ASSESSMENT

You are going to encounter lots of different types of assessment in your time studying law at QUT! We have explained some of the most common types of assessment below. Make sure you read your assessment task sheets carefully – some of these assessments are specific to the Law School and will be very different to what you have encountered in other units or at high school.

EXAMS For all your exams, check their date and location on the HiQ website under the ‘Study’ tab. The ‘Study’ tab also provides more information about preparing for different types of exams.

ON-CAMPUS EXAMS These are the exams that will feel the most familiar to exams in high-school. They are held on campus during the ‘examination period’. They are invigilated (supervised) and can be open or closed book.

If you sit an exam on campus, make sure you monitor your emails post-exam for information on exam viewing times. These are specific days when you can have access to your exam paper and even photocopy it! It’s great practice to get in the habit of utilising exam viewing early in your degree so that you can keep improving your results.

Although you won’t receive individualised feedback on your exam papers at university, you can still seek feedback to improve your marks. One way of doing this is by asking your tutor to give you some pointers, or by taking your exam responses to the Student Success Group for feedback. TAKE-HOME EXAMS Don’t underestimate the take-home exam! Similar to invigilated exams on campus, you should prepare just like you would for a ‘normal’ exam. The exams are usually written in exactly the same format as an invigilated exam, with the major difference being that you have more time to submit your answers. Pay close attention to the word count on your exam submission as markers will usually stop reading if you exceed the word limit.

ONLINE ASSESSMENTS These often take the form of quizzes. You will usually be told when the quiz opens and when it closes; you need to make it your responsibility to complete the quiz within that time frame. Make sure you log on with enough time before the quiz closes and have a stable internet connection.

ASSIGNMENTS When you’re studying law, assignments come in a variety of formats, so be sure to read the task sheet carefully. If you are doing a written assessment, remember that Written Assessment in the Law School (WALS) and the Australian Guide to Legal Citation, fourth edition (AGLC4) are going to be your BFFs. These are the most common assignments you will come across:

CRITICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY This is a type of essay that will require you to wield your research skills to the best of your ability. It often involved researching the current law surrounding a topic and analysing the issues related to it.

MEMO A memo is often used to assess your legal problemsolving skills. Like essays, they also include researching the law in a certain area using legislation, case law and secondary sources. You will often be tailoring your advice to a particular ‘client’ in the task scenario.

LETTER TO A CLIENT You might be asked to write a letter to a client from an assessment scenario that advises their legal position and their options under the law. This type of assignment is sometimes paired with a memo. It is used to assess your written communication skills and how well you adapt those skills in different situations, like explaining the law to a layperson. ADVOCACY EXERCISE Advocacy exercises test your oral communication skills. These sorts of assessments are often paired with a problem solving task. A great way to practise these skills is by getting involved in moots through the QUTLS! Come along to Moot Club, or grab a friend and get involved with our competitions held throughout the year.