ASSESSMENT: THE MEng EXAMINATION

The MEng Examination comprises four separate units, Parts I, II, III and IV, which respectively correspond with each year of the undergraduate course. Within each of the four Parts, you are assessed by means of written papers (examinations) and coursework.

In general, there is a pass mark for each written paper and there is a higher percentage pass mark for the aggregate of all written papers. Coursework must be passed independently of the written examinations.

At the end of each academic year, the Registrar will provide you with a transcript of your own marks in each subject and an overall coursework mark in that year's Examination assessment.

Failure in the Examination

The Examination is an absolute one: it is not competitive. If every student of your Year reaches the required standard, the Examiners will be delighted and the Department will find accommodation for a large following Year with great satisfaction. On average, in recent years, one or two of the examinees have failed in the written examinations at their first attempt. They have been required to withdraw from the College but most have returned the following year to resit all the examinations and proceed to the next part of the course.

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Failure in Coursework

A failure in coursework is potentially more serious than a failure in examinations.

Coursework can only be repeated by a full year's attendance at the College, and in the case of First Years you would be denying a place to a fresher. Since there is little excuse for failure in coursework, the Departmental policy is, in general, not to allow such repetition. Please click here for more details.

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Progress Tests

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Supplementary Qualifying Tests (SQT)

If your performance in the written papers of Part I or Part II is marginally unsatisfactory, you may be offered a Supplementary Qualifying Test (SQT) on one of the written papers, to be taken in September of the same year. If your performance in the SQT is satisfactory you will be considered to have passed the relevant Part of the MEng Examination.

You should note that an SQT is not an examination resit.

If you have failed the year or ar the subject of a Deferred Decision pending results from Supplementary Qualifying Tests, you should arrange to see the Senior Tutor immediately. He will explain to you the basis for the Examiners' decision and will outline ways in which you will be able to recover your position.

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Discussion of Examination Results

For discussion of your examination results, or for advice on your overall academic progress and the class of degree you are likely to be awarded, you should see the Senior Tutor.

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Pass Criteria and Marks Allocation

The degrees offered in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering are:

MEng in Civil Engineering
MEng in Civil and Environmental Engineering
MEng in Civil Engineering with a Year Abroad
MEng in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a Year Abroad

The MEng programme in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering comprises four courses in which the first two years of study are common, apart from the essential language study for the Year Abroad (Europe) courses. Each of the four courses is otherwise characterised by the choice of options which students make in the third and fourth years.

Normally, for the degree in which Environmental Engineering is specially featured, at least five elective modules of the final two years must be chosen from that discipline (at least 1 in Year 3 and at least 3 in Year 4), the final year investigative project must also be environmentally relevant. For the Year Abroad courses, it is the fourth year that constitutes the study-abroad element. Each student, in concert with the Year Abroad Coordinator and the Director of Undergraduate Studies, must make a study plan from the courses available at the host institution. The plan must include a substantial project, and the studies must be assessed by an appropriate mixture of written and oral examinations and coursework.

A detailed breakdown of the Pass Criteria and Marks Allocation are to be found below.

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Part I Examination

For the Part I Examination, a pass is achieved by satisfying separately all the following criteria:

· at least 30% for each subject element of the written examinations
· at least 40% for the aggregate mark of all written examinations
· at least 40% for the aggregate mark of all coursework (note: for progress test element please click here)

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For the Part II Examination, a pass is achieved by satisfying separately all the following criteria:

· at least 30% for each subject element of the written examinations
· at least 40% for the aggregate mark of all written examinations
· at least 40% for the aggregate mark of all coursework (note: for progress test element please click here)

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For the Part III Examination, a pass is achieved by satisfying separately all the following criteria:

Please note that the Systems Engineering and Engineering Economics and Management is a common exam but with two distinct parts.

· at least 40% for the aggregate mark of all written examinations
· at least 40% for the aggregate mark of all coursework, excluding the Group Design Project
· at least 40% for the Group Design Project

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· at least 40% for the aggregate mark of all written examinations
· at least 40% for the aggregate mark of all coursework, excluding the Individual Project
· at least 40% for the Individual Project

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For the Part IV Examination of the Year in Europe courses, a pass is achieved by satisfying separately the following criteria:

· at least 40% for the aggregate mark of all written examinations and coursework, excluding the Individual Project
· at least 40% for the Individual Project

Transfer of Credit from Institutions Abroad

Marks from our partner institutions are given careful attention. Since the marking procedures differ from country to country, de-briefing sessions with each student take place at the end of the year of study, normally in early September. Each student must make a presentation on their Individual Projects, followed by a question and answer session. These allow the examination board to gather any information relevant to the awarding of honours. Additionally, personal contact with staff at the partner institutions ensures we have a good understanding of their teaching and assessment methods.

For further details please click here.

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Classification for Honours

The award of the degree of MEng is conditional upon the achievement of a pass in the Part IV Examination. The class of honours with which a degree is awarded is based upon the aggregation of marks from all four years of a course, the maximum mark available in each year of a course being as follows:

Part I:	1000
Part II:	2000
Part III:	3000
Part IV:	3000

The class of honours is determined from this aggregation of marks, expressed as a percentage of the 9000 available marks, according to the following table of honours divisions:

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EXAMINATION PRACTICE

Calculators for use in Examinations will be provided by the Department and issued to candidates at each exam. In order to allow students time to familiarise themselves with the calculators, a number will be distributed to each Year Representative during the Spring Term.

