Your assessment questions answered

What does the term “level” mean?

Level refers to the level of a module and its credits.
For example:

• CHEM1002 - a level 1 module with a credit value of 20   i.e. 20 level-1 credits
• BIOC2667 - a level 2 module with a credit value of 10
• CIVE3772 - a level 3 module with a credit value of 40  i.e. 40 level-3 credits
• LUBS5778M - a level M module with a credit value of 30
• FLTU1559 - a level 1 module with a credit value of 10 which can be taken in any year of study that the programme specification allows.

What does the term “year” mean?

Year (called Class in the Classification Tool) is the study (Academic) year that a student studies.  Programmes are made up of modules and credits to a predetermined standard and are designed to run over a number of study years.

For example:

• First year of study on BA English
• A second year student on the BSc Math programme 
• Penultimate year of study on BEng
• Final year of study on BA Education (part-time) – which could be the student’s 6th year of study.

How many credits can a student study?

Undergraduate full time students must study 120 credits per year on a full-time programme.

Taught Postgraduate full time students must study a minimum of 180 credits, of which at least 135 must be ‘M' level credits.

Refer to Modules and programmes explained webpage, the Rules for Award webpage and/or the Ordinances webpage for more information.

How many attempts does a student have to pass a module?

Undergraduate students who have a start date prior to academic term 2016/2017 are permitted three attempts to pass a module; the first attempt plus up to two resits.

• Original attempt – at the end of Semester One or Semester Two depending on the teaching of the module.
• 2nd attempt - in the August Re-examination/Assessment period following their original attempt, unless the school has specifically precluded them from their 2nd opportunity due to failure to make a serious attempt at the original opportunity.
• 3rd and final attempt – may be taken the following session when the module is offered as an external or carried module, unless exceptional circumstances permit internal re-sit.

Undergraduate students who have a start date in academic term 2016/2017 are permitted two attempts to pass a module; the first attempt plus one resit.

• Original attempt – at the end of Semester One or Semester Two depending on the teaching of the module.
• 2nd and final attempt - in the August Re-examination/Assessment period following their original attempt.

An exception to this rule is International Foundation year students who studied their foundation year in academic year 2015/2016. These students will continue under the old regulations and will be permitted three attempts to pass a module; the first attempt plus up to two resits.

All taught postgraduate students are permitted two attempts to pass a module.

• Original attempt – at the end of Semester One or Semester Two depending on the teaching of the module.
• 2nd attempt - in the August Re-examination/Assessment period or the following session depending on the timing of the original attempt.  Guidance must be sought from the parent school.  If the student does not attend the re-sit at the next opportunity, as stated by the school, the student will lose that final attempt and be marked Absent. 

Refer to the Resit eligibility and registration webpage for more information.

How does a student enrol for their original attempt?

When registering with the University, the student will automatically be registered for all of their compulsory examinations/assessments for the programme of study they have chosen. 

Refer to the When to enrol on your modules webpage on the For Students site for further information on modules and how and when to enrol on to modules.

When can a student change a module?

If, after the start of any semester's teaching, a student is considering a change in the modules that make up their programme of study, they should discuss the matter with an appropriate member of academic staff in their Parent School. A Change of Module form will need to be signed by their Parent School. Once signed, their Parent School will arrange for the change to be considered by any other teaching school affected. The change will only be authorised when all the schools agree.

Whether or not the student is permitted to change a module is likely to depend on a number of factors, including whether or not:

• Their attendance record is satisfactory
• Spare capacity is available in the receiving module
• There is sufficient time for the student to catch up on any teaching or coursework assignments which have been missed.

Modules may not be changed after the fourth week of teaching unless there are exceptional circumstances; if agreed, any changes after week 4 are subject to a £50 administration charge. Refer to the Change of module webpage on the Students SES site for more information. 

If a student transfers to a different programme of study, do they have to study 120 credits if they have already achieved some of the relevant credits?

Where a student transfers in credits against a programme – they are exempted from those credits and do not have to pick up a full diet.

For example:

Masters programme of 180 credits, students can transfer in up to 60 credits, and just study the remaining 120 credits.  They do not need to top up to 180 credits with other modules.  Refer to the Transfer to a new programme webpage for more information.

When are the University assessment periods?

There are usually three University assessment periods each year - one at the end of each semester and a re-assessment period before the Summer Bank Holiday weekend in late August. During the academic year 2020/21, an assessment period will also be held in September, and for some cohorts, assessments will be arranged by schools at other times.  See the Assessment Timetables webpage for more information.

Assessments may be held on any of the days within the published assessment period, including weekends but excluding Bank Holiday Mondays.

