Postgraduate Surveys

The Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) is a national survey aimed at gathering feedback from postgraduate taught (PGT) students. The survey focuses on understanding PGT experiences regarding various aspects of their studies, such as:

• Learning and teaching: How effective and engaging the teaching methods and resources are.
• Assessment and feedback: The quality and timeliness of feedback on assignments and exams.
• Skills development: How well the course helps students build academic and transferable skills.
• Student support: The availability and quality of academic and personal support services.
• Overall satisfaction: The students' general sense of fulfilment with their postgraduate taught experience.

Results from PTES are used by the University and Kent Students' Union to improve the postgrad experience at Kent.

The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) is an annual UK survey that collects feedback from postgraduate research students about their experiences and satisfaction with their research programmes. It provides an opportunity for students to share their views on a wide range of aspects, such as:

• Supervision quality
• Research resources and facilities
• Training and development opportunities
• Research culture
• Communication and support services
• Overall satisfaction with their program

The PRES helps us understand the needs of postgraduate researchers and improve our programmes, support, and research environments. 

As a thank you for your time, we are offering prizes to those who enter the online survey prize draw. All entries must be received by midnight on 9 May 2025.

Cash prizes of £250 will be awarded randomly to four eligible Kent students.

Both the PTES and the PRES are anonymous and confidential.

• Respondents are not asked for personal identifying information, and their responses cannot be traced back to them.
• The feedback provided is treated confidentially, and data is aggregated and anonymised before being analysed. Individual responses are not shared with universities or other organisations in a way that would allow any student to be identified.

The purpose of this anonymity and confidentiality is to encourage honest and open feedback.

Both the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) and the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) are designed to be completed in a relatively short time.

• PRES typically takes around 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
• PTES usually takes about 15 to 25 minutes.

The surveys are structured to be concise but comprehensive, covering key aspects of the student experience.

The Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) and the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) are both run by Advance HE (Higher Education), a UK-based organisation that supports higher education institutions to improve their performance and student experience.

• PTES: Focuses on gathering feedback from postgraduate taught students about their experience in areas like teaching, learning, and support.
• PRES: Targets postgraduate research students, gathering feedback on aspects such as supervision, research culture, and resources.

Both surveys are designed to help universities improve their postgraduate experience by analysing the feedback, and the results contribute to sector-wide insights into postgraduate education.

PTES:

Students are eligible to complete PTES if they are a taught postgraduate student or a professional doctorate student in their taught phase and:

• did not enrol in January of the same year that PTES is running
• are not in their first year of part-time study

PRES:

Doctoral students or professional doctorate students in their research phase are eligible to complete PRES if they:

• did not enrol in January of the same year that PRES is running
• are not in their first year of part-time study