Edit an exam type
Update an examination requirement template, review impact on linked modules and exams, resolve attempt-workflow conflicts, and delete unused types.
Editing an exam type updates the reusable examination requirement template that modules and live exams inherit. Because one type can sit behind many module versions and active exams, Fuxam surfaces an impact summary before you save — so you can see how widely a change will propagate.
Edit exam types at OrgHub → Exam Center → Exam Types. Select a row to open the edit sheet.
Why it matters
Examination regulations, program redesigns, and digitalization projects often require changes to assessment templates: a new duration, a different rating mode, or a switch from deadline to appointment scheduling. Editing the shared type keeps all linked exams aligned — but it also means a careless change can affect hundreds of students.
Treat exam-type edits as policy changes, not cosmetic tweaks. Use the impact summary, especially when students have already been graded, and prefer creating a new type when you need a clean break for future modules without disturbing past assessments. Changing attempt workflow in particular reshapes eligibility for later sittings — coordinate with the attempt lifecycle and ruleset attempt limits.
How it fits
Exam types feed My Exams instances and interact with academic rulesets (attempt limits and grading schemas). Rating-mode changes affect how graders work in the grading workflow. Attempt-workflow changes must stay compatible with other requirements on the same module — see Configure attempt limits and Attempt lifecycle.
What you can edit
You can change most template fields:
- Name and English name
- Type (submission format)
- Rating mode
- Duration (when the type requires length)
- Scheduling mode
- Attempt workflow (auto reattempt vs reassessment period)
- Examinee assignment mode
- Custom form link (for custom-form types)
- Alternative assessment and topic-confirmation options
Impact before saving
When an exam type is linked to module versions or has active exams, Fuxam shows an impact summary before you confirm changes. The summary includes:
- Number of linked modules and active exams
- Number of affected students
- Whether any students have already been graded
- A risk level (low, medium, high, or critical)
For high-impact changes, you may need to type the exam type name to confirm.
How to read risk levels
| Risk level | Typical meaning for planning |
|---|---|
| Low | Few or no linked exams; safe for routine corrections |
| Medium | Some modules or exams affected; review before saving |
| High | Broad impact or graded students involved; use Confirm & Save carefully |
| Critical | Maximum caution — confirm by typing the exam type name when prompted |
Exact thresholds are determined by the product based on linked usage; treat higher levels as a signal to coordinate with the examination office before saving.
Attempt workflow conflicts
Changing the attempt workflow can conflict with module versions that already use a different workflow on another requirement in the same module. Resolve conflicts by removing the conflicting requirement from the affected module before saving.
Workflow change scenarios
| Change | What to check first |
|---|---|
| Auto reattempt → reassessment period | Ruleset may allow 3 failed attempts, but this workflow still caps at two attempts with approval on attempt 2 — see Attempt lifecycle |
| Reassessment period → auto reattempt | Later attempts become available under ruleset ceilings; confirm examiners expect more attempt tabs |
| Workflow change on one type in a multi-requirement module | Other requirements on the same module must not conflict — remove the conflicting requirement if needed |
How to edit an exam type
Go to OrgHub → Exam Center → Exam Types.
Select the exam type row to open the edit sheet.
Update the fields you need to change.
Review the impact summary if one is shown.
Confirm and select Save (or Confirm & Save for high-impact changes).
Delete an exam type
Exam types linked to module versions cannot be deleted until they are removed from all modules. Use bulk delete from the toolbar when you need to remove multiple unused types.
When to edit vs create a new type
| Situation | Prefer |
|---|---|
| Typo in the name, small duration fix, clarifying English name | Edit the existing type |
| New regulation year with different attempt workflow or scale | Create a new type; leave the old one on continuing cohorts |
| Only some programs need a different rating mode | Create a parallel type rather than forcing one shared template |
| Mid-term change while students are already graded | Avoid if possible; if required, treat as high-impact and communicate to examiners |
Best practices
- Edit for correction; create for divergence — if a subset of programs needs a different scale or duration, create a new type rather than forcing one shared template to serve conflicting policies.
- Change rating mode before peak grading — graders rely on the mode and schema during grade submissions; mid-campaign changes confuse staff even when past grades stay intact.
- Document the reason — keep an internal note (outside Fuxam if needed) when you change attempt workflow or alternative-request settings after exams are live.
- Check custom form links — swapping the linked form on a custom-form type changes what students fill in for future submissions; ensure the new form is complete first.
- Re-verify attempt tabs after workflow edits — spot-check a sample exam in My Exams against Attempt lifecycle.
- Re-check format mapping — if you change Type (for example file upload to custom form), confirm the new format still matches the assessment formats intent of the modules that use it.
Common pitfalls
- Saving high-impact changes without reading whether students have already been graded.
- Changing attempt workflow without checking other requirements on the same module.
- Trying to delete a type still attached to modules.
- Renaming types in ways that break staff search habits in My Exams filters without communicating the new names.
- Assuming a rating-mode change rewrites published grades — past grades stay; only future controls and display update.
FAQ
Will editing the type rewrite published grades?
No. Existing exam attempts and grades remain visible and unchanged. Only configuration for future attempts and display is updated.
When do I see Confirm and Save instead of Save?
For high-impact changes — especially when the impact summary shows elevated risk — you confirm with Confirm & Save, and you may need to type the exam type name.
Can I change the type from file upload to custom form?
You can change the Type (submission format) in the edit sheet. Plan carefully: linked modules and active exams inherit the new format expectations, and custom-form types also need a linked form.
Why am I blocked when changing attempt workflow?
The new workflow may conflict with another examination requirement on the same module that already uses a different workflow. Remove the conflicting requirement from the affected module before saving, or standardize workflows across types on that module. See Attempt lifecycle.
Related pages
- Create an exam type — add a new template.
- Configure grading scale — rating mode details.
- Configure attempt limits — how attempt workflow interacts with ruleset limits.
- Attempt lifecycle — eligibility, tabs, and permanent failure.
- Exam types — catalog overview.
- My Exams — where linked exam instances are managed.
- Grade & manage an exam — how graders experience rating mode and attempt tabs after a change.