Assessments
One of the benefits of full-time residential study is the opportunity to interact with colleagues in sharing ideas and preparing for assessments. This can aid greater understanding of issues and help synthesize material gained through lectures. However, care ought to be taken not to make uncritical use of ‘packaged’ material (such as sample answers to exam or essay questions). In particular, when answering exam questions, beware of simply amplifying outlines and summaries developed in group situations. Such a practice risks not answering the actual question as set, or of providing simply a stereotyped response when a more careful and thoughtful answer is required.
Examinations are based on syllabi approved by the Board of Studies and issued to students at the start of each year. Accordingly, topics (but not identical questions) may appear both on lists of essay topics and in examination questions. Exegetical exercise passages will not be duplicated in examinations. Prior notice will be given of any changes to the structure of an examination. Each year one unit is externally examined.
In order to pass a unit in any College course a student must fulfil all of the requirements of the unit (e.g attendance at lectures and tutorials, completion of non-assessed exercises etc.).
Assessment of student performance is made during or at the conclusion of each unit of study. Essays and other assignments, set out in Section 3.8.2 of this Handbook, are to be lodged, in the box placed in Reception for that purpose, by the due date.
Assessment due dates:
- The due dates for essays and assignments are the dates published in section 3.10 of the Handbook. Any assessment item submitted after the published date will be deemed to be late. The Board of Studies reserves the right to refuse to mark such items.
- In cases of sickness or circumstances warranting compassionate extension the assessment item may be submitted as soon as possible after the due date. It must be accompanied by the form ‘Application for Late Submission of an Assessment Item’. The form, together with the assessment item, must be placed in the box in the Library. Supplies of the form are located nearby (and on the College Bulletin Board with essay topics).
- In cases of student sickness a medical certificate (or a copy of it) is required. It should be attached to the form and both of these submitted with the essay or assignment. With Chaplain’s support, such applications are normally granted.
- When applying for compassionate consideration (bereavement, family sickness, birth of a child etc) the student should ensure that his or her chaplain is fully informed of the situation. Only the form, signed by the chaplain, need be submitted with the assessment item. With Chaplain’s support, such applications are normally granted.
- Any essay, exegetical exercise, or other assignment item submitted beyond the due date and without the form ‘Application for Late Submission of an Assessment Item’ will be deemed late. All such items will automatically attract a of the equivalent of one full grade division (for example, B+ to C+) per week or part thereof. Downgrades will not take the assessment item mark below 40% or cause failure in the unit as a whole.
- Any item submitted more than three weeks after the due date (see above) will be returned unmarked and the student will be deemed to have failed that piece of assessment.
- Where a student is living away from the College at the time an assessment is due it may be mailed provided the TWO copies are accompanied by the normal lodgement sheet available in the lodgement point in the LibraryReception least one day BEFORE the due date (rather than be mailed on the due date) to be treated as on time. The postmark or Australia Post receipt will be taken as evidence of the date of posting.
- The Registrar is available for consultation where any uncertainty exists or in situations which do not fall within the above guidelines.
Assignments awarded a D may be resubmitted if the student so desires. BD/BTh Essays awarded an F must be resubmitted. Resubmitted assignments will not be awarded more than C+. They must be resubmitted not later than 4 weeks after return or the 1st day of examinations.
Marks awarded for assignments which are returned to students during the year are provisional. They are subject to adjustment arising from the moderation process of the Board of Studies. In this process anomalies between markers are removed.
Students will not be failed in an examination unless they are assessed as not having reached a pass standard by a second examiner appointed by the Academic Dean.
Students who fail certain assessments in a unit may still pass that unit provided their overall mark is at least 50% and their mark in the final examination is at least 50%. This does not apply to BD/BTh units which include an essay. In these units, the essay component must not be less than 40%, and each exam component must not be less than 50%.
Any student unable to take an examination at the published time (except for mothers, due to childbirth) must apply to the Board of Studies for permission to sit the exam during the supplementary exam period.
Students who fail a BD/BTh examination may, at the discretion of the Board of Studies, be granted a supplementary examination in the following cases:
- Academic supplementary – applies to candidates meeting the following requirements:
- In one failed unit where a candidate would otherwise complete the degree or diploma.
- In units where one examination paper receives a mark of 45-49% and the other (if there is another) passes.
The maximum mark which may be awarded for a unit in which an
academic supplementary has been granted is the greater of:
EITHER 50%; OR the average of [the other assessment items combined]
and [50%].
- Conceded supplementary – applies to candidates who sat an examination and for whom the Board of Studies accepts there are exceptional grounds to be granted a supplementary even though they do not qualify for an ‘academic supplementary’. Information relating to exceptional circumstances must be provided to the Registrar not more than 10 days after the examination date. The maximum mark which may be awarded is 50%.
- Medical supplementary – applies, subject to the submission of a satisfactory medical certificate to the Registrar not more than 10 days after the examination date, to those too sick on the day to attend an examination. The mark awarded is the mark obtained in the supplementary examination;
- Compassionate supplementary – applies to candidates who did not attend a scheduled examination and who the Board of Studies accepts had an exceptional pastoral reason for not attending. Verifiable evidence of such exceptional reason must be provided within 10 days of the scheduled date of the examination. The supplementary must be taken at the normal time of supplementaries. The mark awarded is the mark obtained in the supplementary examination.
Because supplementary examinations are offered in terms of the foregoing regulations, passed components of a failed unit cannot be carried forward to a following year. Students re-enrolling in a BD or BTh unit which has been failed are required to undertake all assessment components of the unit.
For remarks see Academic Grievance (Appeals) Policy at undergrad.moore.edu.au/432/