Even though it has been decided that there will be no semester 2 exams for any Maths courses, we can now confirm that we are able to offer you the opportunity to take an exam for those Maths courses that count towards your IFoA exemptions. These exams will only contribute towards your IFoA exemptions and will in no way count towards your degree/degree classification. That is: the results of these exams are only used to determine for which IFoA exemptions you are eligible and for nothing else. For clarity we will refer to these exams as Exemption Only Exams.
Taking these Exemption Only Exams is (of course) voluntary: there is no obligation to take any or all of them. However be aware that for any Exemption Only Exam you do not take, an exam mark of 0 for the corresponding course will be used in the process of determining the IFoA exemptions you are eligible for.
The Exemption Only Exams will take place in the coming semester 2 exam period, and will be open book and taken via Blackboard. Otherwise they will work much the same as you are used to. In short: when the paper is available (see below timetable) you can download it (in .pdf format) from Blackboard, you are given an amount of time to work on the exam questions, and when that time is up you are asked to scan your handwritten solutions (for which you can just use your mobile phone) and upload them also via Blackboard. That's essentially it. So very much like the process for coursework has worked in the second half of this semester.
If you have any questions/comments/issues/... after reading this doc, please contact one of:
Admin: Lorna Dawson (lorna.dawson@manchester.ac.uk)
UG: Ronnie Loeffen (ronnie.loeffen@manchester.ac.uk)
MSc: Kees van Schaik (kees.vanschaik@manchester.ac.uk).
For UG students:
| Course code | Description | Date | Start Time | Duration |
| MATH38172T | Generalised Linear Models | 13/05/2020 | 09:45 | 02:00 |
| MATH39512T | Actuarial Models 2 | 26/05/2020 | 09:45 | 02:00 |
| MATH39542T | Risk Theory | 28/05/2020 | 09:45 | 02:00 |
| MATH39522T | Contingencies 2 | 01/06/2020 | 09:45 | 02:00 |
| MATH38032T | Time Series Analysis | 03/06/2020 | 09:45 | 02:00 |
For MSc students (note the different start times):
| Course code | Description | Date | Start Time | Duration |
| MATH68052T | Generalised Linear Models and Survival Analysis | 15/05/2020 | 14:00 | 03:00 |
| MATH69102T | Stochastic Modelling in Finance | 20/05/2020 | 14:00 | 03:00 |
| MATH69542T | Risk Theory | 28/05/2020 | 09:45 | 03:00 |
| MATH68032T | Time Series Analysis Time and Forecasting in Finance | 03/06/2020 | 09:45 | 03:00 |
See point 3. below for what 'duration' exactly means in this context, and see point 5. below if you are a DASS registered student.
• Do I need to sign up somewhere or confirm that I want to take these Exemption Only Exams?
No, you will be automatically informed about any further updates, so there is no need to let us know that you want to take the Exemption Only Exams. If you have decided that you do not want to take these exams and you do not want to receive any further communication about it, then just let us know.
• What kind of exam papers can I expect and how should I prepare for them?
We are just using the exam papers that were already written for this exam period (unaware of what would happen), with in some cases minor changes to replace bookwork only questions. So the exam papers will be very similar to what you would normally have expected, and in line with the past exam papers. In terms of preparation you should hence also prepare in the same way as you would have done in normal circumstances. Note that the Exemption Only Exams are open book, and hence you are allowed to use the course materials while answering the exam questions.
• How should I prepare for the online nature of these Exemption Only Exams?
Try to ensure that you have a quiet place during the exams where you can focus and work on the questions. If you need to, make arrangements already to put this in place. In terms of equipment etc., you’ll need to:
Note for UG students: for Contingencies 2 (MATH39522) you will need to use R as well during the exam. Your lecturer Jon Ferns (jonathan.ferns@manchester.ac.uk) will inform you about the specifics of this.
Please check all of the above as soon as you can, including the use of Zoom – that’s the best way to find out whether any of this is going to be problematic for you. If you do have, or expect to have problems then please get in touch with one of us asap (see contact details above).
• Do I have to handwrite my solutions? Can I not use my tablet/type them up/...?
We strongly recommend that you handwrite your solutions. Any other method introduces extra risks. Please note that it is fully your own responsibility to produce clearly readable solutions for submission before the deadline.
The essential procedure is as follows, as already alluded to above:
We will make sure there is support available for you, including a range of options to contact us during the exams in case of technical issues or questions about the exam papers themselves, backup options if Blackboard would fail at a crucial moment, etc.
We are still finalising the finer details and will inform you further about these as we go along.
A crucial point we would like to draw your attention to is academic malpractice. As pointed out above the Exemption Only Exams are open book and hence you can use the course materials, but (of course) the exam answers you submit must still be yours and yours alone. Please note that there will be a very rigorous process to check solutions for signs of academic malpractice. As these exams are for exemption purposes only this will involve the Independent Examiners appointed by the IFoA, and we have been assured by the IFoA that they won’t hesitate to take serious measures such as withholding all exemptions from a student who is found guilty of academic malpractice, even if for just a single Exemption Only Exam. Please take note of this and don’t get yourself into unnecessary trouble!
Things will progress pretty much as usual here: your solutions are marked, any scaling decisions are made (where the Independent Examiners appointed by the IFoA will have a big say), and then your final marks (based on any coursework marks and the exam mark) for the courses will be made available. Recall: these final marks will be for exemption purposes only and will have no impact on your University degree. Together with your relevant marks from the previous semester (and previous years if you're a UG student), all the marks that contribute to your Accreditation Average are then available and IFoA exemptions will be awarded accordingly. We expect that this process will be completed at some point in the early summer (similar timing as under normal circumstances).
If you are a DASS registered student with special arrangements for taking exams, such as rest breaks and extra time, then we will of course make sure to accommodate this for these Exemption Only Exams as well. You will be contacted about this by email.