Exchange Diary | 09 The Exams at CBS | Copenhagen, Denmark
Exams are the nightmares for students
Although exchange students don’t care about their grades that much, you still have to spread time preparing for the exams.
At Copenhagen Business School (CBS), the results of the final exams are equal to your final grade in the subject. In other words, the final exam is the only assessment of the learning performance.
There are three types of final exams at CBS, oral exam, sit-in exam, and written take-home exam. I experienced all of them during the exchange program. Let’s have a closer look at the three types of exams.
１/ Oral Exam
Oral exam heavily relies on presentation and speaking skills, and you will get the grade right after the end of the exam.
Before the exam, you should submit a written paper. Those who submit their works will be assigned an exam timeslot.
You don’t have to go to the classroom from the beginning. For example, you are listed as the 8th student of that day, and the exam starts at 8:00. Each student has 20 mins. Then your scheduled exam time is 10:20–10:40. It is fine if you go to the classroom at 10:00.
The process is like an interview. The professor and co-examiner ask the questions based on your written product and the lecture contents, and you explain the concepts in your own words.
It is difficult to fail an oral exam. The professor usually will guide you somehow if you don’t know the answers.
It is also my favorite format of exam among the three.
２/ Sit-in Exam
There is no hand-write exam at CBS. All students type and submit the answers in digital format in the big computer classroom.
All sit-in exams are held at CBS Examination Hall at Amager. The nearest metro station is Øresund. The building faces Amager Strandpark. It is a great idea to stroll by the beach after finishing the exam.
You have to arrive and enter the exam hall at least 15 mins before the commencement of the exam. The location for each exam subject is shown on the board, and you can register your attendance at the reception with your CBS Student ID.
There are both pros and cons.
Pros
1. Be environmentally friendly and minimize the usage of papers
2. Can use Excel to calculate answers
3. Minimize the grammar mistakes and spelling errors
Cons
1. Need time to learn how to use the Danish keyboard and Windows system (if you are an iOS user)
2. Need to remember your CBS account and passwords to log in to the exam system and submit your work
3. Should reserve the time to upload the answers
Usually, it takes three to four weeks after the submission to receive your grade. You also can check your grade on the exam system.
３/ Take-home Written Exam
Although it is called an exam, I would say it is like an assignment with time limitations. It is really similar to a sit-in exam. The differences are:
1. You have more time (24 hrs or more) than the sit-in exam (usually 4 hrs)
2. You can use your laptop
3. You can check your notes and search online
It also takes about three to four weeks to receive the grade. The questions can be downloaded from the exam system, where you submit your works as well.
Exam Period
The exams are usually held two to four weeks after the last lecture. Since there are quarter and semester subjects, the end of the semester varies from the subjects you register.
Some friends of mine finished all their exams in April, whereas my last exam is on 15th June.
Re-take Exam
If you have difficulty attending the exam or fail on the first attempt, you can re-take the exam. However, the dates for the re-take exams are usually unfriendly to exchange students.
I don’t recommend you to re-take any exam unless it is in take-home written format.
