1. Examination Period

Introduction
Modules with examinations will scheduled during the applicable examination period(s) as published via the QMUL Calendar: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/about/calendar/. There are three approaches to examination, and these are shared by the module content, your teacher's pedagogy and (where relevant) the requirements of Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs). Examinations will be one of the following:

• In-Person Examinations
• Online Timed Examinations
• Take Home Assignments

1.1. Academic regulations on examinations

4.2 Queen Mary’s hours of operation stipulate our teaching periods, holidays, and examination periods. These dates are approved by the Senate and can be found online. Students are required to be available during those periods, and commit to this as part of enrolment when they confirm acceptance of the Academic Regulations. 

All students are expected to be available to sit examinations during the relevant periods. This includes in-person on-campus examinations. 

4.10 Students are responsible for informing themselves of examination dates, times and venues. This includes responsibility for routinely checking for timetable amendments and making enquiries if they think there are any errors or omissions (for example, incorrect module registration). 

On rare occasions, it may be necessary to change the examination timetable after it has been published. We do everything possible to avoid this and any changes post publish are made under exceptional circumstances. 

Amendments to the published timetable will NOT be notified to individuals, therefore we encourage you to check your timetable in MySIS regularly. 

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK PERIODICALLY FOR ANY AMENDMENTS WHICH MAY AFFECT YOUR INDIVIDUAL TIMETABLE

Students should also familiarise themselves with the Academic Regulations including the Academic Misconduct Policy.

1.2. Student Code of Conduct

1.3. Declaration of academic integrity for online examination assessments

Students confirm that during the allocated exam period you have had no unauthorised conversation about this assignment with any persons. Further, you certify that the attached work represents your own thinking, and is entirely your own. Any information, concepts, or words that originate from other sources are cited in accordance with the citation conventions accepted by the School of Business and Management. You are aware of the serious consequences that result from improper discussions with others or from the improper citation of work that is not your own.

1.4. Word Limit

Each assignment will have a word limit. The purpose of a word limit is to give all students a clear indication of the maximum length of a piece of assessed written work, the amount of work expected and therefore how much detail you should go into and how you should allocate time to one piece of assessed work in relation to others. Writing to set word limits is a skill required within most professions, as well as an academic skill. Word limits are set appropriate to the assessment outcomes.

Word limits will be set by module organisers on a case-by-case basis. The word limits are designed to allow you to complete the assignment within the time allowed (e.g. a single essay question over an exam originally scheduled for two hours would be around 2,000 words, two questions in two hours would be around 1,000 words each, and so on).

1.5. Plagiarism and collusion (Assessment Offences)

Your examination answers should be entirely your own work. You will be able to use notes, books and the internet, but you are not allowed to get help from any other person. We will run statistical tests to identify trends over the examination period (e.g. to indicate if answers were shared among students). Markers will pay special attention to your calculations and workings. 

Every paper will be run through plagiarism software (Turnitin). The software will also compare your work against all other students’ submitted work. Any unattributed collaboration among students will be treated as collusion – among the most serious assessment offences.

If you have not already taken the Academic Integrity course in QMplus please find time to go though the course at your earliest convenience.

Course: Academic Integrity at Queen Mary

2. In-Person Examinations

In-person examinations typically involve a paper-based examination undertaken at an individual desk in a room with other students on-campus monitored by invigilators. You will receive at least one question paper and at least one answer booklet to write your answer.  Students will receive personal examination timetables at least three weeks before the main official examination period is scheduled to begin. These will be provided electronically through MySIS, and students must confirm that they have read the document "Notes for Examination Candidates" before accessing the timetables.

2.1. Frequently asked questions

Please read below for answers to some frequently asked questions for full information about examinations at Queen Mary University of London.

https://www.qmul.ac.uk/registry-services/student-information/my-studies-/my-exams/

https://www.qmul.ac.uk/registry-services/student-information/my-studies-/my-exams/exam-faqs/

2.2. Arriving at examination venue

Please make sure that you check the venue in advance of the date of your examination.

https://www.qmul.ac.uk/registry-services/student-information/my-studies-/my-exams/exam-timetables/exam-venues/

You should make sure that you arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of your exams, allowing sufficient time for transport difficulties. However, if you do arrive late you may be allowed to enter, but you will not be awarded additional time in compensation.

When arriving at the examination venue students must bring with them their Queen Mary student ID card. The ID card should be placed face-up on the examination desk so that identities and attendance lists can be checked. An invigilator may check the identity of any student by comparing the photograph on the card with the student’s face.

