Preparing for supplementary assessments

What is a supplementary assessment?

A supplementary assessment may be available to you to complete if you have failed a unit and received a mark between 45 and 49, and you meet the eligibility criteria as described on the supplementary assessments webpage.

Your supplementary assessment may be another exam or an alternate assessment that is provided to you by your chief examiner to assess whether you meet the learning outcomes of your unit. The type of assessment, and when this assessment will be scheduled, will be determined by your chief examiner of your unit. Some examples of possible supplementary assessments include exams, Moodle quizzes and essays.

If you successfully complete your supplementary assessment, you will be given a mark of 50 for your unit, and this replaces all of your other assessment marks.

You are allowed to sit supplementary assessments for all eligible units. However, it is important that you consider whether taking this many assessments is the best option for you. You also want to make sure that you are approaching your revision for these assessments strategically.

WEBINAR: Preparing for supplementary assessment

Just found out you need to take a supplementary assessment? Attend this webinar to find out how best to prepare for these assessments. Learn how to plan your revision, and how to choose effective revision strategies.

Note

You may not be able to take supplementary assessments for all units. Look at the requirements for supplementary assessments and check the handbook to see if any of your units are exempt from offering supplementary assessments.

Important steps for preparing for a supplementary assessment View

How will I know if I can complete a supplementary assessment?

Your results release email will include details about eligible supplementary assessments – these are automatically offered to you if you meet the requirements and your unit is eligible. Student Academic Success can help you be more successful in preparing for your supplementary assessment. If you have questions at any point, it is important to ask.

If you do not wish to complete some or all of your supplementary assessments, you can simply choose to not attend the exam or complete the assessment. Your mark will then be finalised based on the assessments you have completed for the unit.

Important considerations

If you can complete more than one assessment, it is important that you consider whether completing multiple supplementary assessments is best for you. Students who take a supplementary assessment in one unit only tend to have a much higher chance of success than students who have supplementary assessments in more than one unit during the same supplementary assessment period. Therefore, while you may want to take every assessment, you need to think carefully about whether this is the best option for you.

When deciding if taking a supplementary assessment is best for you, there are a number of things you should consider.

Preparing for more than one assessment is a significant commitment. The more assessments that you decide to complete, the more content you will need to revise. Similarly, if you are revising for multiple units, you will also need to divide your time and attention between them.
Supplementary assessments are often held at busy times of the year. Think about what other commitments you have during your preparation time, and the time the assessment task might take place. Make sure you are available to complete your assessment. Dates for the supplementary assessment period can be found on the Semester dates summary webpage. When looking at your time available to study, consider things like:
- What work commitments do I have?
- Am I taking a holiday or travelling?
- Am I studying other units during, or in the lead up to, the supplementary assessment period?
- Do I have any deferred exams? These are often held in the same assessment period.
These commitments will limit the time you have to prepare for supplementary assessments. Similarly, preparing for a supplementary assessment may mean that you may not be able to give the time you want to these commitments.
Supplementary assessments cannot be deferred and can only be taken at the scheduled time.
If there are units that you are more confident with, these are the units you should consider taking your supplementary assessments for. Remember, you only have a short period of time to prepare for your supplementary assessments. Choosing these units, over others, may help you be more successful.
You want to prioritise taking supplementary assessments for units that are prerequisites or core units. Speak with a course adviser to check which of your units you need to pass to ensure you can progress with your degree.

How to maximise my chance of success?

You will not have a lot of time to prepare for a supplementary assessment. Therefore, setting up a revision plan will help you manage your time and the content you need to revise. You want to revise regularly, as this helps you achieve better assessment outcomes than cramming (Walck-Shannon et al., 2021).

