Feedback on academic performance and progression

Contents
1. What constitutes feedback? 1
2. Making feedback constructive 6
3. Reviewing feedback mechanisms 8
4. Managing students’ expectations 10
5. Communicating with Directors of Studies and supervisors 11
6. The General Board’s expectations 12

1. What constitutes feedback?

Two forms of assessment are carried out in Cambridge:
i. Formative assessment constitutes a learning experience in its own right so feedback is provided
to inform future academic performance although the activity does not usually count towards the
marks for an award. The main form of formative assessment at Cambridge is the work
undertaken in undergraduate supervisions, but it is also provided through practical, project and
dissertation work.
ii. Summative assessment measures attainment, understanding or achievement at a particular
time and contributes towards the award that students receive. It is not traditionally regarded as
having any intrinsic learning value so students do not generally receive feedback beyond being
informed of their grades. This is the primary form of assessment carried out by the University.
Formative feedback during the course is likely to be more useful than summative feedback
afterwards.

a. College-based feedback methods for formative assessment

The supervision system 1
The supervision system provides unparalleled opportunities for formative feedback and is recognised
as contributing to students’ achievements. Supervisions provide an ideal opportunity for students to
discuss their strengths and weaknesses and to review progress on a weekly basis.
Supervisors can use a number of techniques to informally assess students’ performance, for example:
∗ discussion; ∗ timed essays;
∗ set essays; ∗ identifying appropriate Tripos papers & questions;
∗ worked examples; ∗ presentations;
∗ peer group work; ∗ reviewing submitted work.
The format of supervisions varies considerably between subject areas and Colleges, and the resulting
feedback differs accordingly. However, the Senior Tutors’ Committee recommends that all feedback
and reports arising from supervisions should:
a. enable students to understand what is required to improve or enhance their work;
b. give students a sense of how they are performing relative to the rest of the cohort.
The success of this approach depends on supervisors being well integrated into the faculty or
department’s shared understanding of standards and expectations.

1
The supervision systems for undergraduates and postgraduates are different. Postgraduate students
are supervised within their Faculty or Department, normally on an individual basis, and there is no
College involvement. The guidance given here relates primarily to undergraduate students although
some of the ideas would also be applicable for postgraduates.

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Supervisors could try:
∗ attending one of CPPD’s training sessions for supervisors (these include induction courses for
new supervisors and sessions for experienced supervisors on supervising more effectively):
www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/cppd/;
∗ familiarising themselves with the Senior Tutors’ Committee’s guidance for supervisors:
www.admin.cam.ac.uk/committee/seniortutors/guidance/supervisor.html;
∗ ensuring that they are aware of the expectations of their College(s) and faculty or department.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ holding regular meetings with supervisors;
∗ organising supervisor mentoring programmes to ensure that supervisors are familiar with their
expectations;
∗ providing discipline-specific written guidance to supervisors. 2

The supervision essay

Supervision essays are often returned with annotations, comments and an indication of the grade
achieved. These can be discussed during the subsequent supervision and provide a useful resource
for students to reflect upon and use as a revision aid.
Supervisors could try:
∗ relating students’ work explicitly to the assessment criteria to familiarise students with the criteria
and how to achieve the learning outcomes;
∗ reviewing written comments to ensure that they are constructive and provide clear guidance and
practical suggestions for improvement (see 2.a). 3
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ running workshops for supervisors to discuss how to give effective feedback on essays (this
approach has been used by the Department of Plant Sciences);
∗ holding workshops which encourage students to use the assessment criteria to mark exemplar
essays (again, the Department of Plant Sciences has trialled this approach).

Problem sets and Tripos questions

Many faculties and departments provide specific problem sets and/or questions relating to lecture
material which supervisors use as the framework for their supervisions, giving students the opportunity
to tackle real examination questions and discuss any resulting issues. Some faculties and
departments (e.g. the Department of Engineering) also offer ‘examples classes’ to go through problem
sets in a larger forum.
Examples of online problem sets include:
∗ Chemical Engineering Tripos: www.cheng.cam.ac.uk/camonly/examples/2007/ceti.html
∗ Computer Science Tripos: www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/0708/
A number of supervisors in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences include essays questions from
previous Tripos examinations in their ‘supervision sheets’ which direct reading and suggest points for
discussion in the next supervision.

