Exam types
Define reusable examination requirement templates — submission formats, rating modes, attempt workflows, scheduling, and custom forms — that shape how module exams behave in the Exam Center.
Exam types (examination requirement templates) are the reusable blueprints that define how assessments behave when exams are created from module versions. Each type captures submission format, grading mode, duration, scheduling behavior, attempt workflow, and optional custom forms — so every exam linked to that template inherits a consistent configuration.
In university practice, an “exam type” is the category of assessment: a written exam, an oral presentation, a file-upload project, a digital exam, or a structured custom form. In FuxamCMS, those categories become named templates you manage once and attach wherever modules need them.
Manage exam types at OrgHub → Exam Center → Exam Types.
Why it matters
Without shared exam types, every module would reinvent assessment settings independently — different grading scales, inconsistent durations, and mismatched attempt rules. Exam types give your institution a single place to encode assessment policy:
- Consistency — the same “Written exam (graded)” template behaves the same way across programs.
- Compliance — rating modes and schemas align with your examination regulations and ECTS-oriented reporting.
- Efficiency — staff create exams from module requirements instead of reconfiguring every instance.
- Governance — changing a type surfaces an impact summary so you know which modules, exams, and students are affected before you save.
Exam types sit at the foundation of the Exam Center. They feed My Exams instances, interact with academic rulesets for grading schemas and attempt limits, and determine how graders work through the shared grading workflow.
How this fits into Fuxam
Exam types live in FuxamCMS under the Exam Center. They connect academic structure (modules) to day-to-day exam operations.
| Layer | Role |
|---|---|
| Exam type | Reusable template: format, rating mode, duration, scheduling, attempt workflow, forms |
| Module version | Attaches the type as an examination requirement; may also carry weight and final-exam flags for that requirement |
| My Exams | Concrete exam instances once students are enrolled |
| Academic ruleset | Numeric attempt limits, grading schema overrides, weights, and rounding behavior |
| Attempt lifecycle | Combined eligibility story — Attempt lifecycle |
| Grading workflow | Graders use the type’s rating mode and effective schema |
An exam type is a reusable template. When you attach it to a module version, that module’s exams inherit the type’s settings. Changing an exam type can affect all linked modules and active exams — the edit flow shows an impact summary before you save.
Key concepts
Assessment categories and submission formats
The type field on an exam type is the submission format students and staff work with:
| Type | Typical use |
|---|---|
| File upload | Essays, projects, portfolios, term papers submitted as files |
| Exam | Classical timed examinations (often written Klausur) |
| Digital exam | Online or digitally delivered timed exams |
| Presentation | Oral defenses, talks, or performance assessments |
| Custom form | Structured answers collected via a linked form |
These categories map to how work is collected; they are distinct from rating mode, which defines how results are recorded. For a decision guide that maps university assessment formats (written, oral, practical, portfolio, and more) onto these templates, see Assessment formats.
Rating modes and grading scales
Rating mode answers “how do we evaluate this assessment?”
| Rating mode | Domain meaning | In Fuxam |
|---|---|---|
| Graded | Numeric or letter scale (for example German 1.0–5.0, A–F, or ECTS letter grades) | Uses institution rating schemas |
| Pass or fail | Binary outcome — sufficient / not sufficient | Pass / fail selector; no schema required |
| Participation | Credit for attendance or engagement rather than a scored performance | Participation / no participation selector |
Numeric scales (value-based schemas) assign each grade a number so averages and conversions work correctly — common in German higher education (for example 1.0, 1.3, 1.7, 2.0, …, 5.0). Percentage-based schemas map named grades to percentage bands that must total 100%. Letter and ECTS grades (A–F) are typically modeled as named rows in a schema, often with numeric values behind them for aggregation.
Worked scale examples (domain → schema)
| Institutional need | Domain concept | Typical Fuxam approach |
|---|---|---|
| Standard German module grade | Scale 1.0 (sehr gut) to 4.0 (ausreichend), 5.0 fail — with thirds such as 1.3 / 1.7 | Graded + value-based schema with those values |
| Points-based Klausur | Raw points converted to a grade band | Percentage-based schema, or convert points then pick a value-based grade — see Configure grading scale |
| Transcript letter bands | A, B, C, D, E/F | Graded + named schema rows; add values if you average |
| ECTS mobility grade | ECTS A–F labels | Named tiers in a schema; pair with values if aggregating |
| Lab safety check | Pass / fail only | Exam type Pass or fail — no schema |
| Seminar attendance proof | Participation / ungraded completion | Exam type Participation — no schema; see Participation and ungraded completion |
For a full walkthrough of schemas, the 4.0 pass boundary, points-to-grade conversion, effective schema resolution, and how a scale is applied to an exam, see Configure grading scale. For bonus points and rounding policy (including ruleset rounding behavior), see Bonus points and grade rounding. Shared grading concepts across the Exam Center are also covered under Grade & manage an exam.
