Advice & advocacy

Assessment concerns by coursework students

Examples of queries concerning assessment by coursework students are:

• unfair assessment;

• failing a unit(s);

• unfair examination questions;

• unfair examination process;

• lack of criteria for assessment of group assignments where not all members contribute equally.

Where a student feels that their work has been marked incorrectly they should first contact their lecturer and/or tutor and ask to view the work concerned. If the student feels aggrieved by the mark he/she can request an independent remark. Students should be clear about the criteria and basis for the marking before contacting the lecturer. Being unhappy with a mark is not a ground for appeal. There must be evidence of error in the marking process. The Assessment of Coursework Policy deals with fail marks verification. It states that:

“The rights of students to have assessed work re-marked shall be determined at faculty and department level, with reference to the work and time involved for staff. Faculties should notify students of their policy on re-assessment of work. However, each faculty must have a process (reported to, and approved by, Academic Board) for verifying fail marks which contribute to a final fail result. This requirement shall not apply to pieces of work completed during the course of a unit each of which is worth no more than 10 per cent of the final mark, unless the total of such pieces exceeds 30 per cent of the final mark.”

If a student has passed a unit but is not happy with the assessment of their essay/report they should first discuss this with the tutor, lecturer or subject co-ordinator. If this does not resolve the matter they can contact the course co-ordinator and then the Head of Department. Each faculty also has Grievance officers who may be contacted at any stage of the process. A mark will not usually be altered:

• except in circumstances where (a) special consideration has been granted to the student in question or (b) the department/faculty is correcting an error made on entering the mark;

• furthermore, this alteration would require the agreement of the relevant department (that which teaches or offers the unit) and must take into account the implications of the changed mark for all students enrolled in the unit.

Monash University has a number of policies dealing with different aspects of assessment including special consideration. These include:-

Alternative Arrangements for Assessment Policy

Alternative Arrangements for Assessment Procedures

Assessment of Coursework Policy

Assessment of Coursework Procedures

Blind Marking of Examinations Policy

Blind Marking of Examinations Procedures

Examinations Policy

Examinations Procedures

Grading Scale Policy

Grading Scale Procedures

Graduate/Postgraduate Assessment Policy

Result Upload & Amendment Policy

Result Upload & Amendment Procedures

Special Consideration Policy

Special Consideration Procedures

If you have a complaint about exam questions not making sense, an invigilator would usually contact the relevant academic to clarify the situation at the time of the exam.

If a student asks an invigilator the meaning of a question or word in a question, the invigilator is instructed not to assist in the interpretation of questions. Students should try to do the best they can. Invigilators are not permitted to interpret words or questions for students.  This is because they are not academics, and do not have any special knowledge of the area and there is a risk that even in interpreting a non-technical phrase, they could be providing the wrong information.

Examinations Invigilator Handbooks can be obtained from exams@adm.monash.edu.au

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