Is there repeats for deferrals?

PomBear

Just wondering, just in case the situation arises....:)

joeKel73

Nope, afraid not. (not in Engineering faculty anyway)

Belmono

None in Arts, either, as far as I know.
Given that results of second sittings in August are often released when the following academic year has begun in September, there'd be no time for second sittings of deferrals.

Carsinian Thau

No, there isn't.

The sitting of a deferral is just like sitting a repeat paper except it's noted as a deferral and not a fail. Was told by a lecturer last year that if I were to fail my deferral then I would be unable to progress to the next year.

PomBear

Bit of a joke really considering you didn't actually fail it the first time and in many cases, medically unable to take the exam the first time.

Carsinian Thau

PomBear wrote: »

Bit of a joke really considering you didn't actually fail it the first time and in many cases, medically unable to take the exam the first time.

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but it's not the college's fault that you got sick and there is no way for a repeat system to work anyway considering the nature of the deferrals.

leeroybrown

PomBear wrote: »

Bit of a joke really considering you didn't actually fail it the first time and in many cases, medically unable to take the exam the first time.

Not really. The University don't even have to provide repeats if they don't want to. In final engineering there are no repeats - you fail an exam you fail they year.

What's actually a bit of a joke is the number of students who don't bother doing any work for the first sitting of the exam because they know that there are repeats and the number of students who use an excuse to defer their exams because it suits them better.

PomBear

leeroybrown wrote: »

Not really. The University don't even have to provide repeats if they don't want to. In final engineering there are no repeats - you fail an exam you fail they year.

What's actually a bit of a joke is the number of students who don't bother doing any work for the first sitting of the exam because they know that there are repeats and the number of students who use an excuse to defer their exams because it suits them better.

Whatever you think, some students do put in work and might have trouble taking exams. Some people are suited to exams and some aren't.
Some don't put in the study and are found out but some simply find exams tough at times.

The university provide structures for those who fail exams, whether they not have studied enough or the exam just didn't go their way on the day. The university should therefore provide equality across the board for those who medically were unable to sit an exam or were recently bereaved.

But hey, when hasn't an engineering students been up their own arse? :rolleyes:

PomBear

Carsinian Thau wrote: »

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but it's not the college's fault that you got sick and there is no way for a repeat system to work anyway considering the nature of the deferrals.

The nature of deferrals are usually medical or bereavement based. Both of which doesn't suggest a student could not take an exam 3 months later, if they couldn't then .

Lockstep

I know a few people who had deferrals and the reasons they had to so weren't pretty.

Not allowing repeats for deferring students seems fairly harsh.

Belmono

Lockstep wrote: »

I know a few people who had deferrals and the reasons they had to so weren't pretty.

Not allowing repeats for deferring students seems fairly harsh.

I really think you’re misinterpreting the college line on repeats. As has been explained in earlier posts on this thread, the nature of the scheduling of deferred exams for most students (First Arts notwithstanding; this is a model that will more than likely revert to August repeats in the near future) means that it is not logistically possible to hold repeats for exams that take place throughout August, primarily because correction of exams and holding of exam boards take place towards the latter end of August. Results (I can only talk about Arts here, and First Arts are not relevant to this discussion, as explained above) are typically provided for students in early September.

To suggest that the college is less than sympathetic towards students that have had to defer exams is really unfair. It is not the case that there is a deliberate attempt to exclude or prevent students who have deferred exams from taking resits, or that the many, often serious situations which have caused students to defer exams are in any way taken lightly – the simple explanation is that it is not possible given the scheduling. Now you may view my comment of ‘simple explanation’ as being in some way cruel or heartless but, can you imagine a situation whereby there might exist a second sitting for August students? When would they occur? How would they be managed? How much time would be given for a second sitting for these candidates? I think that you can quite quickly see that efforts to develop a policy for what would be in essence a third sitting (a second for those candidates, of course)would take quite some time to be accepted and approved across disciplines and colleges.

For candidates who deferred first sitting of exams and are not successful during what is their first sitting, they should make a case to the relevant discipline/college if there are extenuating circumstances that prevented candidates from performing properly. The appeals process for unsuccessful candidates is also available for the August exam session.

Carsinian Thau

Lockstep wrote: »

I know a few people who had deferrals and the reasons they had to so weren't pretty.

Not allowing repeats for deferring students seems fairly harsh.

I've had to take a deferral for a very unpleasant reason last year. They were very nice about it, actually apologetic in some cases and they truly were very sorry about the risk of not passing a deferral and its possible implications for me.

But my way of thinking of it is that the deferral itself is them being nice. Helping through a difficult time, despite a lack of obligation. That it's them stepping in to prevent a failing grade because I either can't show up for an exam or if I could, that I wouldn't be in a fit state to actually sit it. And that they're bending the rules just a bit to allow people in that situation to utilise a structure not normally used and even be exempted from its drawbacks. It's not actually all that easy for them to do (they needed authorisation from a professor, a vice Dean and the school administrator before I could be let go and even after all that, it still had to go before some committee).

