Guidelines for student assessment

Tampere University's Regulations on the Assessment of Studies

Approved by the Academic Board on 25 May 2021.

These regulations set out guidelines for the assessment of student performance at Tampere University (Degree Regulations, Section 27). Tampere University will issue separate guidelines for the assessment of theses and dissertations.

NB: This is an unofficial translation. In the event of any discrepancies between the Finnish and English versions, the original Finnish version shall prevail.

1 CHAPTER General guidelines

1 § Purpose of assessment

Learning is assessed to generate information on how students acquire competencies and on the learning processes. Assessment steers and supports studying and learning and provides feedback on the achievement of the learning outcomes defined in the curriculum and on the success of teaching and learning. Assessment also allows monitoring the progress of studies..

2 § Scope of application

Tampere University’s Regulations on the Assessment of Studies apply to studies included in Tampere University’s curriculum. The Regulations apply to all exams and invigilated examinations connected to the studies included in the curriculum, such as centrally organised examinations, invigilated examinations organised by the faculties and units, the examinations and demonstrations completed in the electronic examination facilities, and to other forms of assessment. These Regulations may also be applied to continuing education, commissioned education, entrance exams and other assessments related to the admission of students, the assessment of the student’s level of competence, and the procedures related to the recognition and accreditation of prior learning.

3 § Applicable rules and regulations

• - Universities Act (558/2009 + amendments)
• - Administrative Procedure Act (434/2003)
• - Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999)
• - The Regulations of Tampere University Foundation operating as Tampere University

The Degree Regulations of Tampere University include provisions concerning grades (Section 31) and appeals against student assessment decisions (Section 35).

CHAPTER 2 Assessment arrangements

4 § Verification of identity

All students who participate in an examination or other assessment event must provide valid identification upon request. An exam candidate who is unable to provide valid identification may fail the exam.

5 § Scope of assessment

Assessment focuses on how the student has achieved the learning outcomes set out in the curriculum.

Assessment may be based not only on the performance of an individual student, but also on the performance of a pair or group, for example, when required by the learning outcomes, the teaching method or other justified reason.

6 § Method of assessment

Students’ learning is assessed using methods that provide a wide range of information on the achievement of the learning outcomes that have been set. Several complementary or alternative assessment methods may be used to assess the achievement of the learning outcomes of a course unit.

An assessment method may be substituted for another method, for example, on pedagogical grounds or on a case-by-case basis by mutual agreement between a group of students or an individual student and the teacher responsible for the course, for example, when this is recommended by a proposal for individual study arrangements based on a student’s learning disability.

A teacher may organise the assessment of a course unit by assigning the students to self-assess their performance or to peer-assess a fellow student’s performance or part of it or the learning process as long as this approach promotes the achievement of the learning outcomes.

7 § Assignments completed for assessment purposes

The assignments that students must complete for the assessment of learning must be designed in such a way that they correspond to the learning outcomes and workload defined in the curriculum for the degree, study module and course unit and promote learning in accordance with the learning outcomes. It must be possible to complete the assignments within the time reserved for them.

8 § Public availability of assessment documents

Act on the Openness of Government Activities, Sections 6–7, 11–12 and 24.1

The assignments that students are expected to complete to demonstrate their learning, such as exam questions, are generally public. However, these documents may be confidential if making them public could endanger the purpose of the assessment process or the equal treatment of students or, for example, could prevent the use of the same assignment for student assessment purposes later.

A student whose study attainment assessment is complete is entitled to see the confidential assignments upon request after completing the attainment.

Students’ study attainments and written assessments are confidential, unless they come into the public domain, in whole or in part, due to the nature of the assignment.

In seminar-based teaching or if it is otherwise necessary for learning purposes, an assignment completed by an individual student may be presented and handed out to the other students attending the same seminar or event, notwithstanding the above. Students who become aware of the content of another student’s coursework must keep the information confidential and may not use it for their own benefit or that of another or to the detriment of another.

Students’ assignments may not be handed out or shown to staff members who are not involved in the assessment process or otherwise published without the student’s consent. Students’ assignments may be used for teaching and research purposes and to develop education provided the student's identity is not disclosed.

