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Abstract
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION “A”
1. Requirements to prepare for noun examination.
2. Types of noun examination.
3. Differences between SAEs and TMAs.
4. How to answer TMAs.
5. How to perform well in your noun examination.
SECTION “B”
1. Noun student’s last day preparation for examination.
2. Difficulties that you may likely to face during your program in noun.
3. How to avoid more spending in noun.
4. How to calculate your GP in noun.
SECTION “C”
· Summary
· Conclusion
· References
SECTION A
1. Requirements to Prepare for NOUN Examination
The National Open University of
Nigeria also known as noun, is the largest tertiary institution in the country
with over 70 campuses also known as the study centres spread all over the
country with the headquarter in Abuja.
The mode of study in noun is quite flexible,
as an open and distance learning (ODL) institution, the first of its kind in
West Africa, 90% of noun activities are done online. But then what are the
requirements needed for noun examination? The following under listed items
should be required by each of the students:
1.1
As a noun student, you
must make sure that you partake in TMAs (Tutor Marked Assignments), more on
TMAs shall be discuss in detail in section “A” number 4.
1.2
You must go for
clearance if you will be taking physical exam in your study centre.
1.3
You must present your
school ID to be captured if you will be taking virtual exam (online exam).
1.4
For physical exam, you
must show your examination slip indicating your courses to be examine and the
exam’s rules and regulations.
2. Types of NOUN Examinations
The National Open University of Nigeria operate two types of examination to be conducted at the end of every semester, but due to the corona virus outbreak or covid-19, the management of the university had another type of examination called ‘On-demand virtual exam’ making the examination types to three. Each has been explained below for better understanding.
2.1 E-exam:
This is a computer-based test. This category of examination is administered to
students from 100 level to 200 level. It comprise of multiple choice questions
(MCQs) and fill in the blank (FBQs) to be submitted online at each student’s
respective campus or study centre. It shows you your score immediately you
submit it. It is slightly different from jamb examination, in noun open and
distance learning once you are sure that you have come to the end where you
will be required to submit your answers, immediately you submit your grade will
pop-up. There you see your score immediately, but jamb examination do come out
days after you must have sit for the examination.
2.2 POP exam:
POP exam stands for ‘pen on paper examination’, it is for students who are in
their 300-400 level. This type of examination is also known as physical
examination when comes to differentiate it from virtual examination. In this
type of examination, students are required to enter exam hall 30 minutes before
the examination time. Here, examination booklets will first be distributed to
students and then followed by the question papers, after examination each
students is required to submit the booklet to invigilators. In this type of
exam, grades or marks are not seen immediately you finished the exam.
2.3 On-demand virtual
exam: Similar to e-exam but still there is slight difference. The idea of
integrating virtual exam came as a result of corona virus lockdown or covid-19
lockdown imposed by the federal government of Nigeria that all schools in
Nigeria should be closed until the pandemic is over. This prompt national open
university management to take the advantage of the nature of their study which
does not make it compulsory for students to attain class room lecture hence it
is open and distance learning institution. As such the university management
came up with virtual exam for those category of students who can meet with the
requirements to conduct their examination anywhere in the world. It is called
‘on-demand virtual exam’ because it is optional. The first time noun used this
mode of examination was in 2020-1 semester examination. The major requirements
includes the following:
·
A computer.
·
Internet connection.
·
Light.
The examination is being monitored by
a proctor or artificial intelligence where all activities by the students are
being recorded, a student can be caught during or after examination in case of
cheating or examination miss-conducts and be sanction appropriately. During the
first conducted on-demand virtual examination, many students were sanction for
two to three semesters while others for four semesters.
Students willing to sit for this type
of examination must have registered for it in their main portal before applying
for the virtual exam. It is differed from e-exam because students are required
to keep typing using a computer however online as they try to answer the
questions displayed on their screen, here, examination rules are first
displayed and is required by each students to read the rules thoroughly before
attempting to answer the examination question. Here, the questions are just
like POP exam. Grades or marks are not seen immediately.
