Engineering third-years were given an exam paper that was unanswerable

There were also typos in every question

| UPDATED

A Mechanical Engineering paper was missing “vital variables” and so was completely unanswerable.

A letter has been written by Engineering students to the course organisers for the Manufacturing Technology  exam accusing the organisers of writing a paper that was rife with blatant typos and errors.

The letter, signed by 54 Engineering students, described how the examination broke down into chaos when the majority of students taking the Mechanical Engineering paper realised that all 3 questions were in some way unanswerable.

“The paper was made up of 3 questions each based on a different topic of the course. Without fail, each of these questions was missing one or, in some cases, several vital variables, without which the questions were unanswerable.”

According to an Engineering student, who wished to be kept anonymous, the exam invigilators were quick to realise the issues facing the students taking Manufacturing Technology 3. They tried to contact the course organisers but received no response. It is also claimed that “not a single email” sent by students was responded to by course organisers.

“A while later, contact with the course organiser was made at which point a list of the missing variables were read to the hall. Some of these values came without units and it transpired this wasn’t a complete list of the values required to complete the paper.”

During the exam the invigilators were forced to make five separate announcements, causing disruption to the other students in the hall not sitting Manufacturing Technology 3.

It is also claimed that there were spelling mistakes throughout the paper. For example a part was referred to as a “raiser” rather than a riser. It also seems that the first two questions were directly copied from past papers from previous years.

Only five extra minutes were allowed for Mechanical Engineering students.

Sharon Potter, Engineering teaching supervisor, refused to comment on whether there were any mistakes on the paper. She said that there would be no decision on the matter for another three weeks until a board of examiners have looked over the issues.

Were you sitting Manufacturing Technology or in the exam hall at the time? Let us know by contacting us on The Tab Edinburgh’s Facebook page.

If you have had similar issues with any of your exams, get in touch by emailing [email protected].