LTC14-P94
11 December 2014
Learning and Teaching Committee
Paper Title: Review of Exam Timetabling Policies and Procedures
Author: Mark Lister
1. Specific Decision
Required by Committee
2. Relevance to University
Strategy
3. Executive Summary
The Committee is asked to review the current approach to exam timetabling and
consider the need for, and the steps that might be taken to implement, a new
policy.
To deliver the best possible academic experience and deliver outstanding levels of
student satisfaction.
Regulation VII currently states that ‘An examination timetable shall be published at least two
weeks before the date of any examination.’ Beyond that, there is no formal policy or guidance
in place to stipulate what constitutes an acceptable timetable.
Loughborough Students’ Union have raised concerns about the number of instances of
consecutive exams/exam bunching and the impact that this has on the Student Experience.
Individual Schools and Departments have also raised separate concerns about the flexibility of
the timetable and the impact that this has on their ability to mark scripts in a timely manner.
This paper analyses the various approaches taken by Loughborough’s NSS competitors to the
following 1) exam bunching, 2) what is communicated to students by way of a published
timetabling policy. Following that; historical Semester 1 data will be mapped onto a number
of different scenarios to explore whether or not the instances of exam bunching can be
reduced further and what the implications for this might be.
The Learning and Teaching Committee are asked to provide a view on what factors should
take priority when producing the timetable and in particular to consider whether or not
School/departmental requirements negatively impact on the ability to minimise bunching.
4. Essential Background
Information
5.
Sector comparison of timetabling policies adopted by Loughborough’s NSS
competitors.
Risks, Risk Mitigation
and Governance/
Accountability
6. Implications for other
activities
Exam scheduling/timing has a direct bearing on the marking and feedback process.
7.
Resource and Cost
None at this point but depending on the steer from LTC, some proposals will have a
cost/resource implication – to be defined at a later stage.
8.
Alternative Options
considered
No firm proposals are being made at this stage. LTC is asked to comment on a range
of factors/scenarios to inform the next stage of investigation.
9.
Other Groups/Individuals
consulted.
10. Future Actions,
Timescales & Frequency
of Review by this
Committee.
Loughborough Students’ Union
Following feedback from LTC, we hope to be in a position to draft a timetabling
policy for consultation and approval in the Spring Term.
11. Success Criteria (KPIs)
Introduction
Through the use of CMIS software, the University has gained greater control of examination timetabling.
Conditions are applied to each exam and these are placed onto the timetable within a set of parameters, as
defined by the user.
Following the implementation of CMIS in 2012, the extent of exam bunching has reduced. Previous timetables
would often contain instances of students sitting five exams in five consecutive days; and the instances of four
back to back exams were numerous and often deemed to be unavoidable.
On the 2013-14 Semester 1 timetable there were 16 cases of students with four back to back exams and 1398
cases of three back to back exams. Since then, the exam venue has been relocated to the Dan Maskell Tennis
Centre and on the 2014-15 draft Semester 1 timetable; there are currently no cases of four back to back exams
and 983 cases of three back to back exams.
Prior to commencing timetabling; Schools and Departments are invited to submit requests in relation to how they
would like specific modules to be placed. For Semester 1 2013-14, requests were made for 252 out of a total of
503 exams (50.10 %). These can range from requesting a specific week (common) through to avoiding a specific
date (less common).
Once these requests have been added to CMIS, the software is then asked to timetable each exam according to
the following parameters;
1) No more than one exam per student per day.
2) No more than three exams per student per week*.
3) Larger exams placed as early in the exam session as possible.
*If it is not possible to place all exams, then this constraint is relaxed (to allow four exams per week etc.) until
each paper has been allocated a slot.
Current timetabling constraints
At present a number of factors have to be taken into account/considered when scheduling exams, and these have,
in the past, been considered as an informal policy. These are as follows;
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
No more than one exam per student per day.
