Managing Assessment

It is not unusual to feel confused or a bit overwhelmed when encountering assessment at university. This chapter is designed to guide you through the process of assessment management and provide strategies to make preparing for assessment as stress free as possible. When relevant, we will refer you to other chapters and sections in this book where specific skills are discussed in detail. We start by discussing the information you receive about your assessment items and what to do with that information. It is important to know exactly what your requirements are before beginning to research or write. Spending a little extra time at the start, analysing your question thoroughly and reading your criteria sheet, will make the assignment research and writing processes easier, and will save you time in the long run. The next section covers assessment planning and outlines how planning can save you time and effort. We discuss key components of assessment preparation, including finding information, writing, revising, and submitting your assessments. Your assessment process doesn’t finish when you submit. We describe how to use the feedback you receive to help you improve your understanding of the material and to improve future submissions. We then briefly discuss academic integrity and what it means for university students before concluding the chapter and providing some key points on managing your assessments. At the end of this chapter you should have a good understanding of some strategies and techniques for managing your assessments at university