The assessment results of study attainments are public

9 § Principles of assessment

The assessment of students’ learning is based on the learning outcomes set forth in the curriculum and assessment criteria. The assessment criteria described in the curriculum can be specified in a manner specific to an implementation.

Students have the right to review their assessed study attainment. The opportunity to review their graded attainment must be offered without delay before it becomes possible to retake the study attainment or raise the grade.

Students must be offered the opportunity to receive feedback on their study attainment and information on how the assessment criteria have been applied and they must also be ensured an opportunity to give feedback.

10 § Publication and storage of assessment results

When the results of student assessment are published, the information displayed will include the student numbers of students who have successfully passed the exam and the possible grades and the distribution of grades. When assessment results are published, student numbers may not be displayed alongside students’ names.

Students’ written or otherwise recorded study attainments that are graded by the teacher must be stored for 6─12 six months after the assessment has been completed.

11 § Time of invigilated examinations

If students complete a course by attending classes, the course exam or other assessment event shall be primarily arranged during the same period as the course. Teachers decide the schedule of their course exams and other assessment events.

Students must be informed of the course exam schedule at the latest at the beginning of the implementation. A course exam may be organised as a centrally organised exam, an electronic examination, or another invigilated exam.

CHAPTER 3 Retaking a study attainment and rescheduling assesment

12 § Retaking a study attainment and raising the grade

Retake: a student retakes a failed study attainment to get a passed grade (e.g. retakes an exam or submits an entire study attainment). If the student already has a grade and wants a higher grade, it is not a retake but a raise.

Raise: the student repeats the study attainment or other coursework on which the assessment is based or does additional work to obtain a higher grade.

The student has the possibility to retake a study attainment or raise the grade received unless there is a justified reason (eg the completion method) that restricts the retake or raise. The possibility of retaking the study attainment or raising the grade must be communicated at the latest at the beginning of the implementation. During teaching, there is no need to arrange opportunities for retaking a study attainment or raising the grade that is related to the assessment of study attainments and learning process in the course.

If the course unit includes an exam, the student has the possibility to retake the exam or to raise the grade regardless of the result of the assessment. Implementations must provide a total of three opportunities to take exams. The student must be informed of the dates of the re-examination well in advance. The opportunity to retake the exam must be arranged within a reasonable time from the original exam.

Other study attainments than an exam may be retaken, or the grade can be raised, by agreement with the teacher. For example, the student may have to redo significant parts of the attainment or do it on a completely new topic. It is possible that in order to raise the grade or to retake the study attainment, the student may have to repeat the entire course.

The assessment of an assessed study module that has been entered in the academic records may not be changed unless the Faculty Council decides otherwise.

13 § Valid grade

In case of retakes concerning the same course, the highest grade will prevail or a later exam that is more extensive that the previous ones.

14 § Postponement of assessment

There must be compelling reasons for rescheduling an exam or other assessment event. Students must be duly informed of the changes well in advance.

CHAPTER 4 Centralised invigilated examinations

15 § General principles for centralised assessment events

Invigilated examinations are centrally scheduled, supervised, and organised by persons designated by the University.

Students enrol for examinations no later than one week (7 days) before the examination through the University’s electronic enrolment system. Students may enrol for no more than one exam held at the same time. Only the answer sheets of students who have enrolled for the exam are delivered to the teacher for grading. If no students enrol for an exam before the deadline, the exam is not be arranged. Students who are unable to attend an exam must cancel their enrolment no later than the day before the exam. In case of problems, students must contact the organiser of the exam.

If a student has not completed a course counted towards his or her degree (which is included in the student’s PSP), he or she may, for a justified reason, enrol for the exam after the deadline. This is only possible if an invigilated examination is organised and there is enough room for the student in the room. Post-deadline registration must be made personally, in a manner indicated by the organiser of the invigilated exam, no later than the working day before the exam.

