Assessments vary for each course. Full details, including assessment due dates, will be in the course information sent to you when you enrol. You can also find your assessment due dates and exam dates in My Open Polytechnic.
Find your assessment due dates in My Open Polytechnic
Types of assessments
Formative
These do not count towards your final grade. They help you test your knowledge and understanding of the course material.
We recommend you complete all formative assessment within your course.
Summative
Summative assessments count towards your final grade. They are a compulsory test of your knowledge and understanding of the course material.
What assessments you may need to do
Assessments may include:
- written work, such as essays or journals
- practical projects
- portfolios
- online quizzes.
For some courses, you will also need to attend contact sessions or assessment workshops. While other courses have voluntary contact sessions (depending upon demand).
All work you submit must be your own independent work and have the right referencing. We use the APA referencing system.
Short guide to APA referencing
Referencing and avoiding plagiarism
Submitting work in te reo Māori
You may be able to submit your assessments in te reo Māori. We accept summative assessments provided in te reo and there may be options which you can discuss with external examination bodies (e.g. NZQA).
Submitting your work in te reo Maori
Assessment deadlines and extensions
Deadlines for submission of your assignments are in your course information.
It is important that you make every attempt to complete your assignments on time. If you cannot meet the deadlines because of illness or other sustained interruption to study, contact your course leader as soon as possible to discuss your options.
Do not wait until after the due date has passed – assessment deadline dates are compulsory.
Trimester courses
You can apply for an assessment extensions of up to two weeks through My Open Polytechnic. Your course leader can approve your extension, provided it does not go past the end date of the trimester.
Extensions will not exceed the time when we return marked work to students.
We will only grant extensions of more than two weeks if there are exceptional circumstances that affect your ability to study for a significant time when the assessment was to be done. The special consideration process applies.
If you submit your assessment after the extension granted we will reutrn them unmarked. You will be awarded zero marks.
Open courses
Most open courses have assessment due dates.
Assessment extensions of up to two weeks can be applied for through My Open Polytechnic and may be approved by your course leader.
For extensions of more than two weeks contact your course leader direct. If you need extra time to complete your course due to exceptional circumstances, you can apply for special consideration.
We may approve a maximum eight week extension to your enrolment period. You will need to provide documentary evidence showing exceptional circumstances. You must submit your special consideration application before your course end date.
Special consideration for assessments
Literacy assessment for Level 1-3 courses
If this is your first time studying with us and you are studying a Level 1-3 course, you need to complete a compulsory literacy assessment.
You will do the literacy assessment when you start studying then again when you finish.
The Literacy and Numeracy assessment is not part of your study with us, but TEC requires that we ask you to complete it.
How you will do the assessment
You will do the assessment using a tool created by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). TEC created the tool to measure and improve the literacy and numeracy skills of adult learners in New Zealand.
When we confirm your enrolment you will get an email from TEC. This will include your password and a link to their website so that you can complete the assessment.
When you finish your course, you will get a second assessment will.
Assessment results
When you have finished the assessment you will be able to see a visual report with your results. There is no pass or fail for the assessment.
Your tutor will use your results from the first assessment to find out what support you may need.
If you have any questions please get in touch.