Modes of Assessment
CONSOLIDATED LIST OF ASSESSMENT MODES AVAILABLE FOR UNDERGRADUATE
AND TAUGHT POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES
The following is a list of approved assessment modes, for use both at undergraduate and
postgraduate levels. Proposed additional modes should be submitted to the relevant
curriculum committee in order to be incorporated into the list.
Mode
Code
AUR
Assessment Mode
Definition of Mode
Aural Examination
BIB
Bibliography
BFP
Briefing Paper
BLG
Blog
A listening
comprehension test
An annotated
bibliography related to
a relevant topic from
the course
A paper written with
the primary purpose of
communicating to a
decision-maker or
other interested party
the basic features of a
problem or issue,
together with the
relative merits of
alternative
perspectives on or
approaches to
addressing the
problem or issue.
A blog is an online
journal created by an
individual or group,
which allows users to
post content, and
allows readers to
comment on posts.
A collaborative or
individual blog that
contains evidence of
the candidate's
understanding of key
themes, concepts and
ideas.
CAR
Clinical Activity Report
An oral or written
report which describes
a distinct piece of
Further
Clarification/Guidance
In accordance with the
course documentation,
the blog may consist of
a series of responses to
questions and
assignments set during
a course or it may
comprise of thematically
organised posts
detailing the candidate's
understanding, critique
or application of
material addressed on
the course. The blog
may also include selfreflective elements. The
entire blog should be
submitted in PDF format
by each candidate to be
assessed.
Ordinarily the report will
include a description of
the referral, the
professional practice,
such as a therapeutic
intervention with a
client or clients.
CEX
Computer Based
Examination
CLA
Assessment of Clinical
Competence
CLC
Clinical Commentary
CMP
Composition
COM
Commentary
CON
Concept Note
A computer based test
of knowledge and
ability by question/s
not known to the
candidate prior to the
examination.
Students will need to
consistently
demonstrate sufficient
competency as a
counselling
psychologist and to
practice in accordance
with the professional
and ethical guidelines
and code of conduct
of the British
Psychological Society.
A commentary is a
description and
analysis of a tape
recording (sound or
video) of clinical work.
An original piece or
pieces of music for an
agreed ensemble. No
limit is placed on the
length or number of
submissions. In the
case of multiple
submissions there
should be a contrast
in form between at
least two of them.
A written account of
the preparation of the
Recital covering
repertoire,
performance practice,
etc.
A short (c. 1000
words) synthesising
note on a key concept
students assessment,
their subsequent
formulation, including
any theoretical ideas
and previous research
findings as appropriate,
a subsequent plan of
action, a description of
their actual intervention
and its outcome and an
analysis and review.
COR
Course Report
CPJ
Creative Project
CSA
Case Analysis
CSY
Case Study
DCP
Document Pack
DIS
Dissertation
DIY
Diary/Notebook
such as Power,
Authority, Class or
Nationalism.
A report prepared by
the course tutor based
on a student's
performance and
attendance.
A submission of direct
creative work in any
expressive medium
accompanied by a
short critical
introduction.
An analysis of and
commentary on a
provided case study.
A case study is a
concentrated inquiry
into a single case.
Unseen examination
based on primary
documentation
provided to students
with questions and
completed in set
period.
A major written work
reporting the results of
a substantial research
project (typically
conducted over more
than one term),
providing a coherent
argument about the
topic addressed and
aiming to incorporate
an element of
originality in the
argument and/or the
evidence used to
sustain it.
An analysis of two
personally witnessed
or experienced crosscultural incidents
intended to show what
each course
participant has learnt
from observing and
making sense of
critical incidents which
Undergraduate
This mode of
assessment is not open
to courses which
contribute to the
classification of the
degree.
The maximum length of
submission is published
in the appropriate
course documentation.
ESS
Essay
EXC
Exercise
EXS
Seen Examination
FLN
Field and Laboratory
Notebook
FLS
GPN
Field Seminar
Group Presentation
involve cultural
differences and how
they have used their
own inter-cultural
knowledge, skills and
awareness in
decoding and
analysing the
incidents.