Mock exams/timed essays

Mock exams or timed essays can provide valuable formative feedback as supervisors can give
students detailed and constructive feedback (often in the form of marked and annotated scripts) in
advance of the actual examinations. Mock exams are particularly helpful in highlighting exam
technique difficulties (i.e. poor planning, time management or handwriting). Students can then reflect
upon their performance and focus their revision to tackle any weak areas (also see 5.e).

2
For discipline-specific examples see 5.f.
3
This was identified as a key concern in CUSU’s Quality of Supervisions Report (2004).

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Faculties/departments could try:
∗ surveying the Colleges to determine the extent to which mock exams are offered;
∗ running a mock exam for all students on behalf of the Colleges.
Colleges could try:
∗ running a mock exam to develop students’ examination technique (this may be particularly useful
for first year students);
∗ encouraging students to independently complete Tripos questions in a set time.
Extra information
Whereas essay-based mock exams are often set by Colleges, mock practical sessions, such as those
offered by the Veterinary School and PDN, can only be held by departments.
The History Faculty’s Prelim exam could be viewed as a ‘mock’ exam. Students receive comments
from examiners although their scripts are not returned.

Practice essays
Some courses, particularly MPhil programmes, offer students the opportunity to complete a practice
essay at the start of the academic year which is marked as if submitted for examination. Students
receive developmental feedback on the essay which may be particularly valuable to international
students and others new, or newly returned, to a UK university environment.
Case study
Students taking the MPhil in Criminology and Criminological Research receive individualised oral and
written feedback on their practice essay. The written feedback is presented on a feedback form and
addresses the content and presentation of the essay.

General feedback
Students receive termly supervisions reports via the CamCORS or CamGRAD system. These reports
generally form the basis of termly meetings with either the Tutor or Director of Studies who, having an
overview of the student’s progress to date, is able to make constructive comments.

b. University-based methods to promote formative assessment

Exam paper archives
Archives of past papers for all subjects are available in College libraries and several faculties and
departments also publish online archives. This can aid exam preparation and revision by enabling
students to set themselves mock papers which they can either swap with friends to mark or ask their
supervisor to comment upon. If practicable, it may be useful for faculties and departments to make it
clear which papers or questions are still relevant to the current curriculum.
Examples of online exam paper archives include:
∗ Computer Laboratory: www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/exams/pastpapers/
∗ Department of Chemical Engineering: www.cheng.cam.ac.uk/camonly/examples/archive.html

Engaging students through peer and self assessment

Peer and self assessment shifts the responsibility for learning to students, forcing them to think about
how they present, receive and act upon feedback. Facilitating peer assessed work requires
considerable preparation by the supervisor/teaching officer and is not a soft option.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ inviting students to peer review each other’s seminar presentations;
∗ encouraging students to work together to identify & correct errors (especially in practical classes).
Colleges could try:
∗ getting students to set test questions for each other;
∗ asking supervision partners to mark or comment on each other’s essays.

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Project work
Some students receive feedback on their projects via the CamCORS system.
Colleges could try discussing the use of CamCORS in this mode with the Senior Tutors’ Committee.
Case study
An External Examiner for the Engineering Tripos commended the detailed constructive feedback
provided to students on their project work and commented that although it was time-consuming to
prepare it was worthwhile and valuable to students, especially those entering their fourth year.

Placements
Students on industrial or professional placements often receive feedback on their progress.
Faculties/departments could try offering guidance to placement providers on giving feedback.
Case study
An External Examiner for the PGCE (Secondary) described the valuable feedback that all teachers,
not just mentors, provided on the observed lessons.

Laboratory reports
Teaching activities, such as labwork, often result in formative feedback. For example, students
generally receive written or verbal feedback on their laboratory reports and may receive informal
constructive guidance from demonstrators and technicians in the labs.
Case studies
∗ An External Examiner for the Engineering Tripos commended the extensive feedback provided to
students on their laboratory reports as the best they had ever seen.
∗ In Physics students receive oral and written feedback on continuously assessed practical work.
For Parts IA and IB the mark and feedback are communicated to students at the next class. For
Part II further work (generally larger items, individually worth 5-10% of the total for the year) only
indicative grades are given (alpha-delta). The procedure is managed by the teaching office.

