Library Subject Guides
We'll now explore how you will be assessed at university, including the different types of assignments you might be asked to complete and how to work with your feedback.
You will receive marks for each formal piece of work you complete at university, which will determine how well you have met the requirements of each module and your overall degree. Depending on your degree you’ll come across a range of different types of assessment, such as essays, exams, presentations and posters. You’ll learn to manage your time effectively to succeed in your studies and to interpret your feedback to improve your academic performance.
You’ll hear the word ‘assessment’ a lot at university, but what does it actually mean? There are two broad types of assessment which you will come across: formative and summative. You will ordinarily be given an explanation of the assessment methods at the start of each module, or you will find this information on the module site on the VLE.
Formative assessment is any task which you are asked to undertake during a module, but which does not directly contribute to your final mark. You would usually expect to receive some feedback for a formative assessment, for example written comments on a draft of your essay or some verbal feedback for a practice presentation. There will be lots of opportunities for formative feedback throughout a module and these are designed to help you with the final, formal assessment.
Summative assessments are those which contribute to the mark you receive for a module. Depending on the module requirements you might have a single assessment to complete which accounts for 100% of your final mark, or perhaps several smaller components which are combined together to calculate the overall mark. You would normally complete a summative assessment (or the final piece of a multi-part assessment) towards the end of the module. Almost all summative assessments will have a fixed deadline for you to submit the piece of work. Get into the habit of checking and rechecking deadlines in advance to stay organised and avoid potential penalties.
For each of your modules you will receive a final mark from the assessment(s) you have completed. These marks are ultimately combined to determine your final degree classification, which is the award you receive upon completion of your degree. See below for a breakdown of undergraduate degree classifications in the UK.
First Class (1st): 70% and above
Upper Second Class (2:1): 60-69%
Lower Second Class (2:2): 50-59%
Third Class (3rd): 40-49%
At school you might be used to earning marks of 90% or higher, but this is relatively uncommon at university. Receiving a 70 or above is a fantastic achievement and something to aim for, but marks at a 2:1 or 2:2 level are more common. You’ll gradually learn how to improve your marks through adapting your style to what’s required in your degree and by deepening your knowledge of the subject.
The majority of degrees in the UK are awarded "with honours". You'll see this after the type of degree in the degree title e.g. BA (Hons) Archaeology. Graduating with honours highlights your academic achievement and having reached a certain academic standard through your coursework. Completing your degree with a mark lower than 40 might result in your graduating without honours, but this will vary by institution.
In your degree (and depending on your department) you might be asked to complete a range of different types of assessment, from traditional essays to more technical tasks such as creating a video. Each module might look a little different in terms of which assessment(s) you will complete, but that module leader will have chosen it for a reason; they’re likely looking for you to develop a specific skill set which is best supported by that assessment type.
We’ve summarised below some of the main types of assessment you might come across with links to additional support, although this is not an exhaustive list. In all cases be sure to check the specific assessment guidelines for your module. Your module leader can help if you’re not sure where to start.
For your assessments you will usually have specific criteria to follow from your department about what’s expected from you. These will set out the requirements for you to achieve each marking classification, for example how you should demonstrate your subject knowledge or the level of evidence expected to support your arguments. It’s sensible to check these criteria when you start any new assignments, as they’re your blueprint for how to approach the work.
You’ll also have guidelines for each assessment, which set out the specific requirements for that assignment. That might include, for example, the assessment type, whether it’s an individual or group assignment and the word count (or equivalent for non-written assessments). Pay close attention to the assessment guidelines to ensure that you’re doing what’s been asked of you.
Remember too to check the module learning outcomes, as the assessment will have been designed to help you achieve these. It's worth checking these regularly through the module and when you're completing your assessment, which ensures that you're placing that assessment in the context of the module and its expected outcomes. You'll likely have had the module learning outcomes explained to you at the start of the module, or you can read them on the module catalogue.
At university you’ll often be working on multiple modules and assignments simultaneously, and that’s before you factor in societies, clubs, part-time jobs and other extracurricular activities. With juggling so many different priorities, excellent time management skills will be crucial to your success and to avoid cramming everything in before your deadlines.
It’s advisable early in your studies to devise some techniques and strategies to manage your time effectively; by planning ahead and staying on top of things you’ll avoid a lot of frustration and duplicated effort. Read our guide to being organised for lots of tips on time management and planning.
There’s not a rule book for how much time you should spend studying, but you might find it helpful to think of it like a full time job (so around 35 to 40 hours a week). That time would include your lectures, seminars and other contact hours as well as your independent study time.
Remember, however, that studying for longer periods of time doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get more done; you need to be efficient and make the best use of whatever time you have available to you. It’s important to take regular breaks and ensure that you have a good balance between your study time and other commitments; just because you can pull an all-nighter before a deadline, it doesn’t mean that you should!
We’ve noted on this page that you will receive a mark (or marks) for each of your assignments. For many assessments you will also receive feedback about your work, usually incorporating what you’ve done well and areas where you need to improve. Feedback is a really important way for you to develop your academic skills whilst at university, so it’s crucial to check your feedback carefully and to consider how you’re going to put it into practice for your next assignment.
You will develop approaches for interpreting and working with your feedback. Think about how you can make sense of the feedback and turn it into a practical action plan for the future. Our guide to understanding your assignment feedback can help.
Degree classification: your final result awarded at the end of your degree
Formative assessment: tasks within a module which improve your understanding and prepare you for the final assessment, but which do not directly contribute to your mark
Summative assessment: the module assignment, which determines your mark for the module and contributes to your final degree class
