Exam Guidance

Everything you need to know about sitting exams, including how online exams work, what support is available to you and what to do if you're sitting an exam from overseas.

Online Exams

We recognise that for many of you, online examinations will be a very new experience so please take time to familiarise yourself how they will be operated.

All online exams will take place on the Moodle Exam Server which will open for Resit students to check their access to the server from Wednesday 21 July 2021. Trimester 3 students will be able to check their access to the Moodle Exam Server from Wednesday 18 August 2021.

Exams are set with the expectation that student should be able to complete the task(s) in the time that they would have had if they were in an exam on campus, for example a two hour exam paper. This will be noted on the cover of the exam paper as the 'expected exam duration'.

The Moodle Exam Server will usually be open for twice this period of time to ensure all students have sufficient time to download/upload materials required, to mitigate against any temporary network issues/disturbances, and as a universal approach to ensure that students with individual learning profiles are not disadvantaged. This will be noted on the cover of the exam paper as 'total time available'.

There are two different types of examination:

Timed exams with twice the normal time available
Other exams where different arrangements are necessary to meet Professional Body requirements (e.g. 24 hour exams)

Some exam papers will set an indicative word count to give you additional guidance on the length of answers that you should be aiming to submit. In all exams you should read the instructions carefully and ensure you understand what is being asked before you start to answer questions.

Please allow yourself plenty of time to deal with any technical interface issues - the extended time should be used primarily by you to manage such matters if required, so you should aim to be working on your answers for around the same time as you would have for the original exam (e.g. around three hours writing for a three-hour paper). No additional time can be added and late submissions cannot be accepted.

Support during exams

Under normal circumstances staff would be available at the exam room should there be any initial queries about the exam paper. We plan to set aside space on the Moodle Exam Server so you can raise questions which academic staff can then address in as timely a manner as they can. If you have any technical issues please contact exams@napier.ac.uk.

Timetabled Online Exams - FAQs

Many students will be asked to sit an exam at the end of some of the modules they undertake. These exams take place in two week blocks (diets) at the end of Trimesters 1 and 2 and over a one week block in Trimester 3. There is also a two week Reassessment (Resits) exam diet in the summer to allow students who have missed examinations to catch up.

Please note that in the School of Health and Social Care, Resit exams may be scheduled either during the Resit exam period or during the Trimester 3 exam period. It is important to check the Examination Timetables carefully to ensure you are aware when your Resit exam will take place.

Quick Links and Videos

The student video shows how students access their exams and upload their Exam Answer documents (includes closed captions).

For help and support with Moodle Exams submissions and grading please contact exams@napier.ac.uk.

Moodle Exams Server

Exam Timetable

My Napier Exams

Email addresses for the submission of form DE1 and associated evidence: -

• Business School Students - FitToSitECsTBS@napier.ac.uk
• All Merchiston based students - Merchistonecs@napier.ac.uk
• School of Applied Sciences students - SAS.ExtCirc@napier.ac.uk
• School of Health and Social Care students - SHSC.ExtCirc@napier.ac.uk

When do the University exams take place?

Exams will be scheduled at the end of each Trimester with a two week Reassessment (Resits) period in the summer. You can find the dates exams will be taking place on MyNapier.

Where can I find the Exam Timetable?

Exam Timetables are published six weeks before each of the Trimester 1, Trimester 2 and Trimester 3 diets, and four weeks before the summer diet.

How are exams delivered?

All exams will be delivered online and will take place on the Moodle Exams Server which is separate from the regular Moodle you access for your modules.

How are the exams scheduled?

Exams may be scheduled at any time during the exam period, so it is your responsibility to be available throughout the exam diets, including the Reassessment diets (Resits) just in case you have an exam to resit.

What is the duration of an exam?

The exam duration will be indicated on the front cover of each Exam Question Paper.

Exams are set with the expectation that students should be able to complete the Exam Question Paper in the time that they would have had if they were in an exam on campus, for example a two hour exam paper. This will be noted on the cover of the exam paper as the 'expected exam duration'.

To ensure compliance with Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements, a limited number of examinations will be administered in accordance with specific timeframes agreed between the University and the relevant body, i.e. Chartered Institute of Accounting, etc. The total exam duration time available to students for these particular exams will be shown on the Exam Timetable and on the front cover of the Exam Question Paper.

Will I have more than one exam in a day?

You will not be required to sit more than one exam on any one day. However, you may have two exams on consecutive days.

Can I check my access to the Exam Moodle Server prior to the exam?

