Digital Examinations

On this page you will find all relevant information on digital examinations. If you have specific questions about individual examinations, please contact the course management. For general questions, please write to us using the Service Desk.

General

Examinations are the central performance assessments during a degree program. They are intended to provide information on whether the competencies and study objectives according to the curriculum have been achieved. Different types of courses require different types of assessment. Which assessments and how they are to be completed is communicated in u:find and by the lecturers in the course and via Moodle. The switch during the summer semester 2020 from exclusively face-to-face examinations to digital examinations does not change the required independent performance. However, the framework conditions for holding examinations have changed significantly. These changes are based on the regulation "Regulations on courses and examinations", dated 13.05.2020.

Digital written examinations are conducted exclusively via the Moodle learning platform.

Please note the following general instructions for the exam:

  • Complete a mock test if one is offered.
  • Pay attention to the specific information and instructions provided by the course instructor.
  • Observe and follow the information on permitted aids.
  • Pay attention to your time management during the exam.
  • Leave yourself sufficient time to hand in the exam.

Academic and Formal Regulations

The following study law and formal regulations / requirements must be observed for digital examinations in Philosophy:

 

 Duration of the Examination

The working time is specified for each examination in u:find. There are two options regarding the time for uploading the exam sheet:

1. the time for downloading the exam details and uploading the answers is included in this time. Please remember to allow time for uploading.                                           

or                                                                            

2. xx minutes are available for uploading the exam after the end of the exam time.

If you have problems downloading or uploading, please contact the exam supervisor or the course management immediately.

 

Open book Exams – Permitted Aids

"Open book" means that you can use numerous materials to answer the question. However, it does not mean that you may copy sentences/text passages 1:1! Sentences from slides or other texts may not be copied unless the source is appropriately cited (and allowed to be used in the course of the exam). When answering the questions, you should always formulate your own thoughts and arguments independently.

  • Before the examination, the course instructor will explicitly specify, orally and in writing, which aids are permitted.
  • The course management decides whether (direct) quotations are permitted in the examination. 
  • Correct citation is a basic requirement for achieving a positive grade (apart from achieving the required number of points). Incorrect citation will be included in the grade.
  • Failure to cite is regarded as cheating and leads to the entry of an "X" (cheating note).

Important! Working and learning materials, questionnaires etc. that are developed jointly with other students and used in the examination must be submitted within 2 days upon request. If these cannot be submitted, it will be assumed that several students have worked together without permission and an "X" will be entered (cheating note).
 

"Normal digital exams" (not open book) - dealing with verbatim memorized texts: 

Make sure that you formulate your answers independently:

  • The mere reproduction of memorized passages from learning materials will be awarded 0 points!
  • No positive mark can be achieved by simply reproducing memorized passages from learning materials!

  • A plausibility check can be carried out on the pure reproduction of memorized passages from learning materials to determine whether the content has actually been memorized or whether plagiarism can be assumed.

    Please note: Students are not entitled to a plausibility check. Furthermore, a plausibility check is not an additional examination ("re-examination"), but merely serves as an aid to determine whether a student has cheated on an examination.

 

Checking for Text Similarities

All texts are checked for plagiarism using Turnitin.

Non-permitted Aids in All Types of Examinations

The following cases will be assessed as cheating and will result in the entry of an "X" (cheating note):

  • Any communication with other people during the exam (in any form: in person, via messaging serivces, via phone call or text, via social media, etc.)
  • Ghostwriting (exam or individual parts of the exam are written by other people).
  • Collusion recognizable from the text (collaboration between several people): identical typing errors, identical transcription errors, identical incorrect use of formulas, etc.
  • Use of learning materials prepared jointly with other students (if the course management allows the use of joint learning materials, this must be explicitly stated – see above).
  • Identical reproduction of lecture notes (if the course instructor allows the use of shared learning materials, this must be explicitly stated – see above).
  • Use of Wikipedia (should be explicitly stated)
 

Cheating Note X

Information on the process of entering an "X" (cheating note):

  1. When correcting the examination, the course management determines that the work was obviously not done by the student. The course management informs the student and the responsible study program management by e-mail about the entry of an "X" (cheating note) in the transcript of records, including a brief explanation of why cheating took place (documentation of the facts).
  2. The course management suspects that cheating has taken place:
  • Option a): The student is summoned to a plausibility check within the assessment period (preferably via a video conferencing tool). Students who refuse the plausibility check are marked with an "X". After the plausibility check has taken place, the course management decides whether an "X" will be entered or whether the examination will be assessed as normal. If an "X" is entered, the SPL is informed and the documentation of the facts is submitted.
  • Option b): The student is asked to submit a written statement by e-mail. After receiving the statement, the course management decides whether to enter an "X", in which case the SPL is informed and the documentation of the facts is sent.