Spring 2022 exams – Frequently Asked Questions
This is the first time the University is running a mix of on-campus and online exams. These FAQs provide information about what this means for your exam arrangements and preparations.
If you have any further questions, please contact the Helpdesk.
Last updated: 16/02/22
1. Will exams be held on campus this Spring?
Due to the pandemic, since March 2020, the vast majority of on-campus have been moved online. This year, for the first time, some exams will take place on-campus and some will be online. This combination of on-campus and online exams is likely to become common practice in future years.
2. Has the Student Representative Council been consulted?
Yes, members of the SRC Executive are involved in the exams planning project.
3. Which members of staff have been consulted?
Members of staff from all Colleges and relevant Services have been involved in the project, including the College Deans of Learning and Teaching.
4. When will exam formats be known and communicated?
The University has confirmed to Schools which of the exams will be on campus. The details of the specific exam dates and times will be publicised during week beginning 21 March 2022.
5. Has anything been done to address the differences between online and on-campus exams?
Exams need to be adapted for the setting (online vs on-campus). Schools have been writing their exams for this year with those potential changes in exam mode in mind.
6. How will students be supported prior to these exams?
The staff and student representatives involved in exam planning are aware that some students will not have taken an on-campus exam for some years, or at all. Supporting materials and advice will be made available to all students at www.gla.ac.uk/exams.
7. What if I am unable to attend an on-campus exam due to a need to self-isolate?
If you become ill or are required to self-isolate at the time of an on-campus exam, the Good Cause process should be used in the normal way. This will usually result in the exam being taken at a later date.
8. Will I have to wear a face covering during my on-campus exam?
Our policy on face coverings and physical distancing on our campuses will apply in exams venues.
9. How are you ensuring that on-campus exam venues are COVID-compliant?
The venues used for on-campus exams will be used at a capacity which provides for adequate ventilation in the space, and students will have appropriate distances between them, with sufficient space allowed for movement of invigilators.
We encourage all staff and students to prioritise safety (both personal safety and that of others). This can be achieved through vaccination and by taking a lateral flow test prior to mixing in groups.
10. When looking at on-campus exams, has previous exam performance been taken into consideration?
Students’ course grades are considered at exam boards before degrees are awarded. Exam boards look at performance across all courses on a programme and make sure that there are no unexpected patterns of grades. This is standard practice, and is underpinned by first- and second-marking, or moderation of grades.
There is also scrutiny by our external examiners who look at consistency of marking and fairness of processes, and who advise on future practice. A key part of that is to make sure that the design of a piece of coursework or an exam does not disadvantage students in any way. In forming those judgements, exam boards look at grades on courses in the current year and compare these with previous years.
11. Has academic integrity been taken into consideration?
Academic integrity is paramount in every exam diet. We have adapted during the pandemic to ensure integrity using, for example, similarity-checking software and other tools for wholly online exams. We will continue to adopt these measures for online exams.
Academic integrity also relates to assessment design – not just to the exam setting – to ensure exam questions are designed to ensure that our assessment has integrity. Professional bodies who accredit our degrees and our external examiners have both approved our approaches to date, and we are working with them on arrangements this year too, including the setting of exam questions. We also know that our approach to holding some on-campus exams in some areas is consistent with several other similar universities.
At this time, the return to on-campus settings is for exams where accreditation bodies require it, or where the learning outcomes are best assessed by an on-campus exam.
12. Will the change in approach to exams have an impact on my degree classification and job prospects?
Degree outcomes are based on all your assessment across a degree programme. At the exam boards, examiners consider course grades for students across the programme when awarding degrees. They also look at the grade profiles – how many students obtain As, Bs, Cs, etc. – and anything that looks out-of-line with previous years would be explored. This is part of our normal quality processes to ensure fairness to students and to maintain the integrity, standing, and reputation of our degrees. Our approach to on-campus exams in some Schools is similar to a number of our other peer universities.