University Regulations

2026-27

Assessment Regulations

Supporting Guidance: 

 Guide to: Assessment Regulations

 Instructions for Assessment Officers and Chairs of Board of Examiners

Glossary of Terms

CONTENTS

  1. General
  2. Provision for Reassessment
  3. Timing and Duration of Examinations
  4. Standards
  5. Aggregation
  6. Submission of Summative Assessment
  7. Award of Credit
  8. Incomplete Assessment resulting from Extenuating Circumstances
  9. Management of the Assessment Scheme
  10. Assurance of Standards
  11. Central Administration of Assessment
  12. Assessment of Study Abroad
  13. Assessment of Visiting Students
  14. Posthumous Awards

The Assessment Regulations are governed by Resolution No. 724 of the University Court, the provisions of which are incorporated in the Regulations below.

These Regulations are reproduced in the online Guide to the Assessment Regulations where they are accompanied by commentary and examples.

General

16.1  Each approved course[1] contributing to an award of the University shall have a credit rating based upon the notional learning hours required for its completion, and determined in accordance with the Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework (SCQF).[2] Regulations governing awards of the University may express the criteria for making such awards directly or indirectly in terms of accumulated credit points. The minimum requirement for the award of credits is addressed in §16.40 - §16.44.

16.2  a)  Each such course will incorporate a scheme of assessment which:

i)     assesses candidates’ performance against the intended learning outcomes of the course;

ii)    includes an appropriate combination of formative and summative elements;

iii)   deploys forms of assessment appropriate to the intended learning outcomes of the course, taking due account of its credit rating;

iv)   where re-assessment is provided for in the degree regulations, makes provision for the re-assessment of candidates in accordance with the regulations;

v)   may be changed only through procedures approved by Senate;

vi)  may be varied exceptionally in a given session in response to specific circumstances subject to the approval of the Clerk of Senate;

vii)  is as far as practicable anonymous.

b)  Each scheme of assessment will set out the individual components of assessment and their respective weighting in the calculation of the final grade for the course.

i)   ‘Component of assessment’ means each of the weighted assessments set out in the course specification document.

ii)  Each component of assessment may include sub-components except that individual questions in an examination or other piece of assessment shall not be regarded as sub-components.

16.3  The scheme will be implemented in accordance with the following requirements:

a)  the scheme shall be fully described in the School Instructions issued in written or electronic form to all students enrolled in the course (at the beginning of the course, or as soon as practicable thereafter), with particular regard to dates, deadlines and formats of required work, weights of components of the assessment scheme, the method of marking (e.g. single marking, blind double marking, second marking), procedures for moderation of summative assessments, procedures for informing students of results and the returning of work, requirements for progression in the relevant programme and provisions for appeal;

b)  due notice shall be given of dates, times and places of written and oral examinations and other assessment events;

c)  appropriate provision shall be made for candidates with a formally recognised permanent or temporary disability. Please see Examination and other Assessment Arrangements for Disabled Students (Regulation 24);

d)  candidates shall be supplied with relevant information on assessment criteria and on schemes for grading, classification and aggregation.

16.4  The scheme shall describe how candidates will receive feedback to guide their subsequent learning. That feedback may include the results of summative assessment. Where these are provided they will be provisional until they are confirmed or amended by the appropriate Board of Examiners.

16.5  Where an Honours programme involves two or more subjects, the way in which the results of assessment are to be aggregated, averaged or profiled to produce an overall classification of the degree should be agreed when the degree is approved.

Provision for Reassessment

16.6  ‘Reassessment’ means a further attempt at assessment following an unsuccessful first attempt, as set out in §16.8-§16.13. ‘Deferred assessment’ means a first attempt at assessment taken at a later date due to approved Extenuating Circumstances. Deferred assessment is not reassessment.

16.7  In §16.8-§16.13, the ‘threshold grade’ is, unless the regulations for a particular programme say otherwise:

a)  for undergraduate programmes, grade D;

b)  for taught Masters degree programmes and for postgraduate certificate and diploma programmes, grade C.

