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Exams help and advice

Advice, guidance, and support for issues that may arise during both in-person, and Inspera exams.

Please first read the Student Exam Handbook, which includes detailed guides to sitting an exam in-person, or remotely using Inspera.

This page was updated for the Semester 1 2024/25 assessment period (last update 15 November 2024).

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.

Late for a campus (in-person) exam

If you arrive late, but within the first 30 minutes of the exam, you will be allowed to sit the exam and 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 cannot enter an 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 affecting your exam attempt

You should attempt your exam at the time it is scheduled if you feel able and well enough to do so.

If you are unable to attempt your exam, or you sit your exam but feel your performance was affected, you may be able to apply for Individual Mitigating Circumstances. There are guides that explain:

The deadline for an IMC is during, or immediately after, the formal assessment period, so you will not have your marks before deciding whether to submit a claim.

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.

Possible error in an exam paper

If you think you’ve spotted an error in an exam paper, you should make a note of the error on your script but attempt the question to the best of your ability. Exam errors will not be altered once the exam has started. The impact of any errors will be taken into consideration when results are reviewed by the Board of Examiners for Units.

If you are taking a remote Inspera exam, you can contact the Exams Helpline on 01225 387500 between 8am and 5pm UK time Monday to Friday to report an alleged error.

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.

Problems creating or uploading files (Inspera)

Don't panic if you're close to the deadline; you can submit your exam within 30 minutes of the exam deadline, but a late submission penalty will be applied.
To ensure that you create files correctly:

  • Follow the guides to preparing your documents for submission in Inspera, including creating PDFs and uploading files from your mobile.
  • Only use the recommended app to create and upload your files - Genius Scan: download for Apple or Android. Genius Scan creates files that are much smaller and quicker to upload than those created using the default Apple or Android apps.
  • Check your device setup is working. If your issue is still not resolved, you can contact the Exams Helpline for advice (not your department) on 01225 387500 between 8am and 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday during the exam period.

Corrupt, missing or incorrect files (Inspera)

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

You cannot 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 have not pressed 'Submit now' you won't be able to submit your attempt in Inspera, and it won't be accepted using any other route.

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 has not yet 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

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 (Inspera)

All exams are set with sufficient time to attempt, complete and submit your work. Please carefully read the guide to late exam submission.

Late submission guide

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.

Late submission time (less than 30 minutes late)

Unless you are sitting a flexible-start exam, you have up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds after the exam deadline to submit your attempt in Inspera, but a late submission penalty will be applied to your marks.

Any files you uploaded or questions you answered in Inspera up to this point will be marked. Read the late submission guide for further information.

After late submission time (more than 30 minutes late)

You cannot 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 you don't successfully 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.

Further guidance

Further guidance is available on what to do if: - You did not submit all (or part) of your exam attempt - You submitted your exam but your overall attempt was affected

Didn't press 'Submit now' (Inspera)

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).

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 13 January 2025, on 01225 384603, between 8am and 5pm.

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

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