The National Union of Students has called for all non-essential formal exams to be cancelled for first and second-year students due to the impact of COVID-19.

The union is asking institutions to find flexible solutions to help these students progress to their next stage of learning.

In a statement released on its website it said that following government clarifications on GCSE's, A-Levels and AS levels on March 20, it believed no institution should be holding compulsory examinations.

The body proposes there should be no non-essential exams and assessments, particularly for first and second years, who should be allowed to progress base on previous work, with a robust appeal process, and flexibility for those who feel this will disadvantage them.

It added that exam cancellation for first and second years would reduce anxiety amongst these students and allow institutions to focus effort on providing satisfactory assessment experiences for final year students.

Claire Sosienski-Smith, NUS vice president for higher education said: "In the current climate, student welfare must come first. It is vital that there are no compulsory exams this year.

"Many students are unable to engage with their learning fully, due to a variety of factors, including lack of equipment to support distance learning, caring commitments, stress, anxiety and precarious housing.

"We know that disabled students are being hugely impacted by the pandemic, facing the loss of both university-provided and NHS support, a lack of reasonable adjustments to access online teaching, as well as struggles with accommodation.

"We also want to see special consideration and flexibility given for students whose grades rest on final practical assessments, which would be impossible to conduct remotely and are reliant on access to facilities and materials.

"For many final year students, both undergraduates and taught postgraduates, the stakes are much higher, and it is vital that each of these students is given a choice on how to proceed with their education.

NUS have therefore proposed the following options for final year assessments:

• Final year students can choose to complete and graduate with a grade given based on their prior attainment.

• Some final-year students may not feel that a grade based on their current performance will be an adequate reflection of their ability. If they want to graduate or complete their courses this academic year and want the opportunity to take an exam or submit a dissertation, they should be given this through a redesigned, open-book exam format or a flexible submission deadline. This should take place at home.

• Students who wish to, should have the option to extend their time in education to complete their degrees. This could mean deferring this term to take place in the Autumn. This should be at their own discretion and made possible through self-certification. It should absolutely be at no cost to the student, and further discussions should begin on the financial support available for students to do this.

Ms Sosienski-Smith added: "Across the board, institutions should take this opportunity to implement better practices in assessing students on work completed through the entirety of their courses, rather than one-off exams, and learn from this in their future teaching.

"The diversity of the higher education sector and its students means that there can be no one size fits all approach to exams and assessment.

"In education, we are most effective when we work together, and we urge institutions to work in strong partnership with their students' unions to ensure that students are at the heart of solutions, we are all working to protect student welfare and that first and foremost the voices of the most impacted students are not lost during this crisis."

What do you think? Email news@moosemarketingandpr.co.uk