Uk University Exam Seasons: When Are They?

University students in the UK typically have two exam periods per year: one in January, right after the Christmas break, and one in May, after the Spring break. Some students may only have May exams, while others have to sit both January and May exams. In addition, there are mid-term exams (mostly for Business School and language modules) around week 5-7. University students in the UK can expect to receive their exam results by email approximately one month after their exams, with most students receiving their results by 4 pm on the same day.

Exam formats: essay writing, MCQ, oral, listening, etc

Examinations are a common assessment and evaluation tool in universities, and they can take on various formats. Here are some of the most common exam formats:

Essay Writing

Essay writing is a standard exam format for many degree programmes, including Humanities, Social Sciences, Business, Geography, and Psychology. Students are typically presented with a set of 3-8 questions and asked to choose one or two to answer within a limited time, usually one or two hours. While the essay length is shorter than a typical coursework essay, students are still expected to follow a clear structure and present a well-argued response. In some cases, essay questions may be released in advance to allow students to research the topic in-depth, although bringing notes to the exam is often not permitted.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Multiple-choice questions are a familiar assessment format, especially for Business School modules such as Economics, Finance, and Accounting. Students are given a question or stem and must select the correct answer from several possible choices. MCQs can involve calculations or purely test factual knowledge. Constructing good MCQs can be challenging, but they offer certain advantages, such as easy and reliable scoring, especially with computer software. However, they may encourage superficial learning among students.

Modified Essay Questions (MEQs)

MEQs are similar to standard essay questions but consist of short clinical scenarios followed by a series of structured questions. They assess factual recall, cognitive skills like reasoning and problem-solving, writing skills, and even ethical, social, and moral attitudes. MEQs offer more flexibility than traditional essay questions and are considered more challenging than MCQs in addressing higher levels of the cognitive domain. However, they require careful construction to avoid issues with inter-rater variability.

Oral Examinations

Oral exams are common in language courses to assess students' speaking skills, but they can also be used in other subjects to evaluate understanding. They allow students to respond directly to the instructor's questions or present prepared statements. Advantages include immediate feedback and the opportunity for students to learn during the exam. However, oral exams are time-consuming and pose record-keeping challenges.

Other Formats

Other exam formats include true/false questions, matching questions, and short-answer questions. Short-answer questions provide a balance between structured and open-ended responses, allowing students to demonstrate their understanding and creativity better than multiple-choice questions. They are often easier and faster to mark than essay questions and can cover a broader range of course content.

Timing: two periods, January and May, with midterms in week 5-7

In the UK, there are two exam periods for university students each year. The first one is held in January, right after the Christmas break, and the second one is in May, after the Spring break. Some students only have May exams, while others have to sit for both January and May exams.

During the week 5-7 of the semester, midterm exams are also administered, primarily for Business School and language modules. Students who have taken up additional language modules through the FLC (Foreign Language Centre) will be assessed through written, oral, and listening tests.

For those who need to resit exams, these are usually held in August, with results released by the end of June or the start of July. Students can check their university website to find out the exact dates for their exam results.

To prepare for exams, students can access past exam papers available on the university's learning platform, such as the Exeter Learning Environment (ELE) in the University of Exeter. Students can also seek support from their School and Academic Advisors, who can provide revision guides and preparation events.

Results: released via email in February or June

University students in the UK receive their exam results via email. There are two exam periods per year: one in January, right after the Christmas break, and one in May, after the Spring break. Students receive their January exam results in February, and their May exam results in June.

For students who take exams in both periods, they will receive their January results in February, and their May results in June. This means that they will have a few months between receiving their January results and sitting their May exams.

The exact dates of when results are released in February and June vary. Students can expect to receive their results by the end of the first week of February and mid-June, respectively. However, different colleges release results at different times, but all students should have their results by 4 pm on the day of release.

Final-year students, or those awaiting end-of-year results, may have to wait longer as all coursework and exam results must be added up to determine the final results per module and overall. Students can check their university website for more specific information on when to expect results.

Resits: results received by early July, resits in August

In the UK, there are two university exam periods per year: one in January, right after the Christmas break, and one in May, after the Spring break. Some students may only have May exams, while others have to sit both January and May exams.

If you are a final-year student, your results will take longer to be released, as all of your coursework and exam results over the year will need to be added up to get an average and determine your final results per module and overall. You can expect to get your summer exam results by either the end of June or the start of July. This gives you time to prepare for any resits, which will be taken in August.

If you need to resit exams, you may need to prepare to return to campus. You can check your university website to find out the exact dates you can expect to receive your exam results.

If you have any queries regarding Independent Learning Period (ILP) adjustments, you should contact your university's relevant email address.

Final grade: calculated from coursework, presentations, exams

In the UK, university students' final grades are calculated from their coursework, presentations, and exams. There are two exam periods per year: one in January, right after the Christmas break, and one in May, after the Spring break. Some students may only have May exams, while others have to sit for both January and May exams. Additionally, there are mid-term exams (usually for Business School and language modules) around weeks 5-7.

The weight of each component, such as coursework, presentations, and exams, contributes to the final grade. For example, exams may carry a weight of 60%, coursework 30%, and presentations 10%. Each university and course may have different weightings for these components, and it's important for students to understand how their final grade will be calculated.

Coursework can include various assignments, essays, and projects completed throughout the semester or year. Presentations may also be a component of the final grade, especially in subjects that require public speaking skills or the ability to present ideas and research effectively.

Exams are a significant part of the final grade, and they can take many forms, including essay-writing, multiple-choice questions, oral exams, and listening tests. Essay-writing exams are common in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Business School modules, where students are given a set of questions to choose from and are expected to write structured essays within a limited time frame. Multiple-choice questions are often used in subjects like Economics, Finance, and Accounting, where calculations and factual knowledge are assessed.

To calculate the final grade, each component is given a weight, and the scores are combined accordingly. For example, if the exams are worth 60% of the final grade, the coursework 30%, and the presentations 10%, the scores in each area would be multiplied by their respective weights and then added together to get the final grade. Students can use online final grade calculators to estimate the grade they need to achieve on their final exam to reach their desired course grade.

Frequently asked questions