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Providing a choice of forms of assessment is an inclusive way to encourage students to take ownership of their learning and develop new skills. The following table provides suggestions on setting assessment length requirements for multiple forms of assessment. These are based on current practice at Durham and other universities, but are recommendations rather than policy; reasonable length equivalents may differ depending on the type of assessment. 

General guideline: 1,000 words = 8-10 minute presentation = 8-10 minutes of audio/video recording = A1 poster  

Written assessment Presentation or audio/video recording Poster 
1,000 words 8-10 minutes A1 + references 
2,000 words 16-20 minutes A0 + references 
3,000 words 24-30 minutes A0 + 1,000 words or equivalent 
4,000 words 32-40 minutes A0 + 2,000 words or equivalent 
5,000 words 40-50 minutes A0 + 3,000 words or equivalent 

See Diversifying Assessment for more on choosing the best assessment formats for your modules.