There are two main forms of assessment for University's courses: continuous assessment and examinations.
The assessment criteria may include any one or any combination of the following: assignments (in the form of essays, questions requiring short answers, multiple choice, etc.), quizzes, tests, projects, laboratory sessions, practicum, attendance, compulsory day schools, examinations, and any other criteria (e.g. day school attendance). Full details of the course assessment will be given to you by your course coordinator/course teacher, or in your course materials/course guide.
Many distance learning courses include a number of voluntary day schools. In some courses, you will have to participate satisfactorily in the compulsory day schools, laboratory sessions, etc. in order to pass the course. For details of the attendance requirement of a particular course, please refer to the respective course guide.
If you cannot complete the day school attendance requirements for your course, you may apply for deferment of day school attendance via Form E-DD 'Application for Deferment of Compulsory Day School Attendance'.
Course results are determined by an Award Committee appointed for each course and then endorsed by the School Board.
If there is a written examination for your course, your course score will be calculated from both your overall continuous assessment score and your examination score. The course grade is mainly determined by the overall course score (CS). Students are normally required to obtain a minimum in both overall examination score (OES) and overall continuous assessment score (OCAS) set by the University in order to obtain a Pass result. To be awarded a particular course grade, students must meet the minimum CS set by the Award Committee.
Course Grade | Standard | Grade Point | A | Excellent | 4.0 |
|---|---|---|
A- | Excellent | 3.7 |
B+ | Very Good | 3.3 |
B | Very Good | 3.0 |
B- | Good | 2.7 |
C+ | Fair | 2.3 |
C | Pass | 2.0 |
Fail-Resit | Fail-Resit | — |
Fail | Fail | 0.0 |
Pass (for designated courses only) | Benchmark Attained | Not applicable |
Assignments should be submitted by specified dates according to the instructions of the course coordinator concerned. All assignments must be submitted electronically via the OLE, unless otherwise specified. If you are required to submit assignments to your tutor by mail, you must attach an Assignment Form.
Each assignment has a cut-off date which is the final date for it to be submitted and received for marking. Details are in your Course Guide.
If an assignment is submitted after the cut-off date without prior permission, the course coordinator will have the right to reject the assignment and zero score will be given for that assignment.
If you have good reasons for submitting an assignment after the cut-off date, you may obtain permission from the appropriate authority for late submission. However, there is no extension of the cut-off date for the final assignment.
Length of Extension | Details | Within 7 days from the cut-off date | Contact your tutor for permission |
|---|---|
8 to 21 days after the cut-off date | Contact the Course Coordinator for permission |
More than 21 days from the cut-off date | Only under very exceptional circumstances. You should first contact your tutor and Course Coordinator and obtain their support |
The University expects that students will act at all times to uphold academic integrity which is a requisite for effective learning and sound scholarship. We cannot accept for assessment purposes work which has been written in collaboration with others. When you work on your assignment, you are required to work alone. You must not send in other people’s work, either in its entirety or in part, and claim it as your own.
In the same way, students are encouraged to show the results of their reading by referring to and quoting from works on the subject. However, copying from such sources without acknowledgement is plagiarism and is not acceptable. To copy deliberately from a printed work or from any other source and to claim it as your own is a form of cheating. Cheating, or attempting to cheat, is a serious offence and will be punished.
Students must strictly observe the regulations governing continuous assessment and examinations given in the 'Assessment Regulations'.
