The National Student Survey (NSS), which is a major source of data for UK league tables, is completed by students in their final year of study at all publically funded Higher Education Institutions in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the majority in Scotland. It asks for twenty-two statements to be considered. An apparent lack of definition of words within statements, however, led to the pilot study which is the focus for this Short Notice. A sample of thirty final-year students on a Bachelor of Arts Primary Education course were invited for interviews to explore how they had interpreted key words within statements from the NSS and how they allocated the levels of agreement such as "mostly agree" and "disagree". Following transcription two key themes emerged: (1) The different interpretations students had of words within the survey statements; and (2) The disproportionate impact that critical incidents can have on a survey which requires responses spanning "a course as a whole". The interviews demonstrated that the NSS is a blunt tool, especially for evaluating vocational degrees which include a wide range of elements, types of assessments, and sometimes lengthy and intense placements. At present it is perhaps in the interest of universities to offer definitions which more closely reflect what has taken place on a "course as a whole" and for students to be encouraged to "think about the good things".