Assessment and examinations
Find information about examinations and how you’ll be assessed in your courses at the Faculty of Law.
Assessment
Assessment for law courses varies from in-term tests, opinions and essays to final examinations.
Details of all assessment and deadlines for a course are contained in the Course Outline. These are distributed in the first week of the trimester and are also posted on Nuku.
Read the Undergraduate Law Prospectus section on Assessment for information on grades and marks, assessment in Te Reo Māori, aegrotats, compensation pass policy, use of Turnitin, copyright and recording of classes.
Victoria University of Wellington rules regarding all assessment are in the Assessment Handbook. Download the Handbook below.
See also the updated criteria for the award of Compensation Passes to complete a Law Degree.
Compensation Pass Criteriapdf239KB
Examinations
Students enrolled in courses that have a final examination are expected to be available during the relevant examination period.
Examination timetables are usually published after the mid-term break.
In some special circumstances you may need to seek permission to sit an examination or test at an alternative time or location. The rules for alternative arrangements for Law School tests or University final examinations can be seen in the appendices of the Undergraduate Law Prospectus.
Dictionaries
If it would help for you to have a foreign language to English dictionary in an examination, download the dictionary form and take it to the Course Coordinator or Student Administration Manager. Take the signed form and your dictionary to the examination where the supervisor will check it before the start. Electronic dictionaries are not permitted.
Aegrotats
If an illness, personal bereavement or any exceptional circumstance beyond your control has occurred in the last three weeks of the course, and your preparation and performance has been impaired, you may apply for an aegrotat pass. Contact the Examinations Coordinator.
Also read the information on how to apply for an aegrotat.
Return of examination script
You can apply to have your original examination script returned free of charge with a marking guide. Alternatively, you can apply for a photocopy of your script. The original script can not be returned to you until after the reconsideration period.
Reconsideration of assessment
If you are not satisfied with the grade for an examination you can apply for a reconsideration. It is a good idea to read the script at the School Office first. You should then go to the course coordinator—for the process, see the Assessment Handbook s.9, p29.