13. IU Exams: Quick Guide Notes

Exams are a main way to test knowledge at IU.
They are designed to be flexible and can be practiced beforehand to reduce stress (Fernández-Castillo & Caurcel, 2015).
Written exams assess both factual knowledge and the ability to apply it to problems (Koeder & Hamm, 1999).
Written Exam Basics:
- Supervised and timed, based on course content.
- Include transfer tasks: applying what you learned to new cases.
- Keywords in questions (e.g., name, describe, explain, illustrate) indicate the expected answer style.
Duration depends on credits:
- 5 ECTS = 90 min
- 10 ECTS = two 90-min exams
- (exceptions for language courses).
Practice Exams:
- Sample exams with solutions are provided in myCampus.
- They show structure and point distribution but not all real exam questions.
- Using them is helpful but not required to pass.
Overall takeaway: exams combine knowledge checks with the ability to apply concepts, under structured formats.
Key reference points include the sources: Fernández-Castillo & Caurcel (2015); Koeder & Hamm (1999).

Written exams are supervised, timed, and based on course content.
They may include transfer tasks: applying learned material to new scenarios.
Question wording matters: keywords indicate what kind of answer is expected (e.g., name, describe, explain, illustrate).
Duration guidance (as above) aligns with credit load.

Provided in myCampus as sample exams with solutions.
Purposes:
- Show structure and point distribution.
- Help with timing and familiarity.
Important caveat: they do not reveal all actual exam questions.
Practice is optional but recommended to reduce stress and build familiarity.

1) Written Exam:
- Taken by hand at an exam/study center.
- Students choose location and date.
- Dates are listed in myCampus.
2) Online Exam:
- Conducted online with live proctoring.
- Students choose location and time within rules on myCampus.
Trial exams:
- Available with a proctor (practice setup) or without (practice anytime).
Important cross-link: both formats use the same question pool.
- Any question can appear in either format.
For updates and full details: myCampus > FAQ – Exams.

Read all questions carefully before answering.
Single-choice questions:
- Only one answer is correct.
Open-ended questions:
- Watch keywords and answer according to the task.
Be aware that the online and written exams pull from the same pool, so practicing with both formats helps.
Regularly check myCampus for updates, FAQs, and access to practice materials.

Transfer tasks emphasize higher-order thinking: not just recall, but application to novel contexts.
Time management is intrinsic to the structure (ECTS-based durations).
The alignment between written and online pools suggests flexible assessment design and the importance of broad content mastery.
Ethical/practical implication: use provided practice materials to prepare; relying on actual questions is not guaranteed and sharing or seeking leaked content would violate exam policies.
Real-world relevance: transfer tasks simulate professional scenarios where adapting knowledge to new problems is essential.

Assessment design often includes: coverage of core content, transfer/application tasks, and clear signaling of expected answer formats (via keywords).
Practice exams as scaffolding align with deliberate practice principles: structure, feedback, and repetition.
The supervisored and proctored formats reflect academic integrity and standardization in evaluation.

Duration by credit:
$5\ \mathrm{ECTS} = 90\ \mathrm{min},\quad 10\ \mathrm{ECTS} = 2\times 90\ \mathrm{min}$
Formats and platforms: myCampus as the central hub for exam dates, formats, practice materials, and FAQs.
Keywords in questions (e.g., name, describe, explain, illustrate) indicate the required response style.
Exam question pools are shared between online and written formats to ensure consistency across modalities.