Finals Week in CPH

Exam Week at CBS as an exchange student

There is a reason why Copenhagen Business School is considered one of the most prestigious schools in Europe.

These past two weeks have been rough. Last week I had back-to-back final. The exams here are pretty different from those back home at UH Manoa. I felt the pressure early on because the final is your final grade.

At CBS, you have three exam formats to choose from: an oral exam based on a written product, a take-home exam (a written assignment), or a sit-in exam. I experienced two out of the three formats during my finals.

Here's what my experience looked like:

• Exam #1 & #2 Written Assignment:

  This was a 72-hour exam, meaning I had three days to complete each one. CBS has strict formal requirements for submitting written products. For example, a standard page is defined as 2,275 characters, including spaces. It is crucial to meet these requirements because failing to do so can risk your exam being invalidated.

• Exam #3 Written Assignment:

  Unlike the previous two, this was a 24-hour exam. It felt a bit easier since they provided specific questions. You just had to answer them by applying the theories learned in class.

  
  

• Exam #4 Written Assignment & Oral Exam:

  For this final, I first had to submit a written assignment (maximum of 10 pages). Thankfully, I was able to work with a group for the written portion. However, the oral exams were individually conducted. These oral exams are quite stressful because you don't know what they will ask- the questions can come from anywhere in the course material. In my case, although I prepared extensively, I was only asked one question. The exam ended up being shorter than I expected. I realized that oral exams are a lot like job interviews: you present yourself confidently and then answer questions thoughtfully.

  
  

  • The timeline of the oral exam:

    • First 5 mins is your time- must go beyond written portion (expand not recap)

    • Then 8 mins of questioning from professors

    • Last 7 mins for grading (during this time they excuse you outside and then call you back in giving feedback and grade).

      
      

Key Takeaways:

1. Learning is your responsibility

2. It may sound easier to do take home assignments or written assignments, but I honestly prefer the oral exam option. It does differ depending on the subject and professor but I found oral exams to be better.

3. For 72-hour exams, it is important to plan. Even if you don't know what the exam question is, just have a plan.

4. Important to stay up to date on Canvas.