Top UK universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, are moving away from “traditional” exam formats in favour of more “inclusive assessments” to lessen awarding gaps.

These include open-book tests or take-home papers instead of in-person, unseen exams.

The approach was established under new Access and Participation Plans (APP) set out by the Office for Students. Universities wanting to charge full tuition fees must adopt these to show how they are assisting students from disadvantaged backgrounds to gain access to and have success in higher education.

According to the University of Cambridge's APP, changing assessment formats will aim to lessen “awarding gaps” and “improve outcomes” for Black British and British Bangladeshi students.

This comes as universities face pressure to address the difference in the number of firsts and 2:i degrees that are awarded to white, middle-class students compared to other groups.

OFS data highlights an 11% gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students in regard to achieving at least a 2:i classification, alongside a 22% gap between white and black students.

Research has shown that this disparity is reduced through the use of non-traditional assessment formats and that tutors believe conventional formats disadvantage ethnic minorities, less wealthy students and those with mental health issues and disabilities.

The plans have been backed by the Office for Students, and are now being considered by various Russell Group institutions.

However, the decision has been criticised by Tory MP Richard Holden who maintained that “children from every background can thrive in a highly rigorous academic environment”, without “dumbing down” university courses.

Sir John Hayes, a former education minister, described the shift as “deeply insulting to students from minority backgrounds”, arguing they would “undermine the integrity of the assessment process”.

A spokesman for OFS defended the decision, stating “we know that some students are more likely to attain lower grades than their peers, even when their prior academic performance is the same. Where there is evidence that current assessment models may not be fair, it is appropriate for universities to trial and evaluate changes in the way they grade students.”

He added that the changes would ensure courses stayed “academically robust, credible, and a reliable reflection of students’ hard work”.

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