Assessment and grading

All short courses which carry University credit include some form of assessment by coursework - this may take a variety of forms, including essays, presentations, in-class tests or practical assessments. None of our courses use formal examinations to assess students.

The number of assessments in a short course is proportionate to the volume of University credit a course carries. For example, a 5- credit course generally involves one piece of assessment, a 10 -credit course two pieces of assessment and a 20- credit course three pieces of assessment.

Students are graded using the University's Code of Assessment, which sets out the possible outcomes (grades) in relation to how well you have met the learning outcomes being assessed. This grading scheme covers 8 grades, from A to H, and within each grade there are a number of bands (a 22-point scale in total). 

Students on a short course which carries University credit have the option to opt out of assessment, if they are not interested in obtaining University credit and are studying purely for enjoyment. Students who opt out of assessment for their course will still have the course recorded on their Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR), and their grade will be noted as 'Audit Only' (AU).