The first step in preparing for your supplementary assessment is to determine what to study. Create a list of topics or skills you have covered in your unit. You may also want to look at your unit’s learning outcomes as well to see what might be on your supplementary assessment.
The next step is to prioritise topics that you have found challenging during the teaching period. Try using the traffic light system to work out which are the most important for you to revise.
Though every topic may feel urgent, you need to be targeted in your approach. Think critically and reflect on previous assessments and the feedback you have received. Consider where you have done well, and where you might have struggled or found answering certain questions challenging. Look at quiz answers as well as any in-text feedback or comments provided by your markers. Your unit may have provided Moodle posts or videos that discuss areas where everyone needed to improve. Importantly, if your unit had an exam, try to remember what was assessed and what you found challenging. Requesting to view your exam paper can help with this. Together, these steps will help you work out what could be assessed, and where you need to focus.
Now that you know what you need to revise, it is time to start studying. When revising, you want to be using active study strategies. Active revision involves using techniques that engage you in the learning process and are not passive. For example, reading notes is passive as you are not doing anything with this information. Writing summaries of your notes is active, as you are synthesising your learning.
There are lots of strategies you can use to revise content. Start with strategies that help you consolidate your understanding of a topic, before beginning to apply this knowledge in preparation for the assessment. Consolidation involves reviewing materials and notes and starting to develop your understanding of unit content. Reviewing sections of lectures and readings may be helpful here. In this stage, you might also start memorising content such as definitions or equations. Once you have started to build your confidence, move to techniques that help you practise using your skills and knowledge. Try answering practice questions, for example.
Make sure you also set up a revision schedule so you can fit study in around other commitments that you have. You want to be revising regularly. Also consider where and when you will study, and what strategies you want to use.

Who should I talk to?

It is normal to have lots of questions when you find out that you are eligible to take a supplementary assessment. If you have a question at any point, the best thing you can do is ask. The following teams can assist you in preparing for your assessments, and answer your questions.

Preparation checklist

Walck-Shannon, E. M., Rowell, S. F., & Frey, R. F. (2021). To what extent do study habits relate to performance? CBE–Life Sciences Education, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.20-05-0091

Taking it further

Your feedback matters

We want to hear from you! Let us know what you found most useful or share your suggestions for improving this resource.

	Check your eligibility Once you have received your grades, check your eligibility to sit a supplementary assessment. You will be notified in your results release email if you are eligible for supplementary assessment.
	Consider your options Before completing the supplementary assessment, consider if this is the best option for you. You need to have time to prepare, and the more assessments you complete, the higher your chances of not passing are. If you have multiple supplementary assessments and these are scheduled assessments, this exam period is over a 5 day period. If you do not wish to complete some or all of your supplementary assessments, you can simply choose to not attend the exam or complete the assessment. Your mark will then be finalised based on the assessments you have completed for the unit.
	Seek advice There are lots of teams at Monash that can assist you in preparing for supplementary assessments, and what happens if you do not pass. These include course advice, Student Academic Success and others. Actively ask questions so you can make the right decisions for your study and revise effectively.
	Plan your revision Make sure you are setting time aside to regularly revise for your assessment. Prioritise the topics that you found challenging during the teaching period and use active revision techniques.

Student Academic Success

Student Academic Success

Preparing for supplementary assessments

What is a supplementary assessment?

WEBINAR: Preparing for supplementary assessment

Note

Important steps for preparing for a supplementary assessment View

How will I know if I can complete a supplementary assessment?

Important considerations

How to maximise my chance of success?

Who should I talk to?

Student Academic Success

Course Advice

Unit academics and Moodle

Wellbeing Hub

Final Assessment Feedback

Disability Support Services (DSS)

Preparation checklist

Taking it further

Supplementary assessments

Tips if you fail an assessment

Choose an effective study strategy

Prepare for timed assessments

Your feedback matters

Preparing for supplementary assessments

What is a supplementary assessment?

WEBINAR: Preparing for supplementary assessment

Note

Important steps for preparing for a supplementary assessment View

How will I know if I can complete a supplementary assessment?

Important considerations

How to maximise my chance of success?

Who should I talk to?

Student Academic Success

Course Advice

Unit academics and Moodle

Wellbeing Hub

Final Assessment Feedback

Disability Support Services (DSS)

Preparation checklist

Taking it further

Supplementary assessments

Tips if you fail an assessment

Choose an effective study strategy

Prepare for timed assessments

Speak with a Learning Adviser

Your feedback matters