Dear Unisa Student
Unisa marks another successful academic year with over 8.3 million submissions of assignments and examinations by students in 2023. This indicates heightened commitment to learning and active involvement from our student body. This trend also points to growing digital maturity among our students, as they become more adept and comfortable in an online learning environment.
Below is an outline of the pertinent information that brings to conclusion the October/November 2023 examination period:
We have noted that students may require additional explanations on the results codes reflecting on their academic records. The table below reflects the description of the results codes and the required actions:
Result Code |
Description |
Result code description |
|
1 |
Pass |
A student "passes" a module when they have received a final mark of 50% and above. |
|
2 |
Pass with distinction |
A student "passes with distinction" when they obtain a final mark of 75% and above.
|
|
3 |
Failed |
A student "fails" a module when they have received a final mark of less than 50% and are not eligible for further examination opportunities. The student is required to re-register for the module. |
|
5 |
Absent from examination |
A student is deemed to be "absent from the examination" when the university did not receive the student’s submission within the allowed submission period. If an undergraduate student is absent from their second examination opportunity, they are required to re-register for the module. Postgraduate students are expected to re-register for the module. Unisa does not provide third examination opportunities. |
|
6 |
Supplementary |
A student obtains a "supplementary examination" outcome, if · an undergraduate student failed or was absent from the first examination opportunity (see section 3 below). · a postgraduate student received a final mark of between 40% and 49%. Students who are granted a supplementary opportunity do not need to re-register for the module.
|
|
7/99 |
Results outstanding |
A student receives a "results outstanding" outcome when the student’s submission is received, but the marking of the submission is still in progress and the final mark is outstanding.
A student may start following up on their outstanding result from 14 December 2023 by sending an e-mail enquiry to exams@unisa.ac.za
|
|
8 |
Not admitted to an examination |
A student receives a "not admitted to examination" outcome if the student did not meet the examination admission criteria relevant to the module. A student is required to re-register for the module. |
|
24 |
Absent – supplementary |
A student receives an "absent-supplementary" outcome when the student failed to utilise the required proctoring tool during their first examination opportunity.
Students who fail to utilise the proctoring tool in their second examination opportunity are required to re-register for the module.
Students aggrieved by the university decision may appeal using the online appeal form.
|
|
28 |
Script rejected |
A student receives a "script rejected" outcome if a student did not use the required proctoring tool or submitted a password-protected or corrupt file in their second examination opportunity.
No further opportunities are granted to students after their second opportunity. Such students are requested to re-register for the applicable module(s) (see section 9 below).
Students aggrieved by the university decision may appeal using the online appeal form.
|
|
29 |
Disciplinary pending |
A student receives a "disciplinary pending" outcome if a student is suspected of academic misconduct (see section 7 below). We recommend re-registration of the module while the disciplinary process is still pending. Re-registration of the module does not nullify the ongoing disciplinary proceedings. Students are cautioned, however, that a guilty outcome from the disciplinary proceedings will result in an automatic cancellation of the re-registered module. Enquiries relating to disciplinary processes may be sent to Examscriptdisciplinary@unisa.ac.za |
|
90 |
Deferred - unreadable script |
A student receives a "deferred - unreadable script" outcome when a student provided an irrecoverable corrupt script in their first examination opportunity. Students are provided a second examination opportunity in the next examination sitting. Enquiries relating to unreadable scripts may be sent to exams@unisa.ac.za |
|
91 |
Cancelled - unreadable script |
A student receives a "cancelled - unreadable script" outcome when a student provided an irrecoverable corrupt script in their second examination opportunity. No further opportunities are granted to students after their second opportunity. Such students are requested to re-register for the applicable module(s). Enquiries relating to unreadable scripts may be sent to exams@unisa.ac.za |
|
92 |
Deferred - script has password |
A student receives a "deferred – script has password" outcome when a student provided a password protected script in their first examination opportunity. Students are provided a second examination opportunity in the next examination sitting. Enquiries relating to password protected scripts may be sent to exams@unisa.ac.za |
|
93 |
Cancelled - script has password |
A student receives a "cancelled - script has password" outcome when a student provided a password protected script in their second examination opportunity. No further opportunities are granted to students after their second opportunity. Such students are requested to re-register for the applicable module(s). Enquiries relating to password protected scripts may be sent to exams@unisa.ac.za |
|
94 |
Deferred - proctoring non-compliance |
A student receives a "deferred - proctoring non-compliance" outcome when a student has been identified to have been out of the Invigilator App for a cumulative period of 10 minutes or the student did not utilise the prescribed proctoring tool (Invigilator App, Moodle Proctoring or IRIS Proctoring) in their first examination opportunity. In such cases, students will be provided a second examination opportunity in the next examination sitting. Students aggrieved by the university decision may appeal using the online appeal form. |
|
95 |
Cancelled - proctoring non-compliance |
A student receives a "cancelled - proctoring non-compliance" outcome when a student has been identified to have been out of the Invigilator App for a cumulative period of 10 minutes or when the student did not utilise the prescribed proctoring tool (Invigilator App, Moodle Proctoring or IRIS Proctoring) in their second examination opportunity. No further opportunities are granted to students after their second opportunity. Such students are requested to re-register for the applicable module(s). Students aggrieved by the university decision may appeal using the online appeal form
|
The October/November 2023 examination period catered for second semester and year modules with the original scheduling of the October/November 2023 examination period and students writing their second examination opportunity (see section 3 below). Students who were unsuccessful in their second examination opportunities are advised to re-register for their modules. Unisa does not grant third examination opportunities to students to rewrite their examinations.
