Exam Venue Familiarisation
If you would benefit from seeing your exam venue before your exam day, please make the most of our exam venue familiarisation sessions and video guides below.
We recognise that some of you will feel more confident on the exam day if you have an understanding of the space you'll be in. To support you with your preparations, we are offering you the opportunity to see your exam venue ahead of time and ask an experienced invigilator any questions you may have.
We encourage you to incorporate this into your revision activity so that you are best prepared for what will happen on the day of your in-person exam(s).
Standard Venue Familiarisation (Dan Maskell Tennis Centre)
This is an opportunity which is open to all students, but is particularly recommended for students who will be sitting exams in the Dan Maskell Tennis Centre, which is the University's standard exam venue. The experience is designed to help you to familiarise yourself with where to go, how to get there, and what the venue looks like.
An experienced invigilator will be on hand to welcome you, run through what will happen at the start and end of your exam, and provide guidance about what you should do if you have an issue during your exam(s). You will have the opportunity to ask any questions which you may have.
When is the next session?
Sessions generally run on the last working day before the start of Semester 1 and Semester 2 exams.
When?
The next familiarisation session at the Dan Maskell Tennis Centre is: Friday 15th January 2027, from 14:00 - 16:00.
Where?
The entrance will be via the fire exits of the hall (before you reach the main Dan Maskell entrance to Reception, opposite the rugby pitches). We recommend using this What3Words link: ///ramp.beyond.train
Do I need to book?
There is no requirement to book a slot, the session will run as a a drop-in service with two experienced invigilators on hand. Please note that you may need to wait for a brief period if they are already engaged with other students.
What if I can't make it?
If you can't make it to the event above, please do watch our guidance video below so you can still get a sense of what it's like to sit an exam at this venue.
Will the venue be fully set up?
The hall will still be mid-setup when you visit, with colleagues working hard over the weekend to fully transform the space from a sports venue to an exam hall.
However a section of the hall will be set-up with desks, chairs and the correct spacing, to give you the closest sense of what the hall will look like by the time of your exam. You can see the hall completely set up as an exam venue in the video below.
What to expect at the standard exam venue - a quick video guide
Adjustment Venue Familiarisation (Wavy Top/Brockington/Haslegrave)
This is an opportunity that we recommend for students with reasonable adjustments who will be sitting in one of our main adjustment venues. This is usually indicated as Wavy Top or Haslegrave on your exam timetable. If you have reasonable adjustments and are sitting your exam in your School, please see the section below.
The experience is designed to help you familiarise yourself with where to go, how to get there, and what the venue looks like.
Experienced invigilators will be on hand to welcome you, run through what you'll need to do on arrival on your exam day (such as signing in and finding your room), and what to do during your exam if you have any issues. For example, if you have an adjustment for rest breaks but aren't sure how these will be applied on the day. They will also conduct a brief tour of the venue, so you can see the different types of rooms available (e.g. individial, small group, PC).
When is the next session?
Sessions generally run on the last working day before the start of Semester 1 and Semester 2 exams.
When?
The next familiarisation at Wavy Top is: Friday 15th January 2027 from 13:00 - 16:00.
Do I need to book?
There is no requirement to book a slot, as the session will run as a drop-in service with two experienced invigilators on hand. However each session (consisting of an informal chat and a tour of some of our rooms) will start at the following times:
- 13:00
- 13:30
- 14:00
- 14:30
- 15:00
- 15:30
We recommend timing your arrival to coincide with the start of one of these sessions.
Where?
Please use the main entrance to the building, between the Wavy Top and Brockington buildings. We recommend using this What3Words link: ///rushed.nets.never
After entering the building, turn left and head to room WAV011 (there will be signs) where the invigilators will be based.
What if I can't make it?
If you can't make it to the event above, please do watch our guidance video below so you can still get a sense of what it's like to sit an exam at this venue.
Will the venue be fully set up?
The venue will still be in the process of being set-up, however we do expect the vast majority of the rooms to already have the correct seating and desk arrangements by the time you visit.
WAV011 (where you go on arrival) acts as our temporary Exam Office throughout exams, so this space in particular will still be undergoing some changes during the event.
Can I stay and use the space for a practice exam?
We hope that seeing your venue during the tour and being able to ask questions will be valuable for you, but please note we will not be able to simulate exam conditions due to the complex nature of each student's adjustments.
Most of the venue will be booked solely for exam set-up during this time, so we recommend using other facilities on campus such as the Library for further revision and study.
What about exams in the Haslegrave Building?
We won't be running a separate familiarisation session for exams taking place in Haslegrave. The majority of rooms we use for exams in Haslegrave are on the ground floor which is open to students 24/7, so you can visit in your own time.
If you do visit, we recommend you use the entrance facing Margaret Keay road (what3words: ///foal.chops.tribal), as this leads directly into the foyer area where you would sign in for your exam.
If you wish to speak to someone in person, we recommend going to the in-person session at Wavy Top as these invigilators will also be able to answer some questions about Haslegrave (as the processes at each venue are mirrored).
What to expect in an Adjustment Exam Venue - a quick video guide
Sitting assessments in your School
If you have reasonable adjustments and are sitting your exam in your School, please get in touch with your Programme Administrator to discuss familiarising yourself with the rooms they use for this purpose.
You can find your Programme Administrator on the Student Self-Service portal under 'My Programme' and then 'Staff Contacts'.