Exam paper will be the same as essay titles; can I do the same question again?

Nova_era

Hey,

I havn't been around here for a while as I got stuck abroad for quite a while with that ash cloud thing, and my life has been backlogged since! :P

I've a question about one of my exams on Wednesday, the most dreaded of my exams; comparitave European Politics.

My lecturer has told me that the exam paper will feature the same questions as the essay titles we got earlier in the year. With that in mind, am I within my rights to just do the same question again, or is that against the rules?

Obviously I won't do it word for word, but if I can get away with not having to do any research extra to what I did for the essay, then I'm cool with that!

Rory

ReacherCreature

Nova_era wrote: »

Hey,

I havn't been around here for a while as I got stuck abroad for quite a while with that ash cloud thing, and my life has been backlogged since! :P

I've a question about one of my exams on Wednesday, the most dreaded of my exams; comparitave European Politics.

My lecturer has told me that the exam paper will feature the same questions as the essay titles we got earlier in the year. With that in mind, am I within my rights to just do the same question again, or is that against the rules?

Obviously I won't do it word for word, but if I can get away with not having to do any research extra to what I did for the essay, then I'm cool with that!

Rory

I don't see a problem with it. You won't be writing your name on the paper so lecturers/markers can't automatically remember if you're doing the essay again. I was in a similar position, emailed my lecturer as the questions were slightly different -- the topic was the same. I'm allowed to work away as I see fit.

Do it if you wish, I can't see any problems. If you want, email your lecturer and ask nicely!

Nova_era

ReacherCreature wrote: »

I don't see a problem with it. You won't be writing your name on the paper so lecturers/markers can't automatically remember if you're doing the essay again. I was in a similar position, emailed my lecturer as the questions were slightly different -- the topic was the same. I'm allowed to work away as I see fit.

Do it if you wish, I can't see any problems. If you want, email your lecturer and ask nicely!

I'd say she'll know exactly who is writing it when she reads it, and I got a first in the essay (which she said was one of the best in the class), so she'll probably recognise it easily enough. :P

What I've decided to do is prepare 2 other topics, and if there is a problem with either then I will use my "emergency" essay topic. I think. :P

The Big Red Button

We had a lecturer who did that in final year, except that for each essay we'd done, we'd had a choice of a few titles so not everyone did the same one. So, before the exams, the whole class e-mailed all of their essays to each other. It was great because you got a few different perspectives on the topics, and it really cut down on research. And it meant that the essay would have a few extra bits than it did first time round. (This might not work so well in a large class though, we'd only about 35 in ours!)

Nova_era

chatterpillar wrote: »

We had a lecturer who did that in final year, except that for each essay we'd done, we'd had a choice of a few titles so not everyone did the same one. So, before the exams, the whole class e-mailed all of their essays to each other. It was great because you got a few different perspectives on the topics, and it really cut down on research. And it meant that the essay would have a few extra bits than it did first time round. (This might not work so well in a large class though, we'd only about 35 in ours!)

There's around the same in ours, but as I think about it I think I'd be happier taking on a completely new topic and answering that instead of rewriting the essay I'd already been marked on. I'm likely to have contact with this lecturer throughout the duration of my course as she is one of the main co-ordinators, so I don't want to leave the impression that I'm lazy and would rather re-write an essay then learn a new topic.

Since posting this this thread I've become a little less stressed and more confident in my ability to do 2 completely new topics, so I probably won't need to do the essay again.. but you never know! :P

I wonder, would it be seen as me plagiarising myself? :P

jacko1

unless the book of modules says you cant then you can ! The lecturer cannot make up the rules as they go along - either its in the book of modules or it isnt

ReacherCreature

Nova_era wrote: »

What I've decided to do is prepare 2 other topics, and if there is a problem with either then I will use my "emergency" essay topic. I think. :P

Go with that so. Definitely no harm in preparing a new topic, you learn more and are safe. If neccessary use the assignment.

Play safe around exams or it'll bite you in the arse.

captainspeckle

Unless the lecturer has specifies previously that topics cannot be repeated then fire away! They have to make it pretty clear and more than likely have it in writing in some sort of official manner if you cant repeat a topic or essay.

jacko1

captainspeckle wrote: »

Unless the lecturer has specifies previously that topics cannot be repeated then fire away! They have to make it pretty clear and more than likely have it in writing in some sort of official manner if you cant repeat a topic or essay.

unless its written in the book of modules it cannot be enforced

captainspeckle

jacko1 wrote: »

unless its written in the book of modules it cannot be enforced

Not necessarily, I had a module before christmas where we had a class test, had the choice to answer between a certain amount of plays and we couldn't answer on the same play in the essay we did at the end of the module. The situation was similar in my seminar, certain references to material couldn't be repeated. Its depends on the module and what the module co-ordinator wants, obviously within reason!

mr.mojorising

Had the same issue come up in history when i was in first year. One lecturer was telling us that we couldn't answer a question that dealt with the same topic as the essay question we did. He was generally clueless though about this and other matters in the course. But then another lecturer told us that the instructions on the exam paper were just to answer however many question and mentioned nothing about essays or previous work.

In other subjects the lecturer usually told us that essay questions would not reappear in the exam, but if we needed to use material from our essays to make a point we could. I would say that unless it is written in the book of modules for your course or it specifically states it on the exam... you can use your essay material as much as you want...