Skip to main content

Take part in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES)

If you are a taught postgraduate student, you can share your views on your time so far at the University.

Complete the survey now

The Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) is a confidential survey run by Advance HE and is open to taught postgraduate students across the UK. It asks them about their course experience so far.

Previous students gave their feedback in the PTES which has shaped your experience at the University. You can do the same for future students by being honest about what is good and what could be improved.

When you can complete PTES

PTES is open in Semester 2 every academic year.

PTES 2026 will be open from Monday 2 March until Thursday 30 April.

You are eligible to complete PTES if you are a taught postgraduate student and you:

  • did not enrol in January of the same year that PTES is running
  • are not in your first year of part-time study

You are eligible if you are studying for a degree apprenticeship or on a 100% online course.

Professional doctorate students

Previously, professional doctorate students were asked to take part in the Professional Doctorate Experience Survey (PDES). This was an internal survey created specifically for professional doctorate students, but it meant benchmarking results against the rest of the sector was not possible. To receive benchmarking data, PDES has been discontinued and professional doctorate students will now be eligible for existing sector-wide surveys.

If you are a student in your taught phase of study, you will be eligible for PTES in 2027. If you are in your research phase, you are eligible for the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) instead.

Questions asked

PTES asks a variety of questions about your student experience so far.

You can see the questions asked in PTES. They include:

  • teaching and learning
  • engagement
  • community
  • assessment and feedback
  • organisation and management
  • on-campus and online learning resources
  • support
  • skills development
  • two free-text comment questions

Giving constructive feedback

Giving constructive and detailed feedback in the open comments is most helpful for staff to make changes and improvements. You may recognise the characteristics of constructive feedback from the feedback you receive on your own work:

  • honest
  • specific
  • respectful
  • solution-focused
  • includes the good and the bad
  • how to do better next time

Although your responses are anonymised to academic and professional services staff, your comments must be in line with the University's Dignity & Respect Policy and Procedure. Offensive or discriminatory comments will be investigated.

Prize draw

You can enter a prize draw for completing PTES.

How your responses are used and where to see the results

PTES results are discussed and used in several ways across the University.

Your responses are confidential to the Student Engagement Team but will be anonymised before being released to academic and professional services staff.

Results will be discussed and used in Staff / Student Liaison Committees (SSLCs), Departmental Education Action Plans and committee meetings. Positive results may also be used for marketing purposes.

You can view PTES results for the University and the rest of the sector by:

How to take part

You can complete PTES online or on a mobile device. It takes 10 to 15 minutes and is confidential.

The PRES 2026 survey link will be available in Semester 2. Details of opening and closing dates for the survey will be announced closer to the time.

Please note you will need to enter login credentials to access the survey. These are:

  • your University username (without @bath.ac.uk) as the Respondent ID
  • your 9-digit student number, which can be found on your library card and SAMIS profile, as the Password

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES)

PTES asks taught postgraduates studying in the UK about their experience so far at university.

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) logo

Have your say

Have your say in PTES

Take part now!

Contact us

For enquires and questions, please contact the Student Engagement Team.