In on-demand virtual exam, all courses that are
e-exam’s courses are taking as e-exam courses. For instance, a student in 400
level when applying for on-demand virtual exam can include any outstanding
course from 100 or 200 level, during examination of these courses, all
questions will appear as e-exam courses hence they are examinable in e-exam.
3.
Differences
between SAEs and TMAs
These are two sets of assessments at
the national Open University of Nigeria before the commencement of semester
examination, students are required to participate in both (SAEs and TMAs).
Below stated is the difference:
3.1 SAE: Self-Assessment
Exercise (SAE) are exercise you will find within each study unit of your course
materials. Although not graded, they are designed to help you assess your
progress as you study (FSS, Undergraduate Student Handbook 2018-2023).
3.2 TMA: Also
known as continuous assessment, this assessment constitutes 30% of your total
examination score. It has to be taken before a semester examination is written
(FSS, Undergraduate Student Handbook 2018-2023). TMAs is a short name for Tutor
Marked Assignments, they are designed in the mode of multiple choice questions
(MCQs) and fill in the blank (FBQs) to be submitted online using a computer or
smart phone with internet connection. It comes in three phases, the first phase
is called TMA1 and the second phase is called TMA2 and the last phase is called
TMA3. Each phases has ten questions comprising multiple choice questions and
fill in the blank. After the submission of each question, you will be notified
if you score or you fail through pop-up.
Below is how you shall see at the end of the submission of each course you registered and take their TMAs.
As
a noun student studying in the nature of open and distance learning provided by
the management of the university, understanding and participating fully in the
continuous assessment also known as TMA require each student to have the
following:
·
Knowledge of how to
answer and submit MCQs and FBQs.
·
Have functional
computer or smart phone with internet connection.
·
Have some understanding
about the program and the specific course you are taking the TMA.
1.
How
to Answer TMAs
Having known what TMA is, now it is
time to know how to answer all your TMAs by yourself to avoid unnecessary
failure and spending of money. It is a common saying among noun students that
“if you don’t know how to get it right, leave for someone to help you or give
someone to do it for you for a fee”. While the above statement sounds right but
not entirely okay.
Giving your TMAs for someone to solve
and submit it for you requires giving out your login details to the third-party,
thereby increasing the chance of your account being hacked or compromised. For
instance, after a successful penetration in to your account, your enemy may
begin to answer wrong answers for your TMA and submit them.
Think about it, just one night you
wake up early in the morning, log in to your portal and find out that all your
TMAs scores are zeros over ten (0/10). That is the worst thing the enemy can do
to you just to see your downfall. Here are some few steps to follow to avoid
‘had I knew’.
·
Do extensive reading by
covering at least 1-2 modules of your course materials. Because most TMA 1 and 2
stick within module 1 and 2 of your course materials. Don’t be surprised to see
TMA1 questions come from second to the last modules.
·
Get a functional laptop
with internet connection.
·
If you cannot afford to
buy laptop, get at least two functional smart phones with internet connection.
·
Do not submit answer to
a question if you are not fully sure. You can skip the course and start other
ones.
·
Develop the interest of
doing your TMAs by yourself before you know you have built self-confidence.
Don’t also forget that your TMA count 30% of the entire marks per course.
·
Do not kill yourself
that you must get 10/10 because getting 10/10 does not fully guarantee you of excelling
the course.
·
Hence TMAs are not
going with time like the examination, you can as well copy the question
separately in your notebook and skim through your course materials to find the
answer. Almost all TMA questions and answers comes from your course materials.
Make sure you take note of the closing date.
·
Do not wait until the
last day of the closing date of any TMA.
·
Finally, if it became
necessary to give your TMA for someone to do it for you, make sure you know
such person very well. However, it is not encouraging to give your login
details out to a third-party. If it became necessary, make sure you change your
password periodically to avert unauthorized access.