16.8  Eligibility for reassessment is normally determined on the basis of course grades.

a)  A student who has not achieved the threshold grade in a course and has not received compensatory credit for that course will be offered reassessment.

b)  An Academic Review Panel may grant reassessment for a course where a student has not achieved the threshold grade but has received compensatory credit only if reassessment is necessary to progress with their curriculum or to meet the minimum GPA or grade requirements for progression or for an award.

c)  Reassessment under (a) and (b) means one further opportunity to attempt each component of assessment for that course, other than the exception in §16.9 (b) below.

d)  Where a programme requires all components of assessment for a course to be achieved at a specified grade, a student who has not achieved that grade will be offered reassessment, which will normally mean one further opportunity at assessment only in the relevant component or components.

16.9  a)  Reassessment will be offered within the same academic session as the first attempt.

b)  Exceptional further reassessments may be offered where required by professional, statutory, or regulatory bodies, or by partner institutions on collaborative programmes. Policies about this must be communicated to students in course documentation.

16.10  a)  Reassessment should normally be in the same form and carry the same weighting as the first attempt.

b)  If the same form cannot be used, a Board of Studies may approve an alternative form of reassessment. Any alternative must assess the same intended learning outcomes at the same level. It must require an equivalent standard of performance to achieve equivalent grades. Details of this must be set out in the course specification and communicated to students in any course documentation.

16.11  a)  Exceptionally, reassessment may not be available for some components of assessment where it is not possible to replicate the assessment or to offer an alternative form of assessment. Such an exception must be approved by the Head of School and may apply to no more than 25% by weight of a course’s summative assessment, except where permitted by the Clerk of Senate.

b)  Details of any components of assessment for which reassessment is not available must be set out in the course specification and communicated to students in course documentation.

c)  Where a component cannot be offered for reassessment, the original grade for that component is used in any subsequent calculation.

16.12  If reassessment or deferred assessment is required to complete an academic session but is not available until a subsequent academic session, a student should expect that course content may have changed. The student should work with the School to assess what content has changed, and it is the student’s responsibility to prepare appropriately for the changed content.

16.13  a)  The course grade following any reassessment is calculated using the best grade achieved for each component. This course grade is then capped at the threshold grade for the programme, at its lowest secondary band.

b)  Only first-attempt grades contribute to the classification or endorsement of any award.

c)  Reassessment grades (after capping under (a) above) contribute to the award of credit and to meeting any minimum GPA or grade requirements for award.

d)  Reassessment grades can also be used to meet progress requirements, but not entry to Honours or the Integrated Masters, unless the programme specification states otherwise.

Timing and Duration of Examinations[3]

16.14  Where all or part of a course’s scheme of assessment consists of an ‘end of course’ examination,[3] that examination shall normally be held within the academic session in which the course has been taught. The available durations for individual examinations are 60, 90, 120, or (only in the spring examination period) 180 minutes, all of these durations being inclusive of reading time.

16.15  The duration of an examination which occurs within the main examination diets, and which forms all or part of a course’s summative assessment, is subject to a limit determined by the level at which the course is taught, its credit rating, and the extent to which the examination contributes to the summative assessment of the course as a whole.

16.16  Where more than one such examination for the same course occurs within the main examination diets, the maximum duration prescribed in §16.17 - §16.18, and the references in the same clauses to ‘examination’, shall apply to these examinations in combination.

16.17  The duration of an examination as defined in §16.15 where it contributes 100% of the course’s summative assessment, may not, subject to §16.19, exceed the number of minutes prescribed in Schedule D.

16.18  Where such an examination accounts for less than 100% of the course’s summative assessment, the maximum duration of such an examination shall be determined by the product of that percentage (expressed as a decimal fraction) and the number of minutes appropriate to the credits and level indicated in Schedule D. Where the result of this calculation is less than 60 minutes, the maximum duration shall be rounded up to 60 minutes and, otherwise, subject to §16.19, the result shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of 30 minutes.

