Dear All,
At UWE, Bristol we have 4 standard exam durations - 1hr, 1.5hr, 2 hrs and 3 hrs. We get the odd Professional body exams that are 2.5 hrs and 3.5 hrs but these are very few and far between.
We have two standard exam start times, 09:30am and 2:00pm.
The Exhibition and Conference Centre, our main exam venue seats up to 1600 students per session. We split the space using flexible screens into six zones of between 250 and 290 students. The exams that are the longest in duration take place furthest away from the entrance to the Conference Centre. We aim to timetable all exams of the same duration into the Conference Centre but this is not always possible.
Kind regards
Laura
Laura Reeves
Senior Central Examinations Officer
Tel: 0117 328 3577
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-----Original Message-----
From: ARC Assessment Practitioners Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kathryn Connor
Sent: 26 October 2012 13:57
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Exam Durations
Dear All,
We had 13 different examination durations in operation last year, and as we held our examinations in three large venues which accommodated between 500 and 1,000 per session, scheduling papers of mixed duration proved unavoidable. From 2013 onwards we’ll be holding all of our examinations in one large venue (capacity - 1,600 per session), which will leave us with even less scope for limiting the number of mixed duration examinations held at any one time.
In order to minimise the disruption caused by large groups of students leaving at 10, 15 and/or 30 minute intervals, we’ve recommended to departments that, in 2012/13, only examinations ending on the hour or half hour be allowed, with a move in 2013/14 to two or three hour examinations only. Whilst most of the College is able to comply with this, there are pockets of resistance (some with good reason).
In order to inform the ongoing discussion/debate about this issue here at KCL, I’d like to find out what happens elsewhere. Could you let me know how many different examination durations you have, and how you manage these if, like us, you use large examination venues.
Many thanks,
Kathryn
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Kathryn Connor
Head of Examinations and Awards
Examinations and Awards Office
7.29 James Clerk Maxwell Building
King's College London
57 Waterloo Road
London
SE1 8WA
Tel: 020 7848 3395
Fax: 020 7848 3379
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