REF:66-2104-5186013 - Adjustments to examinations

Your comment: Modern Languages are unfair this year because there have been no adjustments made on neither time nor material/tasks to be completed during the exam, the exams have to be completed in one three-hour sitting with many internet worries not to mention the added difficulty of doing things online such as strain on eyesight and headaches etc. Furthermore, it is simply unfair in comparison to the other subjects within the university and we are completely dissatisfied with the thoughtless arrangement of these exams.

Our response:

Many thanks for your comments.

Every year we have 4 days in which to complete all our oral examinations as they always fall in the week before the official exam week begins and during the bank holiday week. But the topics for these exams all come from the topics that students are asked to prepare throughout the year for their conversation classes and so students of three languages should not have to prepare 18 topics in one week as it is expected that students will already be able to converse on these topics by the end of the teaching period.

Regarding the three hour timed exam: we have provided a major adjustment for students in that the exam will be conducted online. This means that students will have at their disposal all means of online language support aids, which would not be available during ‘normal’ circumstances. However, the department has consulted and there will be a number of adjustments made to assessment procedures. You will be informed of these shortly.

Should students feel that their study environment is not conducive to taking these assessments then personal study spaces can be booked at the university: https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/is/library-services/hughowen/studyspaces/