16.19  Where the calculated maximum duration is 60 minutes or 90 minutes, the College in which responsibility for the examination lies may approve an extension of 30 minutes where such an extension is justified by the nature and content of the examination.

16.20  The examination duration determined by these regulations may be allocated to two or more individual examinations which may be 60, 90, 120, or (only in the spring examination period) 180 minutes in length, all of these durations being inclusive of reading time.

16.21  The maximum durations prescribed in §16.17 - §16.19 shall not limit the provision available in §24.9- §24.10 to allow extra time to disabled candidates.

SCHEDULE D

Credits

Levels 1 & 2

Levels 3-5

10

90 minutes

120 minutes

15

120 minutes

150 minutes

20

150 minutes

180 minutes

30

240 minutes

240 minutes

40

330 minutes

330 minutes

60

480 minutes

480 minutes

Standards

General

16.22  The standard achieved by a candidate in all summative assessments required by a course shall be judged by the relevant Board of Examiners in terms of the candidate’s attainment of the stated intended learning outcomes for that course.

16.23  Judgement shall be expressed in terms of the primary grades and secondary bands set out in Glasgow Grading Scheme 1 or in terms of the grades set out in Glasgow Grading Scheme 2. Documentation relating to courses and programmes shall indicate where Glasgow Grading Scheme 1 or Glasgow Grading Scheme 2 verbal descriptors shall apply.

16.24  Judgement shall be made through direct reference to the primary verbal descriptors for intended learning outcomes and the primary verbal descriptors for professional, practical or clinical competence set out in Glasgow Grading Schemes 1 and 2. Reference shall also be made to such subsidiary information as Schools may prepare to amplify the primary verbal descriptors in terms specific to a particular field of study. Where the outcome of the chosen mode of assessment is a proper percentage score it shall, before being reported to students, be converted into a primary grade and secondary band by reference to a conversion scheme determined by the Board of Examiners as appropriate for the assessment in question and subordinate to the relevant grade descriptors.

Submission of Summative Assessment

Assessment (other than examinations): Penalties for late submission

16.25  Deadlines for the submission of work which is to be formally assessed will be published in course documentation, and work which is submitted later than the deadline will be subject to penalty as set out below.

Where the work in question is a piece of independent work for which, in order to qualify for an Honours degree, a minimum grade is prescribed, any late penalty will be discounted for the purpose of determining whether that prescription has been met.

16.26  Except as modified by §16.27, the primary grade and secondary band awarded for work which is submitted after the published deadline will be calculated as follows:

a)  In respect of work submitted not more than five working days[4] after the deadline:

i)   the work will be assessed in the usual way, and the primary grade and secondary band so determined will then be reduced by two secondary bands for each working day (or part of a working day) the work was submitted late;

ii)  where work is submitted after feedback on that work (which may include grades) has already been provided to the student class, grade H will be awarded. Feedback may be provided to the student class within five working days of the submission deadline in relation to no more than 25% by weight of a course’s summative assessment.

b)  In respect of work submitted more than five working days after the deadline:

i)   where feedback on the work has not yet been provided to the student class, Grade H will be awarded;

ii)  where feedback has already been provided to the student class, the work will be counted as a non-submission.

Course teams may elect to vary §16.26 (b) (ii) for specific assessments by awarding Grade H to work submitted after feedback has been provided to the student class. Details of any such arrangements must be stated in course documentation.

Assessment (other than examinations): Deferral of deadlines

16.27  a)  A candidate who is unable to submit an assessment by the published deadline, or who anticipates being unable to submit, may apply for an extension using a Delayed Assessment Permit (DAP) in accordance with the policy published by the Senate Assessors for Extenuating Circumstances. Requests to use a DAP should be made in advance of the published deadline.

b)  Where the circumstances require a longer deferral than a DAP provides, or where a DAP is not available for the assessment in question, a candidate may apply for a deferral of the deadline or exemption from the penalties set out in §16.26 by making a claim in accordance with the procedures set out in §16.45-§16.53.

c)  No deferral of a deadline may extend beyond the date on which feedback on that assessment is provided to the student class, unless the feedback provided to the student class would not in any way advantage a candidate in completing the assessment.

