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Exams - get help and advice

Advice and support for problems during an exam.

Please first read the Student Guide to Exams and what to do if you have questions before your exam starts.

There are also detailed guides to sitting an exam in-person, remotely using Inspera and In-person using Inspera.

This page was updated for the January 2024 assessment period (last update 8 December 2023).

Late for a campus (in-person) exam

You can arrive up to 30 minutes late for an in-person exam, you don’t need to tell anyone in advance. Please arrive at the room on your Exam Schedule as soon as possible.

If you are late you won’t be given extra time to attempt the exam.

You won’t be allowed to sit your exam if you are more than 30 minutes late. Instead, you may be able to apply for Individual Mitigating Circumstances.

Feeling ill, or other issues affect your exam

Guidance is provided in the Student Guide to Exams on what to do if:

Exam not on your Schedule or in Inspera

If an exam you are expecting to sit is not listed on your personal Exam Schedule on SAMIS or is not visible in Inspera 72 hours before your exam starts, please contact your department.

The Exams Helpline (urgent queries only)

If your issue is not resolved by following the steps on this page and you have a non-urgent query, please email examinations@bath.ac.uk.

If you need urgent advice, please call the Exams Helpline on +44 (0)1225 387500 between 8am and 5pm UK time Monday to Friday during the exam period. The team will signpost you to advice and support.

University system issues

If you have difficulty connecting to systems including Inspera, Moodle, Re:View or MS Teams, please first:

  • Visit University of Bath IT status and confirm if the system is operational. If Inspera is unavailable, the University will contact you.
  • If the system is working, check your own IT set up; a quick reboot might be enough – remember to save any work not in Inspera first.

If there is a technical failure with a University system

If there is a technical failure with a University system that affects your attempt, e.g., logging in or Inspera, please wait until the relevant system is available again to continue or to submit your exam attempt.

General IT support

If you need general IT help not related to using Inspera and you're not close to the exam deadline, you should submit an IT support request.

Inspera: general guides

If you’re not sitting an Inspera exam on campus, follow the guides:

If your issue is still not resolved, you can contact the Exams Helpline for advice (not your department) on +44 (0)1225 387500 between 8am and 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday during the exam period.

Creating or uploading files

Don't panic if you're close to the deadline. You can submit your exam within 30 minutes of the exam deadline, and a penalty will be applied. Please read the guide to late exam submission. You can ask for a review of the penalty if an exceptional technical failure prevented you submitting on time.

The penalty for submitting late can be reviewed if you had an exceptional technical failure that prevented you submitting on time. If you experience this kind of issue in the last five to ten minutes of your exam and you think it will stop you submitting on time, please collect date and time-stamped evidence so you can request that the late submission penalty be removed.

If your issue is still not resolved, you can contact the Exams Helpline for advice (not your department) on +44 (0)1225 387500 between 8am and 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday during the exam period.

Corrupt, missing or incorrect files

Before you submit your exam you are responsible for double-checking that all your files are correctly uploaded to Inspera and they are in the correct format/file type, and that all files can be opened.

You can't submit or replace a file outside of Inspera. This includes if you upload the wrong file, if you forgot to upload a file, or your file is corrupt.

If you've not yet pressed ‘Submit now’

You can replace wrong or corrupt files in Inspera up to 30 minutes after the exam deadline - but only if you have not already pressed 'Submit now'. If you submit your exam within 30 minutes it will be marked and you will receive a late submission penalty.

If late submission time has ended and you haven't pressed 'Submit now' you won't be able to submit your attempt in Inspera, and it won't be accepted using any other route. Further information on your options is set out in the guide for what to do if you did not submit all or part of your exam attempt.

If you've already pressed ‘Submit now’

Unfortunately, after you press 'Submit now' you won't be able to access Inspera to replace or upload any files or change your attempt, even if the exam deadline hasn't passed. You also won't be able to submit or replace any missing files or parts of your exam attempt through any other route. Further information on your options is set out in the guide on what to do if you did not submit all or part of your exam attempt.

Missed (or about to miss) the exam deadline

All exams are set with sufficient time to attempt, complete and submit your work.

Late submission time (less than 30 minutes late)

You can submit your exam in Inspera within 30 minutes of the exam deadline during late submission time and a penalty will be applied.

Any files you uploaded or questions you answered in Inspera up to this point will be marked.

After late submission time (more than 30 minutes late)

You can't press 'Submit now' after late submission time ends. None of the files you have uploaded or any of the answers entered into Inspera will be marked. You can't ask for any files or answers to be accepted and marked that weren't successfully submitted in Inspera by the end of late submission time, nor can you ask for a file to be replaced.

If don't successfully submit your exam attempt by the end of late submission time you will receive a mark of 0NS (0, “Non-submission”).

Further guidance is available on what to do if:

Didn't press 'Submit now'

Your exam won't be automatically submitted for you. You must press 'Submit now' to finish and submit your exam attempt. This is stated on the front instruction sheet for all Inspera exams and in Inspera training.

If you don't successfully press 'Submit now', then any files you uploaded or questions you answered in Inspera won't be marked.

If you were unable to submit your exam attempt by the end of late submission time you will receive a mark of 0NS (0, “Non-submission”). You can't ask for your exam attempt to be accepted using any other route. This is the case even if you had technical issues that prevented you from successfully submitting your exam attempt.

If this affects you, please read the guide for what to do if you did not submit your exam attempt, including applying for Individual Mitigating Circumstances (IMC).

Error in an exam paper

Guidance is available on what to do if you think you spot an error in your paper. There is no need for you to contact your department or the Exams Helpline.

Wellbeing

If you have any urgent concerns about your own or another student’s health or welfare, please call 999 or University of Bath Security Services on 01225 383999. They will contact Student Support as needed.

Wellbeing Advisors are available online and in the 4 West Student Centre. You can call them on 01225 383838, email wellbeingservice@bath.ac.uk or book an appointment to speak to an adviser. They can also point you in the direction of further support or practical help.

You can also use the Be Well-Talk Now service, which offers immediate 24/7 support on the phone, and through live chat or video call wherever you are in the world.

Other sources of support include:

Further information

Staff queries (Invigilators, etc.)

If you're a staff member or invigilator and you have an urgent question about an exam or an issue on the day, you'll be able to call us, from Monday 15 January, on 01225 384603, between 8am and 5pm.

If your question is not urgent, please email examinations@bath.ac.uk.

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