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Online assessments

Finding information resources

Use your reading list

Make good use of your reading list, which should highlight some of the key texts for your assessment. Many books and texts from your reading list should be available online – just follow the links from your reading list in Minerva to see if you can access them through Library Search.

Unfortunately, some publishers haven’t made specific books available online. Module leaders have been asked to consider this while planning online assessments, so you should be able to prepare for and sit your assessments using just the resources that are available online.

Read more widely

It’s always a good idea to read around your topic, rather than sticking solely to the key texts suggested on a reading list. There is advice on our website about searching for information, including where to search and some tips for getting great search results.

Searching subject databases for journal articles about your assessment topics can be a great way to see the wider debate and discussion around key issues, which could help you provide more detailed analytical responses in your assessment.

We also have a useful list of resources that publishers have made openly available during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Library Search tips

If you’re searching for information to use in your revision and assessment preparation, you can set the Library Search to only show items that can be accessed online. Follow these steps:

  1. Search for a title, author or keyword in Library Search.
  2. Select “Available online” in the search bar at the top, and run your search again to restrict it to online items only. Or choose the “Available online” filter in the Availability section.
  3. If you applied the available online filter, you can hover over ”available online” in the Active Filters section on the left-hand side and click the padlock icon that appears, to lock this setting to every search you run (until you close your browser).

Watch our video that explains more about accessing online journal articles through Library Search:

View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only)

You can also read more tips on accessing eresources.  

Finding books about revision and exams skills

We also have a range of academic skills books that cover revising for and sitting exams; although they don’t necessarily focus on open-book or online assessments, many of the tips they share are the same for all types of exam. We’ve listed a couple of titles here, but you can also look on Library Search to see if there are any specific books about revising for exams in your subject area or discipline.

McMillan, K. and Weyers, J. 2012. How to Succeed in Exams & Assessments. [Online]. 2nd ed. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education. [Accessed 7 April 2020]. Available from: https://leeds.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/44LEE_INST/1nr0r5h/dawson9780273743804

Tracy, E. 2006. The student's guide to exam success. [Online]. 2nd ed. Buckingham: McGraw-Hill. [Accessed 7 April 2020]. Available from: https://leeds.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/44LEE_INST/2ahtr6/alma991013258949705181