At university, assessments are a key part of your learning journey. They help you stay on track, build knowledge, and develop essential skills for your course and beyond. Understanding what is expected of you is the first step towards academic success.
Key Terminology
Committing to honesty in academic work, giving credit where you use others' ideas, and being proud of your own achievements.
All students are expected to: submit their own original work, reference all sources, avoid plagiarism and comply with academic integrity policies.
Tasks used to evaluate your learning and skills, such as essays: exams, presentations, posters or practical assessments, and more. The format of your assessment will depend on your module.
You'll complete a mixture of assessment types throughout your academic studies.
CATS stands for Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme and is a points-based system used to measure academic credit. Each module in your course has a CATS value based on its workload.
Example: A single-term module may be worth 15 CATS, while a two-term module may be worth 30 CATS due to greater depth and assessment.
Typical values:
15 CATS = approx. 150 hours of study
30 CATS = approx. 300 hours of study
Students must complete a set number of CATS to progress or graduate. For most undergraduate courses, this is 120 CATS per year (though requirements can vary - always check with your department to be sure).
Exams can be either online or in-person. The format of your exams will depend on your module – these can be essay-based, short answer questions, multiple choice etc.
Your exam details (such as date, time and duration) will be appear in your personalised timetable in eVision. Your department will provide information about the exams academic content so that you have lots of time to prepare.
You can request an extension for certain assessments if circumstances beyond your control prevent you from submitting on time.
Requests must be made before the original deadline has passed, and you are usually required to submit evidence (or have Reasonable Adjustments in place).
Extensions cannot be used for time-specific assessments, e.g. exams, presentations and class tests. In these cases, you would be required to use submit a mitigating circumstances claim.
You can submit an extension request through Tabula or MyWBS.
If you need extra support, speak to your Personal Tutor.
Please note: there are limits on the amount of time which can be granted for an extension. For your specific course guidelines, contact your department.
A formative assessment is marked but does not count towards your final grade. Formative assessments are designed to help you prepare for summative assessments by building your subject knowledge, understanding of academic expectations, and improving your skills, such as academic writing.
The feedback you receive from your formative assessments will help you when you're completing your summative assessments.
Mitigating circumstances refer to unexpected, short-term situations outside of a student's control that negatively impact their ability to study or perform well in assessments. These circumstances can include serious illness, bereavement, or other personal crises.
If a student experiences such events, they can submit a mitigating circumstances claim to their department, which may result in adjustments to their academic work, such as extensions to coursework deadlines.
Modifications or accommodations made to ensure that students have equal access to education and opportunities. These adjustments are considered on an individual basis and are intended to mitigate the impact of your condition and support you in your academic success. Examples include: providing learning materials in advance, extra time in exams, flexibility on deadlines and accessible formats for information.
An assessment that is graded and counts towards your final grade for the year. Depending on the module, you may have one summative assessment (e.g. an essay/dissertation) which makes up your whole module grade. Alternatively, you might have several summative assessments (e.g. tests/presentations/reports) which all count towards your final mark.
Summative assessments tend to fall towards the end of one term, or the beginning of the next term. This is to give you time to consolidate your learning and prepare effectively.
This refers to the percentage that an exam or assessment 'counts' towards your final module mark. For example, a module may be assessed through an essay (30%), a presentation (10%) and an exam (60%).
Weighting can also refer to how your end-of-year marks count towards your final degree classification. For example, your second-year marks might be weighted at 40%, and your final-year marks at 60% of your final degree outcome.
Each department is different, so always check the guidance for your specific course.
Referencing is how you give credit to the sources used in your academic work- like books, journal articles, newspapers, scientific reports, webpages and more. You should reference everything you've read and used to support your ideas in your work. Correct referencing includes key details like the author, title, and publication date of each source.
Engaging in class, such as lectures, seminars and other teaching sessions, helps you deepen your understanding of the academic material, clarify expectations, and build the skills needed to complete assignments successfully. Your tutors may also share ad hoc information related to your assessments in lectures, seminars or practical sessions - so make sure you don’t miss out!
An assessment brief explains what you need to do for each assignment; it will provide you with an overview of what to aim for, the format required, the deadline and who to contact if you need help. You’ll find your assessment briefs on Moodle (or MyWBS for WBS students).
It will typically include details such as:
Task description - a detailed explanation of what you need to do.
Assessment format and structure - for example: essay, report, group project or presentation.
Word count – if relevant for the assessment.
Assessment weighting - e.g. 20% of the module grade and whether it is a formative or summative assessment.
Required reading/components to include - such as sources, materials or sections that must be included.
