Final year undergraduates - NSS

The NSS - what you need to know

Have your say on your student experience

Final year students have the chance to share your views on your course, help other potential students, and win up to £1,000.

The National Student Survey (NSS) is carried out each year with all final year undergraduate students in UK Higher Education having the opportunity to take part. This is around 300,000 students, including around 4,500 from the University of Portsmouth. 

How your answers help

The NSS is your opportunity to give your opinions on what you liked about your time at Portsmouth as well as things that you feel we could improve.

Your feedback from the survey will be used to improve the University’s courses, influence investment in University facilities and guide how your experience at the University is delivered.

How to fill out the National Student Survey (NSS)

Ipsos, an independent research company, runs the NSS.

Eligible students will be sent an invitation by survey organisers, Ipsos MORI, to complete the survey on 30 January 2025. However, students can choose to complete the survey any time from 8 January until 30 April 2025 at www.thestudentsurvey.com.

The online survey is mobile-friendly, so you can also access it via a smartphone or tablet.

Don’t leave it too late

Students who do not complete the NSS may receive reminder emails, SMS text messages or phone calls from Ipsos during the survey period. This is outside of the University’s control. Students may opt out at any stage from 8 January to 30 April via the NSS website or when contacted directly by Ipsos.

Taking part in the NSS is voluntary.

Other ways to access the survey

If you don't use the email, you can also access it either via a link through your Moodle account. Or you can go online to complete the survey directly at the National Student Survey website, from 8 January until 30 April 2025, regardless of whether you have received an email or not.

If you access the survey via these routes, you will be required to enter the following personal information in order to verify that you are eligible to take part:

  • Registering institution
  • Known ID (student number)
  • First four letters of surname
  • First and third letter of forename
  • Day and month of birth

Length of survey and question topics

The survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete.

There are 27 core questions across 8 themes providing opportunities to comment on your experience as a student. The final comments question enables you to give positive and/or negative comments on your learning experience as a whole. The question themes are:

NSS question themes

  • Teaching on my course
  • Learning opportunities
  • Marking and assessment
  • Academic support
  • Organisation and management
  • Learning resources
  • Student voice
  • Freedom of expression

NSS results - where do they go?

Your response will be anonymous, but the overall results are publicly available on the Discover Uni undergraduate course search. Anyone considering higher education in the UK can find out what students like you thought about any course, to help them decide what to study and where.

Prizes for completing the survey

Every student who completes the 2025 NSS will be entered into a prize draw. The prizes are:

  • 1 x £1,000 
  • 5 x £200 Amazon vouchers 
  • 10 x Graduation Day package including free gown hire, free digital download of choice and 2 additional complimentary tickets