Online examinations and late submission

16.28  a)  Information regarding the format and submission timings of online examinations will be provided to candidates in advance of the relevant examination diet.

b)  It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that the correct version of their online examination is submitted.

c)  In the event that a candidate does not submit by the end of the scheduled examination time[5] the following will apply:

i)    where a late submission window is available for the examination and the candidate submits within that window a late penalty will be applied: the submission will be graded H;

ii)   where a late submission window is available and the candidate does not submit by the end of that window, the examination will be treated as a non-submission;

iii)  where no late submission window is available the examination will be treated as a non-submission.

d)  Where different parts of an online examination require separate submission the following will apply:

i)   a late penalty will be applied only to any part that is submitted late;

ii)  if any part of the examination is submitted by the end of the scheduled examination time or by the end of any available late submission window the examination as a whole will be regarded as having been submitted.

e)  A candidate who is unable to submit an online examination by the end of the scheduled examination time due to Extenuating Circumstances, as defined in §16.45(a) Incomplete Assessment resulting from Extenuating Circumstances, may make an application under the procedures set out in §16.45 - §16.53:

i)   for waiver of the late penalty as described in §16.28 (c) (i) or §16.28 (d) (i); or

ii)  where in accordance with §16.28 (c) (ii) or (iii) the examination is treated as a non-submission, for the outcome described in §16.50 to be applied.

Aggregation

16.29  Where the assessment scheme of a specific course or programme requires aggregation across two or more components to obtain an overall outcome, the grade points set out in Glasgow Grading Schemes 1 and 2 shall be employed.

Aggregation of Assessments across a Course

16.30 a) A course grade is calculated from all summative assessments for that course, weighted as specified in the course specification.

b)  Work not submitted is recorded as Not Submitted (NS), contributing zero grade points.

c)  To calculate the course grade, multiply each assessment's grade points by its weight, add these together, and divide by the total of the weights. This produces a weighted average of the grade points.

d)  Where a student has approved Extenuating Circumstances for assessment(s) worth 10% or less of a course’s total assessment, such assessment(s) may be excluded from that student’s course grade calculation by the School, should this not compromise the course’s Intended Learning Outcomes. In this situation, the course grade carries the full credit weighting of the course.

16.31 A weighted average of grade points is converted to a course grade as follows:

a)  If a course uses Glasgow Grading Scheme 1 for 50% or more of its assessment by weight, the weighted average is rounded to a whole number and the course grade is the grade on Glasgow Grading Scheme 1 with that value.

b)  If a course uses Glasgow Grading Scheme 2 for more than 50% of its assessment by weight, the weighted average is not rounded and the course grade is the grade on Glasgow Grading Scheme 2 whose range includes the average.

16.32 The course grade is then used in programme calculations as set out in §16.34-§16.39.

Aggregation of Results of Courses across a Programme

16.33  a)  A Board of Examiners shall determine and report the results for each individual course on a programme following the diet at which that course is assessed (or, where a course is assessed at more than one diet, following the diet at which the course assessment is completed), and shall determine and report the overall programme award after the final assessment diet.

b)  The calculation of programme-level outcomes shall be carried out using mechanisms approved on behalf of Senate by Academic Services.

16.34 a)  A student’s grade point average (GPA) for an academic session is the average of their grade points across a set of courses, with the courses weighted by credit value. A GPA is expressed to one decimal place.

b)  A GPA is calculated when there are no remaining pending grades and all courses are awarded credit. Courses awarded credit and graded ECC under §16.41(b) are excluded from the GPA calculation.

c)  A GPA is calculated and published to the student once the award of credit for the academic session has been determined under §16.40-§16.44.

d)  Where reassessment has taken place, a first-attempt GPA is also calculated using only the first-attempt course grades. The first-attempt GPA is used for the classification or endorsement of awards under §16.13(b-c). The GPA including any reassessment, calculated using course grades under §16.13(a), is used for progression and for the award of a degree.

e)  Where an award is based on an aggregate GPA of multiple academic sessions, session GPAs are weighted equally (or by credit load where a student’s part-time sessions carry different credit volumes, or, exceptionally, weighted as set out in the UG section of the University Regulations) and aggregated for the final award as set out in §16.35-16.39. Each session GPA is calculated independently before aggregation.

