Regulation 5: Regulations on assessments

5.1 Introduction

Detailed assessment policies and procedures for all taught programmes are specified in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback.

Specific programme requirements relating to assessment are as approved by the Senate on the recommendation of the Board of Studies concerned. For programmes governed by the new modular scheme, requirements are detailed in programme specifications.

5.2 Assessment regulations relating to the new modular scheme - Category 2 students

These regulations relate to awards for taught programmes of study governed by the new modular scheme.

(a) Every module is summatively assessed using the appropriate mark scale. Credit for the module is awarded on passing a module’s assessment(s). In defined circumstances, credit may be awarded for failed module(s) where the failure is compensated by achievement in other modules. Mark scales and requirements for the award of credit are set out in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback.

(b) Stage requirements must be met before a student is permitted to progress to the next stage.

(c) Where a student has failed modules as a result of failed or missed assessments, and there are no mitigating circumstances (see Regulation 5.6), and the stage requirements cannot be met, defined re-assessment opportunities are permitted on one occasion only. Re-assessment is defined as an opportunity to redeem failure for the award of credit to meet progression or award requirements. Re-assessment opportunities at each stage of every award are defined in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback.

(d) Re-assessment opportunities may not be offered for some modules. Such modules must be clearly identified in programme specifications, as approved by the Senate.

(e) Compensation may not be available in relation to some modules (for example, to meet the requirements of professional, statutory or regulatory bodies). Such modules must be clearly identified in programme specifications, as approved by the Senate.

(f) Rules governing the assessment of learning that forms part of a programme of study but that takes place outside the University’s jurisdiction (for example, study abroad and work placements) are set out in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback.

(g) Where a student cannot meet stage requirements through defined re-assessment opportunities and there are no mitigating circumstances (see Regulation 5.6), s/he will be discontinued. In such cases a student may be eligible for an alternative award.

(h) Candidates for awards will be considered by a Board of Examiners (see Ordinance 6) on the completion of assessments. Boards of Examiners may make one of the following recommendations:

(i) that the candidate be granted the intended award, having met the requirements as specified in the award and programme specification;

(ii) in the case of bachelors’ honours and integrated masters’ awards, the final award will be classified by the Board of Examiners in accordance with the scheme for classification as set out in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback. All other undergraduate awards are unclassified and awarded on a pass/fail basis;

(iii) in the case of taught masters’ degrees and postgraduate diplomas, the final award may be granted with merit or distinction, in accordance with criteria set out in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback. All other taught postgraduate awards are awarded on a pass/fail basis;

(iv) that the candidate be granted a lower volume award, having failed to meet the requirements for the intended award but met the requirements for a lower volume award;

(v) that the candidate be granted re-assessment opportunities for the final stage of the programme as specified in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback;

(vi) where mitigating circumstances (see Regulation 5.6) apply, a range of options is available to the Board of Examiners including, for first degree students, the granting of an aegrotat award. Full details are available in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback;

(vii) that no award be made.

Powers of Boards of Studies

  • To specify in programme specifications modules for which compensation and/or re-assessment opportunities are not available, subject to the approval of Senate

5.3 Assessment regulations for undergraduate awards prior to the new modular scheme - Category 1 students

(a) Candidates for first degrees in subjects where they are required to pass assessments during the programme before proceeding to the remainder of the programme must pursue the appropriate course of study and satisfy the examiners in assessments as prescribed by the Board of Studies concerned.

(b) A candidate who has failed an assessment for medical or compassionate reasons may, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and Board of Studies concerned, be granted an opportunity to redeem failure by re-assessment in whole or in part on one subsequent occasion not more than one year later and, where relevant, will be eligible for the award of a classified result.

(c) A candidate who has failed an assessment without acceptable medical or compassionate reasons may, if the programme regulations allow and on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and Board of Studies concerned, be granted an opportunity to redeem failure by re-assessment on one subsequent occasion not more than one year later. Such an opportunity may be provided while the degree programme is in progress only when a pass mark is required for a candidate to meet the requirements of an external accrediting body or to proceed on the programme. The maximum mark a re-assessment candidate can achieve is the pass mark. Students will not be permitted to be in residence nor be taught by University teachers before re-assessment unless arrangements are made for the re-assessment to be held in the term immediately following the original assessment. Such an opportunity may also be provided once a degree programme has been completed and when a candidate has failed in the degree programme as a whole; such candidates will be eligible only for the award of an ordinary degree and will not be permitted to be in residence nor be taught by University teachers before re-assessment.

