By Graeme Strachan

ABERTAY UNIVERSITY in Dundee last night admitted a second blunder involving exam papers.

The printing error that disrupted Thursday’s psychology exam came to light just days after The Courier revealed lecturers had given the wrong paper to around 100 third- year contemporary social theory students for a crucial final exam on Friday.

Students involved in the earlier incident spotted mistakes with three questions on their paper. They have been assured that nobody will be disadvantaged as a result, with the total marks for the exam reduced.

A spokesman for Abertay University said, “A printing error meant that some data was missing or incorrect in three out of 56 questions in a second-year exam on research methods in psychology last week.

“Students were instructed to ignore two questions where data was missing, and to answer the third using the data given.

“Immediately after the exam, all students were Emailed and assured that nobody will be disadvantaged as a result.

“The total possible marks for the exam have been reduced from 120 to 116, and each student’s performance will now be reckoned as a percentage of 116 instead of 120.”

It is understood several students alerted the invigilators to the problem with the exam paper. The tutors were called down and that’s when it was recognised there had been a printing error.

They decided the exam should go ahead, but the affected questions would be forfeited.

One student last night said, “We had to analyse data and say what was wrong with it. Two pieces of data were missing and one was back to front.

“If you didn’t put the right data in then you were on course to fail. We began to start doubting the paper and the tutors were called in.

“We were told the papers had been sent away to the printers and there was a mistake, but just to ignore it. We just got told to carry on. I read in The Courier about Friday’s exam, but they botched up here, too.”

On Friday around 100 third-year contemporary social theory students were shocked to discover the questions were not on the topics they had revised.

A hastily-conducted investigation revealed that students had been given the paper intended for any August exam re-sits.

Ultimately the exam was abandoned and all the students ended up walking out.

The paper was the students’ final examination of the year and determines whether they can progress to fourth year, and if those leaving after third year will be awarded their degree.

University bosses acted quickly to quash any backlash, informing all students via Email they would be given three weeks to complete the correct exam as a piece of coursework instead.