Undergraduate Non-Honours Programmes

16.35 a)  This section applies to the Ordinary degree, Certificate of Higher Education, Diploma of Higher Education, and any other undergraduate award with the endorsements of Merit or Distinction.

b)  The endorsement is based on the student’s GPA across the credits contributing to the award, using grades achieved at the first attempt.

c)  A student whose GPA is 15.0 or above receives the award with Distinction. A student whose GPA is 12.0 or above receives the award with Merit. A student whose GPA meets the minimum for the award but is below 12.0 receives a Pass.

Honours Degree and Integrated Masters Programmes

16.36 a)  There are four classes of Honours: first class, upper second class, lower second class, and third class. A student who does not achieve any of these has failed the Honours programme. (A student with approved Extenuating Circumstances may still receive an unclassified Honours degree under §16.53.)

b)  Classification is based on grades achieved at the first attempt in the years of the programme that contribute to the classification, other than as specified in (e) below. The degree regulations applicable to the programme set out which years contribute and how they are weighted.

c)  Classification occurs in three stages. In stage one, where the student’s GPA falls within one of the following ranges and all other requirements for the degree have been met, the student receives the corresponding classification:

GPA

Classification

17.5 to 22.0

First class Honours

14.5 to 17.0

Upper second class Honours

11.5 to 14.0

Lower second class Honours

9.0 to 11.0

Third class Honours

0.0 to 8.9

No award other than in (e)

Where a classification is given at stage one, no more steps are carried out.

d) In stage two, where the student’s GPA falls between two of the ranges given in stage one (that is, a GPA of 17.1 to 17.4, 14.1 to 14.4 or 11.1 to 11.4), the student’s weighted course grade profile is used to decide which classification to award. This ‘weighted course grade profile’ is the spread of individual course grades achieved at the first attempt, weighted by credit value and by any weighting given to different years of the programme. The student receives the higher classification if at least half of the weighted course grade profile is at the relevant threshold grade or above:

GPA range

Higher classification

At least half of weighted course grades at

17.1 to 17.4

First class Honours

A

14.1 to 14.4

Upper second class Honours

B or above

11.1 to 11.4

Lower second class Honours

C or above

Otherwise, the student receives the lower classification. Where a classification is given at stage two, no more steps are carried out.

e) In stage three, a student who after reassessment meets the requirements for the award of the Honours degree but whose first-attempt GPA falls below the third class range at stage one receives a third class degree. A third class degree awarded on this basis is not distinguished from any other third class degree.

BDS, BVMS, and MBChB Programmes

16.37  The programmes of BDS, BVMS, and MBChB have three categories of award: Honours, Commendation, and Pass. A student who does not achieve any of these has failed the programme. The criteria for each category are set out in the regulations and programme documentation for each programme.

Taught Postgraduate Programmes

16.38  a)  Endorsements for a taught Masters degree are based on grades achieved at the first attempt across all credits on the programme, including both taught courses and the substantial independent work (such as a dissertation or project).

b)  A student receives the degree with Distinction if they have achieved at the first attempt:

i)    a GPA of at least 17.5 across all credits on the programme,

ii)   a GPA of at least 17.0 in the taught courses, and

iii)  a grade of B1 or above in the substantial independent work.

c)   A student receives the degree with Merit if they have achieved at the first attempt:

i)    a GPA of at least 14.5 across all credits on the programme,

ii)   a GPA of at least 14.0 in the taught courses, and

iii)  a grade of C1 or above in the substantial independent work.

