requirements and/or special needs.
Materials and aids permitted within the examination room
4.22 (GR)
Examinations must be completed without aids, unless indicated otherwise in the syllabuses. A definitive list of materials permitted in the examination room will also be sent to students who have entered an examination with the Admission Notice/timetable.
4.23
For certain courses, students will be given materials with the question paper, such as graph paper, accounting paper or statistical tables, for use in the examination. The provision and permitted use of these materials is subject to change.
Aids permitted in examinations and materials given with the examination paper are noted in the course descriptions in the syllabuses in Annex B
4.24 (GR)
Without exception, electronic devices with communication capability are forbidden in the examinations. This includes personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones.
4.25 (GR)
The use of calculators in the examination is strictly controlled. Calculators may only be used in examinations where indicated in the course description for the course concerned.
4.26 (GR)
Calculators will not be provided by the University. A student is responsible for providing their own calculator and for ensuring that it is in working order for the examination. A student must ensure that they have an alternative means of calculation in case their calculator fails during the examination (i.e. a second calculator which must also comply with the specification below) or must be prepared to continue the examination without a calculator. Borrowing another student's calculator during the examination is not permitted. If a student uses an electronic calculator in an examination, they must indicate on their examination script the name and type of machine used.
4.27 (GR)
Where calculators are permitted, the specifications listed below will apply, unless otherwise indicated in the course description and on the Notice for candidates for the course concerned.
Calculators must:
- be hand held, compact and portable
- be quiet in operation
- have no external wires
- be non-programmable
- not be capable of receiving, storing or displaying user supplied non-numerical data
4.28 (GR)
The use of a calculator that communicates or displays textual messages, graphical or algebraic information is strictly forbidden.
4.29
Where a calculator is permitted in the examination, it must be a non-scientific calculator.
Where calculators are permitted, only calculators limited to performing just basic arithmetic operations may be used. This is to encourage candidates to show the examiners the steps taken in arriving at the answer.
4.30 (GR)
If a student uses a calculator that does not comply with the above specification, they will be considered to have made an assessment offence and will be subject to the rules governing such offences.
See section 6 for assessment offences and penalties.
4.31 (GR)
It is an examination offence to take into, or use in, the examination room any unauthorised materials or aids. A student must not take into the examination room, or consult during the examination, any books, notes, instruments or other materials or aids that are not permitted. All such materials or aids must be given to the Invigilator before the examination starts. A student who takes any unauthorised materials or aids into the examination room must hand them to the Invigilator when requested to do so.
4.32
For the following courses, students may bring into the examination hall their own hand-held, non-scientific, electronic calculator.
- AC1025 Principles of accounting
- AC3059 Financial management
- AC3091 Financial reporting
- AC3097 Management accounting
- AC3143 Valuation and securities analysis
- EC2020 Elements of econometrics
- EC2066 Microeconomics
- EC3015 Economics of labour
- FN2029 Financial intermediation
- FN3023 Investment management
- FN1024 Principles of banking and finance
- FN3092 Corporate finance
- FN3142 Quantitative finance
- MN3028 Managerial economics
- MN3032 Management science methods
- MN3119 Strategy
- MT2076 Management mathematics
- MT3095 Further mathematics for economists
- SC2145 Social research methods
- ST104A Statistics 1
- ST104B Statistics 2
- ST3133 Advanced statistics: distribution theory
- ST3134 Advanced statistics: statistical inference
Students taking law courses
A definitive list of statutes and other materials permitted in the examination hall is sent out with the admission notice/timetable.
See also the notes with the syllabuses in Annex B.
4.33
The University will not provide statutes or other documents in the examination room. A student will, however, be permitted to bring into the examination room the statutes and other materials listed in the subject syllabuses. A student is permitted to use any edition of the permitted statutes, although they are strongly advised to use the most recent one.
Where statutes or statutory instruments are listed at the end of individual syllabuses this means a 'Queen's Printer' copy of the statute or statutory instrument or a photocopy of a 'Queen's Printer' copy or a 'Print' (PDF) copy (but not a 'Web' (HTML) copy) downloaded from the Office of Public Sector Information website and a 'Queen's Printer' copy of any later statute amending or repealing those statutes. 'Queen's Printer' copies must be of the full original statute or statutory instrument and not of the statute or statutory instrument as reprinted in a case book or statute book.
The details of statutes and other documents given in the syllabuses are subject to revision by the Board of Examiners and will be superseded by the consolidated list of statutes and other materials which will be circulated to students with the timetable.
4.34
A student may underline and/or highlight passages with a coloured pen in the materials, but all other forms of personal annotation on statutes and other materials permitted to be taken into the examination room are strictly forbidden. A student may highlight different passages with different coloured pens. Students are forbidden to attach self-adhesive notelets or index tags or any other paper to the pages of statute books or other permitted materials.
Illness during examinations
4.35 (GR)
A student who thinks that illness or other circumstances may have affected their performance in an examination must immediately inform the Student Assessment Office ensuring that notification is received within three weeks of their last examination. A supporting medical certificate or other certification obtained at the time of illness must be provided at the same time. Notification received more than three weeks after the date of the last examination will not be taken into account.
Contact details for the Student Assessment Office are in the student handbook.
Administrative re-check of marks
For information about administrative re-rechecks see: www.londoninternational.ac.uk/exams/admin_recheck.
Students may request an administrative re-check of marks online, or contact uolia.rechecks@london.ac.uk
4.36 (GR)
A student may apply to the University for their results to be re-checked if they think a mark received is due to an administrative error.
4.37 (GR)
A student who wishes to apply for an administrative re-check of marks must do so by specific deadlines and by following the procedure set out on the University of London International Programmes website.
A request for an administrative re-check of marks received after the given deadlines cannot be processed
4.38 (GR)
A student who wishes to apply for a re-check of marks must pay an administrative fee which is refundable in the event that an error is found.
4.39 (GR)
The University will not consider appeals against examination results that are made on academic grounds.
For information on the procedure for representations concerning the decisions of the Boards of Examiners, refer to the University of London Regulations: www.london.ac.uk
