Concerns about assessment are not uncommon. Issues may range from confusion about how a mark was derived or what went wrong in an assignment or exam to more complicated matters regarding marking procedures or the conduct of the assessment.
You are entitled to receive feedback on any work you submit. This is to help you to understand what you could do to improve your performance and should also indicate how you have performed against assessment criteria. You are not automatically entitled to have your work remarked or marked by someone else for any reason. However, any work that is marked as a fail should have already been marked by two independent examiners or assistant markers.
You can appeal assessment decisions if the issues raised are not based solely on academic judgement. So if you feel that the mark has been incorrectly derived based on the assessment criteria, or the feedback you have received does not correspond to the marks awarded, you may be able to dispute this.
The first step in resolving any concerns you have regarding assessment is to contact the academic responsible for marking your work. This could be your tutor, lecturer, examiner or even your subject coordinator. It is important to choose an appropriate time to approach them to discuss your piece of assessment. It is better to ask for an appointment time to discuss the matter than to ask for an explanation at the end of a tutorial or lecture when the academic may have to rush off to another meeting or tutorial. Prepare for your discussion by making some notes on what you would like to talk about. If possible, bring your assignment and any written feedback you may have already received. Prepare for the discussion by having a look at the marking criteria.
If the semester has ended and you are concerned about your exam result or final grade, act immediately. Contact the examiner (usually the subject coordinator) to seek feedback about your performance. Examiners are required to be available to meet with students after the release of results, but some students find it difficult to contact academics during the non-teaching period.
If your marker is not cooperative with you on this matter, or you are not satisfied with their response, and/or you believe that the procedure has not been fair, you can approach the course coordinator or the Head of Department for further assistance. Should the matter still not be resolved, it may be helpful to make an appointment to see one of us as we can assist you in writing a letter to your Student Centre Manager. This letter should explain your concerns and list all the steps you have taken to try to resolve the matter up to this point. You should expect a reply to your letter within five working days. If, after this, the outcome is still unsatisfactory, we can support you in lodging a formal grievance.
The University’s Assessment Procedure, outlines that any fixed assessment requirements (i.e. form, size, timing and weighting of assessment) must be published in the Handbook. The following assessment details must be published in the subject outline:
- criteria on which tasks will be marked and grades allocated
- due date
- format for submission
- any prescribed style requirements and guidelines for failure to follow these
- penalties for late submission
It is not unusual for students to feel worried that they will be seen as a troublemaker by the department if they ask questions about assessment marks. If you have concerns about how your questions will be received by staff in your department, contact us to get some independent advice on the situation. We can assist you with each step, and in some cases, approach the department on your behalf. If you feel like you have been discriminated against in some way, you can also read more about the process to resolve this on our discrimination page.
University Policies, Procedures and Legislation
The Academic Performance Policy and the Assessment Procedure provide a great deal of useful information about the conduct of assessment in coursework degrees.
The Coursework Assessment Policy and Coursework Assessment Design and Methods Procedure further detail the conduct of assessment and feedback to students.
The relevant University statute is Statute 11.1 – Courses, Enrolment and Assessment.
Regulation 11.1.A3 – Examination Rules and Supervision outlines the conduct of students in relation to assessment and outlines how the Academic Board deals with disputes and questions regarding assessment.
Disputes arising under aspects of assessment policy are dealt with through the Student Complaints and Grievances Policy and Procedure. Information from the University about this policy and procedure can be found on the Melbourne Students & Learning website. You can also read more about how this process works on our Grievances and Complaints page.
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Posted Tuesday 18 September, 2012. Updated Friday 30 November, 2012.