Exams FAQs

You will need your student ID card for in-person exams. If you lose it, please order a new card as soon as possible.

If there isn’t enough time to get a new student ID for your next exam, please bring a driving licence or passport along with a note of your exam number which can be found on KentVision.

If you don’t have any form of ID, please still show up for your exam. Just allow extra time so the Exams Team can confirm your identity before the exam starts.  

The exam period is calculated to ensure that you are all able to complete your exams in good time prior to graduation or progression, allowing for marking timescales and Boards of Examiners meetings, and to also allow for resits. 

Yes, all exams – in-person and online – are anonymous as per University regulations.

You must not include your name on your exam script or answer document, and instead use only your exam number located on your KentOne card

This is located on your Student ID (KentOne) card. It is a 5, 6 or 7 digit number. This is shown in this sample ID card picture. 

If you have lost your KentOne Student ID card and require your Exam Number, please contact exams@kent.ac.uk  providing your student ID number or email login.

Our digital library services can connect you with the resources you need, wherever you happen to be, and provides access to a wide range of digital resources such as e-books, e-journals, databases, newspapers and multimedia.

There is detailed information on this in the Your Digital Library section.  

We know that for some of you the impact of ill-health and/or other unforeseen circumstances may be significantly affecting your ability to engage fully in your studies.

For these reasons you may not feel prepared to sit the exams or complete other forms of final, summative assessments in the Summer Term, and you may wish to request to delay them.

Such a major decision needs careful consideration as it will delay your progression to the next stage of your course or, as a finalist, the award of your degree. There may also be financial and other impacts that you may wish to consider in the light of your personal circumstances.

However, should you feel that you have no choice but to delay your exams or assessments please talk to your Divisional Student Support Team at the earliest opportunity and no later than Friday 3 May 2024.

They will advise you of the process and the implications of such a major decision on your academic progress.

If you cannot find or access an online core and/or exam text then please contact the IT & Library Support Desk in the first instance. Alternatively, contact your module convenor and/or subject librarian who may be able to suggest other digital resources.

You can now find the past exam papers for your module in Moodle, alongside your other learning materials for that module.

Moodle holds the past papers for the past three academic years. If you have problems accessing the papers, please contact your Division for help.

There are a wide range of study spaces across campus to suit your needs, in addition to spaces provided in the Templeman Library. Available Study Spaces across Canterbury Campus are listed per building and type of space, as well as Study space and PCs on the Medway campus.

If you are in need of a PC, you can use our Find a free PC (Canterbury campus) across campus including Templeman Library. We also have loan laptops available in the library to borrow up to 4 hours at a time.

Don’t carry heavy books and bags around campus - use a free day locker. Lockers are available on both the Canterbury and Medway campus.

You are expected to demonstrate academic integrity when undertaking university exams, that is, to take responsibility for your own work and to acknowledge the work of others wherever it contributes to your own.

The University is taking the following steps to ensure academic integrity:

• All exam scripts will be checked for originality with online scripts submitted via Turnitin and University policies on academic misconduct applied as appropriate.
• All exam marks will be reviewed by Schools to identify and address possible anomalies.

Exam feedback can be given on request after publication of your end of year performance.

Module convenors can provide feedback on your exam performance but are not permitted to return your script.

Divisional Student Support Teams will let you know how to request exam feedback once the end of year results have been published.

If you are resitting or resubmitting, it is a good idea to get advice about ways to improve your performance ahead of your resit.

Contact your Division for further information.

If you fail a module in the academic year and choose to resit/resubmit you will need to cover the cost. This is to cover the additional costs involved with resits and resubmissions (e.g. exam boards, admin and invigilators). You can view resit fees online.

If you cannot pay this fee due to financial hardship, please get in touch so we can discuss your options and financial support available.

Please note that the deadline for requests for academic year 2023/24 has now passed (2 February 2024).

If you wish to observe a religious commitment on a particular day during exams, you should complete and submit a Religious Observation request form to your Division by the start of Spring Term. Further information is available from the student admin webpages.

The Student Learning Advisory Service are providing simulated exam sessions for you to practise before the real thing and see how you react. 

SLAS also provide guides and online workshops on exam techniques and strategies and managing normal exam stress.