One central venue with a capacity of 990 (there is also a central Extra Time Venue and a central Computer Venue)
Three hour exams have to be scheduled in the longer AM session (AM = 9am-12noon; PM = 1–3pm; EVE = 4–6pm)
Larger exams given higher priority; with a view to being scheduled earlier in the exam period
Departmental/School requests (as highlighted above)
a. A number of Schools/Departments have teaching events taking place in Week 15
b. Some Schools/Departments submit requests to manufacture fewer bunched exams for their students
(i.e. requesting a day in between exams). This is not the case across all Schools and can lead to
inconsistencies in terms of the make-up of individual timetables
6) Aim to minimise exam bunching (current approach is to minimise 4 back to back wherever possible)
7) In Semester 2, all finalist exams are scheduled within the first two weeks of the exam session (wherever
possible)
Although, the number of available seats can sometimes restrict where larger modules are placed, the move to
DMTC has increased the capacity of each session resulting in this becoming less of a factor. Instead, modules
often remain unplaced as a result of the constraints generated by School/Departmental requests (i.e. earlier slots
become overpopulated as the timetable becomes frontloaded).
Sector Comparison
Having undertaken research of the approach to timetabling taken by our NSS competitors (as identified by Head
of PQTP); Loughborough University compares very favourably in terms of what it deems to be appropriate levels
of bunching. In the examples highlighted in Figure 1;
•
•
•
Students are informed that they may be required to sit more than one exam per day at all universities other
than Essex and Southampton.
In almost all cases, bunched exams are often defined as those taking place within consecutive sessions (eg,
AM followed by PM). This differs to Loughborough, where bunched exams are defined as those scheduled on
consecutive days.
At Leeds, Durham and Southampton; students are informed that they may be expected to sit exams in three
consecutive sessions (e.g. AM – PM – AM). At Reading, this rises to four consecutive sessions.
However, Loughborough does not have a published examination timetabling policy and therefore is not able to
communicate this to our students/staff. As a result we are not able to manage the expectations of students/staff
in terms of what they can expect from a timetable. The examples highlighted in Appendix 1 clearly set out each
university’s policies and guidelines; including the parameters within which timetables are constructed and make it
clear to students what they can expect from their timetable.
What are the alternatives to the current approach to timetabling?
Using actual data from the Semester 1, 2013-14 session, CMIS was used to model a number of different scenarios
to assess their potential impact on the timetable. Figure 2 illustrates how each scenario fares in terms of the
number of back to back (consecutive daily) exams that have been timetabled.
The following findings are worthy of note;
•
•
•
•
Increasing the capacity through the additional use of the Sir David Wallace Sports Hall (additional 896) seats
does allow for a significant reduction in exam bunching. However, it does not allow for the use of fewer
sessions (i.e. remove the need for exams to be scheduled in Week 15). This is likely to be as a result of the
constraints placed on module placement by School/Departmental requests.
Running two venues would significantly increase the cost to the University (lost SDC bookings, student office
resource, potential confusion for students, can’t record more than one main venue in LUSI at present,
increased cost of invigilators across two venues etc.)
Increased use of Saturdays does generate a small decrease in exam bunching. However, the academic year
was recently restructured in order to negate the need for Saturday exams. Saturday exams have traditionally
met with resistance from staff and not sure what the student view would be.
Extending the PM and Evening sessions to allow for three hour exams to be scheduled within them does
reduce the number of bunched exams (particularly when this is applied to both sessions). However, this
would result in exams finishing later in the evening (9pm in the event of 3 hour exams being held in the
evening). This would have implications for both students and staff, and could be a particular issue in January.
Removing departmental requests from consideration does have a significant bearing on the number of
bunched exams. This would allow all exams to be timetabled, with or without Saturdays, and reduce the
number of instances of three back to back exams by over 50%.
LTC Action Required
1) LTC is asked to discuss which aspects of our current practices should be adopted as the framework for a
formal timetabling policy;
• No more than one exam per student per day
• One central venue
• Three exam slots per day (AM = 9am-12noon; PM = 1–3pm; EVE = 4–6pm)
• Larger exams given higher priority; with a view to being scheduled earlier in the exam period
• Aim to minimise exam bunching (current approach is to minimise 4 back to back wherever possible –
with three back to back exams considered to be acceptable)
• Exams to be scheduled Monday - Friday
• In Semester 2, all finalist exams are scheduled within the first two weeks of the exam session (wherever
possible)
2) LTC is asked to consider how School/departmental requests should be incorporated into the timetabling
policy/process (timing and nature).
3) LTC is asked to consider any other changes to the aspects listed in 1) above.
4) LTC is asked to agree that greater efforts be made to publicise the resulting Exam Timetabling policy to
students. This will require the relevant pages on the University website to be re-written and for Schools and
Departments to play a greater role in communicating this policy as part of any exam related contact with
students.
Figure 1 – Loughborough University compared to the sector.