A written composition
with a specified word
length which, typically,
on the basis of
existing literature,
proceeds to sustain a
coherent argument.
A short written,
practical or oral task
(e.g. involving the
manipulation of data,
document analysis,
identification of
specimens etc.).
A test, under
examination
conditions, of
prepared reading and
communication skills
where the students
are aware of the
subjects of questions
beforehand.
A notebook containing
personal observations
and measurements
collected individually
or collaboratively from
field or laboratory
work. These may
include, for example,
annotated sketches
with suitable scale
and orientation
augmented by
supplementary notes
(for fieldwork), or
descriptions, methods
and evaluation of
potential errors (for
laboratory work).'
A presentation made
collectively by a group
to an audience
Undergraduate
The specified word
length should not
exceed 4000 words.
GPR
Group Project Report
IDR
Individual Review
JOU
Personal Journal
LAB
Laboratory Report
LCT
Lecture
LDY
Learning Diary
(including examiners)
about the results of
collective work by the
group, with
knowledge, technical
content and
presentational skills
being assessed.
A written report
prepared collectively
by a group, each
contributing to and
being responsible for
a specific part of the
project.
A review meeting
between student and
supervisor; external
inputs may include
progress on
coursework, student
participation in
sessions, and peer
review.
A personal journal
with regular and
frequent entries
reflecting on various
aspects of the
programme and on
the student's
development.
A written report of an
empirical investigation
undertaken in a class
situation.
A verbal presentation
on the subject of the
student's dissertation.
A reflective account of
the learning during a
Postgraduate
The report format
includes a title, abstract,
introduction, methods,
results, discussion and
bibliography. Where
appropriate appendices
of raw data, materials
and statistical
calculations should be
included. The report
should cover the
rationale behind the
laboratory procedure
and discuss the
significance of results
obtained.
Undergraduate
The format of the
LEP
Learning Plan
LIT
Literature Review
LNB
Lab Notebook
course/term/year/level
which has the
following
characteristics: (i) an
identification of issues
key to the student's
own learning and
evidence of returning
to consideration of
these with the addition
of further comments
(ii) linking of topics
and questions in
formal teaching (i.e.
during contact hours)
with reading/research
undertaken by the
individual student (iii)
summative comments
by the student on
issues, topics and
questions raised in (i)
and (ii) above.
A written proposal for
action research and
field based learning,
specifying proposed
process,
methodology,
objectives, activities
and learning
outcomes.
A review of academic
literature on a specific
topic or question. It
should draw out the
relevance, and
applicability, of
academic theory to
the argument being
developed related to
the topics under
consideration.
A written report of a
series of empirical
investigations
undertaken as part of
a research project.
The indexed report
includes a record of
the experimental
procedures
undertaken, the
results obtained and
learning diary may be
either as a bound or
loose-leaf book or using
other media. The
format(s) appropriate for
a given assessment
would be determined
and published at the
beginning of the
relevant
course/term/year/level
and would include
information about
expected length/word
number.
LOG
Professional Log
LTP
Long Term Paper
MCQ
MEM
Multiple Choice Questions
Memorial
MTP
Music Take-Away Paper
ODP
Organisational
Development Plan
outline conclusions
drawn from them.
A factual and detailed
statement of the
number of sessions of
clinical work and
supervision
undertaken and/or of
consultations and/or
case management
work during the
programme. This may
also include a report
on the organisation in
which the clinical
placement or
consultation took
place.
A substantial written
piece of work normally
concerned with an
aspect of work
covered in a single
term.
A written composition
not exceeding 12,000
words and prepared
jointly by a team of up
to five students. A
memorial consists of
written legal
submissions to the
International Court of
Justice relating to a
given set of facts
(known as a
compromis) and must
comply strictly with all
applicable
requirements as to
format.
An examination, over
seven days, of a
student's
understanding of the
issues raised in either
History and Analysis
or Twentieth Century
Music Studies and of
his or her
compositional abilities.
An element that
carries forward the
ONT
Open Note Examination
OPB
Open Book Examination
ORL
Oral Examination
main section of the
assessed work-based
project. It must be
suitable, achievable
actions that the
organisation can carry
out in order that the
needs identified in the
project may be put
into place. These
actions may be linked
to time frames.