Students are required to be available for all assessment sessions. (Although the University timetable does not schedule assessments on Bank Holidays, the University reserves the right to re-schedule assessments on a Bank Holiday if necessary).

Refer to the Assessment periods and timetable publication dates webpage for further information.

When is an undergraduate student eligible to re-sit?

If a student does not pass enough credits or does not meet their programme requirements to be eligible to progress to the next year of study, they may be eligible to re-sit failed modules in the August re-assessment period, provided that a serious attempt at the exam in January or May/June was made and their teaching school has not excluded them from doing so (indicated by an “S” next to the grade).

Undergraduate students who have a start date prior to academic term 2016/2017 are permitted a third and final attempt which must be taken the following session when the module is offered as an external or carried module, unless exceptional circumstances permit internal re-sit.

Undergraduate students who have a start date in academic term 2016/2017 are permitted only two attempts to pass a module; the first attempt plus one resit (August re-assessment period).

Finalists who have either a) failed the degree or b) achieved sufficient credits for the award of the Ordinary degree and are eligible to re-sit failed modules to upgrade their classification to Honours, are permitted to re-sit at the next offering of the failed module.

Any re-sit has to be taken at the next opportunity, and failure to do so will result in the loss of an attempt. Marks for modules which are not taken will be classified as Absent.

If the student has been granted a "first attempt" re-sit, they will need to confirm with their parent school if they wish to take it.  If they accept the opportunity to re-sit as a "first attempt", their original mark will be expunged and their result for the re-sit will apply, even if it is lower than their original mark.  Students should contact their Parent School to find out further information on "first attempts".

Refer to the Resits webpage for further information.

When is a taught postgraduate student eligible to re-sit?

Any re-sit has to be taken at the next opportunity, and failure to do so will result in the loss of an attempt. Marks for modules which are not taken will be classified as Absent.

If a student has failed a module they may retake it in August depending on if the re-sit is offered by the teaching school, and depending on their cohort (See Assessment Timetables for more information on cohorts).  Students must take advice from their schools as to when the re-assessment is offered. 

Refer to the Resits webpage for further information

What are the rules for students taking re-sits Internally/Externally?

All undergraduate students are entitled to a re-sit in August (unless specifically precluded by the school). 
Following the August re-assessment period, if an Undergraduate student with a start date prior to academic term 2016/2017, has failed a module which is a must pass to progress module, or the student has not achieved sufficient credits to progress, then the student must become an external student the following session. 

If the Undergraduate student has a start date in academic term 2016/2017 they are only permitted two attempts to pass a module.  If the student has failed a module which is a must pass to progress module, or the student has not achieved sufficient credits to progress, having been unsuccessful in their final attempt, they have exhausted all attempts and will therefore be required to withdraw from the University of Leeds.

Only in exceptional circumstances may a student be allowed to re-sit internally.  The exceptional circumstances may be:

• The student has missed too much teaching to make any progress without further teaching.
• The student has failed a laboratory module (element) and needs to use the laboratory facilities to be able to pass.
• The student had mitigating circumstances and has been permitted to expunge the results of the year and retake the whole year internally as first attempts.  Refer to the External/Carried module resits webpage for more information.

How does a student apply to re-sit?

The student must submit their re-sit application online via the Results and re-sit Application page (available through the Minerva using their University username and password from the beginning of July).  They must apply for any module which has any assessment they want to re-sit. They will be able to apply to re-sit by selecting ‘Yes’ next to the modules that they have failed and are eligible to re-sit. Their application will be recorded on Banner and processed by the Assessment & Progress team. 

Refer to the Resits webpage for further information, including the deadlines for applications to be submitted.

Undergraduate Finalists should refer to the Resits webpage for the deadline for applications. After the published deadline, if students are eligible for an award and have not applied to resit, they will be deemed to have accepted the award.

Taught Postgraduates wishing to apply to resit modules (where the results are provisional) must:

• Download a re-sit Application Form from the Provisional Marks page (via the Minerva).
• Fill out the form listing all modules they want to re-sit, including any which are re-assessed by coursework only. If they do not register for all re-assessments before the deadline for re-sit applications, they may be charged the increased administration fee.
• Email the completed form to the Assessment & Progress Team via the email examinations@leeds.ac.uk.

After the deadline non-finalists and Taught Postgraduates should contact their school directly is they wish to resit.  The school will either need to contact the Assessment & Progress Team via email or complete a late application form.  For on-campus assessments, students will only be allocated a seat number if they submit their application by the deadline. If they apply after this, ad-hoc arrangements will be made when they arrive on the day.

Undergraduate Finalists who are eligible for an award will be deemed to have accepted it if they have not applied to resit by their deadline.