d)  Where a student’s overall GPA falls between two of these thresholds (that is, a GPA of 17.1 to 17.4 or 14.1 to 14.4), but they have met the taught course GPA and independent work grade for the endorsement, the student’s weighted course grade profile is used to decide whether to award the higher endorsement. This ‘weighted course grade profile’ is the spread of individual course grades achieved at the first attempt across all credits on the programme, weighted by credit value. The student receives the higher endorsement if at least half of the weighted course grade profile is at the relevant threshold grade or above:

GPA range

Higher endorsement

At least half of weighted course grades at

17.1 to 17.4

Distinction

A

14.1 to 14.4

Merit

B or above

Otherwise, the student receives the lower endorsement.

e)  A student who does not meet the requirements for Distinction or Merit, but meets all requirements for the award, receives a Pass.

Postgraduate Diplomas and Certificates

16.39  a)  Endorsements for a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate are based on grades achieved at the first attempt across the credits contributing to the award.

b)  A student whose GPA at the first attempt is 17.5 or above receives the award with Distinction. A student whose GPA at the first attempt is 14.5 or above receives the award with Merit. A student who meets all requirements for the award but does not meet these thresholds receives a Pass.

c)  Where a student’s overall GPA falls between two of these thresholds (17.1 to 17.4 or 14.1 to 14.4), they may receive the higher endorsement based on their weighted course grade profile. This ‘weighted course grade profile’ is the spread of individual course grades achieved at the first attempt across the contributing credits, weighted by credit value. The student receives the higher endorsement if at least half of the weighted course grade profile is at the relevant threshold grade or above:

GPA range

Higher endorsement

At least half of weighted course grades at

17.1 to 17.4

Distinction

A

14.1 to 14.4

Merit

B or above

Otherwise, the student receives the lower endorsement

Award of Credit

16.40  Credit for a course is awarded when a student achieves a course grade of D or above.

16.41  a)  A course grade is ‘pending’ where the recorded outcome is Extenuating Circumstances with Deferred Assessment (EC), Outcome Deferred (DFR), or Interruption of Studies (IS). A course with a pending outcome does not yet receive credit and is excluded from calculations under §16.43.

b)  The expectation is that assessment missed at the first opportunity due to approved Extenuating Circumstances will be taken as ‘deferred assessment’ (a first attempt at a later date). Extenuating Circumstances Complete (ECC) is recorded as the course outcome where there are approved Extenuating Circumstances with no further assessment opportunity. This may arise because the assessment is not available at a later date or where the student is in the final academic session of their programme and no opportunities for deferred assessment are available before the scheduled award date. An exception to this rule for small volumes of assessment is noted in §16.30(d).

c)  A course graded ECC does not qualify for the direct award of credit under §16.40. When determining whether the two-thirds threshold for compensatory credit (§16.43) is met, a course graded ECC counts within the academic session’s credit total but not towards the credits achieved at grade D or above.

16.42  a)  Schools may exceptionally specify additional requirements for the award of credit in course specifications. These additional requirements must either be essential to demonstrate particular intended learning outcomes, or required by professional, statutory, or regulatory bodies. Where these additional requirements exist, a student must meet these requirements before credit is awarded.

b)  Where there is any such additional requirement relating to attendance, a student may be absent from up to 25% of that requirement if the absence is due to approved Extenuating Circumstances. If there are any situations where this exception cannot apply, often due to requirements by professional, statutory, or regulatory bodies, then they will be clearly stated in the course specification.

c)  The following administrative grades apply under this section:

i)   Credit Not Yet Awarded (CNY): Additional requirements for the award of credit for this course have not yet been met but may still be met through further opportunities available to the student.

ii)  Credit Not Awarded (CNA): Additional requirements for the award of credit for this course have not been met and cannot in the future be met.

