The results are presented of a survey comparing the perceptions of first and second year bioscience students regarding their experience of feedback on coursework. The two cohorts displayed similar levels of satisfaction regarding the quantity and timing of feedback, even though changes in assessment format entailed different actual experiences. By contrast, the second year students expressed markedly lower levels of satisfaction regarding the guidance received in using feedback and the utility and transferability of the feedback received. These findings are discussed in the context of changes made to the first year of teaching aimed at facilitating the transition to study at university. (Contains 2 figures.)