Student 'Graduations' Were Mistake

Thursday 04th February 2010

Exam procedures have been changed at a university after four medical students, who were mistakenly told they had graduated, had to be suspended from their work in hospitals.

The blunder was only unearthed once the students, who went to Cardiff University, started work. The university is now bringing in new staff and changing its exam times - with the date of the final written exam being brought forward to May so more time is available for verifying results.

A new director of medical education was recently appointed and two new posts - an assessment data manager and an academic psychometrician - will oversee procedures in the university's school of medicine, analysing assessment data and ensuring exams are fair.

The students are now repeating their final year.

"The school will be undertaking all the action required to ensure that such errors cannot be repeated," said Professor Paul Morgan, dean of medicine at the university.

"The implementation of the recommendations is regarded as an absolute and high level priority."