2.
How
to Perform Well in your NOUN Examination
There is absolutely no magic in
performing well in the National Open University of Nigeria’s examination. Like
other examination, you need to be smart especially designing your own time
table for your reading plan, you need to stick to your time indicated against
each course and don’t play with your chances.
In open and distance learning institution like
noun, you need to have self-confidence in your studies. What is important here
is how well would you perform in your examination at the end of every semester?
Below are few tips that can help you stay abreast and subsequently perform well
in any noun examination:
·
Understand the question
first, what is it talking about. Here, you should be able to compare and recall
what your reading plan taught you.
·
Take note of topics
that can easily reminds you of other sub-topics. Example, when you are asked to
define crime, you should be able to know some of the different types of crime.
·
If you are answering
e-exam questions, take note because some questions do repeat themselves.
·
Try all you can to
avoid examination malpractice or misconduct. For instance, in e-exam, some invigilators
can order you to stand up while your time is running out when you are caught
involving in exam malpractice. How would you feel, if an invigilator asked you
to stand up until the last 10 minutes to the end of examination before you are
told to continue.
·
At the early stage of
the release of exam time table, prepare a short reading plan in order that have
been arranged on the official released of the final exam time table. This will
help you to follow all your courses accordingly.
·
Get past question
papers and take a look at the sample of the exam questions, sometimes one or
two questions may luckily come out but it is not must that all will come out,
perhaps none will come out.
·
Visit your jotter book
and check for what you have been putting down out there.
All the contents in section “A” have
shown initial steps to be taken by both fresh and returning students in order
to be successful in noun mode of examination. Section “B” however takes
paradigm shift to hear from some of the current noun students who are studying
Bachelor of Science Degree in criminology and security studies.
SECTION
“B”
1.
Noun
Student’s Last Day Preparation for Examination.
The word examination may sound
powerful to some people, as it relates to you being examine. The National Open
University of Nigeria like any other institution do hold end of semester
examination or sometimes call promotion exam. This comes every semester ending.
But what exactly begin to happen if only one day remained for examination to
commence. Perhaps some thoughts of how can you arrive at good grade at the end
of all the examination begin to spark or flash both your brain and mind,
however to other people, stress will begin to occupy both their brain and mind.
To that extend, data have been collected from current noun students to ascertain the level of preparedness that usually occur on the last day before exam. Below are some questions asked during online survey which 6 people participated.
1.
Difficulties
that you may likely to Face during your Programme in NOUN.
Like
other institutions, there are some difficulties or challenges that you may
likely to encounter during your programme in noun. If you lacked time
management skill, self-confidence, planning your study you may unavoidably face
some critical challenges. Below are some challenges you may face:
·
Inconsistency
in concentrating on your studies: This is clear
because noun’s mode of learning requires that you should have something doing before
enrolling in order to reflect with the university motto-work and learn, though
it has been changed to ‘learn at your pace’ to meant learning anywhere you are,
anytime you like and at your own schedule, that’s exactly the nature of
distance learning. There is a tendency of conflict interest (that is, your work
and your school which one you will concentrate on).
·
Being
boring: Sometimes you may feel uninterested in
reading your course materials, simply because there is no class room lecture in
distance learning institutions.
·
Mass
failure: This occur for instance, at the end of
the semester when results are released by the school management. If you
recorded mass failure in your courses, you also feel as if the end of the road
has come. It takes a person with courage to continue such programme.
·
The
appearance of courses more than one on the examination time table:
Sometimes two or more courses
do appear on the examination time table once it is released or out. Though
opportunity to report such occurrences to the management concerned is usually
provided. For instance, NOUN releases at least two time tables. One is called ‘draft time table’ and the
other ‘final time table’. When the draft time table is released, students are
required to go through it and check if there is inconsistency or discrepancy on
the time table, here a student can bring to their notice of any course
appearing the same day and time with another course or a student is expected to
notify invigilator before the starting time. Final time table in the other hand
means that it is the last time table to be released and to be used in any
forthcoming examination.
