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Assessment

Assessment handbooks

Our online assessment handbooks outline the University's policy relating to the different types of assessment you may have to complete for your modules. They include our general rules and regulations for submitting work and sitting examinations and should be referred to in conjunction with your module-specific information such as your Module guide and Assignment booklet which will tell you about the individual elements of assessment in the specific modules you are studying.

If you are studying an undergraduate or postgraduate module, there are now two main versions of the Assessment Handbook and it is very important that you select the correct version.

  • If you are studying one of the short introductory modules in our Openings programme you should refer to the Assignment Booklet on your module site.  
  • If you are studying on our Initial Teacher Education programme (PGCE or PGDE) use the Initial Teacher Training Programme (PGCE) version.

Code of Practice for Student Assessment

This document is part of the student regulations which apply to all students of the OU.

These regulations define the basis of the registration agreement between the student and us. Students who register for a specific academic qualification from the University are also governed by our qualification regulations which deal with registering for a qualification, completing a qualification and other matters about qualifications. The detailed assessment rules for each module appear separately as module rules.

Code of Practice for Student Discipline

Under statute 16(23) of our Charter, we must have a Code of Practice for Student Discipline. The aim of this code is to make sure that we maintain academic standards and provide an appropriate learning environment.

Deferrals, Withdrawals and Cancellations

This document sets out the policy that will govern how we will respond if you want to take a break in your studies or wish to change your study plans.

 

This document explains the procedure you must follow if you have registered for a module or qualification which starts after 1 August 2012, and you want to defer or withdraw from your studies or want to change your choice of module. 

 

The Assessment banking rules set out the conditions you will have to meet if, when you defer a module, you wish to retain the scores from assessments you have completed, carry these forward to a future presentation of the same module, and complete the assessment requirements during that future presentation. This process is called 'assessment banking'.

Plagiarism

If a student submits an assignment that contains work that is not their own, without indicating this to the marker (acknowledging your sources), they are committing ‘plagiarism’ and this is an offence.

Submitting work that has been done by someone else and persistent borrowing of other people’s work without citation are obvious instances of plagiarism and are regarded as cheating. Copying answers from social networking sites is cheating. Paying for work from other sources and submitting it as your own is also cheating. It is intellectually dishonest to cheat and thus give one student an unfair advantage over others.

Passing on an assignment to others, with the knowledge that another student may plagiarise the assignment will also lead to a penalty.

Procedure for appeals relating to TMA and eTMA scores

This document explains how students can query the score for a TMA or eTMA.

Procedure for appeals relating to TMA and eTMA scores (Welsh)

Mae’r ddogfen hon yn egluro sut allwch herio sgor aseiniad wedi ei Farcio gan Diwtor/Aseiniad wedi'i Farcio'n Electronig gan Diwtor.