Unisa grants an undergraduate student writing a module’s examination in the first examination opportunity, an automatic additional opportunity to rewrite their examination.
Paragraph 6.6 of the Assessment Policy refers:
A student registered for an undergraduate module is entitled to use two consecutive opportunities per module to take the examination. Except if College rules provide otherwise, a student may write the examination during either the first or the second examination opportunity.
A student who takes an examination for the first time during the second examination opportunity and fails is not entitled to an additional examination opportunity. Where a special FI concession was granted to an individual student for a specific module, the student will not be granted a supplementary examination after failing the FI assessment.
For the above reasons, the aegrotat system does not apply to undergraduate students. In accordance with policy, Unisa does not grant third examination opportunities to students to rewrite their missed examinations. In such cases, students are required to re-register for the module. Students who are granted a second examination opportunity do not need to re-register for the module.
Please note: Modules with portfolio (evidence-based) assessment, continuous assessment, practical assessment or experiential assessment, and those modules that require research reports, do not have a second examination opportunity.
We have observed that certain students have submitted their examinations via the contingency link for module codes for which they are not registered. These students normally utilise other module codes after the lapse of the submission time of their registered module examination. Please be aware that such submissions are automatically rejected by the system. Resultantly, students who have made such submissions via wrong module codes will receive an "absent from examination" result outcome. The rules regarding second or supplementary examination opportunities (refer to section 1) will be applicable in such cases.
As indicated above, students were instructed to submit their examination answer scripts via the official myExams platform. In cases where students experienced challenges with the myExams platform, they were advised to submit their answer scripts using the contingency links by submitting via their registered module codes. We have noted that some students did not submit their answer scripts via these platforms, but rather via the Invigilator App. The university has resolved to accommodate these students by processing their marks through alternative processes.
Students are also reminded that Unisa prioritises scripts for marking received via its official platforms. Unisa relies on an automated synchronisation system that selects scripts to be marked in accordance with its prioritisation rules. The university only marks one submission received from a student. Accordingly, Unisa awards 0% to incorrect submissions made via the official platform regardless of correct submissions made via alternative platforms.
Undergraduate students may not apply for an aegrotat. Undergraduate students are entitled to use two consecutive opportunities per module to take their examinations (see section 3). The second examination opportunity caters to missed or failed examinations in the first examination opportunity. Undergraduate students who apply for an aegrotat will automatically receive a system error.
Aegrotat applications are only permitted for postgraduate students who missed their first examination opportunity to write their online examinations. Postgraduate students who were adversely affected by loadshedding and/or network challenges during their examinations or who experienced the death of loved ones or illness during the examinations are requested to apply online for an aegrotat within 10 days of their scheduled examination sitting. Aegrotat applications are not considered after the release of marks. Aegrotat applications will not be processed for postgraduate students who missed their second examination opportunity. Students are advised to visit the Aegrotat and Special Exams (unisa.ac.za) web page for the application process. The institution no longer processes aegrotat applications submitted via e-mail.
In accordance with policy, Unisa does not grant third aegrotat opportunities to students to write their missed examinations. In such cases, students are required to re-register for the module.
Please note: Modules with portfolio (evidence-based) assessment, continuous assessment, practical assessment or experiential assessment, and those modules which require research reports, are not granted an aegrotat opportunity.
Students are advised to send all examination-related enquiries to exams@unisa.ac.za.
Unisa utilises three proctoring tools for its examinations. Students were forewarned that non-use of the proctoring tools would result in their marks being withheld. Such students would have received either an "absent-supplementary" or an "exam script rejected" outcome as their final result. A student who did not use any of the required proctoring tools when writing a module's exam in the first examination opportunity, will be granted another examination opportunity in the next module examination. A student who did not use any of the required proctoring tools when writing a module's exam in the second examination opportunity, will have to re-register for the relevant module. Further transgressions in this regard will result in formal disciplinary proceedings. A student who feels aggrieved by their outcome after non-use of the proctoring tool may appeal the university’s decision by completing the online appeal form; their marks will be released should they be successful. Students have until 12 January 2024 to submit their appeal on the Microsoft form.