University
LOUGHBOROUGH
Essex
Sussex
East Anglia
Surrey
Manchester
Leeds
Nottingham
Southampton
Durham
Reading
Sheffield
Max
Exams Per
Day
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Consecutive
Sessions
allowed?
Detail
Yes
Four exams per week
Yes
n/a
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Four exams per week
Vague
No more than 2 exams in 48hr period
Two or more consecutive days
Three exams in consecutive sessions
Several consecutive days
Three exams in consecutive sessions
Three exams in consecutive sessions
Four exams in consecutive sessions
12 Hours in one week
Five Back to Back
Four Back to Back
Three Back to Back
Semester 1 (2013-14)
Actual Timetable
2014-15 Semester 1 draft (Dan Maskell Tennis Centre)
Increased Capacity (to include SDW)
Scenario A – No Saturdays andr Week 15
Scenario B – No Week 15
Scenario C – Current exam provision
Increased use of Saturdays (two sessions AM + PM)
Scenario A
No Departmental Requests
Scenario A – No Saturdays
Scenario B – Include Saturdays
Extended Sessions
Scenario A – 3hr exams in PM
Scenario B – 3hr exams in PM & Eve
Events Not Placed
Figure 2 – Scenarios mapped onto 2013-14 Semester 1 data.
0
0
0
0
16
0
1398
983
10
4
0
1
0
0
52
85
0
1426
1088
261
0
0
0
1056
0
0
0
0
0
0
767
663
0
0
0
0
0
0
1117
521
Author – Mark Lister
Date – December 2014
Copyright © Loughborough University. All rights reserved.
Appendix A:
SECTOR COMPARISON
Examination Policies Available on the Internet
University of Sheffield
What are the exam scheduling guidelines?
You should not expect to sit more than one 3 hour exam in one day; or a total of four exam hours per day. It is
unlikely that you will be required to sit more than 12 exam hours in one week, or more than 9 hours over 4 days.
However, timetables are subject to a number of constraints and, although rare, your timetable may not always fit
within these guidelines.
Why are my exams on consecutive days?
Sometimes it is impossible to avoid scheduling exams on consecutive days, or placing 2 exams in one day in
exceptional circumstances. This is due to a large number of students registered on modules requiring
examinations during a limited period.
University of Sussex
As far as possible the timing of examinations is restricted to mornings and afternoons on weekdays, however the
constraints of the examination periods and combinations of modules dictated by the curriculum require some
examinations to be held outside those times (on Saturdays and Bank Holidays and in the early evening). We try to
avoid students having to sit more than one examination per day as far as possible.
University of Surrey
Examinations will be scheduled according to these principles:
•
•
•
•
Scheduling will be between 9.00am and 9.00pm each day, including Saturdays.
You may have two examinations in one day. Where you have more than one examination in a day, the
total number of hours of examinations in any one day will not normally be more than four (ie if you have
a 3 hour examination and a 1 hour examination or two 2-hour examinations but not 2 x 3 hour
examinations)
You will not normally have more than 2 examinations in a 48 hour period. Where you have an
examination in the evening one day (i.e. finishing after 6.30pm), you will not have an examination before
10.30am the following morning.
If you have two examinations on one day, the minimum period of time between examinations will be 90
minutes.
University of Reading
Conventions in relation to timetabling
A candidate for the Final Examination of a degree (Part 3 or Part 4) will not be required to sit more than three
consecutive three-hour examinations nor more than four consecutive examinations of any length. (It should be
noted that examinations on Friday afternoon and Monday morning would not be considered consecutive for
these purposes.) Examinations for Parts 1 and 2 are not subject to this restriction, but the Examinations Office
seeks to minimise the concentration of examinations for these candidates. If an Examination Representative
considers that examinations are unreasonably concentrated, he or she should contact the Examinations Office as
a matter of urgency.
University of Nottingham
Why do I have 2 examinations in one day?
The logistical difficulty of scheduling a large number of examinations involving many thousands of students to
take place in a limited number of days makes it inevitable that some students will have two examinations on the
same day. University policy therefore does permit this to be the case. Where possible we try to ensure that the
examinations are not consecutive.
Why do I have examinations on consecutive days?
Due to the difficulty of scheduling a large number of examinations involving many thousands of students to take
place in a limited number of days it is impossible to avoid students having examinations on consecutive days,
sometimes over several days, and for this reason University policy permits you to have examinations on
consecutive days.
