School of Geography
Three Year Bachelors Single and Combined Honours Awards

Assessment Regulations
Undergraduate Students commencing on 1 October 2003

1. Examinations and Assessment: General

1.1 Timing of Examinations
Unless otherwise agreed by the School Board, where there is a formal written examination for a unit, this will be held at the end of the semester in which it is given.

Double units will normally be examined at the end of Semester 2.
1.2 Practical and Coursework Assessments
It is open to the Schools and Boards of Studies to examine the practical component of units, either by continuous assessment or by a set practical examination. The latter is held either at the end of the semester or within the time allocated in the timetable to the unit concerned.

When the assessment of a unit results from both a written examination and marks awarded for practical and/or coursework, the balance between these components is subject to the formal approval of the School Board. With the agreement of the School Board, units may be assessed solely by the marks from practical and/or coursework.
1.3 Length of Examinations
The written examination for a 15 credit point unit normally lasts for two hours; the written examination for a 30 credit point unit lasts three hours.
1.4 Marking System
  1. There shall be common ranges and class boundaries for:

    1. the marks for individual answers;
    2. the marks for whole written papers;
    3. the marks for units where practical or coursework forms part or whole of the assessment.

  2. The class ranges are as follows:

    First Class 70% or above
    Upper Second Class 60% - 69%
    Lower Second Class 50% - 59%
    Third Class 40% - 49%
    Fail 0% - 39%

  3. All pieces of asessment must be marked against the University's standardised 0 - 100 scale using the School's criterion-referenced marking scheme for individual answers.

  4. A second marker should be nominated to check/moderate a minimum of all Firsts/Fails and a 5% sample of the remainder for each unit. For those units with very small numbers, a sample greater than 5% should be used to cover all classifications awarded. In the case of presentation/performance assignments, either a sample of second marking at the time of these events should be operated OR the plan of the presentation, together with the marking sheet and criteria, should be moderated and checked.

  5. All research projects will be blind double-marked with differences of 10% or less being resolved between the two markers. Cases where marks differ by more than 10% should be passed to a third marker.

  6. For final year students, examining Schools should communicate full information about the marking of individual papers to parent Schools and Boards of Studies, including marks for individual answers, by the deadlines set by the University.
1.5 Aggregation of Marks for Assesment
  1. The marks for each unit are returned separately and may not be combined to secure a pass or fail.

  2. All marks returned for individual units will be out of 100.

  3. The maximum mark for a total of 120 credit points is 800, the contribution of the mark for each unit being weighted by x/15, where x is the credit point value.

  4. When units equivalent to more than 120 credit points are taken during the year, the marks for the best 120 points are used in the assessment. The lowest mark to be counted is identified and an appropriate fraction deducted from the total to give the best aggregate based on 120 credit points. Thus a student could take units equivalent to a total of 126 points - six of 15 points and three of 12 points. If the lowest mark was in a 12-point unit, the mark for 6-points would be discounted (the mark counted would be derived by weighting the percentage mark by 6/15). The only exception is in the third (or fourth) year when marks for compulsory units must always be included.
1.6 Disclosure of Results and Assessment Procedures
  1. Students will be given the marks they obtain in each individual unit of study only after they have been agreed by the examiners. These marks will be made available according to the agreed procedures. In certain cases, especially for Semester 1 examinations, such marks at the time of release may be provisional only and subject to change by a subsequent Board of Examiners. It will be made clear when marks are provisonal.

  2. All marks relating to examination papers will be released within 6 working weeks of the examination paper being sat. All marks for continuously assessed work will be made available by the School within 5 working weeks of the submission deadline, although they will usually be provisional and subject to change by a Board of Examiners.

  3. Students may approach the School to seek more detailed information, such as marks for individual components within examination papers. Any such information which is held by the School will be released to the student concerned.
1.7 Failure to Satisfy Coursework Requirements
Students must be made aware of any requirements relating to attendance at laboratory classes and field courses, and to the submission of assessed work. Failure without good reason to comply with such requirements may result in no marks being awarded for that part of the course. The Board of Examiners may subsequently require the work in question to be undertaken satisfactorily.

Students who fail to achieve a satisfactory standard in practical and/or coursework may be required to undertake additional work and/or an examination to remedy the deficiency.
1.8 Return of Assessed Work
The School may permit the return to students of any work submitted for examination purposes, other than examination scripts, provided that it is clear that the material is required to assist in further studies or employment, and provided that the students concerned accept responsibility for ensuring that, in case of need, it remains available to the University until the end of the session following the announcement of the final examination result for the programme concerned. A detailed record of performance shall, in any case, be retained by the School.

