National Student Survey

The National Student Survey (NSS) is an opportunity for all final-year undergraduate students in the UK to provide feedback on their university experience.​ The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students and managed by independent market research company Ipsos. Individual responses are confidential and students will not be identified to their institution.

The NSS matters because it makes a tangible difference to the experience students have at university and college. By completing the survey, students can make it clear what is - and isn't - working for them.

At BCU, we also rely on your feedback to identify what needs improving within the student experience. As a result of previous feedback from the NSS we have been able to implement a number of changes, such as increased access to mental health and wellbeing support, more PCs and laptops available for students, and better access to online library resources.

The published results help prospective students make informed decisions of where and what to study. The data is published on the OfS and Discover Uni websites.

More about the NSS.

Results are published on the Office for Students and Discover Uni websites, to help prospective students make decisions about where and what to study. ​
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We also use the results to make improvements to the student experience at BCU.​

You’ll be asked about different aspects of your course experience:​

• The teaching on your course​
• Learning opportunities​
• Assessments and feedback​
• Academic support​
• Organisation and management​
• Learning resources​
• Student voice.

Each question will have four response options.​ For example, Q1: ‘How good are staff at explaining things?’ ​
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Response options are:​

• Very good​
• Good​
• Not very good​
• Not good at all

You also have the option to state that the questions aren't applicable to you.

Your answers should be your own opinion, based on your experience on your course.

Universities are not allowed to undertake any activity to encourage students to reflect anything other than their true opinion of their experiences during the NSS.

There is a student guide on inappropriate influence which sets out what the NSS is and how it is promoted by universities and colleges. The guide details what may constitute inappropriate influence when promoting the NSS and the types of promotion universities and colleges are, or are not, allowed to undertake. It provides details on the help and support available to students - if they feel they are being or have been influenced in how to respond to the survey, along with the process in place to investigate allegations of inappropriate influence and what happens in case of a breach of guidance.

You will be asked to respond to single choice questions relating to various aspects of your course. You will also be given the opportunity to provide comments on your overall student experience at university. Taking part in the NSS is voluntary. 

The survey can be completed online once it's live. Ipsos will contact you by email on Thursday 29 January with your unique link to the survey. They will also contact you by text message and approximately three weeks later, Ipsos will contact students who have not filled in the survey to ask them to do it on the phone. Once you have completed the survey, you will not be contacted by Ipsos for this purpose again.

As the survey is a task carried out in the public interest, your contact details will be transferred to Ipsos for the purpose of the NSS only.

Personal data is held in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. All your responses will remain strictly anonymous and at no point will you be identified to us. Any personally identifiable data will be securely deleted by Ipsos after the survey closes and will not be shared with any third parties. More information is available on the NSS website.

Your feedback matters and we hope you will take part in the NSS this year. This is a unique opportunity to give your views on your course and your time at BCU.

If you have any questions, please let us know or alternatively email thestudentsurvey@ipsos.com.

Visit www.thestudentsurvey.com and enter your student ID number to complete the questions. ​The survey is open from 7 January, and Ipsos will also contact you by email on Thursday 29 January with your unique link to the survey.
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The survey takes just 10 minutes to complete and you can use a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile phone to complete it.​
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The survey is open until 30 April 2026.

If you complete the survey before midnight on Friday 6 February, you can claim a £10 Love2Shop voucher. ​
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To claim your voucher, upload proof of completion at www.bcu.ac.uk/nss – higher on this page. Your voucher will then be sent to your BCU email address.

After Friday 6 February, you can still claim a £5 voucher for completing the survey.

You have until 31 May 2026 to claim your voucher.

You can see a list of brands and how to use your voucher on the Love2shop website.

The expiry date of the voucher will be included in the email when you receive your voucher code.

If you’re experiencing issues spending your voucher code, please contact Love2shop.

The survey closes on 30 April 2026.

However, you will only be able to claim a £10 voucher if you complete it within 10 days of the launch - that's before Friday 6 February. After this date, you can still claim a £5 voucher.

You have until 31 May 2026 to claim your voucher.