Inclusivity: Good practice guidelines for arranging assessments (including exams and
in-class tests) relating to inclusivity and modified provision.
These notes are intended to provide information and guidance particularly for personal tutors
and programme leaders and other academic staff.
The Plymouth University Assessment Policy underpins all assessment in line with the
Curriculum Enrichment Project from 2015 all standard undergraduate programmes will
commence with a 1st year( level4) intensive module. It is vital that inclusive assessment
methods are utilised as students’ modified assessment provision may not be finalised when
this module is assessed. In addition 1st year programmes will contain a Plymouth Plus
module this module will not be assessed through examinations..
1. What is an inclusive assessment?
At Plymouth University our ambition is that: “All students will have an equitable, supportive
assessment experience”
Inclusive assessment will: Fairly evaluate students’ ability to meet module and programme learning outcomes
and academic standards
 Be accessible for all students
 Provide every student with an equal opportunity to demonstrate their achievements
 Support student engagement, learning, progression, retention and address the needs
of our diverse student population
 Be authentic and offer students contextualized meaningful tasks that replicate real
world challenges through effective programme design
 Reduce the need for modified assessment provision
2. Arranging assessments – the process
1. At the start of the academic year students need to be given information and the dates of
all the assessments as soon as possible by their module leaders or programme team.
2. Students should be informed in advance of the intended learning outcomes and the
criteria for assessment for their programme of study. This information should be
available on the DLE programme site.
3. Students should be informed in advance of the marking and assessment criteria of all
assessments. This information should be available on the DLE site.
4. Students should be informed of the requirements of each assessment through lectures,
tutorials, seminars, in handbooks and on the DLE.
5. Programmes with extended exams/ assessments (for example day-long), the dates and
schedule should be communicated to students as early as practicable detailing times for
refreshments and rest breaks. This will also allow students to organise carer or
employment responsibilities
6. Module leaders will be automatically informed of students’ modified assessment
provisions (MAP) through the Student Support Document (SSD) once agreed by
Disability Assist Services (DAS). It is good practice for module and/or personal tutors
and students to engage in a dialogue about specific assessment needs.
7. Students with a declared disability and those with a MAP outlined in their SSD should be
contacted separately by the module leader and invited to meet to discuss their
assessments needs (non –exam). ( e.g. the importance of practice papers, formative
feedback, use of the writing café and study skills)
8. Students particularly those with a MAP should be encouraged to participate in timed
(where appropriate) practice assessments/ papers with the opportunity to receive
feedback. Mock assessment tasks, are particularly important for students who may
stressed by the assessment process and need to develop good assessment techniques.
This can reduce student anxiety.
9. Where reasonable adjustments are recommended but, after discussion with the student
it is decided that they do not require the adjustments a Revised MAP (RMAP) form
should be completed ( for each individual assessment ) to ensure the students confirms
the new arrangement. This is a faculty led process except for exam adjustments which
are organised by DAS and the exams office. Revised MAP form.
10. Good inclusive practice for low stakes, short answer and MCQ in-class test/exam
involves the provision of invigilation time for double the period given for the test/ exam
(e.g. two hours of invigilation for a one hour test/exam). This may have logistical
implications which will need to be addressed in each case. (This is not appropriate for all
assessments e.g. tests with open ended descriptive answers or mathematical problems)
Type of test/exam
Formative tests – low stakes
Questions - short answer
Questions - essay style answers
Mathematical type problems
Multiple Choice Questions (online
or paper based )
Laboratory practical
Test based on professional
/clinical competence where time
is crucial. (e.g. CPR )
Double amount of
invigilation time for
all students
MAPs individual
invigilation
time
No extra time
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11. Where the assessment is designed to measure a competence standard (e.g. a practical
test is required to meet with professional standards) no additional time can be allowed.
The rationale for this must be explained to students.
12. Module leaders are responsible for booking their own rooms (if different from the
teaching room). This should be done via the online web room bookings facility. In case
of difficulties please contact examinations.scheduling@plymouth.ac.uk.
13. The rules governing the allocation and use of invigilators for formal exams do not apply
for in-class tests. It is therefore acceptable for all categories of staff to invigilate in-class
tests. The University has a database of trained external invigilators who may be used if
required. Requests for external invigilators should be made to
examinations.scheduling@plymouth.ac.uk in a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the
test. Once an invigilator is found the module leader will be passed the contact details and
will be required to brief the invigilator directly as to arrangements. External invigilators
will need to be paid by the School/Faculty at the invigilator’s contracted hourly rate.