Compensatory Credit

16.43 a)  At the end of each academic session if credit has not been awarded for all courses under §16.40 the following applies: if a student has achieved grade D or above in courses worth two-thirds or more of the academic session's credits and there are no pending course grades, then credit is automatically awarded for all completed courses taken in that academic session (‘compensatory credit’).[6]

b)  The award of compensatory credit does not change any course grade or the grade’s contribution to GPA calculations.

c)  Compensatory credit applies to the academic session as a whole. Compensatory credit cannot be applied selectively to some courses in an academic session while others are put forward for reassessment. After compensatory credit is awarded, reassessment will not be available to improve individual course grades, except under the provisions of §16.8(b).

d)  Where multiple assessment periods are available, compensatory credit is automatically determined again at the end of each assessment period. Where compensatory credit is not available or cannot be applied for a course or programme, then a student who has not achieved the award of credit for all of their academic session will normally be offered reassessment for courses which have not been awarded credit, as set out in §16.8-§16.13.

16.44 Compensatory credit is not available for:

a)  courses which count as the substantial independent work required for the award of a degree, such as a dissertation or project;

b)  courses where the course or programme specification states that compensatory credit is not available;

c)  courses where additional requirements specified under §16.42 have not been met, unless the course or programme specification provides otherwise;

d)  courses where a student conduct penalty specifies that credit must not be awarded. Where credit is withheld under this provision, a student’s entitlement to reassessment is determined by the terms of the conduct penalty, normally involving a conduct penalty specifying the award of a CNA grade under §16.42(c).

Incomplete Assessment resulting from Extenuating Circumstances

Scope and definitions

16.45  a)  For the purposes of §16.46 - §16.53 of these regulations, ‘Extenuating Circumstances’ shall mean circumstances affecting a student which would reasonably result in components of a student’s programme of assessment not being completed. Extenuating Circumstances include situations where the student is unable, through no fault of their own, to fulfil the requirements of the scheme of assessment appropriate to their programme of studies. Students with chronic or persistent illness or long-term adverse personal circumstances should also refer to the University’s Policy on Reasonable Adjustments & Supportive Arrangements for Students.[7]

b)  The Senate shall appoint a cohort of Senate Assessors for Extenuating Circumstances (‘the Senate Assessors’), one of whom will act as Senior Senate Assessor, and whose responsibilities will be to:

i)    determine Extenuating Circumstances policies, including requirements with regard to evidence and supporting statements;

ii)   consider particularly complex or precedent-setting cases referred to them by Student & Academic Services;

iii)  ensure clear process documentation is available for students and staff; and

iv)  present an Annual Report to Senate.

The term of office of the Senate Assessors shall normally be three years. In the event that all Senate Assessors are temporarily unavailable, the Clerk of Senate shall nominate another member of the Senate to act as a Senate Assessor in the interim.

Process

16.46  Students will make available to the University information about any Extenuating Circumstances by submitting an Extenuating Circumstances claim using the system(s) identified by the University on the student MyGlasgow page. The decision(s) about any claim of Extenuating Circumstances shall be notified to the candidate as soon as reasonably practicable.

16.47  a)  Where incomplete assessment may be the result of Extenuating Circumstances affecting a component of assessment, a student must report this by submitting an Extenuating Circumstances claim no later than five working days4 after the affected examination, or after the date at which submission of the work for assessment was due.

b)  Late Extenuating Circumstances claims shall not be considered unless circumstances have prevented the candidate from submitting a claim within this time. Claims submitted after feedback is returned to the student class will require authorisation from the Senate Assessors for Extenuating Circumstances.

c)  A candidate can only retract a claim of Extenuating Circumstances up to five working days after either the affected examination or after the date at which submission of work for assessment was due. A candidate cannot retract a claim after the date of publication of the results (including provisional results) of the assessment if this date is earlier.

