Assessment information and FAQs

 

Find out about the help and support available to you as you prepare for your assessments, alongside answers to frequently asked questions. 


Assessment support

Study support to help you prepare for assessments

Preparing for your assessments

There is a range of support to help you prepare for exams, as well as online assessments. More information about specific support  including: 

  • Academic support is available across LSE - resources will be available from your class teachers, academic faculty and departments
  • Our exam pages have lots of useful information to help you understand the logistics of taking exams at LSE
  • LSE LIFE has a range of support and resources available to you to help you do your best in your exams, including: 

    1. Online resources on Moodle
     
    2.. Assessment-related workshops and events
     
    3. Study advisers who can give you help and advice on sitting exams 
     
    4. Exams and assessment resources all in one place to help you prepare

    5. Tips and advice for writing your exams by hand

    6. Find information about upcoming events and subscribe to LSE LIFE’s weekly update for more information. 
  • Find and navigate further support using the Student Support Map.

Central exam adjustments (CEAs)

The purpose of Central Exam Adjustments (CEAs) is to provide an environment that gives all students an equal opportunity in exams.

CEAs for students with a disability, specific learning difficulty or long-term health conditon

If you have a documented medical, physical or mental health condition and/or a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia or dyspraxia, CEAs are available within the School’s regulations. 

If you have a disability or long-term health condition and you do not have My Adjustments or CEAs in place, please visit the DWS webpages to make the necessary arrangements.  

Short term CEAs

You can also be considered for short term CEAs if you experience a short term or unexpected medical condition just before or during the exam period and you are able to apply by the deadline.

CEAs and online assessments

If you already have My Adjustments and / or Central Exam Adjustments (CEAs) in place, these will be applied to online assessments as follows: 

  • Letters of Notification will be provided for all assessments, as specified in the relevant My Adjustments / CEA.  

  • For assessments that take place over a 24-hour period or longer: these assessments have been designed to allow each student the flexibility to plan and balance the tasks required across the whole assessment period. As such, CEAs granting extra time will not be applied to this format of assessment.

More information about this and how we can support you is available on the central exam adjustments webpages

 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) 

Find information about assessments taking place in the Summer Term assessment period.

In-person exam FAQs

What happens if there is disruption to my studies, assessments, or exams?

LSE is putting measures in place to minimise any disruption to exams. However, if an exam is disrupted, staff will be notified and it will be recorded. Students who feel they were particularly affected should still submit individual Exceptional Circumstances.

If your preparation for an exam is disrupted and you feel unable to sit it, you can request to defer, but you must do this at least 24 hours before the exam starts. Find out more about this on our exams pages

We will continue to ensure students can access spaces to carry out any coursework, in-person or take-home exams, project assignments and all other summative assessments. 

When is the next exam period?

Information about forthcoming exam periods can be found on the exam timetable webpage.This includes all January, Spring Term, and resit periods. 

If you have other assessments during this time, for example online assessments of more than 24 hours, project work, coursework or essays, these will not show in your exam timetable. Please check with course conveners and departments for more information about these assessments. 

Where can I find the exam timetable and what information is included?

The course-by course timetable shows the date and start time of all exams taking place on campus and certain online assessments of 24 hours or shorter. Personal exam timetables, which are released later, show the room and seat you have been allocated for in-person exams. 

Your personal exam timetable is published on LSE for You and in your Student Hub calendar.

Publishing dates for the course-by-course timetable and your personal timetable are available on the exam timetable webpage. The course-by-course timetable is also published on this page.

View exam timetable dates and information

For all other forms of assessments, including online assessments longer than 24 hours and coursework assessments, please contact the department that teaches the course for submission guidelines and dates. These assessments will not appear in the exam timetable.

What should I do if I'm unwell for an exam?

We understand that you might be anxious about being unable to sit an in-person exam due to illness. If you become unwell before or during an assessment, we will do all that we can to support you and advise you of your options.  

LSE operates a fit to sit policy, which means you should only sit your assessments - whether it's an in-person exam or an online / take home assessment - if you feel well enough to so. If you are unwell, you can defer to the next appropriate resit and deferred assessment period.

What to do if you become unwell during assessments

If you are concerned about your ability to sit an assessment due to illness or any other reason, you can reach out to LSE’s Student Advice and Engagement team for information and support.

Why does LSE have a fit to sit policy?

Like many universities, LSE thinks it’s reasonable to place the responsibility on students to decide whether they are well enough to sit an exam or submit coursework – you are best placed to know this. You should think very carefully if you are fit to take the assessment. If you’re not fit, you should defer.

What happens if I’m too ill to defer?

You should submit Exceptional Circumstances (ECs), with evidence that demonstrates that you were too ill to engage with the deferral process.

What if I’m not completely fit to sit, or if I must sit an assessment because I have a job offer and I can’t wait for the resit period?

