Canterbury University civil engineering students are angry about a test 80 percent of the class failed.

The third year students wrote a letter to Stuff, complaining that it's the tutors - rather than the students - fault.

UC's acting executive dean of engineering says he's sympathetic, and it may have come as a shock.

But Conan Fee told Heather du Plessis-Allan people don't necessarily understand the point of the exam.

“To test that the students independently are competent in that area, and that’s important and we need to make sure that we don’t lower our standards.”

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