Section 5: Assessment Feedback
Published for 2025-26
The Assessment Feedback regulations define the minimum requirements for the provision of feedback to students on their assessed work. All programmes must apply these threshold standards as a minimum.
5.1 Summative Feedback
Service Standards for the Provision of Feedback to Students
In line with UCL’s Feedback and Assessment Principles, all programmes must adopt the following service standards to ensure that students receive appropriate and timely feedback on their work in order to enhance their learning experience and maximise their academic performance.
Students should expect to receive some form of feedback on all summative assessments.
Feedback may take the form of:
- A written feedback sheet indicating the student’s performance against the marking criteria, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.
- An individual discussion with the student about their performance against the marking criteria, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.
- Group discussions where thematic areas, strengths and weaknesses within the group as a whole are discussed.
- Annotated examination scripts.
- Marker’s answers, model answers or other solutions.
Students should expect to receive feedback within 20 working days of the submission date of each piece of assessed work, which may be later than the published deadline where students have approved extensions. Departments are encouraged to provide this in a shorter timeframe if possible.
If, for whatever reason, a Department or Module Organiser cannot ensure that the 20 working day deadline is met then they must indicate, by direct contact with the students, when the feedback will be provided. It is expected that the extra time needed should not exceed 5 working days.
Where feedback is not provided within the timescale, students should bring the matter to the attention of the Academic Director of Education or Head of Department who should take action as necessary. If students remain dissatisfied then the matter should be referred to the Faculty Tutor.
Where individual feedback is likely to be delayed, Module Organisers are encouraged to provide developmental group feedback on thematic areas of strength and weaknesses in the interim, thereby meeting service standards.
Dissertations, Research Projects and Long Essays
Supervisors must provide feedback to students on a draft on at least one occasion.
5.2 Formative Feedback
Students should receive feedback on formative assessments to help them evaluate their own work and understand how to improve their performance.
Formative feedback should be:
- Received by students in good time
- Focused on helping students to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding required
- Helpful in identifying areas for improvement
- Appropriate for the type of assessment
A formative assessment may include an indicative mark, but these marks do not contribute to the award of credit and are not included in the calculation of the Classification.
There is no requirement for anonymity in formative assessment.