14. Module leaders will be automatically informed of any student who has valid extenuating
circumstances affecting assessment as soon as possible after the extenuating
circumstances claim has been processed.
3. Informing students of assessment arrangements via DLE
It is important that students have access to detailed assessment information. This should be
made available to all students through the DLE module pages.
The following information should be published:
 Title of assessment and description of the requirements.
 Format of examination/test (seen, unseen, open book, group, presentation etc.), with
detail on the assessment guidelines, assessment, marking and grading criteria.
 Value (i.e. weighting) of each assignment.
 Planned dates for any class or group discussions about the assessment. Further
sources of guidance and support available (seminars, personal tutorial, DAS, LD and
peer support)
 Date and time deadline for submission including information on penalties for late
submission.
 Planned dates for the release of marks and feedback.
 Guidance on referencing protocols.
 Hot-link to past examination papers on the library site; and / or links to practice
papers (e.g. for multiple choice); and /or links to exemplar answers.
 The names and email addresses of programme & module leader and team.
4. Examples of good practice
It is important to maintain a dialogue with students about their assessment support needs, as
circumstances change adjustments to the support suggested through the MAP may be
sensible. Some examples of good practice in this area include: A disabled student is recommended a scribe. The imminent in-class test is a multiple
choice paper. After discussion with the student it is decided that they will not need
this modification, an RMAP confirms the decision.
 As a result of a meeting with the module tutor a student feels they require a scribe
and own room for their in-class test. It is vital that this occurs with plenty of notice
( minimum of 2 weeks ) to enable arrangements to take place. Your faculty office will
advise you of the faculty process for booking rooms, locating scribes and borrowing
laptops.
 An own room has been recommended for a student to sit their exams in. The
personal tutor explains the outline for an ‘in class test’ and offers a trial assessment
after which time the student decides they are able to take the test in the normal or a
smaller room. The exam provision changes from own room to a smaller room. An
RMAP form should be completed to ensure the students confirms the new
arrangement.
 A disabled student is assessed and the SSD recommends an extra 20 minutes per
test hour additional time. Their exam is 1.5 hours long the student undertakes a
practice paper. After a discussion with the student where it is explained the exam
room will be open for 3 hours, any additional adjustments are not required as the
student is receiving an additional 1.5 hours to complete the exam.
 A student support document (SSD) recommends a student receive 20 minutes per
hour rest breaks. Their in-class test is 30 minutes and their module leader has given
all students 1 hour to complete the assessment. After a meeting with his/her
personal tutor, it is agreed that no additional modifications should to be put in place,
the RMAP form confirms this. Further staff guidance regarding SSD’s can be found in
this link: https://www1.plymouth.ac.uk/disability/Pages/Guidance-for-Staff.aspx
 Ergonomic equipment has been recommended for a disabled student but as the test
is less than 30 minutes the student has agreed with their tutor that the provision of
this equipment is not necessary. An RMAP form should be completed to ensure the
students confirms the new arrangement
 A computer has been recommended for all assessments for a disabled student. The
next in-class test is only 30 minutes but the student still feels they need to use a
computer for the test. The module leader should contact the faculty office who will
advise the process to arrange a loan of the library laptop for the duration of the inclass test.
5. Summary of responsibilities
Arranging assessments –
the process
Assessment information :
dates, time, length, learning
outcomes, assessment &
marking criteria, assessment
brief, practice papers on
DLE & handbook
Assessment briefing &
activity in lectures, seminars
and module tutorials
Student Support Document
& MAPs (dissemination)
Invitation to students with
MAPs to discuss individual
needs
Arranging the required
assessment resources
( non-exam) (e.g. room,
laptop, scribe etc )
Meeting with students’ to
discuss MAPs
Completion of a RMAP (if
appropriate )
Setting practice papers, test,
presentations, quizzes etc:
Completion of practice
papers, test, presentations,
quizzes etc:
Feedback on practice
papers
Module Module
leader
team/staff
Students Personal Faculty DAS
tutor
Admin:
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Arranging assessments –
the process
Module
Module
leader team/staff
Booking rooms for in class
tests
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Requesting an invigilator
from the exams office
Extenuating circumstances
(initial notification )
Extenuating circumstances
- administration
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Students Personal Faculty
tutor
Admin:
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DAS