Assessment, feedback and submissions
Assessment and submissions FAQs
We hope you have had an enjoyable and productive Autumn term. We know many of you will be turning your attention to module assessments, so we thought we’d collate some practical information to help things run smoothly and alleviate any worries!
- Where do I find information about my assessments?
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Information about the tasks you need to complete, what format your assessment will take and submission instructions will be found on the Canvas site for the module.
You can find a list of all your assessment deadlines on Sussex Direct > Study > Timetable > Assessment Deadlines and Exam Timetable.
If you have deferred your dissertation, or you have brought forward a resit from next summer, you may receive separate information about this by email. If you’re not sure, please contact the Curriculum and Assessment team at mah-cao@sussex.ac.uk.
- How can I find resources and support with planning and writing?
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The university provides plenty of resources to help you plan and carry out your work on the SkillsHub.
Module tutors often hold a workshop or individual consultations with students at the end of term to support you with your assessment. You can also see them in their student hours, which will be listed on the module Canvas site. This is a vital resource for help with understanding the task, so please use it!
Your module Canvas site will explain how to submit your work. This is usually through Turnitin, but certain formats may need to be submitted differently. Again, your module Canvas site will explain this if needed.
Please ensure you read and understand the submission instructions. We cannot accept work for marking which has been submitted to the wrong submission point, and it is the responsibility of the student to submit correctly. Check with your module tutor well in advance of the deadline if you’re not sure.
If you have a timed assessment, make sure you know when that paper is released.
- What if I have problems submitting?
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Firstly, we would always recommend you submit ahead of the deadline. This is especially important if you have media files to submit, as these can take a while to upload. Try to leave at least an hour before the deadline, which is usually 4pm.
If you are having problems submitting, and it is before the deadline, contact IT Services. Remember that Turnitin does not work well on Safari, please make sure you’re using Chrome or Firefox as your web browser.
If the deadline has now passed, but you have been attempting to submit and have not edited your file since before the deadline, then please email mah-submissionerrors@sussex.ac.uk and the Curriculum and Assessment team will send you a form to fill in and submit with your file. (See more info on the e-submission error process)
We cannot guarantee that an assessment submitted in this way will definitely be accepted, and it will usually be subject to a late penalty (see below).
Remember, it is your responsibility to ensure that you submit on time.
- What happens if I submit late?
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If you submit up to 24 hours after the deadline, you will normally have five percentage points deducted from your mark (ie. a mark of 62 becomes a mark of 57).
If you submit up to 7 days late, you will normally have ten percentage points deducted from your mark (ie a mark of 62 becomes a mark of 52).
We do not accept work submitted more than 7 days after the original deadline. You will be given a mark of 0. It’s best to check that your assessment has a late period attached; some such as presentations and timed assessments, won’t. You can check this on Sussex Direct by going to Student Details, scrolling down to your modules, and clicking in the Assessment column on the numbers. This will take you to a list of the assessments for that module, with either a +7 or a +0 next to them. This will indicate the number of days late you can submit.
If there are circumstances impacting on your ability to submit on time or at all, then you can submit an exceptional circumstances claim to request removal of a late penalty.
- What happens if I can't submit at all?
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You will usually be offered a resit of your assessment if you don’t submit an assessment, or you don’t reach the pass mark (40% for UG, 50% for PG). Resits normally take place in the August resit period. Please be aware that resits are capped at the pass mark.
If you didn’t submit due to circumstances beyond your control, you should consider making an exceptional circumstances claim. Please be aware that technical issues don’t count as exceptional circumstances. If accepted, the claim will remove the cap on your resit marks.
How will my work be marked?
Your work will normally be marked by your tutor against the marking criteria used by the department and the wider MAH faculty criteria. Please check with your tutor if you have not been made aware of the criteria used to mark this assessment.
When will I get my marks and feedback?
Marks and feedback will be released by Week 3 of Spring term (17th February). You should be able to see both your marks and feedback on this date; if there are any issues please check with your tutor in the first instance.
For questions about how to do the assessment, contact your module tutor.
For questions about submitting, contact mah-cao@sussex.ac.uk
For questions about exceptional circumstances and resits, contact mah-studentexperience@sussex.ac.uk
Good luck with all your assessments, from all of us in MAH!
A3 Resit instructions
Whether you are a finalist, or a first or second year progressing student with resits, you may have questions about your next steps. We have put together answers to some frequently asked questions below:
- A3 Finalist Resit Assessment Instructions
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Creative and Critical Practise
**UPDATED ** Department of Language Studies
- A3 Progression Resit Assessment Instructions
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Creative and Critical Practise
Department of Language Studies
- A3 Trailed Resit Assessment Instructions (Only Use if Instructed)
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If you have received an email directing you to this section for trailed resit information, please find the instructions for your module below.
- Handing in work
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Your Sussex Direct webpages will give all assessment details, including whether the assessment is to be submitted via e-submission through Canvas.
For assignments that need to be submitted online, see Student Hub guidance on:
- What is included in the essay word count?
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The maximum length for each assessment is made clear. The limits as stated include quotations in the text, but do not include the bibliography, footnotes/endnotes, appendices, abstracts, maps, illustrations, transcriptions of linguistic data, or tables and their captions.
- If you exceed the word limit
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Examiners will read up to 10% above the word count (e.g. 1,100 words for a 1,000-word essay).
Examiners can use their judgment and mark downward for excessive length if:
- your essay is overlong because it is poorly written or conceived
- they feel the extra length gives you an unfair advantage over students who kept to the prescribed length.
Additional words over the 10% allowance will not be read.
- Avoiding academic misconduct
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Plagiarism, collusion, and cheating in exams are all forms of academic misconduct, which the University takes very seriously.
Every year, some students commit academic misconduct unintentionally because they were not careful in their use of sources or did not understand the definitions of plagiarism. Whether or not it is intentional, the consequences for committing academic misconduct can be severe, so it is important you familiarise yourself with what it is and how to avoid it.
See Skills Hub for advice on writing well, including definitions of academic misconduct and tips on how to avoid it.
- Do I need to pass every module to progress to the next year?
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Yes. You need to achieve 120 credits to progress to the next year, and it’s only possible to do that if you pass all of your modules.
If things don’t go as planned and you end up failing one or more modules you will be given a second chance.
You’ll be set resits in the summer vacation, but this is something you really want to avoid because:
- resits take place in August, so they may limit your travelling plans or paid work, and
- resits are capped at a mark of 40%.
If you are in your second year or beyond, a capped mark may negatively affect your degree classification.
More information about resitting an assessment.