Frequently Asked Questions
Examination Frequently Asked Questions
Examination Frequently Asked Questions
Online Examinations
The 24 hour option is primarily offered as an alternative to the traditional 2/3 hour format where the extra time allows for students who are in different time zones and/or may have issues with internet speed or data uploads. It is still expected that the time taken by candidates to complete the assessment should be broadly similar to the short format time, which is the way in which the assessments are designed by the Course Organisers.
In some cases 24 hour examinations are not appropriate, for example in quantitative subjects or for professional body reasons. Where this is the case, examinations will usually* be of the normal duration plus one hour, added to allow time for you to scan and upload your solutions. Students with a learning profile that grants them extra time for examinations will receive an additional hour (this is in addition to the hour for uploading solutions).
* The additional hour may not be added in circumstances where existing technology employed permits continuous uploading throughout the exam.
The relevant School will provide further information on the format of these examinations.
In recognition that candidates will sit online exams across a range of time zones, the decision has been taken to introduce a single start-time for all exams as a way of trying to ensure that no student is expected to sit an exam during night time hours.
Students with extra time adjustments on their learning profile will have extra time granted for short-form exams of 2hr or 3hr duration. All students with extra time adjustments will be granted an additional hour to complete these short format exams. For example, if you have a 3-hr exam, you will be granted one additional hour to account for the electronic submission process, plus another additional hour to account for your profile adjustment, meaning you would have 5 hours to complete the exam. The additional hour is applicable to any short-form exam duration.
This additional time adjustment does not apply to exams with a 24-hr duration. As these are 2/3hr exams with an extended duration, Student Disability Services believes that students with adjustments will be able to demonstrate their knowledge and achieve the grades they deserve within the 24-hr period allocated, which includes an additional time allowance.
You should contact Student Disability Services for advice regarding other learning profile adjustments.
If you encounter any technical problems when uploading your completed exam, you are advised to:
- Do not do any further work on your examination answers
- Take screenshots of any error messages displayed
- Take screenshots of your examination answers
- Submit your work as soon as circumstances enable you to…….
- …..and also submit your work via email, taking care to include all accumulated screenshot evidence
- You should email all accumulated evidence immediately and not wait until you are able to submit your work online
With assessments delivered in a variety of formats, across a variety of learning tools, you should contact the relevant School for more detailed support and guidance.
General support from IS will be available through is.helpline@ed.ac.uk during the exam period (10th December – 22nd of December), at the following times:
- Mon-Thur: 8am-8pm
- Fri: 8am-7pm
- Sat: 9am-5pm
- Sun: 9am-5pm
Examination Timetables
The Timetable on my Phone service has been upgraded to include personalised exam timetable information for future exam diets. This is an important ‘next step’ in the University’s ambition to deliver a comprehensive personalised timetable service through your Office365 calendar.
Many of you will have already accessed your personalised teaching timetable through this service, in which case your exam timetable details will simply be added to your existing calendar. If you haven’t, don’t worry – simply go to the Timetable on my Phone webpage, where information and guidance can be found:
Information Services - Timetable on My Phone
Please note that, as some larger exams are split across multiple venues, it’s important to note the specific exam venue noted in your personal calendar.
Please contact the Examinations Office on examinations@ed.ac.uk with any queries regarding your timetable
Personalised Examination Timetable can be viewed in the following systems and applications:
Provides a personalised exam timetable
Allows you to find the date, time and locations of your exams
We have over 46,000 records being published to Office 365, please be patient while this is sent to all students who have exams. If they do not appear in your timetable. please e-mail examinations@ed.ac.uk please include your matriculation number, the course code and the title of the exams you are sitting. We can then investigate and reply to you.
You should contact your school office in the first instance; they will confirm if you have an exam. If the exam is to be timetabled the school will inform Student Administration, who will then update the timetable.
Changes can occur to the timetable, therefore please ensure that you recheck your exam details on a regular basis and immediately prior to your examination(s).
If an examination changes, it will be highlighted in blue on the timetable.
Please check your course enrolments - if they should be amended please contact the Course Secretary for both exams or your school office.
Once you have undertaken the above step and you still have a clash, you should contact examinations@ed.ac.uk
Resit Exams
Due to the current approach taken for main exam diets, with exams now being completed online. We are uncertain what approach will be taken for the Exam Resit diet and the Overseas Examination Service and whether it will be available for 2021 at this stage. If you have any questions regarding this service, please email Examinations@ed.ac.uk
No, you are not required to register for a resit. Please note there is a fee attached to resitting an exam or a resubmission of coursework.
Yes. A re-examination fee is payable by students for entry to the re-examination diet and/or coursework/essay resubmission assessment. The Scholarships and Student Funding Services site has more information.
Scholarships and Student Funding Services - Additional fees
There will be no reassessment fees for undergraduate students resitting exams during the August 2020 examination diet.
For more information, please use the link https://www.ed.ac.uk/tuition-fees/policy/undergraduate/reassessment-fees/2019-2020
You should contact your school office in the first instance. The school should then contact Examinations to confirm that the exam was a first sit attempt.
You may have had a coursework/essay resubmission assessment. You are required to pay for the resubmission. The Scholarships and Student Funding Services site has more information.
Scholarships and Student Funding Services - Additional fees
Guidance and support for students with special arrangements
More information is available from Student Disability Services.