The University issues more detailed guidelines for enrolment, the course of invigilated examinations, the related arrangements, and supervision

16 § Violations and disturbances during a centralised invigilated exam

If a student is observed not to comply with the provided instructions or there is reason to suspect academic misconduct, the invigilator will give the student a verbal reprimand. If the suspicions persist and the student continues to behave disruptively, the student may be told to leave the exam room. The invigilator will record any unusual observations in the minutes kept of the invigilated examination and any suspicion of cheating on the student's answer sheet. At the end of the event, the invigilator will inform the organiser of the event, who will inform the teacher. Violations will be dealt with in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Students and the Handling of Violations of the Code of Conduct guideline.

CHAPTER 5 Electronic examinations

In this chapter, centrally invigilated electronic examinations mean exams organised using the EXAM system. TUNI EXAM is the electronic examination service of the Tampere Universities Community.

17 § General information on electronic examinations

The completion of a study attainment in a course unit, such as an exam, midterm, or weekly assignment, can be arranged as an electronic examination. Electronic examinations may be organised using an electronic system designed for the purpose with centrally invigilated examinations. In this case, the student performs the electronic examination in a centrally supervised environment using a specially equipped computer. The teacher is responsible for setting up the electronic exams in the electronic system and decides on the time, duration, and number of invigilated examinations offered to the students in accordance with Section 12. The electronic examination is allocated a time slot in the system. The student reserves the time slot for the electronic exam sufficiently in advance in relation to the study period of the examination.

The Terms of Use of IT Systems apply to electronic examinations and include a description of the consequences of IT security breaches. In addition, students must adhere to the terms of use of the electronic exam system and the instructions concerning the use of the facility where the electronic examination is organised.

Specific instructions are issued on taking an electronic examination, the use of facilities and the organisation of the examination.

18 § Violations and disturbances in centrally invigilated electronic examninations

For the invigilation of electronic examinations, real-time recording sound and video surveillance is used, along with access control and random check-ups. The records gathered in this manner may be combined to verify the identity of the person taking the exam, investigate disturbances during the exam and suspicions of misconduct.

If a student is found to have breached the Terms of Use of IT Systems, the terms of use of the electronic examination system or the rules concerning the use of the exam facilities, but is not suspected of academic misconduct, the student is sent an electronic reprimand. If misconduct is suspected, the invigilator will inform the teacher and any violations will be dealt with in accordance with the Guidelines for academic ethics and procedures for handling allegations of misconduct at Tampere University.

If an examination is interrupted or prevented due to a technical failure, disturbances in the room, a fire alarm or other similar reasons, the student will be required to submit a notification afterwards. A student may request the opportunity to retake the examination that was interrupted or submit the answers that he or she had completed before the interruption meaning that the teacher grading the answers is notified of the interruption and may take it into account in assessment. If the notification is found to be justified, the student will be granted the opportunity to retake the examination.

CHAPTER 6 Other exams

19 § General information on other exams

In addition to centralised exams and electronic skills demonstrations, exams may be arranged by the faculties, degree programmes and course teachers. The organiser is responsible for scheduling these events, booking the room as well as invigilation and other arrangements.

20 § Enrolment for other exams

Instructions for enrolling for other exams shall be provided to students as early as on possible, including a notification that no enrolment is required.

CHAPTER 7 Other guidelines

21 § Accessibility

The organiser of centralised exams shall be responsible for the necessary individual arrangements during centralised exams and electronic skills demonstrations. If an electronic skills demonstration requires the presence of staff, the event may only be organised during office hours. In other than centralised exams, the organiser shall be responsible for the necessary individual arrangements. The student must agree on such individual arrangements at least seven days before the event. The teacher will be informed of the individual arrangements, if necessary.

22 § Exceptional circumstances

In case of a fire alarm or other emergency that requires students to vacate the premises, an assessment event shall be immediately discontinued and, if necessary, cancelled for the day. A new event shall be arranged as soon as possible at a time to be announced separately. If the discontinued event is an examination, the exam answers that students returned before the exam session was interrupted shall be assessed as usual.

If there are any discrepancies with the assessment arrangements that are not brought about by students, they must be resolved in a manner that does not cause unreasonable inconvenience to students.