Coursework
In-person exams
Exams are mainly used to test your knowledge across the length of a course/module. During an in-person exam, students complete a time-limited form of assessment under the same conditions on a specific date and time, and at a specified venue.
Exams can vary in question types from essay-based to multiple choice. They can also be used for performance-based courses such as music or languages, and competency-based courses such as OCSEs in clinical practice.
Important to know: Exams will take a variety of formats, including both online and the return to in-person exams. Therefore, on your exam timetable, you may find that they include some in-person exams. You will see your exam location listed on your timetable. You can view the exam timetable within our article When are assessment periods and when will I get my exam timetable?.
Online exams (remote & in-person)
An online exam is a time-restricted exam where most aspects of the assessment process, design, student production, submission and marking/feedback are conducted online. These exams, in general, are held remotely but some are held in-person in a traditional exam hall.
Important to know: Multi-factor authentication
You will need to ensure that you have multi-factor authenticator installed on your smartphone prior to coming to the exam. This will enable you to log into the laptops provided for the exams. Please visit Sharepoint for more information.
What format will my exam be in?
The information below may vary according to the module and programme you are taking and will be confirmed by your department/faculty in advance. The format of your remote online exams is likely to be one of the following:
24-hour submissions
If you have an assessment that is listed as a 24-hour duration this could be in one of two formats:
- You will have 24 hours from the date and time on your timetable to complete and submit your assessment via KEATS. It is not expected that assessments should take any longer to complete than the original allowed time e.g 3 hours.
- You will have 24 hours from the date and time on your timetable within which you may open your assessment. Once the assessment has been opened, you will have an allocated amount of time to complete the assessment e.g 3 hours. The timing will begin once opened.
Timed Submissions (4 hours or less)
For a timed online assessment, the window for submission begins at the date and time shown on your timetable. You will not be able to access this assessment after the allotted time has passed.
Safeguarding academic standards during online assessments
Important to know:
- If you have overlapping 24-hour assessments within your timetable, you are expected to manage your time throughout this period to submit your assessments before the submission deadlines.
- Your department/faculty will advise you whether there are any specific requirements for a remote online exam, such as a word count, referencing, restricted access to resources/referencing material, and whether an ID check will be conducted.
- For more information on open, limited, and closed exams at King's read our article What’s the difference between open, limited, and closed book exams?