Assessment methods

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

Formative assessment has a developmental purpose and is designed to help you learn more effectively by giving you feedback on your performance and on how it can be improved and/or maintained. You will not receive a mark/grade and it does not contribute to your final degree mark.

Summative assessment takes into account 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. This type of assessment will contribute to your final degree mark and/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

A type of open exam with a recommended completion time (e.g. 2.5 hours) to be completed and submitted to the VLE within a specified time period. Further information relating to each individual assessment will be communicated to students on the module VLE site. See also the University’s guidance for online exams.

Open book exam

An open book exam is a closed exam in which students are allowed to bring certain specified papers or books into the exam to refer to during the exam. The aim is to reduce the reliance on memorising information that is often very accessible e.g. formulae. This allows more time in the exam for higher level tasks. If you are taking an open book exam your module leader will confirm prior to your exam what can and cannot be brought into the exam

Open assessment

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