AI usage policy - a statement on whether any use of AI is permitted for that assessment, and if so, how it can be used (note: many courses do not permit any form of AI use, so this may not be included - check with your module tutor if you’re unsure).
Submission details – such as the deadline date and time and where/how to submit.
How to use it:
Read it carefully several times and highlight key details.
Note deadlines and plan your time.
Ask questions early if anything is unclear.
Refer back to it regularly to stay on track.
Reviewing the marking criteria is essential because it tells you exactly what your tutors are looking for, how your work will be judged, and which elements carry the most weight. By understanding these expectations early, you can focus your efforts on meeting the required standards and avoid losing marks unnecessarily.
At Warwick, assessments are typically graded on a 0–100 scale:
70–100: First Class
60–69: Upper Second (2:1)
50–59: Lower Second (2:2)
40–49: Third Class
Below 40: Fail
In some cases, this may differ e.g. Warwick Medical School/Degree Apprenticeship courses. If you’re unsure, check with your department student office or Personal Tutor.
Creating a draft is an important step because it allows you to organise your ideas, check your structure, and identify any gaps before submitting your final work. Drafting gives you time to refine your arguments, improve clarity, and ensure you meet all the requirements outlined in the assessment brief and marking criteria.
If you are allowed to submit a draft before submitting your assignment, take advantage of the opportunity. While the feedback might not go into a huge amount of detail, it’s a great way to understand if your work is on track.
Submitting your work on time is crucial because late submissions can lead to penalties or even a zero mark, regardless of the quality of your work. Meeting deadlines also helps you manage your workload effectively, avoid last-minute stress, and stay aligned with your module schedule. Planning ahead and allowing time for unexpected issues ensures you can submit confidently and on time.
Most assignments are submitted online via Tabula (or myWBS for WBS students). If you are unsure about how to submit online ask for help well in advance.
Once you have submitted your assignment and the official deadline has passed, your work will be sent to the marker. This process is anonymous, so do not include your name in your assignment; your student ID number will be attached to your submission.
Before your assignment is sent to the marker, it will automatically be checked by Turnitin, a software tool that checks for plagiarism. Turnitin compares your work with the content in its database - including webpages, journals, student papers and foreign language sources. It highlights matched text and gives a similarity percentage score. Your marker will see this percentage and may refer your work to the departmental academic integrity lead if necessary.
Your work will then be marked, and feedback will be uploaded and released on Tabula (or MyWBS) following the 20-working day marking period. Note: this does not apply for exams.
Reading your feedback is an important step in helping you understand what you did well and where you can improve. Taking time to reflect on feedback is one of the most effective ways to grow academically and achieve better results.
Always make the most of the academic feedback you receive from your module tutors, this will help you to develop throughout your studies, and improve your grades. Feedback is there to help and support you!
- Grace, Year 2 Chemistry student
Putting in a lot of effort when completing formative assessments will help you so much! Make the most of these 'practice' assessments - they will support you in understanding how marking criteria works and how to to improve your grades in the future.
- Leo, Year 3 History and Politics student
It is completely normal for your first couple of marks at university to be slightly lower than you’d hoped. University-level assessments are very different to school, and it can take a few attempts to get your head around the techniques and marking criteria.
-Laykee, 3rd year GSD student.
Different Types of Assessment
Essays
Purpose: Test critical thinking and ability to build arguments using evidence.
Format: Structured written work with word count and referencing.
Feedback: Typically shared within 20 working days.
Exams
Purpose: Assess knowledge under time constraints.
Format: In-person or online; multiple-choice, short answers, or essays.
Feedback: Limited; sometimes general cohort feedback.
Presentations
Purpose: Evaluate communication and subject understanding.
Format: Individual or group, often with slides or posters.
Feedback: Often limited, sometimes verbal or written and delivered shortly after the presentation; sometimes from multiple staff, or feedback may be given by peers.
Group Work
Purpose: Build teamwork, problem-solving, and project management skills.
Format: Varies, e.g. reports, presentations, practical projects. Teaching staff want to see equal contribution and collaboration.
Feedback: Individual and group feedback may be provided.
Lab Reports
Purpose: Demonstrate practical skills and data analysis.
Format: Structured report with methodology, results, and discussion.
Feedback: Individual and group feedback may be provided.
Dissertations
Purpose: Showcase independent research and advanced academic writing.
Format: Extended piece (8,000–20,000 words) with supervisor support.
Feedback: Written comments alongside final grade. Generally teaching staff are looking for originality, clear methodology, depth of analysis.