Reviews
Some faculties and departments have formal review procedures which provide formative feedback to
their PhD students.
Case study
The Institute of Criminology conducts reviews with their first and second year PhD students. For the
first year review students submit a substantive piece of work (7-8,000 words) which is read by at least
two members of staff (not including the supervisor). At the subsequent review meeting the student
and staff discuss the work and how it is to be developed. The second year review operates similarly
although students are also invited to give a presentation so that feedback can cover presentation skills
as well as content.

c. Summative assessment feedback through the Colleges

University transcripts and CamSIS
All Examiners are required to submit marks for official University transcripts. Current students can
access their recorded marks for any previous examination through CamSIS. The University also
publishes the overall classes achieved each year in the Reporter.

College markbooks and mark break-downs

Although prepared by examiners, the primary route of feedback on University examinations is through
Colleges, where the detailed breakdown of marks is available through College markbooks. The format
of College markbooks is determined by Faculty Boards.
Students should receive a mark for each component of an examination, or each question where
practicable. This question by question breakdown is relevant for examinations which consist largely of
essays and other short pieces of written work: it may be less appropriate for mathematical problems
and multiple-choice papers. A detailed mark breakdown helps to ensure that strengths and

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weaknesses in knowledge and/or skills are immediately evident, and helps students to adapt
accordingly and to seek further help as appropriate.
In some faculties, such as MML and Computer Science, this is already standard practice. Students in
other faculties may only receive marks for each part of the exam and may therefore find it difficult to
accurately identify any problems.

Personalised feedback through Directors of Studies

On request, most Directors of Studies are happy to provide feedback on examination performance
although detailed feedback is not normally provided as a matter of course.
Case study
One exception is that Directors of Studies in the School of Clinical Medicine provide individual
feedback to clinical students on their performance in the Final MB Examination:
www.medschl.cam.ac.uk/intranet/students/az/c-doscm-role.html

d. Summative assessment feedback through the University

Feedback on summative assessment through faculties and departments is likely to be related to
continuous assessment.

Coversheets/proformas
Scripts for unseen written examinations are not generally returned but theses, project work, essays,
dissertations and other forms of assessed work may be. Several faculties and departments ask
assessors to complete coversheets or proformas which are returned to students with their work.
These help to standardise and regulate the feedback and act as a prompt to assessors (i.e. to relate
achievements to assessment criteria and learning outcomes to provide information about the quality
and attributes of the answers).
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ introducing a coversheet for assessed work which can be returned to the student;
∗ asking students to comment on their own work on a coversheet (as a type of formative feedback).
Case studies
The Faculty of Law’s assessment proforma directs Assessors to map performance against the
assessment framework and includes prompts for comments on ‘points well covered’ and ‘major points
missed’ as well as overall performance.
One External Examiner for the MPhil in Education was particularly impressed with the practice of
emboldening the assessment criteria when marking theses as it enabled candidates to ascertain the
areas of their work which more or less fully satisfied particular criteria.

Returning exam scripts

The General Board advises against returning exam scripts to students. After consideration it was
agreed that promoting good practice by providing meaningful information about marks, and suitable
feedback, would be more beneficial to students than seeing their scripts.

Model answers, outlines and sample scripts

In some disciplines, particularly in the Sciences, model answers or outlines can give students an
insight into what Examiners were looking for and can be useful preparation aids for future cohorts.
In the Arts and Humanities it is common practice to publish anonymised and annotated sample scripts
with the permission of the original student. These are not necessarily the best scripts; it may be more
useful to publish scripts at different levels to show progression.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ publishing anonymised and annotated scripts at different levels;
∗ retaining dissertations (with marks) as models for future students;
∗ publishing (where appropriate) model answers/outlines or essay plans.

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 Extra information
∗ CUSU’s Quality of Supervisions Report found that students appreciate detailed essay plans or
some form of ‘model answer’.
∗ The History Faculty library and various Directors of Studies retain several Part II dissertations for
future students to look at as models.
∗ Model answers for some Mathematical Tripos Part II questions are available on the DAMTP
website: www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/na/PartII/Handouts.html.
∗ The Department of Plant Sciences produce exemplar essays to demonstrate 1st, 2.1 and 2.2
standards for each lecture block.