Students are encouraged to check they have access to the correct exams on the Moodle Exams Server. Look out for emails, social media posts and the Student Newsletter which will let you know when access is available for you to check, usually one week prior to the exam dates. Email any enquiries to exams@napier.ac.uk if you have any access issues.

Where do I access the Exam Question Papers?

All Exam Question Papers will be available on the day of your exam on the Moodle Exams Server.

What is the total time of my exam?

The exam will be open on the Moodle Exams Server for twice the expected exam duration, to provide an inclusive approach to ensure that the requirements of those students who require additional exam time are accommodated within this time period.

It is also intended to allow sufficient time for all students to upload/download materials and as mitigation for any temporary network problems during the exam e.g. a two hour exam will be open for four hours. This will be noted on the cover of the Exam Question Paper as 'total time available'.

What time will my exam take place?

All exams will be scheduled to commence at 11am UK time. Please take note of this particularly if you are currently undertaking your examination from outwith the UK, as UK timeframes will still apply.

Will my Examiner be available during my exam if I have any questions about the exam?

Module Examiners are encouraged to be available online at the start time of their exam and be available to answer any questions students may have on the Question Forum for their particular module on the Moodle Exams Server.

In addition, some Exam Question Papers will set an indicative word count to give you additional guidance on the length of answers that you should be aiming to submit. In all exams you should read the instructions carefully and ensure you understand what is being asked before you start to answer questions.

How does the University ensure examination integrity?

Once you submit your Exam Answer document a copy is sent to Turnitin for originality checking, but only the Examiner will be able to access the originality report. In order to ensure the integrity of the examination process, we will be undertaking some post-exam interviews with a selected number of students. If you are contacted for this reason, please be assured that the interview is not a test of you as an individual and is not something to be concerned about. The process is designed to provide us with information on how the student group as a whole engaged with the examination in the online space. It is therefore a quality assurance process, detail on which might be used by the Programme Assessment Boards when reaching their decisions on overall module results.

It is important that all students abide by the Student Conduct Regulations in undertaking these examinations. Exam answers will also be checked through Turnitin for originality.

What if I have technical difficulties whilst completing my exam?

The duration of exams have been extended to allow for any technical difficulties you may encounter. Please email exams@napier.ac.uk if you are unable to resolve these issues immediately.

I have submitted my Exam Answer document too soon and need to amend it?

If you have uploaded your Exam Answer document then it is in a draft status until you press the final submit button. Only if your document is in draft and you are still within the total time of the exam taking place, you can delete your submission, amend your exam answer and then resubmit your Exam Answer document. Watch the student video to find how to do this.

What should I do at the end of my exam?

You must submit your Exam Answer documents within the total time given on the Exam Timetable. Please ensure you do not leave your work in draft format and you have submitted your work, otherwise your Examiner will not be able to mark your work. Please avoid uploading your Exam Answer documents to the last minute to avoid missing the cut off time as the Moodle Exam Server will not accept late submissions.

What to do if I am unable to sit my exam?

Students should refer to MyNapier Extenuating Circumstances if you are unable to sit your exam. The decision to defer could affect whether you can proceed to the next year of your studies.

Please always seek advice from your Programme Leader, Personal Development Tutor and Edinburgh Napier Student Association Advice Service ENSA Advice or contact your School Office. Links can be found at the end of this document.

How do I submit my Exam Answers?

Students should create an Exam Answer document of your own, using Microsoft Word or another word processing package. Acceptable file formats are Microsoft Word (doc, docx), PDF, OpenOffice (odt). Apple Pages are not acceptable and you should export these as a PDF before uploading to the Moodle Exams Server.

This student video shows how you can upload and submit your Exam Answer documents. Please allow yourself plenty of time to upload and submit your Exam Answer documents, as late submissions will not be accepted.

Examination Integrity

In order to ensure the integrity of the examination process, we will be undertaking some post-exam interviews with a selected number of students. If you are contacted for this reason, please be assured that the interview is not a test of you as an individual and is not something to be concerned about. The process is designed to provide us with information on how the student group as a whole engaged with the examination in the online space. It is therefore a quality assurance process, detail on which might be used by the Programme Assessment Boards when reaching their decisions on overall module results.

It is important that all students abide by the Student Conduct Regulations in undertaking these examinations. Exam answers will also be checked through Turnitin for originality.

The start time for all examinations is 11am (UK time). This should allow students studying Edinburgh-based modules but who are currently located overseas to engage in the examination at the same time as UK-based students.

For full details of our guidance on extensions, deferral of assessments, extenuating circumstances and academic appeals procedures, please visit our Academic Issues page.

Student at home with magazine and laptop

Exams undertaken overseas

Further questions

If you have further questions about the exam process, please email exams@napier.ac.uk