The Guardian Higher Education Network has published an online article by Professor Fabian Freyenhagen explaining why philosophy at Essex is scrapping exams and developing new approaches to assessment to nurture "a deep understanding" of the subject.

He wrote: "Until recently, philosophy students at the University of Essex – as in most other British universities – took written exams in the summer, after completing coursework during the year. But we have just scrapped all formal exams in philosophy for second- and final-year students.

"We realised, in response to feedback from students and employers, that exams were not testing them in the right way. We also realised that we could offer students so much more in the summer term than just revision and testing.

"Exams clearly have their merits. But in the advanced study of a subject like philosophy, we need to test students’ ability to think in an original and creative way, rather than simply their power of recall."

We hope you are as excited as us about the opportunities we will be offering at Essex - read the full article on The Guardian Higher Education Network.