exams

Exams 2019/2020

"I have learnt from my mistakes, and I am sure I can repeat them exactly." Peter Cook

the scream

Common exam mistakes

Incorrectly copying the question or the information in the question onto the exam script. Always double check.
Not answering all parts of the question. Go through the question carefully and highlight all the things you are being asked and make sure you answer them all.
Not checking answers where possible (and then correcting them).
Poor arithmetic.
A more nebulous issue, but one of the most important, is learning without understanding. This leads to people writing mathematical nonsense and not even knowing it.

Exam timetables

Maths course board semester 1 exams: 17th January 2019

This is where the exam results for all mathematics courses are finalized.

NO such results will be available before this date.

After the meeting, I shall email all first-year students and ask you to contact your personal tutors so that you can get your results and discuss them.

Results for other courses outside of MACS usually take longer to arrive.
I shall email you when I know they are available and you can contact your personal tutors to get them.

If you fail any courses at this stage, you will still be allowed into the second semester.
However, whether you pass into the second year will be decided by the progression board below.

Progression board for first year: 22nd June

This is where the decisions are made about whether you pass directly into the second year or whether you have to take resits.

No decisions are made before the above date though you can get an idea of whether you might need resits from the summary of rules below.

I shall contact you after the meeting with the news, one way or another.

If you have resits I shall tell you what your options are and what you have to do

NO exam results from the second semester will be available before this date.

All your results will be made accessible via Student Self-service sometime in the following week by the Academic Registry.

Summary of rules

I hope all of you will have an enjoyable and successful first year, but it is important to remember that university is about academic achievement.
This means that in order to go into the second year you have to attain certain minimum standards, and that if you don't attain those standards you will not be allowed to continue studying maths.

There are rules that govern whether you can progress from the first year to the second year --- see the undergraduate guide to maths for details. But here are the highlights:

You will usually need a minimum of 6 Ds and 2 Es, although some programmes require a minimum of 8 Ds.
In mathematics, grades are calculated as follows: grade A is 70% or more; grade B is between 60% and 69%; grade C is between 50% and 59%; grade D is between 40% and 49%; grade E is between 30% and 39%; and grade F is from 29% downwards. Grades E and F are fail grades. The difference between them is that E still carries credit whereas F does not.
If your lowest grade is a D you will not need resits.
If your lowest grade is an E you may need resits.
If your lowest grade is an F you will need resits.
To progress, you need the minimum number of credits, usually 120, and the right grades.
If you pass a course you cannot take a resit to improve your grade.
Resit results are based solely on the exam and do not take account of any previous continuous assessment.
Staff are not required to coach students for their resits. This is why it is essential that you take advantage of all the teaching support that we provide during Semesters 1 and 2. If you choose to miss tutorials, you are choosing to accept the consequences.
If you do not meet the minimum standards needed, you will not be allowed to continue with your chosen programme.
Resitting the year is not an option except in really exceptional cases.
Appeals: there is no right of appeal where it relates to questioning grades or marks or decisions of Examiners, or other matters which are based on questioning the academic judgement of members of academic staff or Examiners.

Viewing exam scripts

To view an exam script, go to the School Office and complete a Request to View Script form.
The office staff will then email you when you can view the script under supervision.
If you have queries on the marking, you will need to write these on the form and then the form and script will be passed to the relevant lecturer for them to look at.
The lecturer will then email or arrange to meet you to go over your queries.

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