2.3. Student ID Card

Please check that you have your student ID card with you on the day of the examination.  The following link will provide you with guidance if you have lost your ID card.

https://askqm.qmul.ac.uk/s/article/I-Need-a-New-Student-ID-Card

2.4. Use of Calculators

Certain examinations allow the use of electronic calculators. The link below provides guidance on SBM Calculator Policy for examinations that explicitly permit the use of calculators. Registry allows any non-programmable calculators:

https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/1371442/mod_resource/content/2/Calculator%20Policy%20-Word%20doc%20%281%29.pdf 

All calculators must be compact, hand-held, quiet, have their own power supplies, and NOT form part of a communications or electronic entertainment device (eg a mobile telephone). 

Possession or use of stored information or prepared programmes is not permitted and will be investigated under the Academic Misconduct Policy. 

The student is responsible for ensuring that the device is in working order and for providing in advance for alternative means of calculation if the device fails. The name and model of calculator used must be stated on the answer script.

3. Online Timed Examinations

These examinations have one sitting and are available at 10:00 on QMplus as timetabled. Students will have 2 hours to complete the exam (which includes the 30 mins upload time after the 2 hours). The single sit examination is required where modules have external accreditation or requires all students to registered on the module to sit the paper at the same time. Before the scheduled exam time is over, students will be required to submit via QMplus using the submission links in the module page.

For a few modules, the exam length is 3 hours and this will be clearly advertised to students on this module and will be displayed on the exam coversheet. These exams will also get 30 mins upload time after the 3 hours.

For all examinations, the additional 30 mins is allocated to the normal 2-hour exam is to give all students sufficient time to download, save and upload their papers. All exams will be made available via QMplus on the timetabled day of the exam at 10:00hrs.

If you encounter technical problems in uploading the exam paper to the QMPlus page for this module, please contact the school office asking for advice during UK office hours 09:00 to 16:00. You can do this by logging a ticket on AskQM (https://askqm.qmul.ac.uk/s/), with the enquiry title ‘Exam Paper Upload, MODULE CODE, STUDENT NAME & ID’.

3.1. Saving and uploading your exam paper

In the file name of your Word document, please include the module code and your student number, e.g. BUS107 - 123456789.

Remember, in some cases open book timed exams will rely on handwritten workings. In such cases you should ensure that your calculations/ workings are legible and that they properly reference the question numbers of the exam paper. You should then take photographs of your workings and upload them into a Word file (please beware that conversion into a PDF may distort the image file). Once the Word file is ready, please review it for legibility before uploading. Any part of a script deemed illegible by an examiner will normally be awarded no marks.

All exams have been given extra time for you to compile your work and check for illegibility before you submit (all students are given 30 mins).

3.2. Cadmus

Details to uploaded.

3.3. Late submission policy

For online timed examinations, final solutions and exam scripts must be uploaded and submitted to the relevant dropbox within the allocated exam window.

For each examination, an additional 30 minutes has been added to allow for upload and technical issues. For example, for a 2 hour exam you will be given 2 hours to complete the examination and 30 mins to upload your answers on QMplus. These 30 minutes are not designed for you to continue to work on your answers.

After the scheduled end time there is a ten-minute period during which submissions are still accepted, but they will be marked as late and receive a penalty of 10% of the total marks available (eg ten marks deducted from a total of 100). After that point, the submission portal closes, and no further uploads are allowed; the assessment will be recorded as a non submission and given a mark of zero.

There is no opportunity to submit late and non-submissions will automatically be recorded as 0FL (zero, fail, late) without valid extenuating circumstances (ECs).

Ensure that you fully submit the correct file in the accepted format and do not leave it as a draft submission. From Sept 2025, draft submissions will be accepted but please ensure you have fully submitted your assessment to avoid this happening.

If you have any further questions, please contact the school office asking for advice during UK office hours 09:00 to 16:00. You can do this by logging a ticket on AskQM (https://askqm.qmul.ac.uk/s/), with the enquiry title ‘Exam Paper Upload, MODULE CODE, STUDENT NAME & ID’.

4. Take Home Assignments

A take home assignment is assessed coursework which is issued to students as part of the examination element of assessment. Take home assignments will be released at midnight (00:00hrs) on the first day of the relevant examination period. 