Formative vs summative assessment
In assessment theory:
- Formative assessment supports learning during a course — feedback-oriented, often low-stakes, not always part of the final module grade.
- Summative assessment certifies achievement at the end of a learning unit — exams that count toward module completion, transcripts, and ECTS recognition.
Fuxam exam types are primarily the machinery for summative (and other credit-bearing) examinations tied to module versions. You can still model lighter assessments with Participation or Pass or fail modes when a module requires proof of engagement rather than a scored grade. Choose rating mode to match the academic purpose, not only the delivery format.
Attempt workflow and scheduling
| Setting | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Scheduling mode | Deadline-based vs appointment-based scheduling |
| Attempt workflow | Auto reattempt or reassessment period behavior |
| Examinee assignment mode | How responsible-user / examiner assignment behaves |
| Alternative requests | Whether students can request alternative assessment |
| Topic confirmation | Whether students must confirm a topic before the deadline (common for presentations and theses) |
Attempt workflow — the two documented paths
| Workflow | Documented behaviour |
|---|---|
| Auto reattempt | Eligible students (including those who passed, while under ruleset limits) can appear on later attempts; failed students can retry until limits are reached |
| Reassessment period | Maximum of two attempts; attempt 2 requires reassessment approval; no attempt 3+ |
Rulesets still supply the numeric maximum passed and failed attempts (default 3 / 3 when unset). Think of the ruleset as the ceiling and the exam type as the procedural path. Details: Configure attempt limits and Attempt lifecycle.
Scenario sketches
| Regulation idea | Suggested pairing (strategy) |
|---|---|
| Students may resit automatically while under the failed-attempt cap | Exam type auto reattempt + ruleset failed limit matching the Prüfungsordnung |
| Second sitting needs a formal reassessment decision; no third sitting | Exam type reassessment period (caps at two with approval on attempt 2) + ruleset limits as outer ceiling |
| Two exam requirements in one module must not mix workflows | Keep attempt workflows consistent across types on that module — conflicts block saves when editing |
Exam type properties
Each exam type defines:
| Property | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Name | Display name for administrators (optional English name for multilingual institutions) |
| Type | Submission format: file upload, exam, digital exam, presentation, or custom form |
| Rating mode | Graded, pass/fail, or participation |
| Duration | Length in minutes (for exam, digital exam, and presentation types) |
| Scheduling mode | Deadline-based or appointment-based scheduling |
| Attempt workflow | Auto reattempt or reassessment period behavior |
| Custom form | Optional linked form for custom-form types |
| Alternative requests | Whether students can request alternative assessment |
| Topic confirmation | Whether topic confirmation is required, and how many days before the deadline |
When the type is attached to a module version as an examination requirement, that requirement can also carry module-level assessment settings such as whether it is treated as a final exam and a weight percentage for how the requirement contributes within the module. Those sit on the module requirement alongside the inherited template — coordinate them with module and final weights on academic rulesets.
Roles and responsibilities
| Role | Typical responsibility |
|---|---|
| Academic / examination office | Own the catalog of exam types and rating schemas; align templates with examination regulations and attempt lifecycle |
| Program or curriculum administrators | Attach the correct exam type to each module version |
| Examiners and graders | Work with the resulting exams in My Exams; they do not redefine the template mid-term without governance |
| Institution admins | Enable the Exam Types feature and assign permissions to view, create, and update exam types |
Where to start
- Skim the assessment formats catalog so naming and submission formats match your regulations.
- Define rating schemas for graded assessments (if you use Graded mode) — Configure grading scale.
- Decide how bonus points and rounding and participation / ungraded assessments fit your policy.
- Build any custom exam forms you need — Custom exam forms.
- Create exam types that match your assessment categories and attempt workflows.
- Align attempt policy with academic rulesets and read Attempt lifecycle.
- Attach types to module versions, then manage live instances in My Exams.
In this section
Assessment formats
Written, oral, presentation, term paper, project, portfolio, practical — and when to use each.
Create an exam type
Add a new examination requirement template.
Edit an exam type
Update a template and review impact on linked modules.
Configure grading scale
Set rating modes and connect institution rating schemas.
Bonus points and rounding
Convert points, apply bonus policy, and align with ruleset rounding.
Participation and ungraded
Model attendance-style and ungraded completion requirements.
Custom exam forms
Build reusable question forms for custom-form exam types.
Related pages
- Attempt lifecycle — how workflow and ruleset limits combine.
- Exam Center & reporting — overview of Exam Center and Statistics Center.
- Create an exam — how exam instances appear in My Exams from module requirements.
- Exams — manage exam instances after they are active.
- Grade & manage an exam — detail tabs, pending submissions, and publishing.
- Academic rulesets — grading schemas and attempt policy overrides.
- Configure attempt limits — numeric passed/failed ceilings.