·
Inadequate
course materials: Sometimes not all
course materials paid for that students can get them, evidence show that a
student can register 10 courses and ended up getting 3-5 course materials. But
there is alternatives to deal with this inadequacy or shortage of the printed course materials
because all noun course materials can be downloaded or printed online. It might
be a big blow or setback for students that lacked the resources like computer
with internet connection to access them online.
2.
How
to avoid more Spending in NOUN.
Another important portion of this edition
is how one can avoid spending more money during his/her academic programme? Is
it really possible for students who are at the same level of study but still
spend more than the required fees? These are some of the questions that this
section explained.
The National Open University of
Nigeria’s mode of registration is semester by semester, that is, each semester
a student need to register for that particular semester to be eligible to take
semester examination. As a noun student, you need to be very careful because if
you make mistake in registering wrong courses may affect you in your programme.
However, below are some of the factors that can make you to spend more money
while studying in noun:
I.
Carryover:
Carryover is refers to courses left
behind or those courses you failed to pass the required marks during your
examination. Some institutions in Nigeria does not allow students to rewrite
the carryover courses until their final year of study, but in the National Open University of Nigeria the reverse
is the case. Noun allow its student to register for their carryover courses as
long as their required credit unit per semester is not exceeded the maximum
required credit units. Any time you have carryover and you register for it, you
paid extra money. The more you failed to pass your courses, the more you carry
them over and thereby registering them again thus, you spend more than
expected.
II.
Inability
to do and submit TMAs: Normally, some students
who cannot be able to do their TMAs because of one reason or the other, give
money to other students or persons to do and submit the TMAs on their behalf
hence it is online test.
III.
Inability
to write your own project: Writing project is not
a child’s play, you cannot joke with it because it is 6 credits unit, for
instance in criminology department. There are two projects meant here, the
first one is ‘Business plan proposal’ and the other is ‘final year project’.
The one that can cost you much money is the final year project if you give
someone to write it for you. Having listed and discussed the three critical
factors that can make someone to spend more than expected, let us now see
whether there is possibility of getting rid of spending much money than
expected. Below are the ways to avoid unnecessary spending while studying in
noun:
I.
The
knowledge of how TMAs are run: What can make
someone to give his or her own TMAs to other person to do it on his or her
behalf is lack of having enough time for the study. Almost all TMA questions
and answers are inside your course materials, take your time and read or search
through it, using a computer to search while you use your smart phone with
internet connection to submit can be a greater boost. You should know that
answering your TMAs by yourself save you money and gives you some clue on how
the exams may be, especially during e-exam.
II.
Get
a mini laptop or PC or functional smart phone: You
may be surprise by what these device can do or improve your staying in noun.
Your PC (personal computer) must not be a big one. Buying laptop of N200,
000 will definitely wear you down. These days, you can get PC as low as N40-50,000
or look for fairly used one (second hand).
III.
Write your own project by yourself: In
reality, writing project in general is such a highly task a student can ever
perform. It is not like writing novel or book. The procedures for writing project
makes it unique compare to other types of writing. You actually need to spend
money even if you write it yourself. For example, you may be required to pay
some money for printing and binding. Do not forget your supervisor out there,
as he will devote some of his times despite his tight schedules to direct, edit
or correct your project, he will need some appreciations from you too. In the
National Open University of Nigeria, project is not written in group, each and
every student will be required to write his or her own project on the relevant
area of interest. Information from reliable source indicates that a project
write-up can cost no less than N40-50, 0000 (forty to fifty thousand
naira). But if you are capable of writing your own project you could reduce the
cost to the barest minimum. Writing project begins with choosing a ‘project
topics’, the topics then be submitted to your study centre for approval. Once
the project topic has been approved and supervisor is being allocated to you,
then you begin to research and write on your approved topic.