See our guide on what to expect at an in-person exam at Kent.

We've prepared guidance to support you with your preparations for in-person exams.

You can also see our exams support webpages for all the support on offer to you this exams season.

You should arrive outside of the exam room at least 15 minutes before the exams are scheduled to commence.

Make sure you allow time for delays caused by traffic and weather conditions when planning your journey. 

You should also allow time to put any bag you have brought to campus into a free, day locker. Bags are not allowed at Exam Halls.

Let your Divisional Student Support Team know as soon as possible if you are unable to attend an in-person exam on the day.

See our in-person exams webpage for more.

Bags are not allowed at the Exam Halls, you can use a free, day locker. Also see our in-person exams guidance for what you can and can't bring into an exam hall.

It is important to understand that exam stress and anxiety are normal responses to timed assessments, and a certain level of stress helps performance. See our support webpage for advice and how to manage this.

However, if your stress and anxiety are debilitating, you may need to seek the support of Student Support and Wellbeing.

Your School and academic adviser should be your first place to contact for revision support. SLAS can also provide advice and guidance on revision planning and strategies, with online workshops on revision techniques.

You can enter the exam venue late, but entry will be restricted to discrete entry points at regular intervals.

Students who enter an exam room after the start of a session won't get additional time for the exam.

Where a student enters an exam room more than 30 minutes after the start of a session, the relevant Board of Examiners shall have discretion to decide whether and how marks awarded in such circumstances are to be used.

You can't leave an exam room during the first 30 minutes or last 30 minutes of an exam session.

Please raise your hand and an exam invigilator will come across to talk to you. Where required, queries will be directed to the module convenor. 

See our guidance for online exams.

As part of your revision, module convenors will provide past papers where the exam guidance remains largely unchanged.

In modules where the exam guidance and/or format has changed significantly from previous years, mock papers will be provided to support you with the change in this assessment.

We have also developed a demonstration Moodle module where you can familiarise yourself with the above process. You will need to click 'Enrol me' in order to enrol yourself onto the module.

Online exam papers will be released via Moodle in accordance with the published exam timetable. The exam timetable will be published before the end of March.

Timed Online exams will be released at 10:00 British Summer Time.

Online exams will be made available in a separate section on the module Moodle page entitled ‘Examination’ at the top of the page.

The exam section in Moodle will provide both the exam paper and an answer booklet for that module.

You will be required to submit completed answer booklets via Moodle within the specified timeframe.

Find out more on our types of exam webpage.

If you're experiencing any technical issues with the online exam process, for example, problems accessing or logging into Moodle, working with file format, accessing software or uploading exam papers, then you should contact the IT & Library Support Desk.

If not an IT query, please contact exams@kent.ac.uk.

You should contact the module convenor in the first instance who can help with these queries.

Turnitin compares the work you have submitted to other work on the internet. It then returns a comparison percentage to check for originality.

There is an expectation that there may be a low level of similarity where you may be quoting from revision materials, but it is expected that the work you submit is your own.

There is no specific threshold score as it is expected that in some disciplines, there may be a singular answer and/or resource materials, where some similarity is to be expected. The University guidelines assume that you will abide by our normal academic integrity (anti-plagiarism) policy including online exams.   

Turnitin is the most widely used method of electronic submission at the University and is, therefore, familiar to a large number of students and staff. 

There is no requirement for continuous internet access throughout the whole period of the exam.

Our expectation is that you will download the exam paper and complete the paper offline within the allocated period and upload your answer booklet when you have completed your exam.

You will not have to be online throughout your exam.

The exams are designed to take you as long as they would normally take under standard exam conditions (2 or 3 hours). We certainly don’t expect you to be working on one exam paper for 24-hours.

The 24-hour open book design enables you to plan and complete the exam at a time that is most convenient to you, and to break up the exam into smaller segments over the 24-hour period if this suits you better. The 24-hour timescale includes any additional time given if you have an Inclusive Learning Plan (ILP) adjustment (i.e., there is no extra time beyond the 24-hour period).

You are not expected to include enhanced outputs such as full references or bibliographies, but any quoted material should be identified using quotation marks. Answers will be tested for originality through Turnitin.    

