Nothing describes dread quite like that feeling that you’ve only just started uni and suddenly you have loads of mid-term assessments around the corner. If you have never sat a university exam before, these can feel terrifying and overwhelming. However, they are actually a useful opportunity to evaluate your progress and resolve any issues you have before your final assessments. This blog will break down why mid-term assessments are important (but not too important!) and whether they will count towards your final degree grade.
What are mid-term assessments and why are they important?
Mid-term assessments are exams or essays which are taken in the middle of a university term. Each course you take will usually have some form of mid-term, but they are often set around reading weeks to give you more time to work on them or prepare. Although they might feel pointless since you have just started your courses, they are used by lecturers to test your knowledge so far and make sure you are keeping up with the content.
These assessments can also flag up any topics you find particularly difficult or issues you may be having to ensure that these are resolved before your final assessments. This is particularly true if you require special arrangements or just need a bit of extra support.
In addition, mid-terms can provide you with a valuable chance to take a university assessment for the first time and determine whether the studying techniques you used at school are still adequate, or whether you need to change them in favour of some more effective ones.
Do mid-term assessments count towards my degree grade?
When reading the brief for your mid-term assessment, you should pay attention to whether it is ‘formative’ (which means it will not count towards your grade) or ‘summative’ (which means it will count towards your grade). This can determine the amount of time and effort you need to put into your mid-term assessments, particularly if you have some which are formative and others which are summative.
However, although they do not count towards your grade, it is still highly recommended to complete any formative assessments, since they are an invaluable chance to receive feedback and understand what your marker is looking for in the final exam or essay. I have handed in many formatives where I got a ‘C’ and then implemented the feedback to get an ‘A’ overall. It’s pretty much a free shot at the exam, so definitely worthwhile! Any feedback about writing style and referencing will also be useful in other courses.
If your mid-term assessments are summative, you should see how much of your final course grade they are worth. This will usually be much lower than the final assessments (typically around 20-30%). If you are in first year (or first and second year in Scotland), your mid-terms are unlikely to count towards your final degree grade. However, any mid-terms taken in second, third or fourth year will be counted. Whilst you should be aware of this, do not let it scare you - it just means you should be putting your full effort into your mid-terms to ensure that you do the best you can.
What if I have a bad mid-term assessment?
Although they are important, having a bad mid-term assessment is not the end of the world. As mentioned above, they are often not worth a huge percentage of your overall course grade, meaning they can be balanced out with a strong final assessment. For example, if you get 65% in a mid-term worth 30% and 75% in a final exam worth 70%, you will still get 72% overall, which is a first. It can be difficult not to be bitter if you do receive a bad grade (trust me, we’ve all been there!), but the best thing you can do is to be reflective and try to understand how you can improve for the future.
If you are uncertain about any of your feedback or the reason you got the grade you did, it is definitely worth arranging a meeting with your lecturer or marker who will be able to explain it to you in-person. They want you to pass and excel in their subject, and will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Similarly, if you feel you did not receive enough feedback, do not be afraid to ask for more, since this is the main way you will improve. If you have a bad mid-term assessment in your first year, you may experience imposter syndrome and feel you are not good enough to be at university. Just know that the jump from school to uni is massive and this is a completely normal feeling!
Final piece of reassurance
Overall, mid-term assessments are more important for you rather than your final degree grade. Although they may count towards your degree to some extent, it is still possible to override a bad mid-term with a good final assessment.
More importantly, mid-terms provide you with a chance to receive feedback, evaluate your studies so far and understand how to improve for your final assessments. Whilst you should definitely put your full effort into your mid-terms, just remember that they are ultimately there to assist you and are a means to help you get to the level that you want to be at!