(d) A candidate who, in the opinion of the Board of Studies concerned, has satisfactorily completed all the requirements of a programme but who, for medical or compassionate reasons, has been unable to take or complete assessments may, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and Board of Studies concerned, be considered eligible for the award of an aegrotat pass. Alternatively, the candidate may, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners and Board of Studies concerned, be permitted to take or complete assessments at the next available and suitable opportunity and, where relevant, will be eligible for the award of a classified result.

(e) In the case of a combined course candidate who fails assessment in one of the courses, the Combined Subject Board of Studies may take into account the performance of the candidate in both courses, before making a recommendation to the Senate.

(f) Boards of Examiners and Boards of Studies may, in the light of compelling evidence, recommend the award of an aegrotat pass in circumstances other than those set out in (d) above provided that, in the opinion of the Board of Studies concerned, the candidate has satisfactorily completed all the requirements of the course.

(g) In all cases where a recommendation for the award of an aegrotat pass is being submitted to the Senate by a Board of Examiners and Board of Studies, the recommendation must be accompanied by a written statement of the circumstances including all relevant medical evidence. The Senate will also require notification that sufficient evidence of the candidate’s academic achievement has been presented to satisfy the external examiner(s) concerned. Recommendations for the award of an aegrotat pass may not be submitted after the Senate has met to approve the relevant assessment results.

(h) A candidate who has fulfilled the requirements of the prescribed course of study and has satisfied the examiners for a first degree with Honours may be awarded the degree in one of the following classes:

(i) Class I, Class II Division i, Class II Division ii, Class III

(ii) a candidate whom the examiners consider has not attained the standard required for the award of the degree with Honours may be awarded an ordinary degree unless this is specifically excluded by the programme specification as approved by the Senate;

(iii) a candidate who has fulfilled the requirements laid down for the award of an aegrotat degree may be awarded the degree with Honours (Aegrotat) or, if the examiners consider the candidate has not attained the standard required, the ordinary degree (Aegrotat), unless this is specifically excluded within the programme specification as approved by the Senate.

(i) In all cases of candidates who have failed assessments, Boards of Studies should, where possible, submit appropriate recommendations concerning re-assessment, etc., at the same time as the assessment results are submitted for ratification.

(j) There is no appeal against the examiners’ judgement on the academic quality of the assessments undertaken, but candidates who fail assessments have the right of appeal against the recommendations submitted by the Board of Studies concerned provided that the appeal is lodged in accordance with the procedure laid down for the Special Cases Committee.

N.B. Recommendations for the award of an aegrotat pass or for permission for re-assessment with residence are submitted first to the Special Cases Committee.

Recommendations on whether or not candidates should be permitted to undertake re-assessment without residence are submitted direct to the Senate unless an appeal is lodged by the candidate against the recommendation of the Board of Studies, in which case the recommendation and the appeal will be referred first to the Special Cases Committee.

5.4 Assessment regulations for awards relating to taught postgraduate programmes prior to the new modular scheme - Category 1 students

These regulations are determined, and held, by the relevant department Board of Studies and Graduate School Board.

Details of the marking scheme applied to taught postgraduate awards are available in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback.

5.5 General assessment requirements

(a) Students will be permitted to enter for University assessments only if they have fulfilled all other award and programme requirements to the satisfaction of the relevant Board of Studies.

(b) With the approval of Senate, prior learning and achievement relevant to the programme concerned may be recognised through the award of credit. Parameters and procedures for this are specified in the Policy on the Accreditation of Prior Learning.

(c) Applications for entry to University assessments must be submitted to the Registrar and Secretary by the required date. Students registering for assessments after the prescribed date may be required to pay a late entry fee.

(d) Students on taught programmes must submit all assessed work relating to their programmes of study at the required location, date and time. Students who do not submit such assessed work at the required location, date and time may not be given a reassessment opportunity.

(e) Attendance at required examinations is compulsory and any student who fails to present himself/herself for an examination at the time and place published by Registry Services, except when prevented from doing so by illness or other good cause, will be deemed to have failed but may be given a reassessment opportunity. Misreading of the examination timetable will not be regarded as ‘good cause’.

(f) Students must follow all other examination requirements as set out in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback, including providing the necessary identification and following the instructions of examination invigilators. Any student not complying with examination requirements may be deemed to have failed the assessment and will not be given a reassessment opportunity.

(g) Where an examination is not being taken simultaneously by all candidates, arrangements shall be made to ensure that there is no communication between candidates during the relevant period.

(h) Students who fail a University assessment with no mitigating circumstances (see Regulation 5.6), and are permitted to undertake re-assessment are required to pay a re-assessment fee as specified in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback.

(i) All materials submitted for assessment or forming part of an assessment process become the property of the University on receipt. The University may pass copies of assessment materials to third parties, but in so doing undertakes not to prejudice the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of the student in accordance with relevant legislation.