We recognise that you will have access to materials provided during your studies (e.g. lecture and seminar notes, supplementary materials) and to online resources when undertaking online exams. Copying and pasting content from lecture slides, coursework, assessment solutions and information from the internet is prohibited. So, too, is collusion with third parties and other students.  

All online exams have been designed to cater for additional time ILP requirements.

• 24-hour online exams will operate with a 24-hour window from the timed release of each exam in which to download the exam, complete the exam, and upload answer scripts via the submission inbox on Moodle. The 24-hour timescale incorporates extra time in Inclusive Learning Plans (ILPs), personal circumstances and any possible IT/technical issues.
• Timed online exams will operate within the expected timeframe for standard closed book exams plus ILP time plus 30 minutes. Where your ILP provides for additional time, this will be allocated to the exam duration time e.g. a student entitled to receive 25% extra time would be given 2.5 hours rather than 2 hours to complete the online exam.

Students requiring adjustments other than additional time will be contacted directly with further information and/or to enable discussion about how these can be delivered.

Students with queries regarding ILP adjustments should contact KentSSW@kent.ac.uk (Canterbury) or MedwaySSW@kent.ac.uk (Medway)

The template answer booklet requires you to enter your exam number (located on your KentOne card). It is important you complete this correctly in the space provided on each answer booklet (as per paper exams). 

You should also resave the answer booklet to include your exam number in the filename using the following format [your exam number] [module code] AnswerBooklet. For example, 1234567 ABCD1234 AnswerBooklet.docx

To create an ILP register with Student Support and Wellbeing and request an appointment with an Adviser. They will take you through your options and you can create the ILP together. You may need to provide medical evidence or a diagnostic report to support your application for an ILP

You can view your ILP on Kent Vision by going to the ‘Current Students’ tab then click on ‘My Student Support’ and ‘View my ILP’.

There is a deadline for changes to exam arrangements on ILP that is set every year - the deadline for the May/June 2024 period has now passed. You can edit non-exam adjustments on your ILP at any time. To make any changes to your ILP, you would need to contact or make an appointment with an Adviser by emailing KentSSW@kent.ac.uk for Canterbury, or MedwaySSW@kent.ac.uk for Medway. Some changes may require medical evidence. 

Your timetable will either show:

Keynes College (KSA1) – Please wait outside the room a member of staff will be there to meet you.

Keynes College (Report to Keynes Atrium Entrance) – Please go to the Keynes Atrium Entrance. You will need your exam number to find your exact room, which will be listed on boards in the Atrium. Please follow the instructions on the board.

For students taking exams in Medway, please go to the Medway Building. You will need your exam number to find your exact room, which will be listed on boards in the reception area. Please follow the instructions on the board.

This depends on the specifics of your individual ILP. You may have an individual room, or be in a smaller room such as a seminar room, PC room or small lecture theatre with other students who have ILPs. The invigilator will tell you where to sit and give you any instructions you may require.

Your exam timetable on Kent Vision will tell you where to go and the start time of your exam. 

We recommend you arrive 15-30 minutes before the start time of your exam. When you arrive you will then be told which room you will be doing your exam in. You will need your Student ID card. 

When the exam room opens, the invigilator will tell you where to sit and any instructions you may need, including what time your exam will end. If you finish your exam early, inform the invigilator before you leave.

Any changes to room location etc will be on your Kent Vision timetable so check this regularly.

Timetables on Kent Vision only show the base duration of the exam and do not include any individual extra time allowances, but you will receive the extra time listed on your ILP. Your invigilator will inform you when your specific exam will finish taking into account your extra time.

If your online exam is timed (eg. 2 hours) then you will receive your extra time in addition. If however it is an open-book, 24 hour exam, you will not receive extra time on top of this.

If you have any issues on the day of your exam (in-person or online), for instance technical problems, illness, or invigilation issues, we would encourage you to apply for end of year extenuating circumstances. This may include receiving special consideration or offering you the opportunity to re-sit your exam in August.

Yes. Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) will be running a daily drop-in service for anyone who needs extra support during the exams season. You can go to SSW reception in Keynes or ask your invigilator for support. They also have a lot of activities and events going on over the summer term to help you de-stress and stay focused. Check out the SSW events calendar for further information.

