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Written exams

Written exams

Only written communication assessed

There are several variations of written forms of examination. Common to them all is that they are based exclusively on written communication. The exam and assessment do not take place at the same time or location, so examiners and any co-examiners cannot ask additional questions about the students’ statements, and the assessment is exclusively based on how the written assignment is understood.

Set home assignment

A set home assignment is written within a short specified period of time. The topic is often defined by the teacher, and the students are given a question/topic which they must address in a particular way. A set home assignment may, however, allow the students to formulate their own problem statements within a given topic and only be limited in time.

Didactic considerations:

  • Set questions make systematic and uniform testing possible. The system can either be linked to covering the content of the course broadly, or focused on testing central academic objectives. The number and complexity of the questions should match the time allowed to answer them.
  • "Set" means that the assignment must be produced over a limited period of time, based on a limited topic.
  • This may be a useful way to test the students’ ability to process a certain amount of material by a fixed deadline.
  • Please note: The relatively short deadline for answering – in relation to the course as a whole – may motivate students to work systematically with the content throughout the semester.
  • Choice of re-examination: The practice at the Faculty of Arts is one course, one form of examination. This is a result of the requirements for alignment set out in the ministerial order, the consideration for the students’ completion rate and the provisions of the degree programme review on the use of resources in the administration. For this reason, and since a set home assignment may be repeated in full as a re-examination (including any prerequisite(s) for taking the exam, except for class participation), the re-examination will be identical to the ordinary exam.
  • Alignment between the ordinary exam and the re-examination when the prerequisite for taking the exam is class participation. You can read more under formal requirements.

Considerations regarding resources:

  • For students: This method encourages students to make a concentrated, independent effort during the last part of the course. However, if there are several set home assignments in one semester, it may affect the students’ planning and degree completion time.
  • For teaching staff: The work is connected partly to defining the assignment (both ordinary exams and re-examinations) and partly to assessing the assignment.
  • For the administration: Requires planning to allow for student exam schedules. So it is important that set exams do not last longer than seven days and that there are not too many of the same type in the same exam period (at the same level of the degree programme). Makes it possible to utilise co-examiner resources more effectively because the same co-examiner can assess all the assignments.

Administrative and legal considerations:

  • The number of pages, the duration and scope of the exam as well as information on how questions/topics will be handed out must be indicated. Exam assignments must be submitted via the Digital Exams system.

  • The duration of the exam may not exceed seven days.

  • Can be assessed as passed/not passed or according to the 7-point grading scale.

  • Internal or external co-examination.

Take-home assignment on a topic of the student’s choice with or without a product

Unlike set home assignments, take-home assignments on a topic of the student’s choice, including take-home assignments with a product, are not to be submitted within a short specified timeframe, but allows the students to work on the assignment for a longer period of time. Students often define the problem statement and the topic themselves within the framework of the course, but the take-home assignment on a topic of the student’s choice can also be limited by specific requirements for the assignment. For example, the students must compare two theoretical positions, or there may be other academic delimitations defined by the teacher. Take-home assignment on a topic of student’s choice may involve a product.

Didactic considerations:

  • The learning dimension of take-home assignments on a topics of the student’s choice is linked to the opportunities that such assignments give for in-depth work and repetition in the form of more or less independent processing of the course content and the inclusion of new themes and issues.
  • One of the key decisions is the degree of freedom in the assignment. At one extreme, the students are allowed to choose their own theme/issue, theory and method. At the other, specific criteria are defined for the content and form of assignments. There may be certain requirements for the framework of the take-home assignment on a topic of the student’s choice without turning it into a set home assignment, for example a requirement to compare two theories, develop a product, prepare an event, prepare a speech, analyse a case selected by the teacher or draw perspectives to a broader part of the syllabus.
  • Please note: One unintentional consequence of allowing students a completely free rein in their assignments is that they will only cover a limited portion of the overall syllabus.
  • Choice of re-examination:The practice at the Faculty of Arts is one course, one form of examination. This is a result of the requirements for alignment set out in the ministerial order, the consideration for the students’ completion rate and the provisions of the degree programme review on the use of resources in the administration. For this reason, and since a take-home assignment on a topic of the student’s choice may be repeated in full as a re-examination (including any prerequisite(s) for taking the exam, except for class participation), the re-examination will be identical to the ordinary exam.
  • Alignment between the ordinary exam and the re-examination when the prerequisite for taking the exam is class participation. You can read more under formal requirements.

Considerations regarding resources:

  • For students: This method encourages students to make a concentrated effort during the last part of the course. This can be ensured by asking the students to choose their issue/topic at an early stage of the course, and to work with the themes of the course in relation to this issue/topic on an ongoing basis.
  • For teaching staff: The work is connected with the assessment of the written assignments and possibly supervision.
  • For the administration: The use of resources is low to moderate. The use of resources increases if the assignments are divided between several examiners and co-examiners.

