Assessment methods

You will encounter two main types of assessment during your time at University: formative and summative.

Formative assessment is there to help you develop. While it does not contribute to your final degree mark, it will help you to learn more effectively – you will be provided with feedback which will help you to review and improve your performance.

Summative assessment indicates the extent of your success in meeting the assessment criteria and how well you have fulfilled the learning outcomes of a particular module or programme. The marks from this type of assessment will contribute to your final degree result or towards progression decisions.

Methods of Assessment

Definitions of some assessment methods frequently used by the Department of Health Sciences are given below. Some or all of these may be used in your programme of study.

Closed exam

A closed examination is a timed, invigilated examination conducted under traditional examination conditions.

Open exam

An assessment task that is completed in a limited time (e.g. 3.5 hours) that is not completed under exam conditions in an exam room. You will be told when and where to attend to collect the exam paper, and when and where to return your completed script.

Online open exam

You may be asked to take an online examination. This means the paper will be uploaded to the VLE and emailed to you at a certain time and you upload your answers before a specified deadline. See our guidance for online exams.

Open assessment

An assessment other than a closed examination, e.g. the writing of an essay, report, dissertation etc.

Assessment in practice

Practice learning accounts for 50% of midwifery programmes. The hours and outcomes required are captured through practice placements. As an academic assessment, all placement assessments need to be passed in order for an award to be conferred. To achieve a pass, you must complete the required outcomes for a placement, as well as completing any safeMedicate assessment relevant to the module. An essential component of practice placements is completion of the 2300 hours required by the NMC.  To support students meeting their hours targets and from Mid25 onwards, you must have no greater than a 150 hour deficit ahead of each stage progression for the BMid programme. Hours deficits of more than 150 hours at point of progression will require students to take a leave of absence  unless exceptions are approved by the Programme Lead and Chair of Board of Examiners.  

Retrieval placements

Should you fail a placement assessment at the end of your stage of learning, you will be required to complete a summative progression plan in a retrieval placement.  This retrieval placement takes place during the summer and in the event of a summative progression plan you will be required to pass this retrieval placement in order to progress through your programme of study.  The retrieval placement can also be used by students to address any deficit in hours accrued whilst on placement over the stage of study and for midwifery students this can be requested to support increased birth numbers. Due to the restrictions in practice areas for Intrapartum care, any requests to use the retrieval period will be triaged to support those students in the biggest deficits. Hours only retrieval requests will be supported in other midwifery areas. It is at the discretion of the programme team to determine who will be prioritised for retrieval. Hours and births only retrieval placements are optional, but will support students in staying below the 150 maximum hour deficit ahead of progression points. Retrieval periods cannot be used to front-load hours.  Attendance is expected in placement every week that you are scheduled to be in placement and you will not be able to finish placement early if you have worked these hours in advance.

Retrieval example

If you as a student had a deficit of 80 hours at the end of your placement but before retrieval, you would be advised to use a retrieval to remove that deficit but it would be optional.  If you had a deficit of 220 hours prior to retrieval you would be required to work a minimum of 70 during the retrieval period in order to be at or below the 150 hour deficit maximum - you would be encouraged to work the full 3 week retrieval period to gain back 120 hours and leave you with a 100 hour deficit to take into the next stage of your programme.

Midwifery programmes 

Practice placement modules are summatively assessed by the achievement of pre-specified proficiencies contained in eMORA and safeMedicate. The eMORA for each practice experience module must be completed by the assessment deadline as published in assessment schedules. 

OSCE

OSCE stands for Objective Structured Clinical Examination. It is a practical assessment that is held under exam conditions. The purpose of an OSCE is to assess your ability to demonstrate knowledge and skills relevant to clinical practice whilst being observed by an examiner.

During the OSCE you would perform an assessment, or range of assessments, to demonstrate specified skills. Some OSCE examinations involve the use of a simulated patient (a simulated patient is an actor who has taken on the role of a person with the particular clinical condition being examined). OSCE stations can vary in length and number depending on the knowledge and skills being tested.

The key themes tested in an OSCE have specific marking criteria against which an examiner assesses student performance. The criteria denote safe and competent practice and these must be observed and/or heard by the examiner during the assessment. You will receive specific information from your module leader if a module involves an OSCE.

OSCE examinations are taken under examination conditions and the University rules regarding access to phones, electronic equipment, toilet visits, academic misconduct etc. all apply. Whilst you wait for your OCSE you will be located in a chaperoned area and will not be permitted to communicate with students who have completed their OSCEs. You may, whilst waiting, read notes and talk to other students in the room who are waiting to take their OSCE. You may not access the internet, a laptop, tablet or other electronic equipment. You are advised to bring a drink and/or snack with you to the chaperone room as you may not leave the room to access these.

Poster presentation 

This assessment method involves creating a poster and presenting this to your student peer group. The poster and presentation are assessed by two examiners using published criteria. The External Examiner is invited to attend all presentations.

You may be required to prerecord your poster presentation and submit to the student Dropoff Facility by the deadline stipulated on the assessment schedule. Information as to how to do this will be provided by the module leader during the module. In this instance recordings may be sent to the External Examiner as opposed to them being invited in person.

Oral presentation

The oral presentations assessments are based on a midwifery practice scenario and examine areas of theory covered by the module. They are assessed using published marking criteria. You may be required to pre-record your oral presentation and submit to the student Drop Off Facility by the deadline stipulated on the assessment schedule. Information as to how to do this will be provided by the module leader during the module. In this instance recordings may be sent to the External Examiner as opposed to them being invited in person.

Professional discussion

During a professional discussion assessment you are normally examined by examiners on an individual basis. Professional discussion assessments are normally conducted by two examiners and assessed using published marking criteria.

Summative numeracy assessment

The Nursing & Midwifery Council Standards for pre-registration nursing programmes (2018) (R4.6) and pre-registration midwifery programmes (2019) (R4.5) state that “all programmes [nursing and midwifery] include a health numeracy assessment related to [nursing and midwifery] proficiencies and calculation of medicines which must be passed with a score of 100%.”

A staged approach to achieving 100% is utilised and you are considered to have passed this assessment if you achieve 80% or above in Stage 1, 90% or above in Stage 2, and 100% in Stage 3. In line with the University’s Standing Committee on Assessment regulations, you will be permitted two attempts to achieve a pass mark of 80, 90 or 100% at this assessment (as relevant to the Stage of the programme).