When is the re-assessment period?

Re-sit assessment dates

Re-sit assessments generally take place in August (during the two weeks prior to the August bank holiday).  (See the Assessment Timetables webpage for more information on cohorts).

Unfortunately it isn't possible to find out the exact date of an assessment before the students apply to re-sit. This is because the timetable is produced once the information is known of which modules students have applied for.

Students should view their personal assessment timetable via Minerva (see the Assessment Timetable publication dates webpage).

Students should check that they have been entered for the appropriate exams, and tell the Assessment & Progress Team immediately about any discrepancies. 

Please refer to the Assessment periods and timetable publication dates webpage for further information.

Assessed-work deadlines

Students should contact their school directly to find out the deadlines for submitting assessed work.

Cancelling a re-sit application

Students should email the Assessment & Progress Team via the email examinations@leeds.ac.uk to cancel a re-sit application.

Students may only cancel up until the start of the relevant assessment period. After this, their application will stand and any re-sit fees will still be charged. Students will lose an attempt if they do not take the re-sit. 

Refer to the Resits webpage for further information.

How much are the re-sit fees?

From the 2023/2024 session resit fees will no longer be charged. Students are required to pay any resit fees charged prior to the 2023/2024 session.  So any fees for resits that took place in 2023 are valid, as these resits will have taken place in the 2022/2023 session.

Can a student take their re-sit assessment abroad?

Students may be eligible to sit their re-sit (or approved further first attempt) assessment abroad if:

• The student's home address is outside of the UK and the assessments are taken in their home country.
• The student is working or studying abroad as part of their programme.
• The student is studying here as an exchange student and returning home.

If the student lives outside the UK, the location that they apply to resit at must be in their home country. The assessment must be suitable to be taken outside the University and a suitable assessment environment must be available (e.g. British Council; home university).

If eligible the Assessment & Progress Team will process the application.  If the student does not fall into any of the above category they will be advised to submit a further case to their Parent School, explaining their reason. 

The SSCC should hear the case and reach a decision on whether or not to permit the student to take the assessment overseas.  The assessment must be suitable to be taken outside the University, and a suitable assessment environment must be available (e.g. British Council; Home University).

Schools need to inform the student and the Assessment & Progress Team of the SSCC’s decision.  If permission to take the assessment overseas is granted, the Assessment & Progress Team will liaise with the student and the relevant hosting institution and make the necessary arrangements. 

Please refer to the Taking assessments abroad webpage for more information.

What happens when an Exchange/Erasmus student studying in Semester 1 only, has to return home before they have taken their assessments?

If the student is on an exchange programme and there is a clash between the University of Leeds assessment times and the student’s home university’s teaching patterns, the student must contact their Parent School as soon as possible.

If they are studying modules that are assessed by a formal assessment in January and the start date of Semester 2 at their home university clashes with the January assessment session, they are usually allowed to take their January assessments at their home university.  However, occasionally the format of an assessment dictates that it must be taken in Leeds.
They must print out and complete the “Application to take January assessments at your home University” form*, and also obtain approval from their home university, providing an official letter from them confirming the dates, check with the teaching school for each of their modules that assessment can be taken away from Leeds, and get a signature and a stamp on the form.  They must scan the form and any supporting evidence and submit this to the Assessment & Progress Team by the deadline. 

*Please refer to the Taking assessments abroad webpage for more information.

What are the fees for taking an assessment abroad?

From the 2023/2024 session resit fees will no longer be charged. Students are required to pay any resit fees charged prior to the 2023/2024 session.  So any fees for resits that took place in 2023 are valid, as these resits will have taken place in the 2022/2023 session..

Fees may be charged by the hosting institution.  The student should contact the host directly for more information.

Please refer to the Taking assessments abroad webpage for more information.

What can be done if a student is ill during an assessment, or has mitigating circumstances that affects their academic performance?

If a student has experienced mitigating circumstances during the examinations and/or assessment of their modules, they are entitled to submit a case and supporting evidence to their Parent School.

The school will hold a Schools Special Cases Committee (SSCC) where the case is heard.  If the committee agree that the circumstances have impacted on the student’s ability to study, complete coursework on time, take examinations or perform as expected in an exam,  the committee can agree to expunge the mark achieved for that module and allow the student to retake the module for a true mark (as a first attempt) at the next opportunity.

The school should notify the student of the decision and ensure the student is fully aware that to accept the first attempt means the original mark is expunged.  The student must confirm to the school, in writing, their wish to accept/decline the first attempt.

The school should notify (through the Progression Tool report) the Assessment & Progress Team, who update Banner to show that a first attempt has been granted and accepted.  There is no cost for first attempts.