Administrative and legal considerations:

  • The number of pages of the assignment, the scope of and requirements for the product, if relevant, and whether the assignment can be written in groups must be indicated. Exam assignments must be submitted via the Digital Exams system.
  • Can be assessed as passed/not passed or according to the 7-point grading scale.
  • Internal or external co-examination
  • In connection with take-home assignments on a topic of the student’s choice with a product, both are included in an overall assessment.
  • It must be possible to submit the product in the Digital Exams system.

Portfolio

In the teaching situation, courses with a portfolio exam may be similar to courses with class participation as the form of examination, but there are major differences in relation to both the basis for assessment and administrative procedures. In courses with a portfolio exam, the students also develop a number of products that are included in the final assessment. The major difference is that by the end of the course, the students collect the products and submit them for an overall assessment. The portfolio exam does therefore not involve ongoing assessment of the students’ work and allows for the continuous use of feedback.

Didactic considerations:

  • A portfolio consists of a collection of academic work produced by one or more students over a lengthy period of time. Portfolios can contain several types of assignments and be based on various media, including video-based oral presentations or a musical performance, if this is to be included in the assessment and can be submitted via the Digital Exams system. For instance, it is possible to submit video clips.
  • A portfolio underlines the links between process and product, and thus between teaching and exams. So this is a learning-oriented form of examination. The learning perspective will be strengthened via the systematic use of feedback from both the teacher and fellow students (criteria-based peer feedback).
  • A portfolio makes it possible to test knowledge, skills and competences at all taxonomic levels from basic knowledge to application and assessment. It has particular potential in relation to competences connected to students’ own learning processes and meta-cognitive activities of an academic nature.
  • It is worth considering carefully what the basis of an oral presentation is. Is this a necessary form of examination or what could be called a “double” exam? Does the oral exam test elements which are important for the overall portfolio?

  • Please note: In order to distinguish portfolios from, for instance, class participation (student presentations, peer feedback etc. are generally also required for class participation), students must be assessed on the basis of more than the sum of the regular submission of assignments. This can be done in a final sub-assignment giving students the opportunity for in-depth study, application in a new context (a case or new issue, for instance) or reflection on their own learning process.

  • Choice of re-examination: The practice at the Faculty of Arts is one course, one form of examination. This is a result of the requirements for alignment set out in the ministerial order, the consideration for the students’ completion rate and the provisions of the degree programme review on the use of resources in the administration. For this reason, and since a portfolio exam may be repeated in full as a re-examination (including any prerequisite(s) for taking the exam, except for class participation), the re-examination will be identical to the ordinary exam.

  • Alignment between the ordinary exam and the re-examination when the prerequisite for taking the exam is class participation. You can read more under formal requirements.

Considerations regarding resources:

  • For students: Makes it possible to link teaching with exams closely, and to use the academic objectives formatively in the teaching. So this form of examination is potentially effective in relation to improving completion times. Results in an even workload during the semester.

  • For teaching staff: The work is connected partly to defining requirements for the portfolio, including explicit assessment criteria, and partly to assessing the portfolio. Extra resources can be used for feedback.

  • For the administration: Low to moderate resource use (corresponding to what is required for take-home assignments on a topic of the student’s choice). The use of resources increases if the assignments are divided between several examiners and co-examiners.

Administrative and legal considerations:

  • The term portfolio is always used. The overall number of pages and the number of assignments, and possibly their overall content, must be indicated.

  • The teacher may often be required to state the formal requirements and framework of the portfolio on Blackboard.

  • The portfolio must be submitted via the Digital Exams system. The difference compared with class participation is that the documents in question are collected and submitted for overall assessment.

  • If a portfolio assignment contains group-based contributions, the basis for individual assessment can be ensured by including a final process of reflection so that group-based contributions can be used as the basis for individual assessment.

  • Can be assessed as passed/not passed or according to the 7-point grading scale.

  • Internal or external co-examination.

  • All parts of the portfolio are included in an overall assessment.

Standardiserede exams (for example multiple choice)

Standardised exams can take several forms, but are often referred to as multiple-choice tests. Here are some examples:

  • Multiple choice, requiring students to answer a number of questions by choosing the right answer from a list of options.
  • Fill in the blanks, requiring students to fill in a number of missing elements (often involving words which have been removed from a text).
  • Short answer, requiring students to give a short written answer to a given question or problem.

Didactic considerations:

  • Standardised forms of examination are used primarily to test basic knowledge and skills (low taxonomic levels). But they can also be used to test more complex and relational forms of knowledge such as analysis and evaluation, if the exam is appropriately designed. For example, this can be achieved through “if X then Y questions” or case-based questions. Find further inspiration at AU Educate.

