OCNLR is concerned about the possible duplication of Award of Credit if students retake a programme, and the possible lack of consistent practice regarding resubmission of assessed work.

OCNLR guidelines for retake and resit procedures will be made available to all tutors and moderators.

New submission documents/provider information should include details of any institutional retake and resit policy but such policies should be informed by OCNLR guidelines and should not over-ride them.

Retake guidelines
A learner ‘retakes’ when s/he enrols again for a complete programme cycle.

Learners may retake a course if at least half the credits available can be achieved at a level beyond that already accomplished.

A credit cannot be awarded at the same level as that already achieved during a previous programme cycle.

If the learner achieves at the higher level, then the credit may be awarded at that higher level.

If a learner wishes to continue to attend a course, and to be registered for credit but the course is not accredited above and beyond the level already achieved, then the tutor should consider:

• extending the levels available by submitting to OCNLR learning outcomes and assessment criteria for the higher level award of credit, after consultation with the external moderator and;
• extending the programme by developing additional credits (if provision allows).

The Change to Programme procedure should be followed in either case.

This practice ensures that learners are offered the opportunity to extend their skills and knowledge and encourages course development, ensuring that the criteria for each credit at each level are clearly identified and rigorous.

Summary
The retake procedure ensures that if learners pursue a programme for more than one cycle, they are not awarded credit twice at the same level for achievement of the same set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria.

Resit guidelines
A learner ‘resits’ when s/he wishes to achieve credit at a higher level for a particular unit (or units), within one cycle of a programme.

To avoid the necessity for resits, learners should be encouraged, or even required, to submit draft assignments for tutor comment and guidance.

Within one cycle of a programme (usually a year-long programme), learners may wish to re-submit assessed work in order to:

• further develop their abilities
• achieve credit at a higher level
• achieve credit for which assessment has so far been unsuccessful

To ensure the integrity of the credit and progression for the learner, it is necessary for each programme to develop explicit procedures for resit. In all cases, a new assignment should be set which is appropriate to the learning outcomes and assessment criteria but which is not a simple repeat of a previously set exercise or assignment task.

In addition, the tutor and course team may wish to specify, for example, that:

• only a certain number of pieces of coursework can be re-submitted;
• work may only be re-submitted at particular stages of a course (eg. only at the end or during the first half of a course).

Summary
It is important that re-submission of assessed work is consistent with the learner’s need to make progress and improve his/her abilities, whilst maintaining the rigour of the credit awarded and limiting any additional workload for tutors.