181 tal-1997

L.N.ISI of 1997

EDUCATION ACI'

{C AP. 327)

University Examinations Regulations, lm

In eJlercise o f the powers conferred upon him by section s 30

(S) and 31 (6) of the Education Act (Cap. 327), the Chancellor o f

the University of Malta has prom ulgated the following regulations

made by the Senate of the Uni versity of Malta by virtue of the powers

conferred upon it by sections 31 and 35 of the said Act

Citation and interpretation

I. These regulat ions may be c ited as the Universi ty EJlaminatio ns

Regulations, 1997 and shaJl substitute R02 - University Examinations Regulations

included in Schedule 111 o f the Education Act, (Cap. 327) and subseq uent

amendments which are hereby repealed.

The repeal o f the said regulations s hall in no manner affect anything done

thereunder.

Applicability

2. These Regulations shall be applicable from June 1994 onwards . eJlcept

for Regulation 2.2(e) which shall apply from June 1996 onwards, Regulations

1.2(iv) and (vi) which shall apply from January 1997 onwards and regu lation 7.1

whic h shall apply from March 1997 onwards.

UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS REGULATIONS,I997

I.

General Provisions

I .1 The subjects o r the examinations shall be those prescribed in the relevant

regulations.

1.2

Unless otherwise provided in the re gulatio ns for a particular co urse

examinations shall be held in two sessions: normally in June and in

(i)

September;

(ii) candidates shall be required 10 complete their examinations for the

particular acade mic yea r in these two sessions;

(ii i) ira candidate is absent in one or more subjects in any sess ion other

than a June sess ion for a reason conside red by the Senate 10 be valid and

beyond his control. and there is no re gular sess ion of the same examination

within the next twel ve months , he shall be allowed instead to sit for such

subject or s ubjects at a special session;

(iv) if a candidate is absent in a June session for a reason considered by

the Senate to be val id and beyond his control. the Senate may allow the

candidate to opt to sit all the examinations that he would have had to sit in

June, as a firs t sit in the September session. or to sit the missed examination

under fe-sit conditions in Scptember;

(v) if in order to be eligible to take the fi nal Examinations , a student

lacks one element suc h as a credit for one study-uni t, the Rector. o n the advice

of the dean or othe r equi valent academic office r o f the Unive rs ity_ may

authorise the tak ing of that Examination with such provisions as are deemed

necessary to ensure adequate compensat ion for the aforesaid miSSing element;

(vi) Regulations 1.2(iii) and 1.2(iv) shall apply nWlal iJ nllllandiJ in the

case of absence in examinations that are held in other sessions of examinations

that are e xce ptionall y held on dates other tha n J une or September.

2. Boards of Examiners

2. 1 There sha ll be a Board o f Examiners for each subject of examination.

2.2 (a) The Board o f Examiners shall normally be composed o f the head

of the depanment. or the co -ordinamr of the are a of studies which provides the

main pan of the tui tion . as chairman . and o f two other examiners; provided that

the Senate, on the advice of the Fac ulty Board concerned. may recommend to

Counci l to increase the numbe r o f examinen; in any particular subject .

(b) Where the Senate considers it appropriate, Addi tio nal Examiners

shall be appointed for specific parts of the examination. Such Additional Examiners

shall panicipate in the de li berations of the Board of Examiners but only inso far as

they concern th ose pans of the e xami nation in which they were involved .

(c) External Examiners . where ap pointed , shall be additio nal to the

normal compliment of the Board of Examiners.

(d) A teache r who is nOt a member o f the Board o f Examiners may be

requ ired by the Board to assist them in an y pan o f the examination in the subject

he teaches.

(e) Where appropriate a Fac ulty Board shall appoim a moderator of

examinations . assisted by a sub-committee provided that this provision shall always

app ly in the case o f examinatio n o f di ssen ations.

2.3 (a) A me mber o f a board of Examiners (including paper seuers and

markers) shall be disqua lified from e xamining

if he is related to a candidate by consanguinity or by affinity to the

(i)

th ird degree inclusive;

(ii) if he has been , at any time during the academic year to whic h the

examination refers, a guardian of a candidate or has given private tuition in

the subject of examination;

(ii i) in the CtLSe of the Matriculation Examination and the SecondMy

Education Certificate Ekamination , if he has been , at any ti me during the

twelve months before the examination concerned , a teacher o f any of the

candidates in the subject of uamination or a closely re lated s ubject .

(b) The markers ' panel may take inlO account assessments of projects

andlor oral proficiency submitted by authorised teachers according to procedures

established by the Board.

