Final-year Waikato University law students say an exam error could affect their grades and delay graduation after the faculty removed a flawed question from marking.
One student, who did not want to be identified, told the Waikato Herald that many candidates had sat what they expected to be their final exam before graduating, only to discover that one of the three questions contained a scenario but no actual question.
The issue was reportedly flagged during last month’s exam and later corrected, although some students claim they were not informed of the change until the final 30 minutes.
While many students believed they understood what the question intended to ask and answered it accordingly, the faculty later advised it would be removed from marking altogether.
Instead of three questions each worth about a third of the final mark, the remaining two questions would now be worth 50% each.
“This will result in many of us receiving a much worse grade due to their administration error,” the student said.
Many candidates had taken annual leave, arranged childcare, travelled to sit the exam and, in some cases, flown in from Australia, the student said.
Students have since raised concerns with the faculty, arguing that the disruption affected their time management and that removing the question would place greater weight on answers they considered weaker.
The student said those unhappy with the outcome had been advised that they could apply for special consideration, which could result in an alternative exam later in the year.
The student argued that the decision could affect grades, graduation timelines and employment opportunities for some students.
The University of Waikato said that “an instruction forming part of one question in the LEGAL436 Legal Ethics examination was omitted in error”.
“This was identified during the exam, and the missing instruction was then provided to students.
“Following the exam, the matter was reviewed by Te Piringa Faculty of Law, and student feedback was considered as part of ensuring a fair and equitable assessment outcome for students.
“Students have been advised of their options if they have any outstanding concerns about the exam.”
Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. Before he joined the Hamilton-based team, he worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive. He previously worked as a journalist at Black Press Media in Canada and won a fellowship with the Vancouver Sun.