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Your examiners have set down their ideas on what they look for in an examination answer. When working on tutorial questions or doing revision, refer to these notes and try to establish a habit or technique for handling questions in each subject.

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Each paper is structured to contain 'straightforward' material and 'more difficult' material. 'Straightforward' questions, or parts of questions, are aimed at testing a student's understanding of basic concepts and principles. A student who has done the tutorials, coursework, and worked through the previous examination papers should be able to score well in these questions. The 'more difficult' questions, or parts of questions, will require extra thought, deeper understanding and skills in solving problems. Some questions may contain both elements: a 'straightforward' part, followed by a 'more difficult' part.

All papers are designed to ensure that any student who has worked well should have no difficulty in achieving a pass mark. We examine what you know, not what you don't know.

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Read each question carefully.
Think: "What am I being asked?" Make sure that your answers address precisely the questions asked. (Answer the actual question asked by the examiner: don't write the answer to the question that you had hoped would be there.)

If confused by the question, ask the invigilator.
· If you cannot understand the intention of a question, clarification of the rubric may be sought from the invigilator.
· If there is still doubt, write down what you understand by the question for the benefit of the examiner.
· Listen to announcements at the start of the exam: they may clarify a typographical error or other printing problem on the paper.

Write legibly.
This raises the examiner's morale and tends to give you the benefit of any doubt.

Attempt all of the questions required.
Your exam paper will tell you how many questions you must answer from each section of the paper. Make sure you give the required number of answers, even if you are not confident about all of your answers. If you try to answer fewer questions to a higher standard, you must obtain a much higher grade in each question just to achieve a basic pass overall. Also, by giving as many answers as required, you offset the effects of one poor answer. If you answer fewer questions than required, the effect of one poor answer is magnified.

Read carefully the instructions for each examination (the 'rubric').
Obey these instructions; examiners cannot credit answers to questions that in some way conflict with the rubric.

Show your thinking.
In numerical questions, marks are given for method as well as for the numerical accuracy of calculations. Remember that these marks cannot be awarded unless the method and its assumptions are clearly stated. Put down the steps in your calculation even if it may seem unnecessary because you are using a calculator. If the numerical answer is wrong, marks can only be given if the steps leading to the answer are written down.

Remember also that a clear diagram at the start of a problem will often prevent silly errors.

Structure your answer.
When answering descriptive questions, use annotated diagrams where appropriate and arrange your reply under suitable headings and sub-headings. This is particularly helpful if English is not your first language. For instance, if you are asked for advantages and disadvantages of something, it is convenient to arrange your answer under headings such as:

"The advantages and disadvantages of the something are:"

It is a good idea to plan a descriptive answer by writing notes before you start answering the question.

The marks for each part of a question are shown on the examination paper and provide some idea of the relative difficulty of the parts within the question as a whole.

You may add comments to your script.
For example, you should comment that the answer looks improbable but you have not had time to check it, or that you have had to terminate your answer for lack of time. In this latter case it helps to note briefly how you would have proceeded if you had had more time. You may get no extra marks for this but it will make your examiners more sympathetic!

Remember that your examiners strive to be fair BUT THEY CAN ONLY AWARD MARKS FOR WHAT YOU PUT ON YOUR SCRIPT. Concentrate on putting down your answers as directly and succinctly as possible. The Examiners will look particularly for comments etc. which give evidence of an understanding of the subject. Padding your answer will not get extra marks and may even be counter-productive.

No doubt each of you will have developed your own examination technique by now. Remember that a key rule is to answer first the questions you can do most quickly and easily.

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In the Event of Illness

• If you are unable to attend an examination owing to illness you should notify the Academic Administrator (Mrs Louise Green, 020 7594 6045), or failing that, the Examinations Officer (Dr. M.H. deFreitas, 020 7594 6023), as soon as possible. You will be required to produce a medical certificate within 48 hours.
• If you become unwell during an examination notify the invigilator immediately. If you are capable of continuing after an interval, the Examinations Officer may authorise extra time at the end of the examination to compensate for any time lost.

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Conduct of Examinations

Students are asked to note that all examinations are conducted in accordance with Imperial College's Academic Regulations, Requirements for Programmes of Study and Instructions for the Examination of BSAc, MSci, BEng, MEng, and MBBS Degrees.

You will receive a copy of the complete regulations with your examination timetable.

In particular, the following should be noted:

• You must attend punctually at the times stated and in the room indicated on the examination timetable.
• If you arrive more than half an hour late, you will be admitted but your work will be accepted only at the discretion of the Examiners. You may be given extra time but this is at the discretion of the Examinations Officer.
• You may not leave the room during the first half-hour of the examination except to go to the lavatory or to receive first aid, which you may do at any time provided that you are accompanied.
• When you have finished your paper you may leave the room at any time after the first half hour.
• If the fire alarm sounds during an examination you should follow the Invigilator's instructions explicitly. These will be to take your question paper and answer books with you and follow the Invigilator to the assembly area. You will not under any circumstances discuss the paper with other candidates. The exam will be resumed as soon as it is safe to re-enter the building and extra time will be allowed if necessary. The Examiners will ensure that all due allowances are made in the assessment of results.
• You should at all times conduct yourself in a manner which will cause minimum disturbance to others in the examination room.

Any queries regarding examinations should be directed in the first instance to Mrs Louise Green, Room 440B.

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