(c) The Rector, afte r consultatio n with the Dean of the Faculty

concerned. shall appoint anothe r uaminer in place of the membe r who is so

disqualified.

2.4 If, prior to the commencement or during the coune of an ellOamination,

the Rector is satisfied that a member of a Board of Examiners is unable to perform

or to continue to perform his duties. he shall , after cons ultation with the Dean of

the Faculty concerned , appoint an other ellOami ner in place of thai mem ber.

2.5 Where the uaminer who i5 replaced in terms of 2.3 or 2.4 above is the

cha irman of the Board ofElIOaminers, the Rector shall appoint a new chairman who

must be the head of another department wit hin the same Faculty or a lecturer from

the Depart ment concerned, and such s ubstitute examiners as may be necessary.

2.6 Course work Assessmen t: Students req uired by regulations to obtain a

credit shall normally be assessed by the lecturer responsible for leaching the re levant

study-unit. The Head of Department or Co·ordinator of the course shall act as

moderator . Ifthe person responsible for teaC hing the study-unit is himself the Head

of Department or Coune Co-ordinator, then the Dean of the Faculty or Director o f

the Institute shall act as the moderator.

Procedures for Boards of Examiners

3. 1 Subject to the provisions of these regulations and to any guide lines made

by the Senate , the Board of Examiners shall determine the procedures to be adopted

for the conduct of the examination

Provided that each membe r of the Board shaH participate in at least a

part o f the examination o f every candidate.

3.2 The Board of Examiners. in judging the merits of candidates, may take

into account nOI only their pcrfonnance during the cxamination but also their wort;

in the subject during the course.

3.3 Decisions of the Board of Examiners shall be made by a majority of

vOles . No cxaminer shall be at liberty to abstain from voting . In the case of an

equality of votes the c hainnan shall have and shall cast a second vote

Provided that it shall be in order for the chainnan to consider a matter lis

having been decided by the Board if the general consensus among the members

appcan to be in favou r of such decision and no vote is asked for

Provided also that if an External Examiner is unable to take part in the

final deliberation of the Board be<:ause of his being abroad it shall be lawful

for the other members of the Board to make decisions in his absence so long

as any views he ma y have expressed in writing are taken into consideration

and the final decision is acceptable to him .

3.4 The members of Boards of Examiners s hall trea t as confidential

everything connected wi th their proceedings.

Examinations Involving more than One Subject

4 .1 When the regul ations of a course require that the res ults of an

Examination involving more than one subject be publi shed as a whole, the

procedures adopted for arriving at such a result shall take into account any guidelines

issued by the Senate for this purpose .

Degree Classification Boards

5.1 Unless otherwise provided in the regulations for a particular course, or

the course consists of only one area of study

(a) Whenever course regulations provide that a degree/diploma is

classified there shail be a degree classification Board .

(b) Each Classification Board shall be composed of the Chairman of

the Boards of Examiners of the Final Examination for each area of study in

the course and the External Examiners. The Board shall be chaired by the

Dean of the Faculty or, in his absence, by one of the Chairmen of the

Examination Boards, elected to chair the meeting by the other members of the

Board . The Board may call any other examiner 10 participate as advisor.

(c) The Classificalion Boards shall foilow mutatis mutandis, the

procedures outlined in regulations 3.2 and 3.3 of these regulations.

Revision of Exa nl lnallon Papers

6. 1 Subjecllo the provisions o f regulations and to any procedurel guidelines

made by the re levant Uni versity au tho rity, a cand idate may. wi thin two weeks

from the publication o f the examination results, request that a revision of his

examination scripts be undenake n for the purpose of asce n aining th at no error

was made in the award of marks or grade obtained in a panicular examination

paper.

6.2 The revis ion of examination scripts will be undenaken by the same Board

o f Exami ners togethc r with an additional examiner appoin tcd by the Senate fo r the

purpose. The provisions of section 3 of these regulations apply mil/a/is mll/undis.

6.3 The academic judgemen t o f the original examiners is not reviewable by

the Board o f Examiners considering the appeal and the resu lt will o nly be altered

if the change can be justified by object ive criteria.

6.4 The result of the revision of papers will be communicated to the candidate

in the form of a shon report giving the motivation of the result .

6 .5 I(the request for revision is found justified, all records, incl uding possible

cha nges in final classification, will be amended acco rdin gly. and any fee paid in

conn ecti on with the appea l will be refu nded.

7 . Special Needs

1 The Uni versity will seek to make provisions to assist persons with special

needs to be able to sit for its examinations provided that the candidate does not

gain undue advantage from s uch assistance. Any ass istance so provided shall be

under the full control o f the University

Pt." 100 _ Pt ju U)(