External Examiners’ and Examiners’ reports

External Examiners’ reports should be written in a format which enables them to be disclosed to
students. The reports highlight areas for improvement and provide information about the performance
of the cohort.
Internal Examiners also write reports which often review approaches to individual questions and can
help students to learn from exams and aid future preparation.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ asking their Staff-Student Liaison Committee (SSLC) to consider External Examiners’ reports (in
addition to the Faculty Board);
∗ reviewing the format of any reporting requirements of the Examiners/External Examiners, in order
to provide more useful information for future examination candidates;
∗ archiving all Examiners’ reports in a public repository;
∗ linking the reports to an archive of past papers and ‘student friendly’ versions of the mark scheme
and plans which are produced for External Examiners;
∗ circulating a summary of all comments provided to individual students (anonymised).
Extra information
∗ Internal Examiners for the Faculty of Law produce reports on each paper to explain strong and
weak features of answers to each question. The reports are available on the Law intranet and in
the library.
∗ Examiner’s reports for the Manufacturing Engineering Tripos contain reflective comments about
how the module was received by students and how it could be improved.

Discussing generic issues with the class

Some faculties and departments may hold briefing sessions in advance of the exams to aid exam
preparation, and debriefing sessions if generic issues arise which can be discussed as a group. This
approach may not be logistically feasible for larger subjects.

2. Making feedback constructive

a. Meaningful written feedback

Many students like to reflect on feedback so a written record of comments can be very useful.
However, students often complain that comments returned on their work are cryptic and don’t help
them to improve their performance. Those who have done well are equally frustrated if they don’t
know why, and so don’t know how to keep achieving high marks. For example, comments such as
‘excellent essay’ aren’t helpful unless the student understands why it was ‘excellent’.
Supervisors and Examiners should be encouraged to write constructive qualitative comments on
assessed work (excluding exam scripts) 4 which can be easily interpreted by Directors of Studies
and/or students and used to direct future learning. Students should be encouraged to discuss written
comments with their supervisor to plan how they can take suggestions for improvement forward.

4
It is University policy not to write on scripts and to destroy any working notes.

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Good feedback may help to minimise unnecessary appeals as some students submit appeals under
the impression that the appeals process will give them more feedback. In fact, the appeals process
will only check that there have been no clerical errors and will not provide additional feedback.
Extra information
∗ External Examiners for the Faculty of Education were impressed with the ‘focused, detailed,
supportive and instructive’ written feedback that students received on their thesis and essays.
They found evidence that students had acted upon the suggestions in their next assignment.
∗ The ImpEE (Improving Engineering Education) Project provides some examples of written
feedback: www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/impee/resources/exposition/assessment.
∗ The External Examiner for Part I of the MML Tripos (Spanish) was impressed by the amount of
feedback given on the mark sheets. Both the first and second markers provided a substantial
amount of detail which could be conveyed to students via their Director of Studies.

b. Constructive criticism
People tend to be more receptive to suggestions for improvement if they are couched in constructive
terms. Patronising or overly negative phrases should be avoided and it is advisable to turn all criticism
into positive suggestions to help motivate students.

c. Timely feedback
Ideally feedback should be given while the assessment activity is fresh in students’ minds so that
students can reflect upon their performance and respond to advice. Feedback and assignments
should be timetabled so that feedback can inform subsequent assignments.
Directors of Studies are expected to convey assessment outcomes to undergraduates shortly after
exams once the results are known.

d. Assessment feedback checklist

The following checklist for effective feedback is suggested:
∗ be prompt;
∗ include a brief summary of your view of the assignment;
∗ relate achievement specifically to the learning outcomes and assessment criteria;
∗ balance negative with positive comments and turn criticism into constructive suggestions;
∗ make general suggestions on how to go about the next assignment;
∗ ask questions which encourage reflection on the work;
∗ write legibly and use informal, conversational language;
∗ explain all your comments;
∗ suggest follow-up work and references;
∗ suggest specific ways to improve the assignment;
∗ explain the mark or grade, and why it is not better;
∗ offer help with specific problems and the opportunity to discuss the assignment, and comments. 5

5
The checklist is based on one given in Rust, C., ‘The Impact of Assessment on Student Learning’, in
Active Learning in Higher Education Volume 3:2 (2002), ILT, p.153.