The advice remains that if you are not fit to sit, you should defer. If you think your performance has been affected in an assessment you can submit Exceptional Circumstances (ECs) for the Exam Board to consider, but you will need to demonstrate why you took the assessment if you weren’t fit to do so and why you didn’t defer. Remember – if your ECs are accepted, your mark still won’t change.

I'm scheduled to sit an e-Exam. What does this mean?

Some exams are e-Exam enabled. These are exams that take place in-person and under invigilated exam conditions, but instead of completing your exam by hand, you use your own personal laptop to type your answers and submit electronically. You can opt to complete the exam by hand if you prefer. 

For more information, and to check which courses are exampined by e-Exam, visit the e-Exam webpage


General assessment FAQs

Online / coursework assessment FAQs

1. How long should I spend on a 24-hour assessment? 

You'll be provided with guidance by the department that teaches the course on how long to work on your assessment within the 24-hour window. 

These assessments have been designed to be fully completed within a specific number of hours, and not the entire 24-hour period between release and the submission deadline. This gives you the flexibility to plan and balance the tasks required across the whole assessment period.

2. What happens if I have technical issues submitting my assessment? 

LSE's Tech Support team (Tech.Support@lse.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 7107 5000).

3. What happens if I submit my assessment late? 

If you think you won't be able to meet a deadline, you may wish to consider applying for an extension or a deferral. 

However, in order to ensure the academic integrity of the School’s assessments and its awards, it is necessary to apply late mark penalties where an assessment is received after the published deadline or agreed extension.

A full list of late penalties can be found under the ‘Late Submission Penalties’ section of the assessment discipline and academic misconduct webpage.  

Students who encounter exceptional difficulties outside of their control that might prevent them submitting on time should submit Exceptional Circumstances within the normal deadline. You may also wish to contact the relevant academic department responsible for the assessment as soon as possible after submission to explain why you were unable to submit on time.

Note: If there are any professional accreditation requirements, then it is possible the late penalties may differ slightly. This will be confirmed by the department responsible for the course.

4. What if some students spend more time completing assessments than others? 

There will be no advantage to spending longer on an assessment than the amount of specified time it is expected to take to complete. Students who clearly demonstrate their understanding of a topic and an ability to respond logically to the question or task, will gain the marks they need. 

When an assignment is marked, it is clear how long has been spent on it, especially when something has been drafted and re-written, and this is not the basis on which your work will be assessed.  

Academic integrity: what is it an how does LSE ensure it is maintained during assessments?

1. What is academic integrity?

All the work you submit to the School is expected to be 100% your own. Conferring  or collaborate with someone on your assessment is academic misconduct.

You must also ensure all sources (which includes books, articles, online resources) used in your work are correctly referenced.

Understanding how to reference correctly will help you to ensure you maintain academic integrity and avoid plagiarism in your assessments. There are also lots of resources to help you with citing and referencing: 

Before you submit an assessment, you should read and understand the School’s regulations on referencing and plagiarism. 

Plagiarism is a very serious matter and there may be penalties applied that impact on your award.

Read more about academic integrity and School Assessment Regulations

2. How does LSE ensure academic integrity is maintained in assessments? 

There are lots of ways LSE is working to ensure that academic integrity is maintained throughout online assessment/coursework periods, and that any instances of academic misconduct are either prevented or detected.

These include our academic regulations, including the LSE Code of Good PracticeLSE plagiarism regulations and LSE’s regulations on assessment offences other than plagiarism.

When you upload an assessment, you will be asked to indicate your commitment to abide by and uphold these regulations, and any department guidelines. This is known as the Academic Integrity Statement.

Once you have submitted your work, LSE carries out checks to ensure the academic integrity of your work.

3. What do developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools mean for assessments and acadmic integrity? 

LSE continues to closely follow ongoing developments in generative Artificial Intelligence Tools (AI) and their potential impact on assessment and education.

 Read the School's full statement on AI

You should also check your department's policy on the use of generative AI tools. 

Deferral / resit assessment FAQs

1. How do I find out what the format of my deferred or resit assessment(s) will be? 

Please contact the department responsible for the course, as they will be able to provide information about the format of any resit or deferred assessments that you will be taking.


2. I’ve deferred / need to resit an assessment. When will I take my assessment? 

For undergraduate students:

  • Any assessment deferred during the academic year (i.e. from the January or Spring Term Exam Periods or coursework during the teaching terms) will take place in the Undergraduate Resit and Deferred Assessment Period (Undergraduate IRDAP) in late summer - usually August
  • Any assessment deferred from the Undergraduate IRDAP will take place in the following academic year depending on the normal schedule for that assessment.

For postgraduate students: 

  • Any assessment deferred during the academic year (i.e. from the January or Spring Term Exam Periods or coursework during the teaching terms) will take place in the Postgraduate Resit and Deferred Assessment Period (Postgraduate RDAP) in January the following academic year.
  • Any assessment deferred from the Postgraduate RDAP in January will take place in the May/June (Spring Term) Exam Period later that year (Postgraduate RDAP2).


