Frequently asked questions
Click on the links below for the answers to our FAQs. If you still can't find the information you are after then please contact us.
- Does the The Exeter Award count towards my degree?
- How much does The Exeter Award cost?
- How long do I have to complete the Award? Do I have to finish it in one year?
- Can Postgraduates do The Exeter Award?
- What kind of work experience counts towards the Award? What about my part-time job or a vacation job?
- Does Community Action training count towards The Exeter Award?
- How do I know which events/activities count towards each section of the Exeter Award?
- I tried to cancel an event on the day it was taking place but I could not do this on the website, why is this?
- If I attend Exeter Award/Exeter Leaders Award activities now even though I have not yet registered, will they still count towards my Award when I do register?
- Can I start the Leaders Award before finishing The Exeter Award?
- How can my first aid course/foreign language course/other certificated course count towards my Award?
- Help! The sessions I need to complete my Award are all fully booked
- How and when will I get my certificate?
- Can INTO students participate in the Award?
- I attended an event but it is not marked as complete on my Exeter Award page.
- What does ‘Add an alternative learning activity’ in my Award profile mean?
- My Award profile has changed and I have new sections, I don't understand what I have to do?
- With the changes to The Award it means that you have to do the Interview Experience last ... I have already attended the Interview Experience, do I still have to complete the new Award application form?
- I completed 25 hours work experience/volunteering before October 2011. Do I have to go back and complete another ten hours to make it 35 hours?
- How do I verify my work experience/volunteering hours? Do I need a form?
- I completed all sections of my Exeter Award last year and was just waiting to get it signed off, what do I do?
- How long will it take for my Exeter Award Application form to be marked?
- I submitted my Exeter Award Application Form in the old system and had it marked but in the new system it says 'submit application' and there is no record of my form
1. Does the The Exeter Award count towards my degree?
No, The Exeter Award gives you University recognition for all of your extra-curricula activities and therefore does not count towards your degree. Completing The Exeter Award will not appear on your transcript – you need to make the most of your experiences from having completed the Exeter Award using your CV.
2. How much does The Exeter Award cost?
Completing The Exeter Award is free of charge, although there may be a fee for attending some activities e.g. First Aid training. The only investment we ask is for your time and commitment.
3. How long do I have to complete the Award? Do I have to finish it in one year?
There is no time constraint for completing The Exeter Award other than being a current student. Once your course ends you are no longer eligible and able to book a sign off interview with a Careers Adviser. If you would like to do the Exeter Leaders Award too, then you must ensure you have enough time to complete both.
Don't forget... skills sessions, mock interviews and other training events don't run during the holidays so you must complete this part of the award during term time.
4. Can Postgraduates do The Exeter Award?
The Exeter Award is open to taught postgraduates, but PGCE students would need to ensure they complete all relevant activities before they start their teaching practice.
5. What kind of work experience counts towards the Award? What about my part-time job or a vacation job?
You can count ANY job in ANY country towards the 35 hrs for your Award providing you worked those hours after starting University.
6. Does Community Action training count towards The Exeter Award?
Not unless you have undertaken CA volunteering. Community Action training is an integral part of the Guild's Community Action programme and is for people intending to volunteer with older people or children. Time spent on CA training can be counted as part of the 35 hours Volunteering element of the award if you participate in CA volunteering.
7. How do I know which events/activities count towards each section of The Exeter Award?
Open your Exeter Award progress page in My Career Zone; each section provides a link to view/book activities for that section of the Award. In your ‘Other Activities’ section you also have the option to submit your own employability activities (e.g. courses you have attended outside University) towards your Award using the ‘submit alternative learning activity’ link.
8. I tried to cancel an event on the day it was taking place but I could not do this on the website, why is this?
The option to cancel a place is not available from midnight onwards on the actual day of the event. This is to prevent disruption to events through students deciding at the last minute not to attend. It is also too late for another student to take your place. Please remember it is your responsibility to manage your diary and ensure you attend events, or cancel in plenty of time. Failing to attend an event without good reason will be treated as a non-attendance on your Exeter Award profile.
9. If I attend Exeter Award/Exeter Leaders Award activities now even though I have not yet registered, will they still count towards my Award when I do register?
Yes. The events will be added to your profile and will remain there whilst you are at University just in case you decide to do the Award(s).
10. Can I start the Leaders Award before finishing The Exeter Award?
You cannot register for the Leaders Award (and complete the application) until you have completed your Exeter Award. However, there is nothing to stop you attending Leaders Award activities in readiness – they will be in your Leaders Award profile when you register.
Check out the Leaders Award criteria here and then to view/book Leaders Award activities you will need to click on ‘Browse events’ on the menu in My Career Zone to pick out the Leaders Award skills sessions that you need to attend.
11. How can my first aid course/foreign language course/other certificated course count towards my Award?
A certificated course undertaken whilst at University can count as one of your Award options (‘other activities’ on your profile). Please use the 'Submit an alternative learning activity' function in this section to provide full course details and request that the course is counted towards your Award. Upload a scan of your certificate as proof of completion.