Word Limit 

Each assignment will have a word limit. The purpose of a word limit is to give all students a clear indication of the maximum length of a piece of assessed written work, the amount of work expected and therefore how much detail you should go into and how you should allocate time to one piece of assessed work in relation to others. Writing to set word limits is a skill required within most professions, as well as an academic skill. Word limits are set appropriate to the assessment outcomes. 

Word limits will be set by module organisers on a case-by-case basis. The word limits are designed to allow you to complete the assignment within the time allowed (e.g. a single essay question over an exam originally scheduled for two hours would be around 2,000 words, two questions in two hours would be around 1,000.

Submission

Students will be required to submit via QMplus within two weeks (date to be confirmed) using the submission links in the module page. Submission drop boxes will close at the advertised deadline.

If you encounter errors in the exam paper or are unable to upload the exam to the QMPlus page for this module, please contact the school office asking for advice during UK office hours 09:00 to 16:00. You can do this by logging a ticket on AskQM (https://askqm.qmul.ac.uk/s/), with the enquiry title ‘Exam Paper Upload, MODULE CODE, STUDENT NAME & ID’. 

4.1. Saving and uploading your assignment

In the file name of your Word document, please include the module code and your student number, e.g. BUS107 - 123456789.

Please leave plenty of time to review and check the legibility of your work before uploading your Take-home assignment by the deadline.

4.2. Late Submissions Policy

For take-home assessments, the standard Coursework Submission Guidelines and Late-Work Policy apply. Please refer to the guidance in the Student Handbook.

Allow yourself plenty of time to submit your coursework. DO NOT LEAVE IT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE.

If you submit your assignment after the deadline, you will still be able to submit your coursework via QMplus however you will be penalised for late submission, the only exception to this is if you have an approved extension due to extenuating circumstances.

If you have any further questions, please contact the school office asking for advice during UK office hours 09:00 to 16:00. You can do this by logging a ticket on AskQM (https://askqm.qmul.ac.uk/s/), with the enquiry title ‘Exam Paper Upload, MODULE CODE, STUDENT NAME & ID’.

5. Marking

Take Home assignments are in many cases similar to coursework essays. But they will not be marked as such. The marking process will take into account the more limited time available to you. You are not expected to quote others’ work in the same way that we do not expect you to memorise quotes for invigilated assignments. Where you paraphrase an author’s ideas you should mention them, e.g. ‘Angela Davis advances the claim that …’, or ‘the mainstream liberal tradition claim X, while more critical approaches argues Y’. Marks will not be deducted for the failure to reference properly. But unattributed copying will be treated as an assessment offence.

Markers will treat your assignments as exams. This means that detailed feedback will not be provided.

Open book timed exams will be marked in the same way as normal invigilated exams. The marking process will take into account the fact that you will have additional resources available to you. Marks will not be deducted for the failure to reference properly. But unattributed copying will be treated as an assessment offence. As markers will treat your work as standards exams, detailed feedback will not be provided.

6. Examination Access Arrangements (EEA) and Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)

Students with disabilities, specific learning differences like dyslexia and short-term conditions (eg broken limbs, pregnancy) can apply to the Disability and Dyslexia Service for Examination Access Arrangements (EAA).

Please refer to the QMUL webpage for more details - https://www.qmul.ac.uk/disability-and-dyslexia-service/guidance/exams/

For online examinations, students should still attach a completed SpLD coversheet with your examination. If you have any questions about this, please email dds@qmul.ac.uk

7. Extenuating circumstances

All extenuating circumstances claims (ECs) are to be submitted online via MySIS. A step-by-step guidance document is available on QMplus in the Undergraduate/Postgraduate Information Zone. 

If you are anticipating any EC related problems or need guidance on types of supplementary evidence to include in your claim, you should immediately the Student Engagement Team sbm-engagement@qmul.ac.uk

If your claim is approved, you will be granted a first sit in the late summer resit period in August or the next available oppurtunity.

8. Raising queries during assessments

For invigilated in-person examinations, the examiner is available in person or by phone to answer queries from candidates about the questions in the exam paper. Please raise your hand in the examination room and the invigulator will support you with this.

If you have any question during your online examination, please post your question on the module forum and the module organiser will get back to you. If you have a query (e.g. you think there may be a mistake in a question), then please make a note of your query in your work and answer the question as best you can. Then the examiner will take your query into account when marking. 

If you have any further questions, please contact the school office asking for advice during UK office hours 09:00 to 16:00. You can do this by logging a ticket on AskQM (https://askqm.qmul.ac.uk/s/), with the enquiry title ‘Exam Paper Upload, MODULE CODE, STUDENT NAME & ID’.