In 2011, Liverpool SU worked with Liverpool John Moores University to insert their own questions into the Higher Education Academy's Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) and Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES).

What are PRES and PTES? 

The PRES survey is  run every two years in the majority of higher education institutions in the UK. It asks postgraduate researchers to rate their experience of supervision, research environment, skills development, career development and a range of other key areas.

The PTES survey asks similar questions about the postgraduate taught experience, and has run every year since 2009. It will run again in the spring of 2012.

Inserting questions is a fantastic way to find out from postgraduates what the issues are that are not covered in the main survey - it's just like NSS.

What did LiverpoolSU want to know? 

Liverpool SU asked postgraduates to rate their level of agreement with the following statement:

• As a PG student, LiverpoolSU have made a positive impact to my time at LJMU

Students were also asked if they agreed with the statement:

• At some point during my studies, I have thought about taking a break or discontinuing my studies
• Of the people who replied ‘Yes’ to the above, students were asked if they’d know who to talk to
• Of the people who replied ‘Yes’ to the above, students were asked if they would use LiverpoolSU to help with this

Finally, students were asked:

• If LJMU or LiverpoolSU were to provide opportunities for students to meet, how would you like this to happen?

Next steps

If you are interested in working with your institution on PTES 2012, NUS will be providing briefings and support in the coming months.

You could also visit the Higher Education Academy student surveys page or contact NUS for more information.