12. Help! The sessions I need to complete my Award are all fully booked
We monitor event bookings and when it is clear that certain sessions (eg. Interview Experience, personal development sessions) are fully booked, we try and arrange more for the term where possible. Check back to the website regularly to see if any additional sessions have been added, and also keep an eye on the bookings of current events as students may cancel and places may become available, especially a day or two before the event
If you cannot get a place on the session you need this term, don’t worry there will be more sessions next term and you have all your time at university to complete your Award.
13. How and when will I get my certificate?
Each academic year there will be two presentations at Streatham and one at Tremough Campus. This will take place in June, and the second at Streatham will happen when a good number of students have completed. You will receive an invitation to the next presentation event which follows your completion. If you wish to receive your certificate without attending the presentation, then you should email employability@exeter.ac.uk to request that your certificate be sent and to which address it should be sent.
14. Can INTO students participate in the Award?
With the exception of those students working towards their Undergraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Diploma, INTO students cannot participate in the Award.
15. I attended an event but it is not marked as complete on my Exeter Award page.
Members of staff may take several days to upload the data from the scanner (which updates student profiles) - depending on their commitments. Please be patient and do not chase any outstanding events on your profile until seven days have passed since the event.
Occasionally errors may occur in the upload process or students may arrive after the card scanning has taken place. If you receive a false 'non attendance warning' and/or your record is incorrect after seven days following the event, please email the Exeter Award office to ask for a correction giving full details of the event exeteraward@exeter.ac.uk.
Note that it is your responsibility to ensure your Award profile is up to date and after three months have elapsed we can no longer update attendance records.
16. What does ‘Add an alternative learning activity’ in my Award profile mean?
Sometimes students complete activities similar to the compulsory sections of the Award, but these activities do not appear in their profiles because they are not listed on the events system e.g. your school may organise a session on CVs and not make it available online to book, or you may attend a personal development session (eg. presentation skills, time management) outside the University.
If this is the case, and the activity took place after you started University, you can ask for that event to be counted towards your Exeter Award by sending us the details of the activity using the ‘Add an alternative learning activity’ link in your profile. Please ensure you submiy under the right section e.g. a CV or application form session should be submitted under the 'Planning your CV/Effective application forms' section of the Award, whilst personal development training (see http://www.exeter.ac.uk/exeteraward/structure/ for a list of examples) should be submitted under the 'Personal Development' section. Anything else should go under the 'Other Eligible Activities' section.
You will need to provide full details of the session - who delivered it, where and when, and a summary of the content. Your submission will be looked into and approved or rejected for inclusion in the Award by a member of staff.
17. My Award profile has changed and I have new sections, I don't understand what I have to do?
We have made a few changes to The Exeter Award effective from October 2011. Please read the Award structure page here for further details.
18. With the changes to The Award it means that you have to do the Interview Experience last ... I have already attended the Interview Experience, do I still have to complete the new Award application form?
Yes. The changes to The Award affect all students doing The Exeter Award, including those who started their Exeter Award in previous years.
19. I completed 25 hours work experience/volunteering before October 2011. Do I have to go back and complete another ten hours to make it 35 hours?
If you completed & verified the work experience/volunteering element of your Award before October 3rd 2011 under the old rules (i.e. 25 hours) you do not have to go back and complete any further hours. However, if you started your work experience/volunteering prior to October 3rd 2011, but did not complete or get it verified before this date, please continue to complete 35 hours in total.
20. How do I verify my work experience/volunteering hours? Do I need a form?
When you have completed any work experience/volunteering placement, click the Record work experience/volunteering hours link in your profile. For each placement/opportunity/job that you do, log the start date and end date of that position and the total number of hours worked. Once you reach 35, the section will show as complete.
You do not need a supervisor to sign a form to verify your hours. You will, however, need to give your supervisor’s name for each position you worked/volunteered, and use one of your supervisors as a referee on your Exeter Award application form in your profile.
We will conduct random sampling and follow up a selection of referees each year to verify the hours that students have completed. Any student found not to have completed the stated hours will have their Exeter Award registration suspended pending further investigation.
21. I completed all sections of my Exeter Award last year and was just waiting to get it signed off, what do I do?
You can complete under the previous rules and are not required to complete the new application form or do more than 25 hrs work experience/volunteering.
Please contact 'Employability and Graduate Development' on (01392) 724493 to make an appointment for your sign off interview with a Careers Consultant. Students based in Tremough will need to contact the Careers Advisory Service on 01326 253735.
22. How long will it take for my Exeter Award Application form to be marked?
We aim to mark application forms within three weeks. Please do not email us regarding your form until at least three weeks have expired since you submitted it.
23. I submitted my Exeter Award Application Form in the old system and had it marked but in the new system it says 'submit application' and there is no record of my form
Your application form and feedback will not be available in the new system, but if you had it marked and reviewed your feedback you should be able to progress your Exeter Award and book The Interview Experience to complete your Award. It will look like your application form has not been submitted, but please ignore that. As long as you can book The Interview Experience you will be able to complete your Award.