CSET and CTA students are requested to refer to their college communication regarding its application of non-use decisions (rules).
The Unisa's online examination rules stipulate that students who spend a cumulative total of more than 10 minutes outside the Invigilator App (by exiting or minimising the Invigilator App) ("out of app") will be deemed to have transgressed the Unisa's examination rules and their marks will be withheld.
A student who was out of app in the first examination opportunity for more than 10 minutes will have his or her marks withheld and is eligible to rewrite during the next module examination sitting. A student who was out of app in the second examination opportunity will have his or her marks withheld and will have to re-register for the module(s). Students aggrieved by the university decision may appeal using the online appeal form.
Selected modules make use of Turnitin software to ensure academic integrity. The online examination rules stipulate that students failing to provide typed responses for modules that use the Turnitin software will have their submission discarded. These submissions will be awarded a 0%. Students may appeal the outcome of the result on using the Turnitin online appeal form.
All enquiries relating to invigilation or proctoring processes should be referred to Proctoringenquiries@unisa.ac.za
We continue to maintain our zero-tolerance stance against cheating and plagiarism during online examinations. Students who have been identified through the proctoring tools or other evidence to have transgressed the examination rules have been referred to the Student Disciplinary Office.
Often students who have been identified of suspicious misconduct have raised concerns about the length of time it takes to finalise their disciplinary cases. Disciplinary proceedings take a long time to finalise due to the comprehensive process of gathering evidence, and adherence to strict protocols in accordance with the disciplinary policy and legal provisions, which enable well-informed decisions about the appropriate penalties for students who have been found guilty of misconduct. Such penalties for misconduct have ranged from students being awarded a 0% final mark, to three-to-five-year suspensions and expulsions from the university. Unisa has a 98% conviction rate for students identified for disciplinary proceeding and continues to urge students not to engage in academically dishonest behaviours.
The consequences of academic misconduct are quite severe, as students are not only suspended from continuing their studies at Unisa but also at other South African universities. Those students who receive communication from the Disciplinary Office should await further communication from the Disciplinary Office on the type of sanction they have received. Enquiries relating to disciplinary processes may be sent to Examscriptdisciplinary@unisa.ac.za
Students who submitted irrecoverable corrupted scripts will be granted an additional opportunity to write in the next module examination. This concession will only apply to students writing in their first-time examination opportunity (see section 3 above). No further opportunities are granted to students after their second opportunity. Such students are requested to re-register for the applicable module(s).
Students who submitted password-protected scripts were contacted during the marking period to provide the relevant passwords. Students with unresolved password-protected scripts are requested to re-register for the applicable module(s).
Students may send their e-mails to exams@unisa.ac.za for enquiries regarding irrecoverable corrupted scripts and password protected scripts.
Students are reminded that the final-year concession ("FI-concessions") only applies to students who have less than 24 credits outstanding to complete their qualification. Students must also have written the previous examination and failed the examination in the one/two outstanding module(s) during the last examination session. Furthermore, students should have attained at least a 30% examination mark for the outstanding modules for an undergraduate module and a 40% examination mark for a postgraduate module. The FI concessions are granted as second examination opportunities. Students who have exhausted two examination opportunities (via supplementary or aegrotat examinations) will not be identified for an FI concession and are required to re-register for their outstanding modules. We anticipate finalisation of the FI concession process by 5 April 2024.
The university has commenced the staggered release of the October/November 2023 examination results. We anticipate that most marks will be released by 14 December 2023. All mark release enquiries should be addressed to exams@unisa.ac.za Module lecturers will not be able to assist in final mark-related enquiries. Please address all assessment-related enquiries to exams@unisa.ac.za for a quicker response.
Students may apply by 31 January 2024 to purchase a copy of their examination scripts or to have their scripts remarked. The online remark application form is available on myUnisa. Log into myUnisa and navigate to the Examination Results tool in the administrative section. Applications for remarks can also be sent to remark@unisa.ac.za Students may purchase their scripts by sending an e-mail to purchasescript@unisa.ac.za Your student number must appear in the subject heading. Please note that the remarking or the purchasing of a script is not possible where the script is flagged for a disciplinary offence or proctoring tool non-compliance infringements (see section 7).
Unisa only attends to enquiries received from students’ myLife e-mail addresses. Communication received from personal e-mail addresses will not be responded to in line with the requirements of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013.
We wish all our students a happy festive season and look forward to welcoming them back in the 2024 academic year as they continue to embark on their learning journeys with us.
Kind regards
University Registrar
Publish date: 2023/12/11