Unseen examination

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In the United Kingdom, an unseen examination is an essay test in school or college, where the student does not know what questions are going to be asked in advance. [1] [2] The student is required to answer questions based upon what they have learned over the course of their academic study.

In contrast, in a seen examination the questions have been made available to the student prior to examination. [3] [1]

The vast majority of UK undergraduate exams in all fields, such as law [4] and psychology, [1] are unseen examinations. Unseen examinations are favoured for their inherent protection against plagiarism, [5] and their potential to develop students' ability to handle pressure and time constraints. [6] However, they have been criticised for causing anxiety and stress in students, [5] [7] for negatively impacting motivation and the depth of learning experiences, [8] and for unfairly favouring students who happen to be particularly skilled at unseen written exams as opposed to other assessment methods. [8]

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References

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  2. Spencer, M.; Spencer, J. (2016). Concentrate Questions and Answers Evidence: Law Q&a Revision and Study Guide. Concentrate Law Questions and Answers Series. Oxford University Press. p. 2. ISBN   978-0-19-871579-5 . Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  3. "Traditional Timed 'Unseen'/'Seen' Exam". Office of Quality, Standards and Partnerships. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  4. Webley, L. (2016). Legal Writing. Taylor & Francis. p. 145. ISBN   978-1-317-55499-8 . Retrieved 6 May 2024.
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  6. Bach, S.; Haynes, P.; Lewis Smith, J. (2006). Online Learning And Teaching In Higher Education. Online Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. McGraw-Hill Education. p. 142. ISBN   978-0-335-21829-5 . Retrieved 6 May 2024.
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  8. 1 2 Brown, S.; Glasner, A. (1999). Assessment Matters in Higher Education. UK Higher Education OUP Humanities & Social Sciences Higher Education OUP. McGraw-Hill Education. p. 62. ISBN   978-0-335-23100-3 . Retrieved 6 May 2024.