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3. Reviewing feedback mechanisms

a. Asking students what they would like

Involving students in any review of feedback mechanisms will help to ensure that they meet students’
needs and are accessible and comprehensive.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ asking student representatives/the SSLC for their opinion on current feedback mechanisms;
∗ including questions on ‘feedback to students’ in student questionnaires.
Case study
In 2005-6 the Department of Plant Sciences ran a questionnaire to investigate students’ experiences
of supervisions. In response to the findings the Department ran workshops on providing effective
feedback and using assessment criteria. They also developed self-tests and electronic resources
which they published on their CamTOOLs site and created a Virtual Collaboration Environment for
supervisors which included teaching resources and educational research findings.

b. Asking Directors of Studies what they think is appropriate

In most Colleges, Directors of Studies (DoS) are the main providers of examination feedback to
students: they rely on the College markbooks provided by the Examiners.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ raising the question of examination feedback and College markbooks on any DoS mailing list;
∗ asking the DoS Committee to review the current format of College markbooks;
∗ suggesting that feedback be added as an annual standing item on the DoS Committee’s agenda.

c. Asking External Examiners for their opinion

External Examiners’ reports often refer to assessment feedback mechanisms; either to highlight
particularly effective means or to suggest refinements to the current system. As impartial observers
with experience of feedback procedures in other institutions External Examiners can provide valuable
input into discussions about feedback mechanisms.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ asking External Examiners about practices at their home institution;
∗ encouraging External Examiners to suggest improvements to current mechanisms.

d. Placing the learning or examination in context

To ensure that feedback is meaningful and appropriate the assessment activity should be considered
in the context of the course as a whole. For example, the nature and function of feedback provided to
students after first-year examinations may be very different to that provided to finalists. If feedback is
intended to serve a formative function it should be presented in a way which enables students to
improve their future performance rather than simply informing them of their grade and class ranking.
Tripos exams are generally agreed not to have a formative function. Particularly in large subjects,
such as the NST and Maths Part IA, it would be impossible to provide useful feedback as one marker
may mark 4-5,00 attempts at the same problem.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ articulating which elements of the course constitute formative learning;
∗ explaining to teaching staff, including supervisors, their role in providing feedback to students.

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e. Reflecting on the purpose of feedback
Feedback can be useful both to students and to teaching staff. Constructive feedback can promote
academic progression by:
∗ motivating students;
∗ developing students’ understanding and skills;
∗ demonstrating how a specific grade was reached with reference to the assessment criteria;
∗ identifying areas for development, correcting errors and providing practical tips for improvement;
∗ encouraging independent learning by developing students’ self-assessment abilities. 6
Through providing constructive feedback, those organising the course may:
∗ discover areas of the course where improved or alternative teaching may be helpful;
∗ reflect better on the content and scope of the course and its relevance to students;
∗ develop better relationships with the student body, individually and collectively.

f. Helping students to prepare for assessed activities

Reflecting on academic performance and progression with students encourages staff to consider
which practical measures could be introduced to help improve future performance.
Staff should also be aware of students’ previous experience of assessment and feedback so that they
can manage expectations in relation to that.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ supplying model answers, framework essays, worked questions, and references to lecture notes;
∗ reviewing and refining any additional resources (including online resources).

g. Noting the special case of continuous assessment

Continuous assessment is common in the Sciences, where undergraduate students undertake regular
practical classes. This assessment often contributes towards the final mark although it is only a small
part of the course.
Continuous assessment is much more prevalent at postgraduate level. Most postgraduate students
on taught courses, with the exception of the LLM and similar ‘examined’ courses, receive both
formative and summative feedback on essays and other exercises submitted for examination
throughout the year. Postgraduate research courses involve a dissertation and feedback is built into
the preparation of the dissertation in stages through supervision and feedback on drafts of chapters.
In continuous assessment feedback is necessary to improve performance, but should not be so
intrusive as to distort the candidate’s own performance. The feedback must be provided in time to
inform the next assignment and so to improve performance.
Case study
First year Physics students receive feedback about their ‘Head of Class’ report on their practical work
which helps them to improve their subsequent report.

6
Hyland, P. (2000) ‘Learning from Feedback on Assessment’, in A. Booth and P. Hyland (eds) The
Practice of University History Teaching (Manchester: Manchester University Press), pp.233-247.

