Dear Kathryn

Here at Aston, I use SITS (WASP) to schedule our exams. We have access to 20 flat teaching rooms during the UG exam periods which range from 16 to 250 (our sports hall) which is helpful when dealing with small numbers but does cause annoyance with academics when large cohorts are spread across several rooms.



Our December PG exams have to be held off site as we are not able to use the main teaching rooms as they occur during the UG teaching timetable.



WASP is set up so it does not schedule mixed durations. For additional needs students we have 3 categories - those with extra time who use a PC, those with extra time who don’t need a PC and those who have to have their own room.  We have the use of a computer room and a standard class room for the first two categories and for the own room students, we rely on the Schools and their network of small meeting rooms, which are dotted about the whole campus.



Unfortunately we do not have a University policy on fixed durations ( I wish we had) and we have on average 7 different durations of exams - however 90% of exam durations are the standard 1.5,2 or 3 hour exams so the odd durations only amount to 10% which, at the moment, is manageable.



Our exams have 2 start times - 9.30 and 14.00 so our latest finish would be around 6pm (when we have an additional need student taking a 3hr exam with 25% extra time).



The previous responses have interested me, certainly the institutions which only have 3 durations. I would be interested to see the summary from this circulation as it could provide me with supporting evidence to take to the Senior Executive to ask for a standardisation of durations, which would have benefits both to students and to the University.



Best wishes

Lesley



Lesley Wood

Examinations Officer



Registry   

Aston Triangle 

Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK 

Telephone +44(0)121 204 4662     

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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



****************************

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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