Why are all of my examinations scheduled close together?
The difficulty of scheduling a large number of examinations involving many thousands of students to take place in
a limited number of days makes it is not always possible to spread them evenly over the examination period.
University of Manchester
For the last few years, the examination schedule has been produced using dedicated software for which the
overarching factor is the production of a timetable with no, or as few as possible, student clashes. While attempts
are made to ensure that students have a spread of examination dates throughout the examination period, in
many cases this is not possible given the institutional constraints on the numbers of examination venues that are
available, the number of examinations that are scheduled to take place and the options available to students on
any particular programme of study.
I fully sympathise with Schools that, while trying to improve the student experience, find that they face discontent
from students who have been allocated a clustered examination timetable. However, the sheer scale of the
numbers involved mean that there is very little opportunity for altering schedules from the set timetable. There
are simply too few permutations of possible timetable solutions to allow consistent gapping between exams.
In order to help manage student, and staff, expectations of the examination process, could I please encourage
Schools to include a note in programme handbooks, where this is not already the case, to state that students
must expect to have examinations on two or more consecutive days and, potentially, have more than one
examination within a single day. The University will try to ensure that instances of these events happening are as
few as possible, but it is simply not possible to construct an examination timetable within the existing parameters
that spreads all examinations out equally for all students.
University of Leeds
Consecutive exams
If you have three exams in direct succession, report this immediately to the Examinations Office. Include your full
name, student number and the module codes and titles for all exams affected.
Definition of three consecutive exams:
In the Semester 1 and August exam periods there are two exam sessions a day, therefore an example of three
consecutive exams would be:
•
•
•
Monday morning exam (09:30 start)
Monday afternoon exam (14:00 start)
Tuesday morning exam (09:30 start)
In the Semester 2 exam period there are three exam sessions a day, therefore an example of three consecutive
exams would be:
•
•
•
Monday morning exam (09:00 start)
Monday afternoon exam (13:00 start)
Monday evening exam (17:00 start)
University of Southampton
You should expect to have no more than three consecutive exams. Three consecutive exams means: a morning
exams, followed by an afternoon exam, followed by a morning exam OR an afternoon exam followed by a
morning exam, followed by an afternoon exam. If you do notice that you have more than three consecutive
exams, please contact your student office immediately.
University of East Anglia
What You Can Expect From Your Examination Timetable
This year, the Student Union Academic Officer, The Academic Pro Vice Chancellor and the Learning and Teaching
Service agreed some new standards for your examination timetables:
• Your timetable will be released by 5pm on 7 March 2014, which is 1week earlier than in 2013
• Every effort will be made to limit your timetable to one examination per day
Assuming nothing unexpected happens, the new service standards above will be delivered for the vast majority of
students. However, due to the volume of examinations and the constraints of the 6-week assessment period,
there is a risk that a small minority of students may be timetabled for two exams in one day. We anticipate that
this will affect very few students.
With regard to a preferred spread of exams, this differs from person to person and, with over 8,700 candidates, it
is impossible to deliver a timetable that provides a preferred spread of examinations to everyone. Even if it was
possible to collect that information, it is likely that a consensus would not be reached on an ideal spread.
Therefore, we use a computerised scheduling package which means that the individual spread of examinations
will vary for student to student and from year to year. You may receive a timetable that you are pleased with one
year and a timetable that you find less favourable another year.
For instance, you may find that the majority of your examinations are towards the beginning or the end of the
assessment period, both of which may have different appeal for different students. You may find that your
examinations are spread out or they could be scheduled within a shorter time period. And, as stated above, you
may be timetabled for more than one examination in one day.
University of Essex
How many exams must I take per week?
The University applies the following guidelines to the exam schedule, and it aims to meet these guidelines
wherever possible:
•
Students may be required to take up to four exams per week (Monday - Saturday) *.
•
Students may be required to take only one exam per day *.
•
Students may be required to take an exam on up to two of the three Saturdays within the main exam
period *.
*Please note that the above statements do not apply to the early/resit examination periods
Durham University
Changes will only be made to the timetable if a student identifies clashing examinations or has more than three
consecutive examinations.
Will you move my exam?
The exam timetable will only be changed in response to student requests if:
•
•
You have a clash (2 exams at the same time on the same day);
You have 4 consecutive exams (e.g. AM, PM, AM, PM or PM, AM, PM, AM).