Assessment

A university degree, like your VCE, gives you a public qualification. It is through your university assessment that you earn such a qualification.

A Monash University degree is internationally recognised. A Monash University degree is earned by students who meet stated assessment requirements in a university-approved course of study.

Each unit in your course of study will require you to do a range of assessment tasks, in the form of exams, assignments, essays, projects, practicals, performance assessments etc. Most units are one semester in length and most have end-of-semester examinations held in June and November.

Various units have assessment hurdles.  An example may be that you must pass the exam or satisfactorily pass a practical component in order to pass the unit.  You should be aware of any assessment hurdled.  Failure to meet the assessment hurdle requirements will usually mean that you cannot pass the unit.

Show what you have learned!

Purpose of assessment

Assessment tasks give you the opportunity to show what you have learned in your university study. Your achievements in assessment tasks:

1. demonstrate the extent to which you have met the stated requirements of these units;
2. give you (and your teachers) information about your progress in the units you are studying.

Assessment records and feedback

Ongoing assessment of your work gives you the opportunity to chart your progress and to see where improvements need to be made.

When assignments are returned to you, always go through them carefully. The time you spend doing this can be a valuable learning experience and help you improve aspects of your work.  You may be tested on the same material during the exam!

The extent to which you have met the stated learning expectations of your subject are recorded in university records as your level of achievement compared to other students who are doing the unit: high distinction, distinction, credit, pass and pass 2, fail.

The information that you are given by teachers about your progress (whether written alongside your work or given to you verbally) is extremely important.

Ask focused questions

If you are not given adequate information about your progress in a unit, ask your teacher to comment on your work in ways that will help you to improve. Always ask focused questions. For example, you might ask your teacher these questions:

• 'Can you give me a list of the main things that you are looking for in this assignment?'
• 'In which of these aspects do I have the greatest need to improve?'
• 'What are some of the things I could do to improve in these aspects?'

Then, after you have worked on the suggested approaches, ask for further feedback about how you are going and be prepared to make changes for effective progress.

University assessment is not about you; it's about your work.

Major problems need action

For many students who come to university, assessment at school has meant getting high marks and being near the top of the class. If your marks and class position in the first few assignments at university are not what you expect, ask a teacher to give you feedback about your work.

Ask immediately if you feel concerned; don't wait until it has become a major problem.

The ways in which assessment is organised varies from unit to unit. Faculty handbooks (purchased from the department) and unit booklets or information guides (available from the relevant departmental office or whoever is teaching the unit) will tell you clearly how assessment is organised for your unit.  Monash University Handbook lists subjects by unit code with a brief description on the unit and how the unit is asses,ent.  More detailed information is found in the subject unit guide, usually available online - your lecturer will advise you how to access it.

It is your responsibility to hand in assignments by the due dates and to attend examinations at the publicised times.

If you need an extension for an assignment or cannot sit a test or exam, you must follow the appropriate procedures provided by the Faculty.  Additional information can be found at Special Consideration Policy.