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Use of in-person examinations

Introduction

Senate agreed at its meeting in April 2022 that the expectation from 2022-23 was that formal examinations would continue to be conducted online unless there was a good pedagogic reason or an evidenced Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB) reason requiring the examination to be conducted in-person.  Use of an in-person exam will continue to require PVC approval.

An in-person examination will usually be an unseen exam (UEX), but may also apply to seen exam (EXS), open book exam (OEX), computer exam (CEX) and multiple choice quiz (MCQ) modes where these are to be held in-person and require centrally-organised invigilation.  Please note that a CEX may not be be held in-person unless the exam requires students to use specific software that can only be run on a PC.

Application process

Exceptional requests to use an in-person examination may be made using an Application to request an in-person examination.  Prior to submitting the application:

• It is recommended that the Faculty consults with an Academic Developer to ensure that any alternative assessment strategies have been explored
• The application must be considered and approved by Faculty Education Committee (FEC) and signed by the Chair of FEC

Signed forms should be sent to aqpcurriculum@sussex.ac.uk for consideration by the PVC (Education and Students).  AQP will additionally check with the Exams and Assessment team whether there are any operational factors to consider. 

Guidance to support Faculty with providing a pedagogic rationale for an in-person exam is available here. Faculty may also refer to this article on Learning Matters, which discusses pedagogical perspectives on high stakes final examinations.

Timelines

Requests must be sent to AQP no later than 24^th November of the academic year before you wish the change to take effect (e.g. requests to use an in-person exam in 2025/26 would need to be sent to AQP be 24^th November 2024).  This is to ensure that we remain compliant with CMA requirements and to allow time for external venues to booked where necessary (external venues may need a full year’s advance notice of bookings).

Outcomes

AQP will inform you, the Chair of your FEC and your Curriculum and Assessment Officer (CAO) of the outcome, which should be reported to the next meeting of your FEC.