Summative assessment and examinations

What is a summative assessment?

A summative assessment is when your teacher or an examiner tests your skills through an assignment or exam. The teacher or examiner grades your exam.

You cannot appeal the grade, however, you can request that the teacher reconsiders the grade decision. You also have the right to change examiner if you have failed the same course or module twice. In the course syllabus you can read which summative assessment criteria apply to your course.

Written examination

A written test is almost always given at the end of a course where you show that you have understood the course.

Take-home examination/Unsupervised Examination

A written test that you do at home. The tasks in a take-home examination usually requires you to analyse/reflect over a question. You use the relevant course literature; however, you may also reference other sources.

Promemoria (PM)

You can be tasked with writing a Memorandum where you reason about a subject. It can also be called an essay or paper.

Academic paper

Writing an academic paper is also used as a form of summative assessment. Writing an academic paper at the appropriate level is also a requirement for taking a certain degree. Academic papers are usually quite large works, which can take up to a semester to write.

You always have a supervisor (a member of the teaching staff) who will support you with your academic paper. The supervisor advices and comments on the reasoning and the methods of inquiry. When an academic paper is finished, it is then defended. This is called a public discussion and means that at a seminar you should be able to receive comments, and answer questions about your academic paper. The questions are asked by one or more students (opponents) who have been tasked with reviewing your academic paper.

If you have not completed an element of an examination, you can retake it at the next scheduled examination session. To find out when the next examination session is and to register, contact the director of studies.

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Collective sessions for several retakes

On some of the courses you can also retake exams at one of the collective sessions.

For courses in the autumn semester, the collective session is in June after the spring semester finishes.

For courses in the spring semester, the collective session is in August, before, the autumn semester begins.

Academic paper retake

If you wish to present an academic paper a second time, you should do so at the scheduled time during the course.

For C academic papers, the summative assessment takes place in January. For B academic papers and academic papers at master level, the ordinary summative assessment takes place in May or June.
To find out when the next examination session is and to register, contact the director of studies no later than 2 weeks in advance.

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Collective sessions for academic papers

You can also have your academic paper examined at one of the collective sessions for academic papers.

For civilian programmes, there is a collective session for B and C academic papers in August, before the start of the autumn semester.

For academic papers at master's level, contact the director of studies.

For information regarding the Officers’ Programme, see below.

Retake of course

In the course description on Canvas, you can access the date for the next retake session. In some cases, you can retake on several courses during the collective sessions that are held a few times a year.

Academic paper retake

If you wish to present an academic paper again, you should normally do so at the ordinary time during the course. To do so, you need to register with the director of studies in war science.

Find director of studies

B academic papers (semester 3) have the ordinary summative assessment in December. There is the possibility of 2 hours extra supervision (this must be notified to the director of studies).

The independent work (semester 6) has a summative assessment in June with the possibility of a retake at the end of August/early September. Information can be found in the course description on Canvas.