Exams and grading

Exam Times

• The times for course exams are usually announced on each course's page
• It is advisable to search for separate exams from the page https://studies.helsinki.fi/courses by selecting 'Exam' as the mode of completion.

Type of exams

Course Exam

A course exam is an event related to the normal completion of a course, held at the end of the course. The purpose of the course exam is to assess how well the student has understood the material taught in the course. However, not all courses have a separate written course exam; assessment of competence may be based on assignments completed during the course, a final project, or sometimes even an oral examination. Many courses have a grading practice where the grade is determined partly based on the course exam and partly on other assessments. In such cases, a so-called exam cutter is often used, which prevents achieving a passing grade unless, for example, half the points are obtained on the exam.

"On some longer courses, lasting half a year, there are two course exams, one at the end of each teaching period. In these situations, the exam cutter typically applies to both exams."

Registration

"Regarding course exam registration, there are two alternative standards: On some courses, course registration done in Sisu also counts as registration for the course exam. However, since autumn 2018, the department has partly shifted to a practice where one must register separately for course exams in Sisu. In this case, exam registration begins approximately 30 days before the exam and ends 10 days before the exam. In the latter procedure, late registrations are not accepted, so be sure to register on time."

Separate Exam

A separate exam is a course exam that does not involve any organized teaching. Students prepare for the separate exam independently, and it is graded as a completely standalone performance, which solely determines the grade recorded for the academic achievement. Separate exams can be used to complete most lecture courses, but not, for example, seminars or practical work. On some rare courses, a separate exam may also be an oral examination or an exceptionally extensive written assignment, but this is specified separately on the relevant course page. Lecture courses that have multiple course exams can also be completed with a single separate exam.

On some courses, participating in a separate exam also requires completing a practical project (or series of assignments). If you have not participated in the corresponding course doing the related project but would still like to take the exam, you can inquire about the appropriate procedure from the lecturer of the last course instance. Sometimes it is possible to agree that the project can be submitted by a certain deadline directly to the lecturer for review via email, and then participate in the separate exam, but it is not advisable to rely too much on this arrangement. Generally, it is advisable to attend courses that include a practical project as lecture courses.

Generally, it is not advisable to complete courses that require a lot of practical training through examination or separate exams, unless the subject is already well-mastered. It is also not advisable to primarily consider taking on your own exams for courses that are broad in content and central or generally considered difficult. Some intermediate study courses, which include a compulsory practical work, may not be possible to complete through a separate exam at all.

Courses that are best suited for exams are those with clear learning materials (a good textbook or teaching handout) and whose content can primarily be learned through reading (and, if necessary, some independent exercises). Courses that are somewhat familiar in subject matter (through previous courses, work, hobbies, etc.) are particularly suitable for examination.

Separate tests can also be called "'general exams'"

Registration

You must register separately for the separate tests in Sisu. These exams are usually held on specific dates and there are exams for several different courses in the same hall.

Retake Exam

The term "retake exam" or "re-exam" is used for a course exam approximately one month after the next separate exam.

The exam is named a retake exam because the exercise points collected during the course are still valid, similar to the course exam. In some courses, exercise points are valid for a longer period, such as until the end of the year. The validity of exercise points is mentioned on the course page. If there is no specific mention, it can be assumed with relative confidence that exercise points are valid for the retake exam following the course exam. However, the retake exam session is also always a separate exam session, and one can register to take the course as a regular separate exam, even if they haven't taken the course themselves.

Mini Exam

Some courses organize weekly mini exams that together replace the course exam. However, such courses are few, so there is no universally applicable rule regarding these practices.

Procedure during Exam Sessions

The university is transitioning to fully electronic exams. The instructions in this section describe the procedure for a paper-based exam.

Exams always begin promptly on the hour.

Note: Examination practices vary significantly between departments and faculties. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the examination practices of your minor subject well in advance, especially regarding exams other than course exams.

You must bring a valid photo identification and writing utensils to the exam. Acceptable forms of photo identification include a student ID card, passport, driver's license, or any other government-issued ID. However, please note that according to the university's recent policy, electronic student ID cards are not accepted. You may also bring a beverage or a small snack, but do not overdo it. In some exams, a calculator and/or formula book are allowed or required; please confirm this with the lecturer in advance. Additionally, some courses permit a handwritten cheat sheet the size of an A4 paper. Confirm this with the lecturer beforehand as well.

When you arrive at the exam hall, leave everything except the mentioned items at the side of the hall. Mobile phones, smartwatches, etc. should also be left at the side of the hall. Afterwards, collect blank papers from the front of the hall according to your estimated need. You can try asking the examiner how many questions are in the exam. The examiner will provide separate instructions on whether each task in the exam needs to be answered on a separate paper or if multiple answers can be written on the same paper. Remain seated and wait for the examiners to distribute the question papers. These papers should be kept text side against the table until the exam is declared to have started. While waiting for the exam to begin, you can fill in your personal information at the top of the exam papers. Each paper should include the course name, date, student ID number (or personal identification number if you can't remember your student ID), and your signature with printed name.

Start answering the exam questions only when the examiner declares the exam has begun and informs you of the end time. Course exams typically last for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Separate exams usually have a duration of 3h - 3 h 30 min. At the beginning of the exam, there is a half-hour period during which late arrivals are allowed to enter. During this time, no one is allowed to leave the exam hall. Exiting may also be prohibited during the last 10 or 15 minutes to maintain a peaceful environment until the end. The examiner will announce this at the beginning of the exam.

During the exam, a name list circulates row by row, where you should write your name and the name of the course you are taking (there are often multiple exams taking place in the same hall). If the exam lasts more than two hours, you are allowed to go to the restroom accompanied by an examiner.

When you are finished (or when the exam time ends), stack the answer papers together and return them to the examiner. When returning the papers, show your photo identification or student ID card. You can usually take the exam instructions with you for post-exam review, but confirm this with the examiner. Always return at least one answer paper with your information, even if you haven't been able to answer any questions.

Grading

The course results must be available within a month of the course's final completion (usually the exam or sometimes the deadline for assignments). Therefore, the grading of exams should be completed within the one-month deadline. However, in large-scale courses, grading may sometimes take longer. Grades should appear in Sisu within 2-3 weeks of the results being published.

Students are entitled to hear the rationale behind the grade they received. They can also request to see their own exam. If the lecturer (or the grader, if different) does not specify a feedback period for the course, students can contact them via email or during office hours. Always double-check your exercise points, as there can be human errors in recording them.

General Grading Scale

• 1, pass
• 5, highest grade
• The remaining grades are evenly distributed within this range
• Exercises usually provide additional points, so it's worth doing them.

Ultimately, the lecturer always makes the final decision on grading. On many courses, different point systems than the "normal" are used, or points are given for attendance or other benefits in exercises.