“CONFUSIONISM” is the ancient Chinese system of philosophical teaching and Galileo discovered AIDS – at least that’s what some third-level students wrote in their exams.

The Times Higher Education Supplement (THE) has published its annual list of exam howlers and it makes for interesting reading.

The competition asks academics to send in their favourite exam cock-ups.

One student in the University of Dundee said “Vagina Henderson” was one of the first modern nurses in the 20th century – the woman’s name was actually Virginia.

A journalism student wrote a piece on “complimentary” medicine, rather than complementary medicine. Her lecturer saw the bright side, however, saying: “I quite liked the idea of picking up a pill and it saying nice things to you to make you feel better.

She also appreciated a fashion article that described the subject’s sense of style as very “sheikh”.

Another student said Polari – a coded language spoke by gay men to disguise their sexuality – was an ancient language of the Inuit, while another wrote about “anus” crime, before the lecturer realised they had meant “heinous” crime.

Finally, one student of Warwick Business School signed an email off with the line “I am sorry if this caused you any incontinence” – oops!