  • Multiple-choice tests are often met with some scepticism. Even so, these forms of examination are suitable for testing basic, factual knowledge and skills which constitute a necessary foundation for higher taxonomic levels in many courses. However, higher forms of knowledge such as relations between elements and assessments can be tested if the questions are designed to invite the use of these forms of knowledge, for instance in “if X then Y” problems or cases.

  • This form of examination may encourage students to focus on reproduced learning (low taxonomic level) rather than on analytical and relational forms of knowledge and forms of knowledge focusing on understanding. However, this is connected to the design of the specific questions rather than being a general characteristic of this form of examination. What is more, the reproducible format means that there is a risk of encouraging “learning for the test” study strategies. But this is a minor problem if this form of examination matches the learning objectives (alignment). There is a risk that exposure to misinformation (the wrong possible answers) in a multiple choice test may lead students to believe that this misinformation is true, unless good feedback is provided on the wrong answers.

  • Choice of re-examination:The practice at the Faculty of Arts is one course, one form of examination. This is a result of the requirements for alignment set out in the ministerial order, the consideration for the students’ completion rate and the provisions of the degree programme review on the use of resources in the administration. For this reason, and since standardised forms of examination may be repeated in full as a re-examination (including any prerequisite(s) for taking the exam, except for class participation), the re-examination will be identical to the ordinary exam.
  • Alignment between the ordinary exam and the re-examination when the prerequisite for taking the exam is class participation. You can read more under formal requirements.

Considerations regarding resources:

  • For students: If the teaching includes questions of the same type as the exam, a close connection can be established between the teaching and the exam. A number of minor tests along the way, the results of which are included in the overall assessment, can ensure an even workload.
  • For teaching staff: Developing good standardised tests requires a lot of work. But once the repertoire has been established, the use of resources is very moderate. You need knowledge and experience to design multiple-choice tests with possible answers which all seem credible, so it may be an advantage to do this in teams. Should be tested before use.
  • For the administration: Low. Involves sending links to tests when final tests are used. Otherwise the test will function in the same way as class participation from an administrative point of view. However, more administrative resources are needed for tests conducted in the form of on-site exams. On-site exams reduce the risk of students using exam aids which are not permitted. The risk of students using exam aids which are not permitted can also be minimised by ensuring the correct number of questions in relation to the time available.

Administrative and legal considerations:

  • The exam duration and the type of permitted aids must be indicated. Exam assignments must be submitted via the Digital Exams system.
  • All exam elements are assessed as a whole.
  • Can be assessed as passed/not passed or according to the 7-point grading scale.
  • Internal or external co-examination.

Written invigilated exams

Written invigilated exams may take place with or without the use of a computer, where the students do a number of assignments with an invigilator present within a short specified period of time.

Didactic considerations:

  • Written invigilated exams are characterised by the students working on a range of questions/assignments, which may also be in the form of cases and essays, within a short period of time (3-6 hours) and at a specific location.

  • The exam can be designed in countless ways, making it difficult to describe this form of examination as a whole. For instance, they can be designed to focus on testing routinised skills (fingertip knowledge/routinised knowledge), for instance a translation, a grammar exam or other forms of set questions. Or they can be designed to focus on testing more complex forms of knowledge, skills and competences, for example analysing cases. The time frame sets a limit on any testing of more complex forms of knowledge and independence.

  • This may cause students to focus on the acquisition of fingertip knowledge, which might be either a good or a bad thing in relation to the academic objectives. This is less true when exams are based on case/essay assignments.
  • Choice of re-examination: The practice at the Faculty of Arts is one course, one form of examination. This is a result of the requirements for alignment set out in the ministerial order, the consideration for the students’ completion rate and the provisions of the degree programme review on the use of resources in the administration. For this reason, and since written invigilated exams may be repeated in full as a re-examination (including any prerequisite(s) for taking the exam, except for class participation), the re-examination will be identical to the ordinary exam.
  • Alignment between the ordinary exam and the re-examination when the prerequisite for taking the exam is class participation. You can read more under formal requirements.

Considerations regarding resources:

  • For students: Moderate/high, particularly if the teaching has not supported the forms of competence that are being tested (lack of alignment).

  • For teaching staff: Moderate. Linked to the production of sets of assignments (ordinary exams and re-examinations) and the assessment of the answers.

  • For the administration: High. The advantage of this form of examination is that it can be completed quickly, making it easier to place in a busy exam schedule. However, there is a lot of administration and logistics connected to registration lists, preparing sets of assignments etc.

Administrative and legal considerations:

  • The exam duration and the type of permitted aids must be indicated. Exam assignments must be submitted via the Digital Exams system. If the exam assignment is written by hand, students are still required to submit a front page in the Digital Exams system, after which the administration will scan the assignment.

  • It must be indicated whether or not it is permitted to use a computer during the exam.

  • All exam elements are assessed as a whole.

  • Can be assessed as passed/not passed or according to the 7-point grading scale.

  • Internal or external co-examination.

Revised 29.09.2020
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Pernille Risør Elving