Timetabling

School Examination Officer

Each School has a School Examination Officer(s). It is through the School Examination Officer and Central Timetabling Team all exam timetables are processed. The School Examination Officer gathers, coordinates and disseminates all exam information within their School, and liaises with the CTT.

Each summer the CTT send School Examination Officers a copy of the exam data held centrally to update for the immediate session ahead. A clash free exam timetable is then created using:

• Student registration on courses at end of the 2^ndweek of teaching per half session
• Resit(s) registration by the Resit Application deadline

Publication of the Examination Timetable

The examination timetable is usually finalised and published to students 4 weeks before each exam diet.

Producing the Exam Timetables

The Central Timetabling Team produces the exam timetable based on individual students' registration on courses. The Team wait until student course selection has finished and run the student registration numbers at the end of the second week of teaching to ensure all selections are captured.

Using specialist software, the exam timetable is calculated to ensure students don't experience exam clashes based on their individual course choices. The timetable needs to take account of approximately 13,000 students and therefore takes approximately four weeks to produce, including an opportunity for Schools to review the proposed timetable.

The Central Timetabling Team is required to produce the exam timetable four weeks before an exam diet commences, however the Team aims to produce the timetable to provide five weeks notice. The Team continues to explore ways to increase the notice period further.

Exam Timetable Information for Students

Staff should not give any exam scheduling information directly to students. After publication they should advise students to:

• View the timetable via MyTimetable
• Visit the InfoHub noticeboard and website

Students taking examinations externally are referred to the Infohub website, however a paper copy of the examination timetable can be sent on request.

For postgraduate taught courses scheduled outwith the normal examination diets, parent Schools must inform students of the date, time and venue of all such examinations.

Disability-related exam arrangements are put in place by Schools, the Central Timetabling Team and IT Services using the disability database. Information and deadlines for students requesting provisions in examinations is available here. The disability database is a central point for all disability-related information for exams.

The Central Timetabling Team make arrangements for students who require the use of a computer, extra time and the use of a scribe/reader.

• Guidance for Those with Responsibility for Making Examination Arrangements for Disabled Candidates
• Recommendations Concerning Students with Specific Learning Differences

Computer Rooms

Registry are responsible for arranging rooms and invigilators for all computer exams (regardless of students' other requirements). Computers are set up in exam-mode (blank Word document with no internet access) by IT Services, unless otherwise requested.

Scribes and Readers

Scribes and readers are arranged by Registry. Schools are responsible for liaising with the scribe/reader to confirm the arrangements for the day of the exam.

Extra Time Rooms

Any students who require extra time for their exams and have no other IT or accommodation requirements will be placed in extra time exam rooms. Registry organise these rooms and will advise Schools once these are booked.

Private Rooms and Fewer than 10 Students per Room

Schools are responsible for rooms and invigilators for students requiring private rooms or where there is a less than 10 students per room exams (NB except computer exams).

Please email roombookings@abdn.ac.uk with your requirements if you would like to use rooms from the Central Teaching Pool.

The University of Aberdeen can host exams for other institutions. It may not be possible to accommodate requests if they clash with other events on campus and University holidays.

Exams can be held between 9.00am - 4.00pm, Monday - Friday.

Exam Hosting Fee

We charge a fee for hosting an exam, plus an invigilation fee. The amount charged depends on the length of the exam. The costs should be paid by the candidate via the link to the Online Store which will be provided by the Exams Team.

Any courier costs for returning completed exam scripts to the home institution must also be covered by the candidate.

Request to Host an Exam

An official request from the home institute confirming the date and time of the exam(s), and whether there are any special requirements, must be made in writing at least 2 weeks before the exam. Arrangements cannot be made until this information is received.

Requests should be sent to:

Central Timetabling Team
Exams, Registry
Macrobert Building
Aberdeen AB24 5UA
Email: exams@abdn.ac.uk

Students that have a resit(s) due to extenuating circumstances need to apply for resit(s) even though technically speaking it is a first attempt.

Any student that is re-sitting outside the first prescribed diet needs to apply. Provided the previous result is recorded as an MC (Medical Certificate) or GC (Good Cause) or SC (Self Certificate) on the Student Record System, the resit fee of £30 per course code will not be charged. All students must apply by the published resit application deadlines.

All applications submitted after the deadline will be charged a one-off late fee of £30.

How to apply to resit

Students are instructed to use the resit application form which can be found on the Infohub website.

Before the resit application deadline applications can be made by:

• Emailing to exams@abdn.ac.uk
• Hand in to the Infohub
• Posting to:

Central Timetable Team
Registry
Macrobert Building
Kings College
ABERDEEN
AB24 5UA

After the resit application deadline applications can be submitted:

• Via the Online Store
• Handing in the form at the Infohub (along with late fee payment)
• Posting accompanied with a cheque or postal order (payable to the University of Aberdeen) to the address shown above

Request to Sit Exams Off Campus

Permission to hold outwith Aberdeen examinations which are published in the University's examinations timetable is only granted in exceptional circumstances. This does not include personal inconvenience or expense.