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4. Managing students’ expectations

a. Explaining to students where, how and when they receive feedback

It is important to communicate to students when, how and from whom they can expect to receive
feedback on their academic performance, and who to contact if they have any problems with the
feedback provided.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ providing paper-based guidance to students;
∗ holding a session to go through the policy with students in advance of assessment activities.

b. Explain the difference between formative and summative assessment

Faculties/departments could try:
∗ articulating the difference between formative and summative assessment, and using this to
explain why certain types of feedback are, or are not, used;
∗ including a session on feedback mechanisms in induction talks, events and literature;
∗ with small classes, discussing the various types of feedback that they are likely to receive.

c. Encouraging students to share responsibility

Many students take time to appreciate the feedback opportunities offered by the supervision system,
and that these represent a level of feedback not available to students at other universities. Students
should be encouraged to be proactive in taking up feedback opportunities; for example, by asking their
supervisor for practical suggestions on improving and following these up in the next supervision.
Furthermore, feedback is only useful if it is acted upon by students. Teaching Officers will be more
inclined to set timed essays/mock exams if students take them seriously and are enthusiastic about
the formative feedback which they offer.
Training logs are used by postgraduates across the University to record progress meetings, feedback
and learning aims. These logs involve postgraduate students in monitoring their own progress and
skills development so the process is active rather than passive.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ with Directors of Studies, outlining the general expectations of students when preparing for and
participating in supervisions;
∗ responding to any concerns about the quality of feedback.
Colleges and faculties/departments could try:
∗ including a session on how to make the most of supervisions in an induction talk or event;
∗ encouraging students to form study support networks.
Case study
The School of Biological Sciences publish a set of ‘reasonable expectations’ in relation to dissertations
which articulate the expectations of students and supervisors and emphasise the importance of
supervisors offering ‘constructively critical’ feedback and of students engaging in their own learning
(www.bio.cam.ac.uk/sbs/facbiol/sup-diss.html).

d. Reassuring students about the fairness of the assessment process

Faculties and departments are encouraged to publish a statement about how the examination process
works and guarantees fairness. The Guide to Quality Assurance provides some mechanisms for
assuring the robustness of assessment, and the General Board recommend that more than one
method is employed. 7

7
Guide to Quality Assurance: www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/education/curricula/practices.html

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Faculties/departments could try:
∗ publishing information of this type (tailored to their course(s)) to allay concerns about fairness and
to provide assurance that marking is carried out to the highest standards;
∗ outlining the difference between marking and appeals procedures at Cambridge and those which
students may be familiar with from A-Levels;
∗ explaining the role of External Examiners to provide additional reassurance.

5. Communicating with Directors of Studies and Supervisors

a. Clarifying Directors of Studies’ roles in disseminating results and feedback 8

The role of Director of Studies includes the following actions:
∗ meeting students at the beginning and end of each Term to advise on a programme of work and
to monitor progress;
∗ arranging supervisions for College teaching;
∗ monitoring progress from supervision reports;
∗ warning students if they are neglecting their studies;
∗ conveying details of examination results to students. 9
Directors of Studies may welcome a dialogue with the faculty/department and other Directors of
Studies to clarify expectations, review various approaches to fulfilling them, and discuss how to help
students to interpret feedback and use it constructively. Many, though not all, faculties and
departments have Directors of Studies Committees for this purpose.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ providing guidance for new Directors of Studies on how to interpret the markbook (some subjects
have complex marking arrangements);
∗ holding termly meetings between Course Convenors/lecturers/Examiners and supervisors so that
supervisors are linked into what is being taught through lectures.
Colleges could try:
∗ issuing guidance notes to Directors of Studies.
Case study
Supervisors for the Department of History of Art meet at the start of every term, before the Teaching
Committee meeting, so that the Department can give them strategic advice.

b. Providing Directors of Studies with general summaries and feedback

Faculties/departments could try offering feedback to Directors of Studies on the cohort’s
performance. This will help Directors of Studies to offer appropriate individualised feedback within the
context of the cohort’s overall performance. Directors of Studies will be able to pass on any concerns
to supervisors for them to address during supervisions and monitor in future assessments.

c. Reviewing what is provided in College markbooks

Faculties/departments could try asking Directors of Studies whether the information provided in
College markbooks is sufficient and appropriate or whether it would be useful to include further details
or to present the data differently (also see 3.b).

8
This section only applies to undergraduates. Postgraduate students don’t have College Directors of
Studies. Instead, Course Directors are generally responsible for providing feedback to MPhil
students in liaison with students’ supervisors.
9
Senior Tutors’ Committee: www.admin.cam.ac.uk/committee/seniortutors/guidance/dos.html

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d. Reviewing the provision of resources for supervisions
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ regularly consulting Directors of Studies and supervisors about the standard and accessibility of
any resources provided for supervisions.
∗ exploring different, and potentially more effective, ways of providing this material, i.e. online via
CamTOOLS.

