At a time when the examination session continues in higher education institutions, concerning issues regarding the checking and evaluation of written exams are brought to the agenda. Thus, it is claimed that in a number of cases, even when students are not dissatisfied with their exam results and have not submitted an appeal, their exam papers are reopened at the dean's office or department level, re-checked, and as a result, the initial grade is changed. In some cases, this re-evaluation, conducted without the student's knowledge and consent, is even observed to result in the lowering of the exam score, as well as the student failing.
It is interesting to know, to what extent do the internal regulations of higher education institutions allow such cases? To what extent is it correct to re-check an exam paper and change the grade without the student's consent and official request?
Education expert Elchin Afandi, clarifying the issue in his statement to Modern.az, noted that if students express dissatisfaction with their exam results in this situation, those results should be opened and re-evaluated visually. According to him, this issue is particularly sensitive during the examination session.
“In written exams, a student can only become acquainted with the result in certain cases – when a deficiency occurs, when there is a problem with receiving a scholarship, or when an appeal is made due to a 1-3 point shortfall. At this time, the exam paper is opened and re-checked”.
The expert noted that in other cases, if the student is not dissatisfied with the exam result and is content with the grade, reopening and re-checking their paper is unacceptable:
“In such cases, a student who initially received one grade being subsequently evaluated with a completely different grade cannot be considered correct from either a legal or ethical standpoint. Re-checking can only be carried out based on the student's information and consent”.
Elchin Afandi also noted the existence of exceptional cases in this context:
“If a serious violation related to the conduct of the exam is discovered at the department or dean's office level – for example, the advance disclosure of exam questions or an act of illegality during the exam process – then it is possible to re-check the results without prior notification to students. This should be considered a special and exceptional case”.
The education expert also added that, with the exception of such cases, re-checking students' results without necessity is not correct:
“If students encounter such situations without their knowledge, they must absolutely appeal to the relevant authorities – the dean's office, as well as the rector's office. Administrative structures that allow such cases must also recognize their responsibility”,- E. Afandi stated.