A test of knowledge
and ability by
questions not known
to the candidate prior
to the examination.
Students may take
notes into the
examination, but
textbooks may not be
used.
A test of knowledge
and ability by
questions not known
to the candidate prior
to the examination.
Students may take
books or notes into
the examination. A
restriction may be
placed on material
allowed into the
examination room
which will be specified
in the course and
examination
documentation.
A test of knowledge
and/or ability
conducted between
an examiner and a
candidate by means
of spoken face-to-face
questioning led by the
examiner in which the
candidate has no
knowledge of the
questions beforehand.
Undergraduate
An unseen open book
examination may
comprise multiple
choice questions, short
answer questions,
gobbets, a single essay
or several essays.
Course documentation
will specify the format if
other than several
essays.
OUT
Outline
A coherent plan of
intended work, the
required format of
which will be
stipulated by the
course organiser.
PCQ
Practice Critique
PCR
Postgraduate Course
Report
PER
Peer Review Exercises
A critical analysis,
which does not
exceed 4000 words,
of a piece of practicebased work,
accompanied by
appropriate supporting
documentation.
A report prepared by
the course tutor based
on a postgraduate
students' performance
and attendance which
is used in addition to a
standard mode of
assessment for that
course (and which
may count towards
formal assessment).
An exercise in
evaluating work
prepared by their
peers. The exercise
assesses students on
Undergraduate
An outline will show the
following: (i) introduction
indicating main thrust of
argument and
justification of this (ii)
division of argument
into sections (iii) list of
main sources to be
used with a note of their
salient points (iv) how
this information will be
integrated into a
conclusion. It is not a
requirement that the
outline be in a standard
prose format. Style may
be telegraphic, using
contractions and
abbreviations and may
include ellipses to
indicate points where
the argument has not
yet been worked
through in detail.
Expected length is 500
words of plan/2000
words of finished essay
- this may be modified
by the course organiser.
PEX
Practical Examination
PFC
Portfolio of Creative
Writing
PGP
Programming Project
PLG
Production Log
PMD
Project Management
Documentation
their evaluation skills.
A practical test, under
examination
conditions, carried out
in the laboratory/field.
A submission of
creative work of one
or more clearly
designated genres
with a short critical
introduction.
A computer program
accompanied by a
report.
The submission of a
production log, usually
to accompany a video,
which does not
exceed 2000 words.
The log must be
written by each
individual student,
even if the video is
produced as a group
project.
A report detailing
management
techniques applied to
a project and draft
dissertation plan for
that project.
A practical examination
may require the
candidate, where
appropriate, to design,
undertake and report on
experimental
procedures; to analyze
the results of these; to
identify specimens; to
demonstrate the ability
to use equipment. The
observation of correct
laboratory/field
protocols (including safe
practice) may be part of
the examination, or the
candidate may be
provided with the
necessary information
to enable him/her to
observe the protocols.
Candidates will be
informed whether the
practical examination is
to be conducted as an
open-book examination
Undergraduate
The accompanying
report should not
exceed 3000 words.
POF
Portfolio
POP
Process Report
PPJ
Performance Project
PPP
Professional Practice
Profile
PPR
Poster Presentation
PRA
Practical Ability
A submission of
specified material
prepared by the
student during a
course or programme.
An in depth discussion
of the therapeutic
process in a single
clinical session
supported by either a
verbatim extract,
usually of twenty
minutes of the
session, or a
recording of the
session (which might
be audio or visual) or
both.
Presentation of a
piece of practicebased performance
work
A summary report
prepared by a
student's school
based mentor drawing
upon prolonged
classroom
observations and
comparing the
student's professional
practice and
performance against
professional
standards.
A two or threedimensional visual
presentation of
information on a
specific topic, aimed
at a particular
audience without the
need for the author's
presence.
An assessment, by
observation, of the
ability to design and
undertake laboratory
work. Technical skills
and observation of
correct laboratory
protocols (including
Normally it will include
short paragraphs of
text, plus bullet points or
lists, and appropriate
graphs, diagrams
and/or pictures.