I get what you mean that it's not pleasant that the back up plan for everyone else is taken away from the person that's already suffered but having gone through it, I feel as if they've already gone above and beyond and that in their world of regulations, protocols and rules, it's not their fault nor something to use to judge them that they can't do anymore should the unpleasant situation arise if a student should fail the deferral.

And, as has been said just above me, due consideration will be given to candidates who may not be able to perform at their absolute best.

leeroybrown

PomBear wrote: »

But hey, when hasn't an engineering students been up their own arse? :rolleyes:

If you're not interested in having a civil conversation about this just don't bother replying to my posts.

PomBear

leeroybrown wrote: »

If you're not interested in having a civil conversation about this just don't bother replying to my posts.

You looked to expel some notion that engineering students are more deserving of merit for their examination, I am of the opinion, the worrying majority engineering students feel they have this deserved awe and recognition, many students feel different and many students think that notion is laughable. Civil enough?

Davyhal

If there were repeats for deferrals, everyone would defer the exams in order to have another 3 months to study for them. I had to defer my exams when I was in second year as I was in hospital at the time, and I never even remotely considered the fact that I could not repeat as any way unfair. You have 3 months extra to study for the exams, that is more than people who are repeating have, as they do not get their results until into the summer. I failed one exam of the ones I deferred and I accepted that. It was perfectly reasonable that I had to repeat that subject the following year in my eyes.

PomBear

Davyhal wrote: »

If there were repeats for deferrals, everyone would defer the exams in order to have another 3 months to study for them. I had to defer my exams when I was in second year as I was in hospital at the time, and I never even remotely considered the fact that I could not repeat as any way unfair. You have 3 months extra to study for the exams, that is more than people who are repeating have, as they do not get their results until into the summer. I failed one exam of the ones I deferred and I accepted that. It was perfectly reasonable that I had to repeat that subject the following year in my eyes.

You need a medical cert or be recently bereaved to defer.

Also, those who end up taking the exam 3 months later have to take and pass the same exam anyways so what does it matter?

Davyhal

The deferment exam is the same as the repeat exam, and it is sat at the same time as the repeat exams. It is not the same paper as the summer exam. At least that's the way it was for me in Arts when I deferred in 2007.

PomBear

Davyhal wrote: »

The deferment exam is the same as the repeat exam, and it is sat at the same time as the repeat exams. It is not the same paper as the summer exam. At least that's the way it was for me in Arts when I deferred in 2007.

It's not a repeat exam as those who take them have not failed the exam. You need the same academic ability to pass either way.

Davyhal

It is the same paper as the repeat is what I meant. They do not hand you the same paper as the summer exam.

PomBear

Davyhal wrote: »

It is the same paper as the repeat is what I meant. They do not hand you the same paper as the summer exam.

Yes but that is out of convenience more than anything else, lecturers don't have to write two different exam papers, the gyms being used for exams anyways....

Belmono

PomBear wrote: »

Yes but that is out of convenience more than anything else, lecturers don't have to write two different exam papers, the gyms being used for exams anyways....

Different exams are written for first and second sittings. Format is the same but content is different. Take a look back at the Exam Papers Archive.

PomBear

Belmono wrote: »

Different exams are written for first and second sittings. Format is the same but content is different. Take a look back at the Exam Papers Archive.

I am aware of that, re-read posts, I meant the same exam papers are used for repeats and deferrals out of convenience.

Belmono

PomBear wrote: »

Yes but that is out of convenience more than anything else, lecturers don't have to write two different exam papers, the gyms being used for exams anyways....

Given that the same academic ability is expected, there is no need to write more than one paper for a second sitting. It's not a question of convenience. Location is also irrelevant in determining why only one paper is written, either, given that the same paper is given to students sitting the exam at the same time in a range of venues, including Sick Bay.

PomBear

Belmono wrote: »

Given that the same academic ability is expected, there is no need to write more than one paper for a second sitting. It's not a question of convenience. Location is also irrelevant in determining why only one paper is written, either, given that the same paper is given to students sitting the exam at the same time in a range of venues, including Sick Bay.

oh ffs, they use the same location for most repeats/deferrals, do they not? They use the same sick bay, do they not? It would make no sense to use seperate locations for locations and write two different exam papers when the university would knock out two birds with one stone, understand now?

Belmono

PomBear wrote: »

oh ffs, they use the same location for most repeats/deferrals, do they not? They use the same sick bay, do they not? It would make no sense to use seperate locations for locations and write two different exam papers when the university would knock out two birds with one stone, understand now?

All I was trying to suggest is that the issue of convenience has nothing to do with one exam paper being written, that's all!
Sorry, was not deliberately trying to rile you!