Learn more about University guidelines for determining student assessment workloads and equivalences.
Overview
The Sussex Assessment Equivalencies Guidelines are provided to support equity, clarity and consistency across different assessment methods at the University.
The guidelines aren't strict rules. They offer a set of estimates to help you and your colleagues consider, capture and communicate assessment equivalences within your module, course and faculty.
The guidelines incorporate word counts or time limits but also consider the estimated workload hours required to complete an assessment. They provide a means, as part of iterative course and module design and review processes, to:
- consider the time students spend on a task as an integral part of assessment design
- determine workload equivalencies between different types of assessments
- communicate to students the indicative time required to complete an assessment
- review assessment workloads across a module or course to ensure students aren’t being over or under assessed
- take a whole course approach to assessment design, which factors in the time required for students to master novel assessment types or formats.
See the Assessment Equivalencies handbook [PDF 600KB] for more information and guidance.
For information about faculty or school level guidelines, check with your Course Convenor or Director of Teaching and Learning or reach out to your Academic Developer.
Why use an assessment workload approach?
The Assessment Equivalencies Guidelines provide a shared language and reference point for:
- Students
- informing conversations with students about assessments, including their rationale, expectations and how to prepare
- encouraging students to ask for additional guidance, support or reasonable adjustment if they are struggling to complete assessments within the expected time frame.
- Module convenors
- reviewing assessment workloads, including workload bunching, within a module
- evaluating assessment design and/or the support needs of students
- supporting module review and design.
- Course teams
- reviewing assessment workloads, including workload bunching, across each year of study
- supporting a whole curriculum approach to assessment design which takes into account workloads associated with new types of assessment
- introducing new assessment approaches, additional assessments or changes to assessment schedules to ensure anticipated workloads are both manageable and clearly communicated to students and staff.
- Schools and faculties
- developing faculty-level credit equivalencies guidelines, which apply the institutional assessment workload model and articulate assessment workload thresholds, to facilitate conversations about curriculum design and review.
A note on constructive alignment
Before considering assessment workloads, the first step when designing and reviewing assessments on a course or module is to ensure they appropriately assess the intended Learning Outcomes (LOs).
Find out more about designing your curriculum to ensure constructive alignment between the learning outcomes, assessment and teaching.
Managing and communicating assessment equivalencies
As part of a whole course approach to assessment and curriculum design, it's good practice for assessment workload hours and equivalencies guidelines to be agreed, shared and used consistently within course teams, schools and faculties. Communicating workload guidelines is key.
- With students
Students might perceive assessment workloads to be inequitable if they’ve not been given good educational reasons for the difference. Provide clear guidance about how much time students should spend preparing for (e.g. planning their approach, conducting research, revising etc.) and undertaking the exam or coursework:
- on your student facing school, course and module Canvas sites
- on assessment briefs
- in the classroom, when introducing assessment tasks.
It's important to explain that notional work hours are estimates and that some students might spend more or less time on certain elements. You should also explain the actions they should take if they find the workload unmanageable.
After an assessment, consider asking students how much time they spent on the task and then modify your advice or the assessment itself for future iterations of the module.
- With colleagues
To ensure your assessment workload guidelines are transparent and as consistent as possible, it's also important to communicate them with colleagues:
- via your course teams, Boards of Study and faculty guidelines
- within your staff guidance and induction materials
- on new module/module change documentation provide a description of your assessment rationale, including detail of the assessment format and expected workload hours
- in the assessment rationale section of course validation paperwork.
How the guidelines were developed
Adopting a notional workload approach to assessment equivalencies has become commonplace across the sector. The Sussex guidelines are based on, and indebted to, the University of Liverpool guidance, ‘Calculating student assessment workloads and equivalences’ (2023).
The Sussex guidelines were further refined through consultation with academic and PS colleagues across the university, as part of the 2023-2025 Curriculum Reimagined project, and support the resulting Sussex Academic Framework.
Page last updated: January 2025