Support in assessments

Open Notes Examinations  

For some modules part of your assessment might be open notes examinations.  It is advisable to read the guidance below before taking any open notes examinations.  

Open notes examinations allow you to access your learning materials during the time allocated for the examination. You will be able to refer to your notes, textbooks, search engines and other resources that you have available as a relevant aid for answering the questions.   

There are two types of open notes examinations: 

1. Online (open book) exams – these are similar to offline exams and are time limited. They are taken in exam conditions and the learner is present and visible for the duration of the exam.  With open notes, you are free to consult your lecture notes, books and other resources (including online content) during the exam. 

 

2. Online (take-home) long exams – these are time limited with a longer duration, such as from 8 hours up to a week. You are not expected to work continuously and be online for the entire exam duration.   

Why open notes examinations?  

Open notes examinations are designed to assess beyond memorisation, assessing knowledge, capability and the appropriate application of reference materials. An open notes exam aims to assess your critical application of the course material. It will test your understanding of what you have learnt and your application of that knowledge. Open notes does not mean the exam will be easier or require less preparation. 

Open notes assessments: 

• focus on higher level learning skills and test your understanding of a subject matter or its application to a real-world problem, rather than only recalling knowledge. 

• draw upon a range of intellectual skills to test your understanding of the “big picture” of your module(s) and how the concepts you have learnt work together. 

• typically require students to formulate, compare or contrast, analyse, synthesise, apply or evaluate information, rather than simply remember it. 

For example, you might be given a problem or scenario and asked to apply concepts from different parts of the module to develop your answer.   

Preparing for open notes examinations 

You still need to prepare and study for an open notes examination. Many of the usual methods to prepare for exams still apply.  In an open notes exam it’s a mistake to assume you can just prepare by having all your reference materials to hand. Without preparation, your notes, internet sources, textbooks and other reference materials, access to email, peers and social media can easily become unhelpful and time-consuming. For example, it’s unlikely during the exam you’ll have time to fully review your notes, watch lecture casts, re-read your textbooks, discover new information or do extensive reference searches etc.   

By preparing well beforehand you should feel a sense of achievement by drawing all the knowledge and skills you have learnt together. You should approach the assessment already having studied all key concepts and topics.   

Good preparation and organisation for open notes examinations includes: 

• ensure you have an appropriate, quiet space with limited distractions in which to sit your online exam. 

• ensure you have a reliable internet and power connection. 

• Replicate exam conditions in your environment, clear desk, test IT connection, ensure comfort and privacy and have a clock/alarm device to view. 

• Read through the examination guidance provided for that exam in advance. It should have information about date, duration, submission requirements. Know where and what time the exam will be available. 

• check access to and familiarise yourself with the exam platform. 

• plan your submission, don’t leave the upload until the very last minute. 

• check if you have completed any practice submissions that may have been provided for accessing and submitting your response(s). For example, if you’ve been advised to handwrite some of your responses (e.g. equations, graphs or diagrams), practise the process for scanning/photographing handwritten content in advance. Check the quality of these ‘mock’ documents is acceptable. 

• have the examination contact details for AA to hand, such as the email address, in the event of any issues. 

• Seek advice if needed from your tutor or Advance Assessments if you have any queries.   

• For longer exams, where you may not be expected to work continuously, it’s important to find a pattern that works for you.  For these exams, decide how you will manage your wellbeing throughout the exam duration. 

Good revision techniques for open notes examinations includes: 

• Write down important facts, key information, formulas and data on a separate sheet to have to hand during the exam.  Use highlighters, tabs or sticky notes to help retrieve information quickly. 

• Organise your key reference materials for the topic in advance. Identify the most effective sources and quotes to cite that support key concepts or arguments. You could format these in advance in the suggested referencing style, to save time during the examination.    

• decide what material the assessment is likely to cover. Are there any specific chapters or key concepts in your textbook? Which lectures might help most?  

• plan good use of the time available during the examination. 

Open notes examination procedure 

For timed examinations, make sure you only click ‘start’ when you are ready to commence the exam as the clock will start ticking when you do. Any time for upload will be included in the overall exam time. Any additional time agreed for individual learners will be provided. Open notes exams are scheduled for UK start times. 

Remember to follow the naming protocol for saving and submitting your work and save your document(s) frequently.  If you upload the incorrect document, have IT problems or any other issues, please follow the examination procedures provided, such as emailing the AA contact. Remember to check for any further exam preparation guidance and procedures for your specific module and exam.  

Plagiarism in open notes examinations  

You should still be mindful of plagiarism during an open notes examination and good academic practice guidelines are still relevant. Refer to the guidelines here.. During open notes exams the guidance on avoiding academic misconduct still applies such as:   

• You cannot copy or paraphrase text or material from other sources and present this as your own work.   Plagiarism detection software can still be used. 

• Your answers should be entirely your own work without unacknowledged input from others. By submitting your answers you are confirming that it is your own work.  

• You should still clearly acknowledge the origin of any material, text passages or ideas presented, e.g. with quotation marks or references.  Copying long quotes even if acknowledged is not good practice and can waste valuable exam time. 

• You are expected to complete the exam independently and not confer with anyone during the examination. 

• You must not make copies of any of the test questions (either written or screenshot). 

• You must not approach or ask anyone for support with the examination. 

• You must not share any information about the exam with anyone (e.g. another student) or act on any such information you may receive. Any attempt to do so will be dealt with under the Advance Assessments Academic Misconduct policy. Link to misconduct information. 

• If AI is an option in the examination, the tool used should be appropriately referenced and documented. Academic misconduct rules for AI still apply. For further guidance on this see the Advance Assessments Academic Misconduct Policy. Link to misconduct information.