3.
How
to calculate your GP in noun.
Fascinating part right? Calculating GP
for some students is referred to as harvest time. How do you calculate your GP?
GP stand for Grade Point Average sometimes called GPA. The classification of
degree in noun like other conventional universities is in the same manner.
Classification of degree is based on First class, Second class and Third class.
Before you are certified as a first
class graduate, there is point you must reached. Likewise second and third
class. At the end of your programme, you can calculate your GPA to ascertain or
discover your class of degree. You can equally check the performance of your GP
level at the end of every two semesters to provide an overview of your semester
performance. The more you get good results, the greater your GP increases.
Before you go to table 1, let’s look
at the meaning of the following abbreviations:
·
GP=
Grade points: at the end of every
examination, all courses must be graded based on the scores recorded. For
example when you score based on the following:
60-69 - B
- 4 (WGP)
45-49 - D
- 2 (WGP)
40-44 - E
- 1 (WGP)
39 and below -
F - 0 (WGP)
·
GPA=
grade point average
·
WGP=
It is called weighted grade point. As
you can see above, this is the point assigned to each grade.
·
GPE=
grade point earned.
·
TGPE=
total grade point earned. Total grade point is calculated by multiplying the weighted
grade point earned of each course by the credit unit of each course. Example,
COURSE SCORE
CREDIT UNIT GRADE WGP TGPE
× =12 (TGPE)
·
TCC=
total credit carried. This is the total credit of all the courses registered
·
TCE=
total credit earned.
·
CGPA=
cumulative grade point average. This is the total GPA calculated at the end of
the programme.
Table 1: shows the
formula for calculating your GPA or CGPA if you are in your final year, this is just an example.
|
COURSE
CODE |
SCORE |
GRADE |
CREDIT
UNIT |
WEIGHTED
GRADE POINT |
TOTAL
GRADE POINT EARNED |
|
|
CSS381 |
65 |
B |
3 |
4 |
12 |
|
|
PCR415 |
72 |
A |
3 |
5 |
15 |
|
|
CSS331 |
59 |
C |
3 |
3 |
9 |
|
|
CSS411 |
45 |
D |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
|
CSS455 |
79 |
A |
3 |
5 |
15 |
|
|
TOTAL |
|
|
|
19 |
|
|
Therefore,
GPA: TGPE/TCC=GPA TCC TGPE
TGPE=55
TCC=14
Therefore 55/14=3.92
Thus, GPA=3.92 (FIRST CLASS
HONOUR).
This
is so because the National University Commission (NUC) has recently reduced the
point for the class of degree from 5 points scale to 4 points scale.
Class
of degree is assigned based on the CGPA upon completion of the programme, see
it below:
FIRST
CLASS - 3.5-4.00
SECOND
CLASS (UPPER) - 3.0-3.49
SECOND
CLASS (LOWER) - 2.0-2.99
THIRD
CLASS
- 1.0-1.99
FAIL
- -1.0
SECTION
“C”
o Summary
The
National Open University of Nigeria also known as NOUN
is an Open and Distance Learning Institution in Nigeria. The first of its kind
in West Africa, as the largest institution in the country, the university is
consist of different campuses otherwise called study centres with its
headquarter in Abuja, the capital city of the country. The university offers
opportunity for old and young Nigerians to get quality education no matter
their age. It is a system of academic discipline that grant those who are under
special condition like working and studying at the same time access to degree
programmes.
o Conclusion
To
perform well in your examination, there is a need to build self-confidence,
acquire the required study materials and resources like laptop or smartphone.
·
References
a) FSS,
Undergraduate Student Handbook 2018-2023).
b) Ameh
Samson Ojonimi’s TMA’S Answer and Yohanna Sunday Atiku’s TMA’S Answer.
Hello readers/viewers, welcome to todays live video program that will feature Yohanna Sunday Atiku. He will explain some tactics employed b...
