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Changes to policy and curriculum

Show all changes for 2019/20

Assessment Handbook

Warning: the content within this page reflects the information available to students in the 2019/20 academic year. As such, this information may no longer be factually accurate.

May 2020 amendments

In May 2020 a number of changes were implemented to the Assessment Handbook. These changes potentially affect all students.

The changes made

  1. Section 3.3.4 If you’re ill or have additional requirements – added confirmation that students may apply for discretionary postponement if they have to leave an exam within the first hour due to illness.
  2. Section 3.4.2 Discretionary postponement – guidance added around applying for discretionary postponement where a student has had to leave an exam within the first hour due to illness

March 2020 amendments

In March 2020 a number of changes were implemented to the Assessment Handbook. These changes potentially affect all students.

The changes made

  1. Section 1.1 How to use this handbook – added a link to the Glossary of assessment terms.
  2. Section 1.2 Types of assessment – re-worded to make the guidance clearer and reference to ‘Assessment scores’ corrected to ‘Assignment scores’.
  3. Section 1.6 Assessment and completion of modules – clarification about when you cannot apply for a deferral.
  4. Section 2.1.1 Formative and summative assessments – reference to ‘Assessment scores’ corrected to ‘Assignment scores’.
  5. Section 2.2.1 Calculating your continuous assessment – additional information about formative assessment.
  6. Section 2.3.4 Processing personal data as part of your studies – updated to bring guidance in line with Data Protections Team’s recommended wording.
  7. Section 2.4.3 Partly completed TMAs – re-worded section to make the guidance clearer.
  8. Section 2.7 Marking iCMAs – correction of the timescales for receiving iCMA score and feedback from ten days to seven days.
  9. Section 3.1 Examinable components of assessment – minor restructure of content to make the guidance clearer. Effective from 1 August 2018
  10. Section 3.3.4 If you’re ill or have additional requirements – removal of reference to the Meeting Your Assessment Needs booklet and hardcopy form, and addition of a link to an online request form for reasonable adjustments.
  11. Section 3.3.5 Exam rules – Added a link to the Exam arrangements booklet and supplementary information sheet.
  12. Section 3.3.8 Exams outside the UK – Change of process for requesting and paying to take an Open University exam at an international non-established exam centre.
  13. Section 3.6 Modules with other examinable work – Amendment to text to reflect changes that have been made to the Submitting Examinable Work booklet.
  14. Section 3.7 Late submission of examinable work – reference to midnight changed to 23.59 hrs to accurately reflect the policy.
  15. Section 3.11 Late submission of the emTMA – reference to midnight changes to 23.59 hrs to accurately reflect the policy
  16. Section 3.13.1 Special circumstances affecting your emTMA – re-worded section to make the guidance clearer.
  17. Section 4.6 Resits and resubmissions – removal of inaccurate content regarding information sent to students about resits/resubmissions for postgraduate modules.
  18. Section 4.8 Viva voce assessments – references to ‘viva voce exams’ corrected to ‘viva voce assessments’.
  19. Minor amendments throughout to simplify the language and clarify understanding.
  20. Contact information – updated contact details for the Disability Support Team (previously the Disabled Resources Team) and for the Data Protection Team (previously the Data Protection Coordinator).

January 2020 amendments

In January 2020 a number of changes were implemented to the Assessment Handbook. These changes potentially affect all students.

The changes made

  1. Section 1.1 How to use this Handbook – clarification that this Assessment Handbook applies to all modules starting on or after 1 August 2018.
  2. Tables 4-6 and tables 7-8 in Appendix 2 reformatted for accessibility purposes.

November 2019 amendments

In November 2019 a number of changes were implemented to the Assessment Handbook. These changes potentially affect all students.

The changes made

  1. Section 2.2 Assignment scores - updated to reflect the change to the pass mark for some taught postgraduate modules from 40 to 50.
  2. Section 2.4.4 Requesting an extension - re-worded to make the guidance clearer.
  3. Section 2.4.5 Non-scored TMA marking and ongoing difficulties with submission - re-worded to make the guidance clearer.
  4. Section 3.7 Late submission of examinable work - updated to provide examples of how the late submission penalty will apply for modules with a pass mark of 50 and to clarify that ‘late’ means after the end of the grace period.
  5. Section 3.11 Late submission of the emTMA - updated to provide examples of how the late submission penalty will apply for modules with a pass mark of 50 and to clarify that ‘late’ means after the end of the grace period.
  6. Section 4.1 Assessment strategies - Updated to signpost students to the Assessment Strategy text on StudentHome to find out the pass mark for their module.
  7. Section 4.2.2 Modules with two components of assessment - updated to reflect the change to the pass mark for some taught postgraduate modules from 40 to 50.
  8. Section 4.5 Result grades - updated to reflect the change to the pass mark for some taught postgraduate modules from 40 to 50.
  9. Section 4.6 Resits and resubmissions - updated to reflect the fact that some postgraduate modules have a resit threshold on the OES.
  10. Tables 1-3 and 4-6 updated to reflect the change to the pass mark for some taught postgraduate modules from 40 to 50.

Please talk to your Student Support Team if you need any further information. You can find out how to contact them on Contact the OU.