Guidelines on topics,
intended audience and
specific format will be
provided in course
documents.
PRB
Problem Sets
PRC
Practical Composition
PRE
Presentation
PRJ
Project Feasibility Study
PRO
Project Report
PRP
Practice Paper
safe practice) are
included in the
assessment.
A collection of short
technical problems
requiring quantitative
solutions. Normally
they would need to be
formulated
mathematically and
would then require
mathematical
manipulation and/or
numerical calculation
for their solution.
An examination of
compositional skills, or
those of technical
and/or stylistic
pastiche, by means of
a written
compositional
exercise.
A prepared oral
presentation by a
candidate before
examiner(s), and
possibly peers, where
knowledge, technical
content, ability to
answer questions and
presentational skills
are assessed. Group
presentations have a
similar definition.
(Subsumes oral
presentations, verbal
presentations).
A report detailing a
feasibility study and
initial planning for a
project.
A detailed analysis of
a topic, involving
some original
research undertaken
by the candidate
which makes use of
data and/or primary
sources.
An analysis of social
work practice
undertaken by the
student. It will assess
The maximum length of
submission is published
in the appropriate
course documentation.
PRR
Progress Report
PRS
Precis
PRT
Practical Report
PTE
Practical Test
REC
Recital
REJ
Research Journal
REP
Report
RES
Reflective Essay
intervention skills,
including use of theory
and evaluation of
effectiveness. An
audiotape will usually
be required to
accompany a practice
paper which contains
a detailed record
intervention.
A written composition
submitted on a
quarterly basis during
fieldwork, reporting on
progress towards the
objectives specified in
the Learning Plan.
A short abstract or
summary of a primary
source or text, or of an
essay or dissertation
written by the
candidate.
An exercise which
details results derived
from experimentation,
fieldwork or research
undertaken by the
student.
An examination of
aural and/or keyboard
skills by means such
as dictation, score
reading and aural
analysis.
A 30-minute
presentation of a
piece of music for the
first study instrument
in the presence of the
external examiner.
A journal of fieldnotes
including analysis and
reflection on the
research.
A written report
subject that draws on
knowledge and
material from across a
whole programme.
A written statement or
composition submitted
at the end of the
course or fieldwork
Undergraduate
The word limit is 1000
words.
period (e.g. reflecting
on progress toward
the learning plan or
achievement of
learning outcomes
and/or referring to an
accompanying
portfolio of outputs).
A written critical
review of a published
paper.
A major prepared oral
presentation by a
candidate before two
examiners, reporting
the work of a
substantive research
project, providing a
coherent argument
about the topic
addressed and aiming
to incorporate an
element of originality
in the argument
and/or the evidence
used to support it.
REV
Review Paper
RPR
Research Presentation
RSB
Review of Scientific,
A detailed review of a
Technical (or other)
single book, artwork
Book/Artwork/Performance or performance as
might be included in
the book review
section of a journal,
arts magazine or
quality newspaper.
Research Plan/Proposal
A brief outline of a
research project to
include hypotheses
and methodology.
Study Analysis
An analysis of
Assignment
quantitative data
involving a range of
taught statistical
analyses and an
analysis of
quantitative data
presented in an
appropriate format.
Study Design Assignment A design of a piece of
RSP
SAN
SDA
In the case of the
variant first approved by
the HUMS curriculum
committee:
'Research, knowledge,
powers of analysis,
development of
argument, together with
structure of
presentation, timekeeping, delivery and
technical presentation
skills (eg use of visual
material, use of
PowerPoint or
equivalent) are
assessed. Differs from
Presentation in the
same way that
Dissertation differs from
essay'.
SFA
SFP
SFW
research on a specific
topic which will
address, inter alia,
details of sampling,
controls and practical
questions of
procedure, design,
statistical power and
ethics plus an
indication of the
approach to analysing
the primary outcome
measures.
Software Assignment
A project authored in
a specified code. The
project must be
accompanied by a
written report that
explains the aims of
the project and how
they were achieved.
Short Software Project and A software project
Written Assignment
accompanied by a
report. This should be
a substantial and
completely functional
stand-alone project.
