Exams
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Personal circumstances affecting exam preparation
Who to tell about your personal circumstances
Exam stress
Unable to go to exam
Recent death affecting exams
Failed an exam
Exam relaxation
Q: I have an exam, but I am experiencing difficulties (illness, bereavement, personal circumstances) which are affecting my ability to revise, and I don't feel I will perform well in the exam. Should I sit the exam anyway?
A: This is entirely your choice, but there are several things you should be aware of. If you choose not to sit the exam, you will need to provide some evidence as to why you were unable to attend the exam. Deferred assessment is not automatically guaranteed, and you'll need to talk to your School about your options. However, if you choose to sit the exam (especially if the School offer you deferred assessment), it is much more difficult to make allowances for your circumstances at a later date. You should also bear in mind that if you pass a module, you cannot take the module again.
Q: Who do I tell if there are circumstances affecting my academic performance, including my examinations?
A: Take a look at Circumstances Affecting Academic Performances and Absence from Examinations You must tell your school as soon as possible, but you may also wish to inform Student Services.
Q: Exams make me really nervous. Do you have any advice?
A: It is normal to be Feeling stressed or anxious/Anxiety/OCD/Panic about your exams. You could download the exam relaxation track (see below), check the events page for upcoming exam help sessions or make an appointment to come and speak to a counsellor.
Q: I'm not going to be able to go to my exam, what do I do now?
A: If you are unable to sit an examination due to illness or other unavoidable reason you should do the following as soon as possible:
- Submit a Self-certification of absence form.
- Notify the Examinations Office by phone (01334) 464100.
- Contact the School to make arrangements for deferred or alternative assessment.
- You might also want to discuss the issues affecting you with Student Services.
Q: Someone in my family has just died and I can't think about my exams? What do I do?
A: See the answer to the question above if you are unsure whether to take the exam or not. If you decide you can't sit the exam follow the absence reporting guidance.
Q: I have failed my exam, what shall I do now?
A: If you have a grade of between 4 and 6.9, you will be eligible for one reassessment before the end of the session. If you have scored 3.9 or below (and therefore have no right to resit), or if you fail the reassessment, contact your Adviser of Studies and in most cases you will need to be advised into additional modules during the next semester or academic year.
Exam relaxation
Flash Player is required for the embedded audio player. Download: Student Services - Exam relaxation (MP3, 5,149 KB)