Coursework assessments will normally have a limit which indicates the expected scope, depth and level of detail required. For example, this might be a total word count, presentation length or file size. Assessment limits help students understand the scale of response expected and ensure that submitted work is of a comparable size, enabling fair and consistent assessment. Working within the set limit also supports students to develop their ability to communicate ideas effectively, prioritise relevant information and present their work in a clear and concise manner.
The limit will be included within the assessment brief. Where a student exceeds the assessment limit, the marker will cease marking once the limit has been reached.
If a student is found to have deliberately misrepresented the word count or otherwise sought to circumvent an assessment limit, including through the inappropriate application of the exclusions set out in this guidance, the matter will be considered under the Academic Conduct Procedure.
Written Coursework
It is the student's responsibility to ensure that any assessment limit is complied with and that any declared word count is accurate. Students will be required to confirm the word count when submitting written coursework.
For written coursework, the following applies
What is included in the word count?
The following count towards the word count
- All main body text and paragraphs.
- All headings and subheadings.
- In-text citations (e.g., Smith, 2026).
- Direct quotes and definitions.
What is not included in the word count?
The following do not count towards the word count
- Cover or Title pages.
- Table of contents.
- Footnotes.
- Reference list or bibliography.
- Appendices (where permitted and used appropriately to provide supporting material rather than substantive assessment content).
- Text contained within tables or figures does not count towards the word count, although table titles and figure captions do. Tables and figures must be relevant to the assessment and should not be used primarily as a means of circumventing the assessment limit.
Students should ensure that the main content required to meet the assessment criteria is contained within the assessed work itself. Material placed in appendices, tables or figures may not be considered where it has been used to present substantive content that would ordinarily form part of the main body of the assessment.