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.

For Open Assessments, e.g. the writing of an essay, report etc., the marker of the formative assessment is normally the same person who marks the summative assessment. 

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 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 a minimum of 1200 hours of protected learning time (PLT) during the Nursing Associate programme. The hours and outcomes required are captured throughout the practice modules and simulated learning opportunities. You must record the amount and type of protected learning time within your NAPAD using the key and complete all the required skills, proficiencies and values within the NAPAD in order to pass the practice modules. 

Your practice modules are formatively and summatively assessed by the achievement of pre-specified competence in practice outcomes, contained within NAPAD 1 & 2 

The England NAPAD has been developed to ensure that student Nursing Associates are prepared to successfully meet the Standards of proficiency for Nursing Associates (NMC 2018) together with the Apprenticeship Standards for Nursing Associates (IATE, 2019) at the point of registration. The NMC standards specify the knowledge and skills that Nursing Associates must demonstrate when caring for people of all ages and across all care settings and comprise six platforms and two annexes. The platforms are: 

Annexe A: Communication and relationship management skills

Annexe B: Procedures to be undertaken by the Nursing Associate

The NAPAD document has been designed around the following Components of Assessment and Feedback:

All meetings are recorded within the Electronic Ongoing Achievement Record (E-OAR) that demonstrates successful integration of theory and practice. The specific criteria for each assessed practice period, outcomes and hours, are incorporated into the ongoing record of achievement. The E-OAR for each practice experience module must be completed by the assessment deadline. 

Oral presentation

This assessment method involves the creation of a presentation which may be on PowerPoint and presenting this to your assessors and peer group. The presentation is assessed by an examiner and moderator using published criteria. The External Examiner is invited to attend all presentations.

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 oral or 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.

Professional discussion

Professional discussion assessments are based on a Nursing Associate practice scenario or examine areas of theory covered by the module and within the practice module. Each part of the professional discussion will test knowledge, skills and behaviours against specific domains. The domains are:

The professional discussion is conducted by two examiners and assessed using published marking criteria. The professional discussion will be recorded, stored and destroyed in the same manner as an assessment script. The External Examiner is invited to attend all professional discussions.

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%.”

In line with the University’s Standing Committee on Assessment regulations, you will be permitted two attempts to achieve a pass mark of 100% at this assessment.