• Section 1 - Purpose 
• Section 2 - Overview
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Policy
• Principles
• Responsibilities
• Review
• Section 5 - Compliance
• Section 6 - Subordinate Policy Documents
• Section 7 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose 

(1) This policy establishes the framework for the assessment lifecycle and assessment practices for program and courses at RMIT.

(2) RMIT's assessment practices comply with the following legislative requirements:

1. Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021
2. National VET Regulator (Outcome Standards for RTOs) Instrument 2025
3. National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018
4. Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000
5. National Standards for Foundation Program
6. ELICOS Standards 2018.

Section 2 - Overview

(3) This policy suite is designed to empower academic staff to design innovative assessment that assures students meet the learning outcomes of their courses.

(4) The policy establishes principles and guardrails rather than prescriptive rules. Academic staff are trusted as experts in their disciplines to exercise professional judgement in assessment design.

(5) Innovation in assessment is encouraged where it serves student learning and assures achievement of learning outcomes. Academic staff are supported to design assessment that is authentic, meaningful and aligned to course learning outcomes.

(6) Procedures and guidance exist to support (not constrain) educators in helping students succeed. These resources provide frameworks and best practice guidance to assist teaching staff in designing quality assessment, managing academic integrity, and supporting student progress.

Section 3 - Scope

(7) This policy applies to all staff, students, programs and courses of the RMIT Group, including:

1. RMIT University
2. RMIT Online
3. RMIT UP
4. RMIT Vietnam
5. RMIT partner institutions.

Section 4 - Policy

Principles

(8) Assessment is authentic, applied and designed holistically across programs. Students demonstrate their learning in real-world contexts and receive meaningful, timely feedback that helps them improve.

(9) Assessment is valid, reliable, equitable and inclusive. All assessment is designed with a commitment to quality, integrity and the principles of Universal Design, ensuring students are fairly evaluated regardless of background or personal circumstances.

(10) Assessment expectations are clearly stated, rigorous and aligned to course learning outcomes or the requirements of the unit of competency disciplinary standards and RMIT capabilities. Students know what is expected of them and how their work will be assessed.

(11) Students are supported to achieve their learning outcomes or competency while academic integrity is maintained. RMIT provides a supportive learning environment with targeted assistance and reasonable adjustments to help students make satisfactory academic progress.

(12) Assessment standards are assured through systematic moderation and quality review. This ensures learning outcomes or the requirements of the units of competency are met consistently across all delivery modes and locations, and that results are produced in a timely manner.

(13) RMIT’s appeals framework and relevant procedures are transparent and equitable and provide scope for the review or appeal of final grades and academic progress decisions. Students have access to clear processes to address concerns about their assessment results.

(14) If unlawful or harmful behaviour is disclosed during engagement with assessment processes, RMIT will respond in accordance with the Student Safety Measures Procedure, the Gender Based Violence Prevention and Response Policy, the Child Safe Policy and other relevant policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

(15) Students are responsible for: 

1. maintaining satisfactory academic progress as defined by RMIT
2. upholding academic integrity in all assessment tasks
3. keeping copies of all assessment submissions, including working drafts, for the duration of their program
4. completing required declarations of authorship and originality with submissions
5. following established processes for requesting assessment adjustments
6. monitoring their student email and providing timely responses to all RMIT process notifications when required, especially those related to academic integrity, student conduct, and academic progress.

(16) Academic and teaching staff are responsible for:

1. providing transparent information about assessment requirements and marking criteria
2. providing timely, constructive feedback on assessment to help students improve
3. implementing approved assessment adjustments and Equitable Learning Plans
4. detecting and reporting potential breaches of the Academic Integrity Policy and Student Conduct Policy
5. participating actively in quality processes including moderation.

(17) Colleges, Schools and Industry Clusters and equivalent teaching areas are responsible for:

1. monitoring student performance and academic progress
2. providing academic advice and coordinating learning support for at-risk students
3. implementing approved assessment adjustments and Equitable Learning Plans.

(18) The Students Group is responsible for:

1. managing processes for assessment adjustment approvals and appeals
2. applying administrative, interim and default grades in accordance with policy
3. reviewing exclusion recommendations for compliance with policy
4. determining and publishing results processing timelines.

(19) The Executive Director, Students is responsible for:

1. the publication of final results in accordance with approved timelines
2. reviewing and notifying students of exclusion decisions
3. setting timelines for results publication and grade conversions
4. maintaining assessment procedures and supporting guidance resources.

(20) The Chief Executive Officer, RMIT UP maintains and ensures compliance with RMIT UP-specific assessment procedures.

(21) College Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Learning and Teaching are accountable for the accuracy, currency and alignment of published program and course assessment information.

(22) College Deputy Vice-Chancellors are responsible for assessing grounds for appeals to the College Appeals Committee.

(23) The Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education – Learning, Teaching is accountable for the accuracy and currency of information published on the Educator Resource Hub.

(24) The Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education– Learning, Teaching (College of Vocational Education) is accountable for the accuracy and currency of information published on the Teach VE Hub.

(25) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Vocational Education is responsible for maintaining the Assessment Procedure – Vocational Education Assessment Design and Quality and supporting guidance materials.

(26) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education is responsible for:

1. approving the schedule of grades
2. approving the criteria for identifying unsatisfactory academic performance.

Review

(27) This policy will be reviewed at least once every five years in accordance with the Policy Governance Policy.

Section 5 - Compliance

(28) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education (Policy Owner) is accountable for this policy suite. The policy empowers educators to design innovative assessment that complies with the principles articulated above.

(29) Procedures and guidance material support education staff in helping students meet learning outcomes. Regular reviews of assessment practices ensure the policy remains effective and responsive to the needs of students, staff and RMIT.

(30) Where clauses in this policy and its procedures inhibit educators assuring learning outcomes and efforts are required beyond or at variance from those described, course coordinators should report these instances to the relevant program manager and/or Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Learning and Teaching for approval.

(31)  The procedures that support this policy detail requirements for reporting non-conformance which may give rise to a potential or actual material breach of this policy or its enabling procedures (i.e. resulting in student disadvantage).

Section 6 - Subordinate Policy Documents

(32) Refer to the following documents which are established in accordance with this policy:

1. Assessment Procedure
2. Academic Progress and Appeals Procedure
3. Assessment Procedure – Vocational Education Assessment Design and Quality       

Section 7 - Definitions

Documents

External Legislation