Exam Timetables

2020 Final-year students: Dean’s concession examination/third opportunity assessment

Dear final-year student

As we approach the end of 2020, this communication concerns an update on the application of General Academic Rule 1.13.6 (Dean’s Concession Examination) within the continuous assessment context due to the continued Covid-19 pandemic.

General Academic Rule 1.13.6 reads:

Dean’s concession examination (third examination opportunity)

A student who, having used one or both examination opportunities provided for in the rules relating to the various qualification types and levels, has passed all coursework modules but one required for the completion of a programme leading to a qualification, may apply to the executive dean concerned to be granted a final assessment opportunity in the outstanding module provided that:

The student has achieved an adequate participation mark in the module for admission to the examination;
The student has previously failed the module in question;
The student completes the final assessment for the applicable module in the following examination period that is scheduled for such assessment opportunities in the annual university calendar;
The maximum mark that can be obtained for a final assessment is 50%;
The final module mark is based solely on the mark achieved in the final assessment, without taking the participation mark into account, and
The student is required to pay the applicable fee for the final assessment opportunity but is not required to re-register for the programme concerned, and provided that the student must have been registered for the module in the academic year during which all the other requirements for the attainment of the qualification were complied with.

Application of the above rules within the continuous assessment context

Senate approved the underlying assumptions for online and paper-based distance teaching and learning, and for continuous assessments, for first semester modules on 15 April 2020, and for second semester modules on 1 September 2020. This approval hinged on General Academic Rule 1.13.1, where it is clearly stated that in the case of continuous assessment modules, the module mark is based on the weighted average of the assessments prescribed for the module, according to the weights prescribed for the different assessment tasks.

In view of the above, the NWU will also make provision for the Dean’s concession examination as stated in General Academic Rule 1.13.6 (see above).

The following rules apply in this regard:

Only final-year students who need to pass ONE module to graduate will be considered to complete the third opportunity examination/ final assessment opportunity

1. Within the Continuous Assessment Modality

If the outstanding module was assessed through continuous assessment, the following criteria must be met to qualify for a third and final assessment opportunity:

You must be a final year student who only has one module outstanding to graduate;
You must have been registered for this module during 2020;
You must have taken part in the continuous assessment for this module; and
You must have failed this specific outstanding module with a final mark of no less than 40%.

These students who qualify for a final assessment opportunity, will complete this assessment on 15 February 2021.

The maximum mark that can be obtained for a final assessment opportunity is 50%. The final module mark is based solely on the mark achieved in the final assessment.

Failing this final assessment will lead to a student having to register for this module again and complete it in totality.

OR:

2. Within the Formative and Summative Assessment Modality

If the outstanding module was assessed through examinations that took place as final assessment method, the following criteria must be met to qualify for the third and final opportunity examination:

You must be a final year student who only has one module outstanding to graduate;
You must have obtained a participation mark in this one outstanding module in the current academic year, enabling you to participate in the scheduled examination opportunities, and
You should also have made use of at least one of the two scheduled exam opportunities during the current academic year for this outstanding module, and failed the module.

These students who qualify for a third examination opportunity, will complete the third examination opportunity on 15 February 2021.

The maximum mark that can be obtained for a final examination opportunity is 50%.

The final module mark is based solely on the mark achieved in the final examination.

Failing this final examination will lead to a student having to register for this module again and complete it in totality.

Any further queries can be directed to Dr Franciska Bothma at franciska.bothma@nwu.ac.za and Mrs Lelanie van Zyl at lelanie.vanzyl@nwu.ac.za

We wish our students well for the remainder of the year and the winding-up of the academic processes.

Kind regards,

Prof Marlene Verhoef Prof Robert J Balfour

Registrar Deputy vice-chancellor: Teaching and Learning

Third Opportunity Contact details

Studies

2020 Final-year students: Dean’s concession examination/third opportunity assessment

Notices to students

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Exam timetables 2021