Contact the Exams team and Student Support and Wellbeing to ensure that they are aware of any potential issues you may have and any actions that may need to be taken, for example, the use of medication such as an Epi Pen, when to call an ambulance or emergency contact etc. Please make yourself known when you register on the day of your exam. Whilst we may have the information written on ILPs, it is always helpful to be able to put a face to the name.

Anyone can take breaks during their in-person or online exams if they wish. However, we will not stop the clock during this time. Your extra time takes your need to take a break into account. You will not receive additional extra time for any breaks you have taken.

If you need any specialist software or in-person support, the Student Support and Wellbeing team will be in touch to discuss how this works. In most cases, remote support will be offered for the same period of time as you would get for an in-person exam. For example, if the base duration of your exam is 2 hours (eg. the time it would take if you were doing it in-person) and you have 25% extra time, you will be offered remote support for 2.5 hours. The timeslot you will be offered depends on the type of support you need and the start and end time of your exam. We are unable to offer support outside of normal working hours (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday), although exceptions may be made in certain circumstances.

Your exam timetable on Kent Vision will tell you the date and start time of your exam, and online exams will either be timed or 24 hours. If it is timed you will also have extra time in addition to the time stated on your timetable. You will be able to access your exam on the relevant module on Moodle at the start time. You will need to download the answers booklet and follow the instructions regarding naming and submitting via Turn It In on Moodle. There will also be some instructions on Moodle for you to follow, including what information to include in your answer booklet, for example your student number and the module code.

A Reader is a person who can read the questions for you in an exam, and read back things you have written so that you can check your answers. 

A Scribe is a person who can type or hand-write your answers as you dictate them. 

If you require both a Reader and a Scribe, this will be done by the same person. 

For in-person exams they will be waiting for you at your exam venue. 

For online exams they will support you remotely. You will be sent a time slot for them to support you and a Teams link to connect with them at the appropriate time. If you would prefer to use a family member or friend to support you for your online exam, please let us know so that we can cancel your remote support.

For online exams, you can use any assistive software that you have access to at home.

If you're using Claro for in-person exams, this will be pre-loaded onto the University PC you will be using. You just need to launch the program when you start your exam.

If you need Dragon or Equatio for your in-person exam, you need to bring your own laptop with the software already installed, and your own headset or microphone. This is because Dragon and Equatio uses your specific profile.

Unfortunately we do not have technical support for assistive software on campus, because it is specialist software. However, if you experience issues with your software during an exam (in-person or online), you can contact Student Support and Wellbeing who will try to find in-person support for you.  Your invigilator will do this for you at in-person exams. If your exam is disrupted due to assistive software issues, you can apply for end of year extenuating circumstances.

We do not provide specialist equipment or furniture for online exams. Any items on your ILP will be made available to you in your exam venue for in-person exams.

If you are doing an in-person exam and have the use of a PC on your ILP, then a Windows PC will be provided. Macs and other operating systems can only be used if there is a specific piece of assistive software that cannot be used on a Windows PC.

This would need to be agreed in advance and added to your ILP. If you are doing an online exam, you can use your own preferred device as long as it is compatible with Moodle.

This is fine. Simply show your device to the invigilator when you register on the day of your exam, and again as you enter your exam venue. If you will be using a phone you will need to disable Bluetooth and WiFi, unless your medical monitoring platform requires these. You will be asked to place your devices under your chair, and to alert the invigilator if you need to use them. 

We recommend that you arrive 15-30 minutes before your exam start time to allow for additional checks to make sure you have everything you need before the exam starts.

Yes, you may bring a drink and snacks. Please consider others you may be sharing an exam room with and do not bring things that will not be noisy or smelly. You may be asked to remove labels. 

Yes. Please place this under your seat or desk.

Yes, but please try to consider others you may be sharing an exam room with and do not bring things that may be a distraction for other students. You cannot bring any Bluetooth or WiFi enabled equipment. 

You can email ilpexams@kent.ac.uk if you have any questions or concerns about your exam ILP adjustments.

Bags will not be allowed in the exam room unless you are in an individual room. Bags cannot be left with invigilators or other exams staff. If you must bring a bag, we recommend using a locker.

Other than any special requirements you have as per above or your ILP, please see the list of items of what you can and can't take to your exam.

There is a lot of general information on exams on the Student Guide.