(j) The intellectual property contained in assessment materials remains with the originator, except where the provisions of Regulation 12.2 apply.

(k) Exceptions to examination arrangements: The Standing Committee for Assessment may give permission for exceptions to examination arrangements in individual cases where there is good cause. Where exceptions are approved, the same examination procedures (for example, in relation to invigilation) will apply.

Powers of Boards of Studies

  • To determine whether students have fulfilled award and programme requirements to permit entry to University assessments.

Assessment regulations for Category 2 students are set out in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback.

5.6 Mitigating circumstances

Students are expected to attend scheduled examinations and submit assessments at the required time and date. If a student is unable to meet these requirements for good cause and would like this to be taken into account, s/he will need to submit a mitigating circumstances claim, in advance of the assessment date wherever possible, with supporting evidence in accordance with the Mitigating Circumstances Policy and Procedure. This procedure should also be followed in cases where a student has met the requirements for attendance at examinations and/or submission of assessments but the work has been affected by mitigating circumstances.

Powers of Boards of Studies

  • To make decisions on recommendations made by Mitigating Circumstances Committees in accordance with the Mitigating Circumstances Policy and Procedure

5.7 Academic misconduct

The University is committed to developing high standards of academic practice among its students and to safeguarding the standards of its academic awards.  It regards any form of academic misconduct as a very serious matter.

(a) All students are required to completed successfully the online University Academic Integrity Tutorial before the end of the first stage or year of their programme of study as specified in Regulations 2.6(c) and 6.5(c).  Failure to comply with this regulation may result in termination of enrolment with the University.

(b) Plagiarism detection software packages may be used at the University's discretion to detect unfair practice in student submissions.  As part of the academic community, students accept that work they submit for assessment may be submitted to these software packages.  Further information relating to how such software is used can be found in the University's Data Protection Statement, the Academic Integrity website and departmental handbooks.

(c) Procedures for investigating academic misconduct and the penalties applied where it has been committed are contained in Academic Misconduct: Policies, Guidelines and Procedures for all programmes of study.

(d) Students must not, at any stage of their programme:

(i) cheat
i.e. fail to comply with the rules governing assessments e.g. by making arrangements to have unauthorised access to information;

(ii) collude
i.e. assist another student to gain an advantage in relation to assessment by unfair means, or receive such assistance

(iii) fabricate
i.e. mislead the examiners by presenting work for assessment in a way which intentionally or recklessly suggests that factual information has been collected which has not in fact been collected, or falsifies factual information;

(iv) personate
i.e. act, appear, or produce work on behalf of another candidate in order to deceive the examiners, or solicit another individual to act, appear or produce work on their own behalf;

(v) plagiarise
i.e. incorporate within their work without appropriate acknowledgement material derived from the work (published or unpublished) of another;

(vi) deceive
i.e. intentionally or recklessly present fabricated or misleading information (e.g., relating to medical and compassionate circumstances) in order to gain advantage in regard to an assessment or progression or procedural requirements.

(e) Where research is undertaken as part of a candidate’s programme, whether this is a taught or research programme, the following are also regarded as forms of academic misconduct, in relation to assessed work and published material or material submitted for publication or to funding bodies:

(i) unethical behaviour in the conduct of research
Including failure to obtain appropriate permission to conduct research, unauthorised use of information which was acquired confidentially, or failure to acknowledge work conducted in collaboration;

(ii) fabrication (as defined above)
Falsification, distortion or corruption of research data or research outcomes;

(iii) dishonest interpretation of results
Publication of data known or believed to be false or misleading, deliberate misquotation or misrepresentation of the work of others, inappropriate attribution of authorship or plagiarism (as defined above);

(iv) deception in making research proposals
Fraud or misuse of research funds or equipment.

Powers of Boards of Studies

  • The powers of Boards of Studies and examiners in relation to the marking of assessments and the application of any further penalties are set out in Academic Misconduct: Policies, guidelines and procedures for all programmes of study.
  • To make recommendations to the Special Cases Committee for the termination of a student’s enrolment or candidature for award in cases of severe or repeated cases of academic misconduct.

5.8 Granting of awards

(a) No student may represent him or herself as holding an award of the University of York until such time as that award has been granted to him or her.

(b) Before the receipt of an award parchment, all students are required to make suitable arrangements with the Finance Department for the clearing of all tuition fee debts.

(c) Graduands will be presented for their degrees either in person, or in absentia, at a Congregation for the conferment of degrees. They are required to notify the Academic Registrar whether they intend to attend the Congregation.

(d) Students attending a Congregation of the University for the conferment of degrees or granting of other awards are required to wear the dress prescribed for the occasion.

Regulations