Written by Tomas Corej
Among the many unique characteristics of postgraduate study at LSE, few have been more surprising than the assessment structure. The concept of finishing a module in December but not being assessed until May or June was entirely new to me. Similarly, I was not used to having a final grade based solely on one major assignment — a feature of many of my courses. While I initially only saw the drawbacks of this system, I have also gradually begun to see its benefits. I spoke with fellow students to understand other perspectives.
Helen, an LSE student from the Social Policy Department, completed her three Autumn Term modules in mid-December. But despite finishing the coursework last year, she now has to wait for more than five months to be assessed.
“All three courses have exams, but they all take place in the Spring Term. When I first heard that, I was frustrated. I was like: I’ve just done all the learning. Let me take the exam now!” she tells The Beaver.
To make sense of it, Helen spoke to her mentor — a reassuring experience, she recalls. “She told me I could actually benefit from it,” the student says, “as I will learn more in the meantime.”
“Do I wish I could get it out of the way right now? Yes. But do I think I will know more in Spring than now? Also yes,” she adds.
“I Remember Being Very, Very Put Off by the Structure of Examinations at LSE”
Helen’s case is far from unique. While assessments differ widely across departments, there are dozens of undergraduate and postgraduate Autumn courses with Spring term summative assessment. For students, this has a direct impact on their course selection.
“I think it is far too lopsided towards Spring,” claims Nick from the Department of Government. “I had to change some modules that I was going to do because I realised I would be taking too many exams.”
Dr Marta Lorimer, currently serving as Visiting Fellow at LSE’s European Institute, had a similar student experience. “I remember being very, very put off by the structure of examinations at LSE,” she admits.
Given that all exams took place in the Spring, Dr Lorimer felt the system created “unnecessary pressure”. However, she ultimately appreciated that the assessment structure gave her more time to reflect on what she learned “in a holistic fashion”.
“I built on what I learnt in the two terms together, and ultimately that probably resulted in better results.”
The question of winter exams has been ongoing for some time. As Dr Lorimer’s case suggests, Spring assessments can result in better grades, especially for students with excellent short-term memory. On the other hand, they may reduce student participation in Autumn Term.
As an LSE spokesperson explains to The Beaver, the demand for the January exam period across the departments has been on the rise. Last year, the January period was expanded from five to eight days.
Exams, the LSE spokesperson argues, are “scheduled to avoid clashes between exams for individual students.”
“Given the flexibility of course selection on LSE programmes, this is a complex and challenging task. The exam timetable must be created from scratch for each exam period, taking into account students’ course selections as well as any relevant resit or deferred exam entries from previous cohorts and visiting exchange students.”
“It May be Harsh to Have ‘One Hundred Percent Exams’, but I am Okay with it”
However demanding for the University, the timing of exams does not pose a big worry for some students.
Constantine, an International History student, is taking only one exam this year, as most of his courses are evaluated on the basis of essays and projects. For him, the more relevant issue is the grade weighting. Many modules attribute 100 percent of the final grade to one assessment.
“I think they could work on that,” Constantine says. “With papers (summative essays), it is more defensible than with exams. Still, I would say they could distribute it a bit between formative and summative assessments.”
Others are less concerned. Kate, from the Department of Gender Studies, is used to modules graded through a single assessment. “I think it can be stressful, but it is also like biting the bullet. It is not like doing it multiple times which can be anxiety-inducing,” she argues.
Daniel, a student in the Social Policy Department, agrees. “It may be harsh to have ‘one hundred percent exams’, but I am okay with that,” he adds.
As an LSE spokesperson explains, weighting of individual exams ranges from 25 to 100% of the total course mark. With assessment methods varying across courses, departments are tasked with reviewing assessment on a regular basis.
According to the LSE spokesperson, the design of individual degree courses is overseen by the Department Teaching Committees (DTCs). “DTCs are tasked with ensuring that assessments are designed to appropriately test whether students have met the intended learning outcomes of the course and the corresponding degree programme on which they are offered.”
In fact, it seems that there may be no universal solution to the “weighting dilemma”, but instead a need for a more calibrated approach.
According to Chen-Ta Sung, a Doctoral Researcher in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at LSE, any arrangement has both advantages and disadvantages. While he was teaching classes in the Cognitive Psychology Module, his assessment structure involved multiple components rather than a single, high-stakes exam.
“In this module, some students have reported feeling overwhelmed by continuous assessment, as they experienced constant pressure to prepare for multiple deadlines across the term,” he explains. “For these students, a single final assessment can feel more manageable and allow them to focus their efforts more clearly.”
On the other hand, Sung argues that other students may hold the opposite view. “They may perceive this as less fair, as it places significant weight on performance on one particular day and may not fully capture their engagement, learning progress, or strengths across the course,” he adds.
To strike the right balance, he proposes a “mixed assessment model”, with some modules relying on single exams, while others divide the weight across multiple assessments.
In sum, the experience of researchers but also of students on campus clearly demonstrates that there is no perfect solution for the most suitable timing of summative assessments. That said — even if the right approach must be taken within the department on an individual basis – there is a clear pushback against an over-reliance on ‘sprint’ assessments that should be taken into consideration. At the same time, the debate on grade weighting equally needs to continue. If anything, it appears that a more diversified approach — with some courses relying on a single exam and others having multiple summative assessments — is the least worst option.
LSE Media Relations was contacted for comment on 13 January 2026.