Students who make requests for examinations to be held outwith Aberdeen must apply in writing to the Deputy Academic Registrar (Learning and Teaching) in the Registry, who will refer requests to the Vice-Principal (Learning and Teaching) for a decision, where appropriate.

All requests must be submitted to exams@abdn.ac.uk by the end of the relevant teaching term or in the case of the summer resit diet by the Resit Application Deadline.

Examinations Held Outwith the Formal Diets

Information coming soon.

A student must apply to resit if they are required to

• Resubmit coursework
• Repeat a placement
• Resit an exam outwith the first diet

This includes students covered by extenuating circumstances (see tab above) ie Medical Certificates, Good Cause.

Undergraduate and postgraduate taught candidates holding a valid class certificate are permitted a total of three/two opportunities of assessment respectively. For courses at Level 4 and above, including postgraduate taught courses, the timing and format of the resit shall be approved by the Head of the relevant School. Students must formally apply to enter resit examinations (and must have a valid Class Certificate for the related course(s)).

Where re-assessment is by re-submission of written work, it must normally be submitted by the first day of the summer diet. However, candidates may be declared as having passed in June if they have completed the required work by then in order to obtain the necessary credits to graduate.

Although the first entry to a prescribed degree assessment for a course may include an element of in-course assessment, this may not always be practicable for the second, or a subsequent, entry. While the resit result for some courses will be based entirely on the written examination, for others a new element of in-course assessment will be required or the result for the in-course assessment submitted for the first attempt will be carried forward and counted at the resit attempt. Schools are required to provide this information to students in Course Handbooks.

Class Certificates

Any student who wishes to resit after the Class Certificate has expired must contact Registry (undergraduate@abdn.ac.uk) and make a case to have their class certificate extended. This will be passed to the Convener of Students' Progress Committee (CSPC) by the Registry Officer for a decision.

Students who are refused a Class Certificate or who are deemed withdrawn (C7'd) from a course in the system for monitoring students' progress, lose the right to appear for any associated end-of-course written examination, including resit exams, unless they have an appeal against the decision pending

• Details of resit fees are available at: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/infohub/study/reassessment.php
• If you have any queries, please email exams@abdn.ac.uk or phone +44 (0)1224 273588.

Information for students on reassessment including the deadlines for students to submit their reassessment applications are published on the Infohub website.

Late Applications - December and May exam diets

If a student applies after the deadline:

• their course registrations cannot be taken into account when creating the exam timetable and their exams may clash. While the School and Registry will try to resolve any clashes, it is not always possible and the student may need to defer the exam to the next diet. This can have an impact on progression.
• there is no obligation for the School to provide an exam paper for an assessment which has not already been set. The decision whether to provide an exam paper is the responsibility of the Head of School.
• a late fee is charged. The late fee is not charged for repeat placements or resubmission of work. If a student has good reason to ask for the late fee to be waived, they should email exams@abdn.ac.uk and provide supporting documentation.

No late applications are accepted for the summer resit diet.

Updating Student Record System

Only the Central Timetabling Team can update the Student Record System with re-assessment information. All applications, either via the online store or hard copy, are processed by our team.

Course Code Changes

If a course code has changed between sessions, the student will be registered under the original code. The exam will usually be scheduled alongside the new course code.

If the course has changed half session, a resit exam must be offered in the original diet.

Undergraduate students (with the exception of level 4) may have up to three attempts to pass a course.

Due to requirements set by the Home Office under UK Border Agency regulations, results recorded as NP, MC, SC and GC reasons are counted as attempts. This applies to both Home and Overseas students.

A student applying for a fourth attempt must contact Registry and seek academic approval. The student should email undergraduate@abdn.ac.uk to present a case for permission to resit a fourth time. This will be passed to the Convener of Students' Progress Committee (CSPC) for a decision.

Class Certificates

Any student who wishes to resit after the Class Certificate has expired must contact Registry (undergraduate@abdn.ac.uk) and make a case to have their class certificate extended. This will be passed to the Convener of Students' Progress Committee (CSPC) by the Registry Officer for a decision.

Level 4 - Summer Resits

At Level 4, schools are not obliged to offer a resit in the Summer examination diet. If a resit application is received for a level 4 course for the Summer resit diet, Registry contacts the School for approval before registering the student for the exam.

Students are advised that they must apply for a resit through:

• Course guides
• Infohub website
• Central Timetabling "Reminder" email
• Message of the day

The Central Timetabling Team send an email to all registered students who have not successfully completed their first attempt at a course two weeks before the resit deadline, advising them to apply. A further reminder is sent before the Online store closes.

How do students apply?

Students can apply for their resits through the Online store.

If the student has a medical certificate (MC), self certificate (SC) or good cause (GC), they should email the application form to exams@abdn.ac.uk. After the deadline the Online store should be used as a late fee applies.

When can a student resit an exam?

If a student did not pass an exam in the December examination diet, the student can resit this first half session exam either in June/July (summer resit diet) of the same year or the December or June/July (summer resit diet)of the next academic year.

If a student failed an exam in the May examination diet, the student can resit this first half session exam either in June/July (summer resit diet) of the same year or the May or June/July (summer resit diet)of the next academic year.