2. Examination Procedures: First and Second Years

2.1 First and Second Year Hurdles
In the first and second year assessment, a total mark of 320 out of a maximum of 800 and passes in units worth at least 90 credits and passes in all core units specified for the programme of study are required for a student to proceed to the subsequent year of study. The total mark of 320 relates to units equivalent to 120 credit points, and the pass mark is set at 40% for each unit.
2.2 Absence from Written Examination
Students who are absent from a written examination are considered as special cases at the end of session meeting of School representatives who make a recommendation to the Board of Examiners on the course of action to be taken (normally involving examinations in the Supplementary Examination period).
2.3 Referral Examinations
  1. A student who is not qualified to proceed to the next year of the programme must retake any core unit failed, and may take any other unit again in which less than 40% was achieved in order to reach the necessary aggregate and credit requirement.

  2. Referral examinations are normally taken in the Supplementary Examination period. Students may elect to take their referral examinations at the examination times at the end of semester 1 and 2 during the following academic year, but if they elect to take this option they will be registered as an external candidate and will not be in residence until they satisfy the requirements to proceed.

  3. When a student takes a referral examination, no more than the minimum aggregate pass mark 320 out of 800 is carried forward, unless the candidate achieved more than this when he/she originally sat the examination, in which case the aggregate mark originally recorded is credited.

  4. If the minimum aggregate pass mark has not been achieved in the year assessment then, for the purposes of checking whether this has been achieved following referral examinations, the higher of the original and referral examination marks will be used.

  5. When a referral examination involves an option assessed wholly by practical or coursework, special arrangements will be made. Details of the re-examination arrangements for the students concerned must be conveyed by the unit convenor in writing to the Examinations Officer before the Board of Examiners meeting that confirms the results.

  6. Where a referral examination involves a unit assessed in part by practical or coursework, the original mark obtained for the practical or coursework will normally be used when determining the result of the re-examination. If a student fails to submit any coursework for a unit in which they are referred and there are no documented mitigating circumstances, a mark of zero for that coursework will normally be carried forward to the referral examination (unless the coursework counts for more than one third of the total unit mark, in which case special re-examination arrangements may be made by the unit convenor; these arrangements should be conveyed in writing to the Examinations Officer before the Board of Examiners meeting that confirms the results).

  7. A Board of Examiners may exceptionally recommend that a second-year student, who has failed to reach the minimum aggregate (but who is otherwise qualified to proceed), be referred in units equivalent to up to 60 credit points, to include all failed units but not including any unit in which the student has achieved more than 55%.

  8. A student who fails to satisfy the requirements to proceed following a first referral examination has the right to be referred in the failed units on one further occasion only. These referrals may be taken at the normal examination times or the subsequent supplementary examination period.

  9. Students failing to proceed following a second referral will have their programme of study terminated (see the regulations relating to Appeal Procedures).

  10. Students failing the second-year examinations may be eligible for an Ordinary degree programme.

  11. Exit Awards: A student who meets the progression hurdle for proceeding in years 1 or 2, but chooses not to proceed, is eligible for the award of Certificate in Higher Education (Geography) (year 1) or Diploma in Higher Education (Geography) (year 2). A student who has not met the progression hurdle, but who has achieved at least 90 credit points and an aggregate mark of 320/800, will be eligible for the award of a general Certificate in Higher Education (year 1) or Diploma in Higher Education (year 2).
2.4 Elective Referrals: First and Second Years
First- and second-year students who have qualified to proceed may elect to retake certain papers in the Supplementary Examination period. While an elective referral in no way affects the end of session assessment, the revised result may be recorded in the student's transcript.

3. Assessment of Final Degree

3.1 Criteria for the Award of a Degree
In the final year assessment, a total mark of 320 out of a maximum weighted aggregate of 800 and passes in units worth at least 90 credit points and passes in all core units specified for the programme of study are required for the award of a degree.

For a student to be eligible for the award of an Honours degree, a minimum of 90 credits must have been gained at each level of study or at a higher level. Units may not be 'double counted' to meet this requirement.
3.2 Responsibility for Determining Degree Classification
The marks for each unit are to be submitted to the appropriate Board of Examiners which is responsible for determining the degree classification to be recommended in accordance with the regulations below. There is a Board of Examiners (including at least one External Examiner) for each Honours School. Each Board of Examiners appoints its own Chairman as required by Ordinance 7.3.7.
3.3 Determination of Degree Classifications
  1. The marks for each unit taken in the final year must be aggregated so that the maximum mark obtainable is 800. When units equivalent to more than 120 credit points have been examined, the performance in the best 120 credit points is used in the assessment; see Section 1.5(4).

