Group examinations have been abolished

On 1 April 2006, the executive order to amend the examination order entered into force. The examination executive order lays down that all examinations must be organised as individual examinations by no later than 31 August 2007.

 

This means that the examination and the writing of papers must be conducted individually, that assessment must be made on an individual basis and that individual marks must be awarded.

 

Some of the examination methods previously used at LIFE must, therefore, be changed.

What is no longer possible?

Group assignments (i.e. where it is not possible to discern the individual’s contribution) may not be weighted separately in the assessment. If, for instance, the examination consists of the writing of a collective group report followed by an oral exam, it is NOT possible to state:

Weighting: Assessment of project report 50%, Oral examination 50%.

What is possible?

Group assignments (i.e. where it is not possible to discern the individual's contribution) may indirectly form part of the assessment if the individual oral examination is based on the group assignment. The weighting may then be:

 

Oral examination in project report 100%, or

Oral examination in project report and syllabus 100%, or

Oral examination in project report 50%, oral examination in syllabus 50% (or other percentage)

It is thereby also provided that the student may not take an oral exam without having handed in a project report - i.e. the handing in of a project report is a prerequisite for being entered for the exam.

 

If there is any concern whether the students will put enough work into the project report when it does not carry any separate weight in the marking, the decision may be made that the project report must be approved/passed in order for the student(s) to be entered for the exam.

 

Joint project reports in which the contribution of the individual student is indicated may be included directly in the assessment by assessing the individual student’s written project material as an independent component. Therefore, these project reports need not be followed up by an individual oral or other examination.

No group examinations:

All examination must be conducted on an individual basis, i.e. a group cannot be examined as a group. If the individual exam is based on the group assignment, the students from the group that have not yet been examined may not be present in the examination room when one of the members of the group is examined.

Individual paper:

The student may choose to hand in an individual paper which may form part of the assessment. If a project report or similar is included in the assessment (directly or indirectly), the student must be given the option of submitting an individual paper.

 

However, group projects may be an integral part of the day-to-day teaching and the teaching/learning method. This also applies in situations where the handing in of a group report is a prerequisite of sitting the exam – however, this is not the case if the exam is based on the group report and it is, therefore, included in the assessment, directly or indirectly.

Joint presentation:

A joint presentation of a group project, prepared during a course, may be made prior to the individual examination. This joint presentation may, however, not be included in the assessment and the co-examiner or external examiner may not attend the presentation. Joint presentations may not be made in connection with group BSc projects and group theses.

BSc projects and theses:

The students may, however, still write BSc projects and theses on a group basis (not more than 3 people) – without having to identify the contribution of the individual students.

 

The oral seminar – that ensures the individual assessment – must, however, take place individually.

 

The other students of the group may only be present in the examination room if their examination is completed.

 

If the contribution of the individual student has not been indicated, a mark cannot be given beforehand for the written product, as, in principle, the oral examination will then weight 100%. However, the summary of the BSc project/MSc thesis and the student(s)’s writing skills (ability to communicate the subject-matter) must be included in the assessment.<0}

Also, the oral examination is fully based on the written product, the quality of this will, to a high degree, influence the mark awarded.

If the contribution of the individual student has indeed been indicated, the written product may directly form part of the assessment.

 

See also the common component of the curricula:

Article 7.12 regarding individual assessment and abolition of group examination

Articles 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4 regarding written assignments, BSc projects and MSc theses