e. Promoting mock exams

As mentioned earlier, mock exams can be a useful mechanism for assessing academic performance
and providing formative feedback. The decision about whether to provide mock exams is often
College-based (also see 1.a).
Mock exams can be very time consuming to prepare and mark so the benefits must be measured
against the resource implications and, if they are to be introduced on a large-scale, efforts should be
made to minimise the overall costs (e.g. by encouraging students to mark each other’s papers).

f. Offering guidance on providing effective feedback

All those involved with assessment should be familiar with their Faculty Board’s Examination Data
Retention Policy. However, faculties and departments may also find it worthwhile to provide guidance
(in writing or at a meeting) on the variety of ways that Directors of Studies and/or supervisors can
provide assessment feedback to students. By equipping staff with a range of assessment feedback
methods they will be able to adapt according to circumstance and students’ needs.
Examples of discipline-specific guidance for supervisors include:
∗ Faculty of Biology: www.bio.cam.ac.uk/sbs/facbiol/supervisors.html
∗ Department of History and Philosophy of Science: www.hps.cam.ac.uk/supervisors/index.html
∗ Faculty of Mathematics:
www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/documentation/supervisorsguide/text.pdf
∗ Faculty of Physics and Chemistry:
www.ast.cam.ac.uk/physchemfaculty/Guide_to_Supervisions.html
The Senior Tutors’ Committee’s Guidance for Supervisors is online at:
∗ www.admin.cam.ac.uk/committee/seniortutors/guidance/supervisor.html

6. The General Board’s expectations

a. General Board guidance

The General Board expect Boards of Examiners to ‘provide candidates routinely with any data which
are meaningful or helpful indicators of examination performance’. 10
Every Faculty Board should have an Examinations Data Retention Policy which, to some extent,
may outline how much feedback is provided on summative assessment.
Marking and classing criteria for all Parts of the Tripos and taught postgraduate programmes must be
made available to students, Teaching Officers and Examiners, preferably on an open access website.
Data which the Faculty Board deems to be a ‘meaningful’ indicator of exam performance should be
released in the final markbook so that Directors of Studies/College Tutors can give individual feedback
to students. The General Board advise that this should include (but not be limited to):
∗ marks for each question where practicable or examination ‘unit’ (paper, oral, practical,
dissertation etc);
∗ a clear indication of the candidate’s position within the student cohort.
In accordance with the Data Protection Act, students can request other data about their examination
performance (e.g. comments made on scripts and minutes of Examiners’ meetings), but not their
examination script, providing that the data is retained by the Examiners, faculty or department.

10
General Board Guidance on Examinations Data and Scripts (April 2007), p.3.

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Faculties and departments should ensure that all students and Examiners are aware of the relevant
Examinations Data Retention policy and tell students what they can expect in terms of feedback.
Faculties/departments could try:
∗ posting the Examinations Data Retention Policy, marking and classing criteria, and a statement to
manage student expectations of assessment feedback on a dedicated webpage;
∗ defining, in course handbooks, how students receive their results.
Further information
∗ General Board Guidance on Examinations Data and Scripts: Section 4:
www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/education/policies/data.pdf.
∗ Data Protection Act: www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/information/dpa/.

b. National context
The QAA stipulate that institutions must ‘provide appropriate and timely feedback to students on
assessed work in a way that promotes learning and facilitates improvement but does not increase the
burden of assessment’. 11

c. CamSIS transcript requirements

The University is required to provide all graduating students with a formal transcript of their
examination performance. This is created from data that is held within CamSIS. All candidates
should be provided with:
∗ their class (if appropriate);
∗ the total mark for the examination;
∗ a mark for each element of the examination (papers, portfolios of work, dissertations etc), unless
it has been deemed inappropriate or misleading by the Faculty Board;
∗ their rank-in-class (if considered appropriate by the Faculty Board).
Examiners are expected to provide the information to the Student Records and Administration Section
on the electronic templates provided by them. 12

d. External Examiners’ reports

External Examiners’ reports should be dealt with as unreserved business so that students, via their
representatives, can see the reports.

e. Plagiarism
The General Board expect every Faculty Board to publish a statement on plagiarism and/or good
academic practice. Examples of these discipline-specific statements, and links to the University-wide
statement on plagiarism, are available online at: www.cam.ac.uk/plagiarism.

11
QAA Code of Practice, Precept 9:
www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/codeOfPractice/section6/default.asp
12
General Board Guidance on Examinations Data and Scripts (April 2007), p.6.

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