  2. The aggregate mark for each year of study is combined to obtain the overall aggregate mark for degree assessment with the following weightings:

    Year 1 0
    Year 2 35%
    Year 3 65%

  3. The overall aggregate marks used to determine the degree classifications are considered in accordance with the following:

    70% or above First Class
    60% - 69% Upper Second Class
    50% - 59% Lower Second Class
    40% - 49% Third Class
    0% - 39% Fail

  4. Boards of Examiners are asked to give particularly careful consideration to 'marginal' candidates. A marginal candidate is defined as one whose aggregate mark is within 2% of the next higher degree classification. For Combined Honours and inter-disciplinary programmes, the margin is increased to 3%.

    If a Board of Examiners wishes to recommend a higher classification to a candidate or candidates whose aggregate marks fall outside the marginal boundaries, the Board minutes should clearly record the reasons for this variation and the agreement of the External Examiner(s).

  5. A final year candidate should not be penalised for failing to take or complete an examination for adequate (eg: medical) reasons. Each case will be dealt with on an individual basis, but the following guidelines should apply wherever possible.

    1. If a finalist is absent from examinations in units worth up to 30 credits the following options are available and, wherever possible, the candidate should be given the option of completing the examination before the end of the examination period.

      1. The use of an oral examination. Such oral examinations should utilise internal examiners who are chosen according to the examinations missed. Any student examined in this way must be brought to the attention of the External Examiner(s) at the Board of Examiners. The External Examiner(s) may exercise discretion in considering whether or not such a student should be required to have a further oral examination with both the External Examiner(s) and an Internal Examiner present.

      2. The setting of a special paper or papers.

      3. The provision of a full profile of marks for the student (including all component examination and coursework marks) to the relevant Board of Examiners.

    2. Candidates who have missed examinations worth more than 30 credits may be assessed during the Supplementary Examination period or in January/June of the following session. However, special papers will not normally be set. Alternatively, the candidate may be considered for the award of an Aegrotat Degree under the conditions prescribed by Ordinance 7.4.4 (below).

      If any candidate, having completed the whole or a substantial part of his or her course, is prevented by illness or other sufficient cause from completing sufficient part of an examination (leading directly to a degree, diploma or certificate) to satisfy the examiners in accordance with the relevant Regulations, that candidate may be awarded an Aergotat Degree, Diploma or Certificate. Such award may be made upon the recommendation of the Board of Examiners concerned, or other authorised body, and upon such other conditions as the Senate may decide, provided that the candidate shall not be exempted from presenting a thesis or dissertation where such is prescribed, and further provided that the candidate shall not be given Honours or placed in a class or division. Applications for the award of an Aegrotat Degree, Diploma or Certificate must be made in writing by the candidate or by the tutor or supervisor concerned, and must normally be received in the relevant office not later than eight days after the end of the written examinations for the degree programme concerned. Any application based on ill-health must be accompanied by a report from a qualified medical practitioner.

  6. A final year student who fails to achieve the necessary aggregate mark or sufficient credit points to be awarded a degree will be allowed a second attempt at the examination. Students may take referral examinations in any unit in which they achieved less than 40% at the first attempt. In calculating their final aggregate mark, the better of the two marks from the original examination and referral examination for each unit will be used. In calculating the final mark aggregate to determine the recommended degree classification for the student, the mark used from the final year examinations will not be greater than 320/800 (ie: 40%).

    The School Board of Examiners will consider what, if any, special arrangements need to be made to take account of marks accruing from coursework on an individual basis.

  7. Each Board of Examiners shall attempt to reach its decisions by consensus, according due weight to the views of the External Examiner(s).

4. Ordinary Degree Programme
  1. Second-year students who fail to pass the second-year hurdle (see Section 2.1) may be permitted to follow a restricted course for an Ordinary degree. The minimum standard for entry to an Ordinary degree programme is passes in units equivalent to 60 credit points, and a minimum aggregate mark of 240/800 in the second-year examinations.

  2. Students following an Ordinary degree programme:

    1. are not permitted to take level 3 units equivalent to more than 60 credit points;
    2. are not permitted to take level 1 units equivalent to more than 30 credit points in their third year;
    3. may be required to repeat failed level 2 units equivalent to not more than 30 credit points.

  3. The School in which a student is registered is responsible, on the advice of the tutor, for approving the scheme of study to be taken by an Ordinary degree student. Normally, no subject is specified when an Ordinary degree is awarded, but a subject may be specified on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners concerned. The award of a 'merit' class is no longer allowed.

  4. The minimum aggregate mark for the award of an Ordinary degree is 40% (320/800). The second-year aggregate mark used is the higher of (a) the original mark, or (b) the mark obtained following a referral examination, up to a maximum of 320/800 (140/350).
General Degree Programme Regulations

The complete University General Degree Programme Regulations can be found in Section IV of the University Calendar.

Appeal Procedures

The full text governing reviews and appeals by students on taught courses can be found in Section IV of the University Calendar: Regulations Governing Reviews and Appeals by Students on Taught Courses.