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MSc International Management

Generic Examination Guidance

Derrick Chong

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Role of the College in the Exam Process

• The College, as part of the University of London, takes the exam process very seriously

• The College sets the exam timetable not the School

• With your exam timetable, you receive an exam candidate number

• Any infractions of the College’s exam regulations will be noted by the invigilators– Consequences can be severe (e.g., a mark

of 0% being awarded for the exam or termination of degree registration)

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Purpose of Generic Exam Guidance

• Pre-exam, exam day, and post-exam guidance• This guidance session is generic, which is of

particular interest for those who are reading (studying) at a British university for the first time

• Please refer to the individual courses for guidance that is specific– MN5111 – International Accounting & Finance– MN5113 – International Marketing Business

Economics– MN5114 – International Strategy– MN5118 – Business Economics– MN5121 – Information Systems & Operations

Management– MN5131 – International HRM & OB

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Pre-Exam StageRole of Past Exams

• Past exams for all courses can be assessed via Moodle and the College Library’s online portal

• Past exams, unless indicated otherwise by the instructor, provide a good indication of exam rubrics– Style of questions (form) – Subject matter of questions (content)– Number of questions / time length

• Do not memorize responses to previous exam questions

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Exam Rubrics

Code Course TitleDuratio

n Rubrics

MN5111

International Accounting & Finance

3hrs

• Section A – 1 compulsory question;

• Section B – 2 out of 5 questions

MN5113

International Marketing 3hrs

• Section A – 6 out of 10 questions;

• Section B – 2 out of 6 questions

MN5114

International Strategy 3hrs• 3 out of 6 questions

MN5118

Business Economics 3hrs• 3 out of 5 questions

MN5121

IS and Operations Management

3hrs

• Section A – 2 out of 5 questions

• Section B – 2 out of 5 questions

MN5131

International HRM & OB 3hrs• 3 out of 8 questions

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Pre-Exam StageExam Preparation

• Establish a revision schedule – It should take into account the exam

schedule – It should take into account your particular

areas of strength and weakness (re: core courses)

• It is unlikely that instructors will repeat questions from one year to the next

• Many exams offer choice, which may influence your study habits

• Do not focus too narrowly on topics• Do not limit yourself to the bare minimum

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Pre-Exam StageRevision Resources

• Even if you do not to gather any more material, a reasonable amount is at your disposal– Assigned readings, lecture notes, and

other materials uploaded onto Moodle– Readings you collected to complete

assignments– In-class tests – Additional material can be obtained from

the usual sources (e.g., business press, Business Source Premier, ABI-Inform)

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Contact with Instructors in April and May

• For consultations outside the teaching term, there is limited availability; email is the best mode of contact, though instructors may not be able to respond

• Note that instructors are not permitted to assess mock answers to past exam questions

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Exam Day

• Ensure you have the right day, time, and location of the exam: arrive about 15 mins before the start

• Seating is allocated by your exam candidate number

• Bring 2-3 pens (blue or black ink); do not use a pencil

• There is no need for white-out or highlighters; cross-out any errors

• Bring a watch – to monitor your use of time – as mobiles are not allowed and direct sight of the clock in the room may be limited

• Dictionaries are not permitted• Calculators will be provided, if required

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How to Allocate Your Time

• Read the instructions– How much time is allocated?– How many questions must be answered?– Are there compulsory

questions/sections?• Spend the first 5-10 mins reading the

entire exam – that is all the exam questions – and decide which ones you will answer

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How to Allocate Your Time (cont’d)

• In responding, ensure that time is spent on a question in proportion to the marks allocated to the question – E.g., answer 3 essay titles from a list in 3

hours: each is worth one-third of the available marks, means 45-55 mins each; do not over-run on the first question as you will be at a disadvantage in answering the others

– E.g., with problem sets, note how the marks are allocated; show your work to be awarded part marks

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During the Exam

• Try to stay calm• Start each question on a new page• Legible handwriting is important as it will aid the

markers in assessing your work; illegible handwriting may result in the exam not being assessed (i.e., you will be asked to re-sit the exam)

• If you need any assistance during the exam – such as another exam booklet or to go to the toilet – raise your hand to alert an invigilator

• Do not leave your seat without permission• Do not talk• At the end of the exam, you will be asked to tie the

exam booklets together in sequential order with a piece of string; if you are unsure how to do this, ask an invigilator for assistance

• Invigilators report all exam infractions to the Academic Registrar

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Answering ‘Essay’ Questions

• Ensure that your answer is a direct response to the question, rather than merely addressing the topic implied in the question

• Common formats– Direct question or set of questions (why

and how)– Based on a quote

(discuss/analyze/critique)– Compare/contrast (relationship)

• Each response requires engagement with the essay title; it is unusual to be asked to provide a list or description

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Answering ‘Essay’ Questions (cont’d)

• Do not memorize responses to popular topics (or questions from past exam papers)

• Do not identify the question as about ‘X’ and then proceed to write all you know about ‘X’– The question is probably posed in a manner

to force you to tackle a statement (or statements) about ‘X’

• References to relevant literature and practical examples are deemed as highly appropriate for a full and complete response

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Answering ‘Numerical’ Questions or Problem Sets

• Show your calculations (workings) in the exam booklet not the exam script– Partial marks are awarded– Some errors in calculation can be

carried forward in how marks are awarded

– Note that the exam script is separated from the exam booklet

• Do not leave questions blank

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Exam Marking/Assessment Procedure• Course instructors serve as first markers; this helps

to ensure consistency and fairness • For marking criteria and classification system, see

the Postgraduate Student Handbook on the School’s website– 70-100% (Distinction)– 60-69% (Merit) – 50-59% (Pass) – 40-49% (Fail – Condonable) – 0-39% (Fail – Non-Condonable)

• Your performance vis-à-vis others sitting the exam is considered, thus there is a sense of relative marking

• External examiners – a fundamental feature of the UK university system – tell us to ‘mark the range’

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Post-Exam

• Candidates who have condonable and non-condonable fails will be contacted by the School (re: options available, including re-sits in August 2012)

• There is no formal progression to the IRP stage