Mistakes in Business School Exams Exposed | News

The Business School at the University of Otago is under scrutiny after multiple errors were reported in finance paper mid-term exams in 2023 and 2024. Students taking Commerce courses have been facing a higher rate of mistakes in their exams, with reports of errors in papers such as FINC206, BSNS114, FINC102, and BSNS112.

According to Critic Te Ārohi, FINC206 had three corrections in a single two-hour exam, while BSNS114 has had multiple errors over the last three semesters in internal assessments. The Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Otago Business School, Maree Thyne, responded to these claims by stating that there is a peer review process in place to double-check the accuracy of papers before examinations.

Students like Roisin, a second-year business student, expressed their frustration with the lack of attention to detail in these exams, which has led to a loss of trust and doubt in the thoroughness of the papers. Roisin also believes that the exam errors have a significant impact on student performance, as wasted time on incorrect questions can affect overall results.

Jamie, a tutor in the Business School, attributed the recurring errors to a lack of attention to detail or care for earlier level finance papers. However, she reassured students that efforts are made to ensure they are not penalized for these mistakes.

In response to the series of exam errors, Thyne has called for further actions to be taken, including triple-checking all examinations in large core papers and providing Head of Departments with reports of any exam issues. As students prepare for upcoming exams, they are hopeful that these measures will lead to fewer hiccups in their academic assessments.