Form and conduct of examinations, 2016

Notices by Faculty Boards, or other bodies concerned, of changes to the form and conduct of certain examinations to be held in 2016, by comparison with those examinations in 2015, are published below. Complete details of the form and conduct of all examinations are available from the Faculties or Departments concerned.

Natural Sciences Tripos, 2015–16

The Committee of Management for the Natural Sciences Tripos give notice that, with effect from the examinations to be held in 2016, the form and conduct of certain of the examinations for the Natural Sciences Tripos will be changed as follows:

Part Ib

Plant and Microbial Sciences

The weighting of the practical component (25% of the total subject mark) of the examination will be adjusted as detailed below:

1.	Practical paper (15%)
2.	Formal write up of Thematic Rubisco practical (10%)

Weekly write-ups will be given a pass/fail grade and five pass grade write-ups must be submitted; weekly write-ups will no longer contribute to the practical component of the examination.

Part II

Plant Sciences

The weighting of the elements of the examination will be adjusted as detailed below:

Element of the examination	2015–16
4 x Written theory papers	64%
Research project	27%
Mini review essay	9%

Students will no longer be expected to give a project presentation.

Zoology

With immediate effect, the weighting of the sections within the examination will change as follows:

Element of the examination	2015–6
Research paper review	8%
Project/demonstration practical work	28% (this includes 4% for the oral presentation of the project)
Written papers (equal weight for each paper)	64%

Part III / Master of Advanced Study

Materials Science

Section A of paper 1 will now contain questions based on the short (six-lecture) modules, there being one question from each such module. The rubric will read ‘Answer any three questions from section A.’

All other parts of the examination remain unchanged.

Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Tripos, Part IIa, 2015–16

The Committee of Management of the Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Tripos give notice that, with effect from the examinations to be held in 2016, the form of the examination for the following paper for Part IIa of the Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Tripos will be as follows:

PBS 6. Research methods

Candidates must submit a paper critique of not more than 2,000 words, excluding the bibliography, on a research paper approved by the Committee of Management, not later than the end of the second week of the Full Easter Term in which the examination is to be held.

Examination in Energy Technologies for the M.Phil. Degree, 2015–16

The Degree Committee for the Faculty of Engineering give notice of the following amendments to the modules offered for the examination in Energy Technologies for the degree of Master of Philosophy in 2015–16 (Reporter, 6395, 2014–15, p. 833).

The module ‘B3 Electrochemical engineering’ will now be offered as module ‘B2 Electrochemical engineering’.

The following modules will not be offered in the 2015–16 academical year:

Reference	Name
B2	Catalysis
B7	Particle technology

The following module will be offered as an elective in the 2015–16 academical year:

Reference	Name	Mode of assessment
ESD300	Sustainability assessment of large infrastructure projects	Coursework

The Degree Committee confirm that no student’s preparation for the examination will be affected by the change.

Examination in Machine Learning, Speech, and Language Technology for the M.Phil. Degree, 2015–16

The Degree Committee for the Faculty of Engineering give notice of the following amendments to the offered modules for the examination in Machine Learning, Speech, and Language Technology for the degree of Master of Philosophy, 2015–16 (Reporter, 6395, 2014–15, p. 835).

The module 'MLSALT1 Introduction to machine learning and spoken language processing' will now be assessed by coursework only, rather than by coursework and examination.

The module 'MLSALT3 Weighted automata' will now be assessed by coursework rather than by examination.

The following module will not be offered in the 2015–16 academical year:

Reference	Name
L100	Introduction to natural language processing

The following modules will be offered as electives in the 2015–16 academical year:

Reference	Name	Mode of assessment
L18	Automated reasoning	Coursework
L95	Introduction to natural language syntax and parsing	Coursework

The Degree Committee confirm that no student’s preparation for the examination will be affected by the change.

Examination in Nuclear Energy for the M.Phil. Degree, 2015–16

The Degree Committee for the Faculty of Engineering give notice of the following amendments to the offered modules for the examination in Nuclear Energy for the degree of Master of Philosophy, 2015–16 (Reporter, 6395, 2014–15, p. 836).

The module 'B3 Electrochemical engineering' will now be offered as module 'B2 Electrochemical engineering'.

The Degree Committee confirm that no student’s preparation for the examination will be affected by the change.

Examination in Future Infrastructure and the Built Environment for the M.Res. Degree, 2015–16

The Degree Committee for the Faculty of Engineering give notice of the following amendments to the offered modules for the examination in Future Infrastructure and the Built Environment for the degree of Master of Research, 2015–16 (Reporter, 6395, 2014–15, p. 837).

The following module will now be offered as an elective in the 2015–16 academical year:

Reference	Name	Mode of assessment
4M14	Sustainable development	Coursework

The Degree Committee confirm that no student’s preparation for the examination will be affected by the change.

Examination in Gas Turbine Aerodynamics for the M.Res. Degree, 2015–16

The Degree Committee for the Faculty of Engineering give notice of the following amendments to the offered modules for the examination in Gas Turbine Aerodynamics for the degree of Master of Research, 2015–16 (Reporter, 6395, 2014–15, p. 837).

The following module will now be offered as an elective in the 2015–16 academical year:

Reference	Name	Mode of assessment
4A15	Aeroacoustics	Examination

The Degree Committee confirm that no student’s preparation for the examination will be affected by the change.

Examination in Sensor Technologies and Applications for the M.Res. Degree, 2015–16

The Degree Committee for the Faculty of Engineering give notice of the following amendments to the offered modules for the examination in Sensor Technologies and Applications for the degree of Master of Research, 2015–16 (Reporter, 6395, 2014–15, p. 839).

The module '2/BP Biological physics' will now be assessed by coursework rather than by examination.

The Degree Committee confirm that no student’s preparation for the examination will be affected by the change.