Gender and mode of assessment at university: should we assume female students are better suited to coursework and males to unseen examinations?

This paper reports on research conducted at the University of Sussex and examines whether female students have a particular preference for coursework, and whether such a preference is a key factor in their current undergraduate success. The performances of 638 students on courses whose assessment modes comprised both coursework and examinations were analysed to determine what, if any, gender differences were evident in relation to performances on each elements. In order to supplement the quantitative findings, qualitative data elicited via two online surveys, and focusing on student perceptions of coursework and examinations and attitudes to undergraduate study, are also discussed. Our findings contribute to the debate about gender differences across modes of assessment, and in particular take issue with the claim that female students, by contrast with males, both favour and are favoured by the use of coursework as opposed to unseen examinations in mode of assessment arrays.