Once the school notifies the Assessment & Progress Team that the student has accepted the first attempt the system is updated and the original mark is expunged.  Note: if the student then fails to attend the assessment or submits the required work and attains a lower mark, the new mark or a mark of Absent will be recorded and stand.

Can a student retake a module they have already passed?

If a student passes a module, but fails a certain component of the module, and have also been granted a first attempt re-sit, the student may re-sit the failed component.  

Only when special permission is granted by the University Special Cases Committee due to mitigating circumstances will a student be allowed to retake a module previously passed where no component is failed.

How can students access their provisional marks and final results?

Students use the Minerva to access their provisional marks and final results. If they need to re-sit any modules, they will need to submit an online application before the relevant deadline.
Accessing results and re-sit application pages
All results and re-sits application pages are available via the Minerva. To access these pages, the students:

• Should log into the Minerva using their University username and password
• On the toolbar in the top right, click the icon called ‘Academic Student Services’
• Click the Examinations tab
• Select Results and Resit Application
• Select the term which has just been completed
• Click on Submit

Provisional marks
Students will be informed by their teaching school(s) when their provisional marks have been made available online.

• Choose “Provisional Marks” from the menu on the Examinations tab in Academic Student Services.
  Some marks for postgraduate students are confirmed during June at the same time as undergraduate results, and may not be released as provisional. These marks will be available as final marks on the Official Results Day.

Dates for results and re-sit applications can be found in the timeline available on the Timelines for Programmes and Assessment webpage. 

Please refer to the Results webpage for more information.

Final results

Dates for final results can be found in the timeline available on the Timelines for Programmes and Assessment webpage. 

Students will see a list of their module marks and their award, if they have completed their programme. 

What are supernumerary modules and how many can students take?

Supernumerary modules are modules chosen by students for interest only and are taken as extra credits on top of the normal amount of credits for the year (i.e. over 120 credits in any undergraduate Programme Year or over 180 in any postgraduate Programme Year).  This means the credits gained in supernumerary modules cannot be counted for progression (e.g. a student passing 70 credits plus a 10-credit supernumerary module is not permitted to include the supernumerary credits to give them the 80 credits required to progress) or classification purposes.

Where any supernumerary modules (i.e. over 120 credits in any undergraduate Programme Year or over 180 in any postgraduate Programme Year) are required to meet the learning outcomes of a specific programme, the rule as to whether these credits count for classification should be stated in the Programme Specification and made clear in corresponding material for students. Where students opt to take supernumerary modules outside of the Programme Specification these do not count towards classification.

Students are permitted to register for up to 20 credits of supernumerary modules each year (at the discretion of the parent school) and schools must inform the Exams and Progress team of the choice at the beginning of the session and before the deadline for changing modules*. Supernumerary modules will be recorded on Banner with a status of SN and marks gained for such modules will appear on official transcripts.  Refer to the Supernumerary modules webpage for further guidance.

*See the timeline available on the Timelines for Programmes and Assessment webpage for deadlines.

What are Ad-hoc/ad personam programmes?

In exceptional circumstances it may be necessary to make time-limited amendments to a programme of study.
Where these circumstances relate to one student or a small number of individual students, the amended programme is referred to as an ad personam programme variation.

Where the circumstances relate to an entire cohort of students, it is an ad hoc programme variation. 
Any ad personam or ad hoc programme variation is subject to the approval of the relevant Pro Dean for Student Education, acting on behalf of the Faculty Taught Student Education Committee (FTSEC).

The Head of School must make a case for an ad personam or an ad hoc programme and forward this onto the Exams and Progress team, who will seek approval from the Pro Dean for Student Education.

Refer to the Ad personam and ad hoc programme variation process webpage for further guidance.

What drives the Assessment & Progress Team deadlines?

Due to the University Assessment been a cyclical process, operating towards precise tight deadlines, the Assessment & Progress Team are bound by the dates published in the timeline available on the Timelines for Programmes and Assessment webpage.  This is produced in accordance with the forward planner which is approved by the Senate.  The organisation and planning required to work around the academic calendar whilst adhering to the deadlines published in the timeline is considerable.

The Timeline of Events is published on the web, and is a tool for all staff to use to be informed of the various deadlines that have to be met.

The timeline incorporates the deadlines for three teams of Programmes and Assessment – the Events, the Operations and the Assessment & Progress Teams.

The main drives to the Assessment & Progress Team deadlines are the assessment periods and the end of the year, when the results and pass lists have to be published.

Refer to the timeline available on the Timelines for Programmes and Assessment webpage for additional information.