3. Is the Graduate Route open to me as a postgraduate student taking a deferred or resit assessment?

The majority of students taking assessments in the Postgraduate Resit and Deferred Assessment Period (RDAP) will not be able to access the Graduate Route, and only those with very particular circumstances may be eligible.

Please speak to LSE's Student Advice and Engagement team for information and advice about how taking RDAP assessments will affect your visa status.

Extensions, deferrals, and exceptional circumstances

Please review the Extensions, Deferrals and Exceptional Circumstances student guidance for more information.   

International students should discuss potential visa implications with the Student Advice and Engagement team before making a decision to defer an assessment.

1. How can I apply for an extension?

If you are struggling to meet a deadline due to circumstances outside of your control, you can request an extension for assessments lasting more than 24 hours. You should request an extension before the submission deadline of your coursework assessment.

Requesting an extension 


2. How can I request a deferral? 

LSE understands that unfortunate circumstances may arise that impact your ability to perform in an assessment. There is a fit to sit/ fit to submit policy - when you attempt a summative assessment, you are declaring yourself fit to complete it. “Fit” in this instance does not only apply just to physical or mental health, but other factors which may affect your academic performance. You need to decide if you are fit and able to sit and if you’re not, you should defer. 

If you find yourself in a situation where you are not able to attempt or complete an assessment, or obtain a suitable extension, you should request a deferral. You will need to give a reason for your request, with a clear supporting statement, and evidence that corroborates your statement. 

Requesting a deferral


3. How do I submit Exceptional Circumstances (ECs)?

If you do not request a deferral in time and then feel that your performance was affected by your circumstances, or if you were unable to submit the assessment at all, you must submit Exceptional Circumstances (ECs) for consideration.

Likewise, if you attempt an assessment but decide that your circumstances had a significant detrimental impact on your performance in a way you could not have fully anticipated, you should submit ECs. The School defines these circumstances as “sudden, unforeseen, out of the student’s own control and proximate to the assessment(s) in question.” 

Submitting ECs


4. What evidence is required for extensions / deferrals / Exceptional Circumstances?

Guidance on our evidence requirements, such as what can be accepted as evidence, are available on the extensions, deferrals, and Exceptional Circumstances webpages.

5. If I defer my assessment(s) to the Resit and Deferred Assessment Period, will any of my marks/grades be capped? 

If you defer your assessment and sit/submit it for the first time in an undergraduate or postgraduate resit and deferred assessment period, your mark will not be capped.   
 
If you defer a resit attempt, this will be capped at Pass for the purpose of degree classification. The actual (uncapped) mark that you achieve in the course will be included in your academic transcript. More information about capping can be found on the re-entry webpages.


6. I’m an undergraduate student - if I defer my assessment(s), do I assume that I have completed the year and select next year's courses as usual?

Undergraduate students who defer any assessment during the academic year will be entered to take their outstanding assessments in the next undergraduate Resit and Deferred Assessment Period (IRDAP).

The undergraduate IRDAP allows undergraduate students to attempt to meet the progression requirements in time for the start of the next academic year. If you have not yet progressed when you receive your results in July, but may be able to progress once you complete RDAP, you can select your courses for your next year of study as normal.

If you are unable to progress following the IRDAP, Student Services will remove courses you have selected from your record, and you will be expected to take your outstanding assessments during the following academic year as an non-enrolled student.


7. I’m in the first/second year of my undergraduate studies – what do I need to pass by the end of the academic year to be able to progress to my next year of study? 

Students in their first year of a BA or BSc programme must pass at least three units to be eligible to progress to their second year. Students in their second year of a BA or BSc programme must pass at least seven units from their first and second year combined to be eligible to progress to their third year. A failed unit, a deferred assessment, or an assessment from which you are absent will be counted as a non-passed unit.  
 
There are different progression rules for the LLB. If you are an LLB student, you should refer to your academic department and information in the LLB Classification Scheme.  
 
More details about re-entry can be found on the re-entry webpages and information about what happens if you are unable to progress can be found at this link.


8. I’m in the final year of my undergraduate studies – do I need to pass all courses in order to be awarded? 

As a final year student, you will be awarded a degree if you attempt all assessments and as long as you fail no more than three whole units overall. If you have deferred any assessments, you will need to attempt these before you are eligible for the award of the degree.

If, having attempted all assessments you can be classified for a degree then you will be awarded, and you will not be able to resit any failed assessments. If you have failed one unit at the point of classification, you will not be penalised. If you fail more than one unit and are awarded a degree, penalty rules may be applied, as outlined in the three year or four year BA/BSc Classification Schemes. 

If you cannot be awarded in July, you will be re-entered for all outstanding assessments in the undergraduate IRDAP and awarded, if possible, in September.  

There are different award rules for the LLB – if you are an LLB student, you should refer to your academic department and information in the LLB Classification Scheme.  

When can I expect to receive my provisional marks and /or my final results?

Please refer to the publication of results webpages for a full list of results publication dates.


If you have further questions about assessments at LSE, please use the dedicated Student Services enquiry form.