Students at the University of Otago were left distressed after incorrect grades were posted for an end-of-semester exam, with at least one student initially shown as having failed despite believing this to be impossible. The error affected students enrolled in the TOUR101 Introduction to Tourism course, with several seeing failing marks that did not align with their performance.

One student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described opening her exam results on Friday to find she had failed. She said the only way to have failed would have been to score approximately 5 percent on the exam, which she found implausible. The student explained the exam results were particularly significant as the course was a requirement for her graduation. The initial announcement caused significant distress, leading to tears and anxiety as the student feared her academic progress was at risk.

She indicated that at least two other peers in the course had received similarly incorrect failing grades. Attempts to seek clarification from the university were initially met with silence, prolonging students’ uncertainty. It was not until about 4 p.m. on the same day that the university issued a communication confirming the posted results were erroneous. However, the student criticized the university for the delay and the tone of the message, noting there was no formal apology issued for the mistake or the confusion it caused.

The incident highlighted concerns about the timeliness and transparency of grade release processes at the university. Students expressed frustration at the lack of prompt notification, which left many in a state of unnecessary stress for several hours.

University officials have not provided further details on the cause of the grading error or the steps being taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future.