Teaching and assessment

Find out about how you will be taught and assessed at Bristol.

At Bristol you will learn through a combination of teaching methods and independent learning. 

Teaching methods at Bristol

The teaching styles and formats of classes at Bristol may be different from those at your home university. You may find that you have fewer hours of teaching than you expected. You should use the remainder of your time to study independently, working through your course reading list or assignments.

Teaching may include:

  • lectures
  • small-group seminars
  • tutorials
  • practicums
  • electronic learning

Science-based courses may include laboratory sessions and project groups.

You will be fully integrated into the University and study alongside Bristol students.

Find out about how to get the most out of the different types of teaching methods. 

Assessment

Assessment methods

At Bristol, we use a variety of assessment methods, including: 

  • exams
  • coursework (including essays and reports)
  • group projects
  • presentations

You will usually have one or two summative assessments, that is, assessments submitted for marks. E.g. a final exam or research essay. You may also have formative assessments, for no marks, which help you prepare for summative assessments and are often required to pass the unit. Regular homework and small pieces of assessed work are not common in the UK.

Find out more about how you will be assessed.

Reassessments

Study Abroad students are not eligible to resit exams or in-person assessments, as you will no longer be studying in Bristol when these reassessments take place.

Boards of Examiners may choose to set coursework reassessment for study abroad students if the following conditions apply:

  1. the coursework can be submitted online
  2. your home university permits coursework reassessment at Bristol

These conditions are in addition to the normal rules on eligibility for reassessment that apply to all Bristol students. For example, we do not normally set reassessment when students have passed a unit.

Please note that coursework reassessment takes place at a fixed point in the year, in July, so it will delay your Bristol transcript until August.

Study Abroad students are not set reassessment as part of a penalty for academic misconduct.