MSc International Management
Generic Examination Guidance
Derrick Chong
1
Role of the College in the Exam Process
• The College, as part of the University of London, takes
the exam process very seriously
• The College sets the exam timetable not the School
• With your exam timetable, you receive an exam
candidate number
• Any infractions of the College’s exam regulations will be
noted by the invigilators
– Consequences can be severe (e.g., a mark of 0% being
awarded for the exam or termination of degree
registration)
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Purpose of Generic Exam Guidance
• Pre-exam, exam day, and post-exam guidance
• This guidance session is generic, which is of particular
interest for those who are reading (studying) at a British
university for the first time
• Please refer to the individual courses for guidance that is
specific
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MN5111 – International Accounting & Finance
MN5113 – International Marketing Business Economics
MN5114 – International Strategy
MN5118 – Business Economics
MN5121 – Information Systems & Operations Management
MN5131 – International HRM & OB
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Pre-Exam Stage
Role of Past Exams
• Past exams for all courses can be assessed via Moodle
and the College Library’s online portal
• Past exams, unless indicated otherwise by the
instructor, provide a good indication of exam rubrics
– Style of questions (form)
– Subject matter of questions (content)
– Number of questions / time length
• Do not memorize responses to previous exam
questions
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Exam Rubrics
Code
Course Title
Duration
Rubrics
•
MN5111
International Accounting & Finance
3hrs
•
•
MN5113
International Marketing
•
Section A – 6 out of 10
questions;
Section B – 2 out of 6 questions
•
3 out of 6 questions
•
3 out of 5 questions
•
•
Section A – 2 out of 5 questions
Section B – 2 out of 5 questions
•
3 out of 8 questions
3hrs
MN5114
International Strategy
3hrs
MN5118
Business Economics
3hrs
MN5121
IS and Operations Management
3hrs
MN5131
International HRM & OB
3hrs
Section A – 1 compulsory
question;
Section B – 2 out of 5 questions
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Pre-Exam Stage
Exam Preparation
• Establish a revision schedule
– It should take into account the exam schedule
– It should take into account your particular areas of
strength and weakness (re: core courses)
• It is unlikely that instructors will repeat questions from
one year to the next
• Many exams offer choice, which may influence your
study habits
• Do not focus too narrowly on topics
• Do not limit yourself to the bare minimum
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Pre-Exam Stage
Revision Resources
• Even if you do not to gather any more material, a
reasonable amount is at your disposal
– Assigned readings, lecture notes, and other materials
uploaded onto Moodle
– Readings you collected to complete assignments
– In-class tests
– Additional material can be obtained from the usual
sources (e.g., business press, Business Source
Premier, ABI-Inform)
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Contact with Instructors in April and May
• For consultations outside the teaching term, there is
limited availability; email is the best mode of contact,
though instructors may not be able to respond
• Note that instructors are not permitted to assess mock
answers to past exam questions
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Exam Day
• Ensure you have the right day, time, and location of the
exam: arrive about 15 mins before the start
• Seating is allocated by your exam candidate number
• Bring 2-3 pens (blue or black ink); do not use a pencil
• There is no need for white-out or highlighters; crossout any errors
• Bring a watch – to monitor your use of time – as
mobiles are not allowed and direct sight of the clock in
the room may be limited
• Dictionaries are not permitted
• Calculators will be provided, if required
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How to Allocate Your Time
• Read the instructions
– How much time is allocated?
– How many questions must be answered?
– Are there compulsory questions/sections?
• Spend the first 5-10 mins reading the entire exam – that
is all the exam questions – and decide which ones you
will answer
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How to Allocate Your Time (cont’d)
• In responding, ensure that time is spent on a question
in proportion to the marks allocated to the question
– E.g., answer 3 essay titles from a list in 3 hours: each
is worth one-third of the available marks, means 4555 mins each; do not over-run on the first question
as you will be at a disadvantage in answering the
others
– E.g., with problem sets, note how the marks are
allocated; show your work to be awarded part marks
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During the Exam
• Try to stay calm
• Start each question on a new page
• Legible handwriting is important as it will aid the markers in
assessing your work; illegible handwriting may result in the exam
not being assessed (i.e., you will be asked to re-sit the exam)
• If you need any assistance during the exam – such as another
exam booklet or to go to the toilet – raise your hand to alert an
invigilator
• Do not leave your seat without permission
• Do not talk
• At the end of the exam, you will be asked to tie the exam
booklets together in sequential order with a piece of string; if you
are unsure how to do this, ask an invigilator for assistance
• Invigilators report all exam infractions to the Academic Registrar
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Answering ‘Essay’ Questions
• Ensure that your answer is a direct response to the
question, rather than merely addressing the topic
implied in the question
• Common formats
– Direct question or set of questions (why and how)
– Based on a quote (discuss/analyze/critique)
– Compare/contrast (relationship)
• Each response requires engagement with the essay title;
it is unusual to be asked to provide a list or description
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Answering ‘Essay’ Questions (cont’d)
• Do not memorize responses to popular topics (or
questions from past exam papers)
• Do not identify the question as about ‘X’ and then
proceed to write all you know about ‘X’
– The question is probably posed in a manner to force
you to tackle a statement (or statements) about ‘X’
• References to relevant literature and practical examples
are deemed as highly appropriate for a full and
complete response
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Answering ‘Numerical’ Questions or Problem Sets
• Show your calculations (workings) in the exam booklet
not the exam script
– Partial marks are awarded
– Some errors in calculation can be carried forward in
how marks are awarded
– Note that the exam script is separated from the
exam booklet
• Do not leave questions blank
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Exam Marking/Assessment Procedure
• Course instructors serve as first markers; this helps to ensure
consistency and fairness
• For marking criteria and classification system, see the
Postgraduate Student Handbook on the School’s website
– 70-100% (Distinction)
– 60-69% (Merit)
– 50-59% (Pass)
– 40-49% (Fail – Condonable)
– 0-39% (Fail – Non-Condonable)
• Your performance vis-à-vis others sitting the exam is considered,
thus there is a sense of relative marking
• External examiners – a fundamental feature of the UK university
system – tell us to ‘mark the range’
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Post-Exam
• Candidates who have condonable and non-condonable
fails will be contacted by the School (re: options
available, including re-sits in August 2012)
• There is no formal progression to the IRP stage
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