The report should
explain the aims of the
project and how these
were achieved.
Long Software Project and The project may be
Written Assignment
experimental or a
prototype which
illustrates how a fully
functional version
would operate.
Alternatively it might
be in the form of a
contribution to a larger
project realised by a
team.
SMP
Software Manual Page
SNP
Synthesis Paper
A detailed description
of the mode of use of
a software package as
might be available via
a Unix manual page.
A written composition
based upon individual
research and
fieldwork, integrating
practical experience
Postgraduate
The report should
explain the aims of the
project and how these
were achieved. In the
case of a contribution to
a larger project, the
report should make
clear exactly what was
the author's
contribution, and how it
related to work done by
others.
SOE
Software Exercise
STA
Statistical Assessment
STP
Short Term Paper
SUP
Supervisor's Report
TAP
Take Away Paper
TDE
Toolbox Design Exercise
with theoretical
knowledge.
An investigation into a
software related
problem, together with
an appropriate report
on the results of the
investigation.
The use of data on
development
indicators to apply
simple quantitative
analysis techniques
and to interpret the
results.
A written piece of
work normally
concerned with an
aspect of academic
work covered in a
single term.
A written report
prepared by the
student's clinical
supervisor in
consultation with the
student on the
student's ability to
work safely and
competently within
predetermined criteria.
An examination
completed within a
specified period of
time (not normally
exceeding three days
for undergraduates)
from the time of the
unseen question(s), in
which candidates may
use notes and/or
texts.
A report which (a)
describes a selected
set of tools for
contributing to the
management of a
specified business
project, and (b)
critically evaluates
these with respect to
their appropriateness
for the project and
their implementability.
THR
Therapy Report
TPA
Typesetting Assessment
TPC
Teaching Practice
TPE
Tape
TPL
Tape and Log
TST
Test
TUT
Tutor's Report
A factual report
obtained by the
student from his/her
therapist at the end of
the programme to
confirm the number,
frequency and dates
of the student's
personal therapy.
Mathematical
typesetting skills using
LaTeX.
A practical
demonstration of
teaching plus any
required associated
documents (e.g.
lesson plan, prepared
teaching material) as
specified in course
documentation.
The submission of an
audio-recorded piece
of electronic music,
produced by a group
or an individual, of a
pre-determined
length.
The submission of an
audio-recorded piece
of electronic music,
produced by a group
or an individual, of a
pre-determined
length, and of a
production log, by
each individual
student, not
exceeding 2000
words.
A written test,
administered within
the timetabled
teaching period
A written report
prepared by the
student's workshop
tutor in consultation
with the student on
the student's ability in
counselling
workshops and case
presentations to
demonstrate safe and
UEX
Unseen Examination
UGT
Undergraduate Thesis
VDR
Video and Report
VID
Video
competent work within
predetermined criteria.
A test of knowledge
and ability by
questions(s) not
known to the
candidate prior to the
examination.
A detailed analysis of
a topic, including a
significant component
of original research
undertaken by the
candidate which
makes use of data
and/or primary
sources.
The submission of a
video, produced by a
group or an individual,
of a predetermined
length, and of a report
(which might, but
need not, be in the
form of a production
log) by each individual
student.
The submission of a
video, produced by a
group or an individual,
of a pre-determined
length.
Undergraduate
An unseen examination
may comprise multiplechoice questions, shortanswer questions,
gobbets, a single essay
or several essays.
Course documentation
will specify the format if
other than several
essays. Where a new
unseen examination is
introduced a specimen
paper will be provided.
(Arts only: The duration
of unseen examinations
will be either one-and-ahalf hours or three
hours. A three hour
examination may
consist of two one-anda-half hour papers
combined into a single
paper).
The maximum length of
submission is published
in the appropriate
course documentation.
WBP
Web Page
WSB
Written submission
A hypermedia
presentation, which
may use any
combination of text,
graphic, or other
media as appropriate,
and may use
hypertext links to
move between the
parts of the
presentation. The
Web page should be
viewable using
standard software as
specified in course
documentation.
A piece of text of
specified length
accompanying a
project.