16.48  a)  The policy and responsibilities for the processing of Extenuating Circumstances claims, including any relevant definitions and evidence requirements, shall be clearly identified in advance of the start of each academic session and made available to staff and students by the Senate Assessors. Unless determined otherwise by the Senate Assessors, consideration of claims shall be carried out in accordance with the following:

i)    The responsibility for Stage 1, the initial processing of Extenuating Circumstances claims, shall lie with Student & Academic Services and other identified staff, who will determine the severity and duration of the Extenuating Circumstances and make any necessary referrals to support services required.

ii)   After Stage 1 is complete, the responsibility for Stage 2, determining the appropriate outcome(s) with regards to components of assessment, shall lie with the relevant School.

iii)  Requests for reconsideration of Stage 1 decisions will be dealt with under the relevant policies published by Student & Academic Services. Appeals against Stage 2 decisions regarding Extenuating Circumstances will be held under the Code of Procedure for Appeals by Students Against Academic Decisions (Regulation 26).

b)  In considering claims of Extenuating Circumstances:

i)    the information provided by the candidate claiming Extenuating Circumstances and any relevant and available material submitted by them for assessment shall be scrutinised;

ii)   fairness to the individual candidate claiming Extenuating Circumstances must be balanced with fairness to other candidates and the integrity of the assessment as a whole;

iii)  it shall be determined whether the failure to attend an examination or to submit work for assessment has been justified by Extenuating Circumstances.

Outcomes

16.49  Where it is determined at Stage 1 that the evidence presented does not support the candidate’s claim that they were prevented by Extenuating Circumstances from attending an examination or submitting work for assessment, the assessment or assessments in question shall be treated as non-submissions.

16.50  Where at Stage 1 the candidate's claim of Extenuating Circumstances is supported and the work was not submitted, the candidate shall be expected to complete their assessment by undertaking deferred assessment, as defined in §16.6. In order to permit such completion:

a)  a special sitting of an examination may be arranged, or the candidate may be required to attend for examination at a scheduled diet; and/or,

b)  a date for completion of non-examination assessment may be set;

as appropriate in the circumstances. Any such deferred assessment shall be regarded as the candidate’s first attempt if the examination or assessment missed would itself have been their first attempt.

16.51 Should undertaking all deferred assessment not be possible within the same academic session as the original assessment, then the following procedures shall apply:

a)  where the School believes that the candidate's learning and/or assessment in the whole academic session or in a complete semester has been substantially and adversely impacted by Extenuating Circumstances, the candidate shall be offered the opportunity to repeat, with attendance or on an assessment-only basis, the full year or single semester in the next academic session.[8] Assessment previously completed in the relevant session or semester will be disregarded.

b)  where (a) does not apply and the deferred assessment totals more than the equivalent of 20 credits, the candidate will normally be required to remedy the incomplete assessment before being permitted to progress to the next year of the programme, and the School shall determine whether the candidate will be required to take the assessment with attendance or on an assessment-only basis;

c)  where (a) does not apply and the deferred assessment totals the equivalent of 20 credits or fewer, the candidate will normally be permitted to progress to the next year of the programme and will be expected to remedy the incomplete assessment during that year, subject to any restrictions in the degree regulations;

16.52  a)  Where, despite the provisions of §16.50 and §16.51, no means of undertaking deferred assessment can be found within the candidate's period of study, the course grade will be recorded as Extenuating Circumstances Complete (ECC) in line with §16.41(b). Credit for such a course may be awarded through compensatory credit under §16.43. Where compensatory credit does not apply, the course remains without credit and the student's eligibility for any award is determined by the credits they hold under the relevant degree regulations.

b)  Where the outstanding work for which Extenuating Circumstances is established is identified in regulations as a requirement for the award of a degree, this work must be submitted for the candidate to qualify for the award of that degree.

16.53  a)  In exceptional cases, where due to Extenuating Circumstances a candidate in the final year of an Honours programme has been unable to complete sufficient assessment for the award of a classified Honours degree, and where no means of completing the outstanding assessment can be found, then the Board of Examiners shall consider the candidate's performance in all submitted assessments and the circumstances of the case. Where the Board is satisfied that there is strong evidence that the candidate has engaged with the learning required for the programme’s intended learning outcomes and would have been awarded an Honours degree had they not been prevented from completing the programme, the Board may recommend to the Clerk of Senate that the candidate be awarded an unclassified Honours degree. In making such a recommendation, the Board shall consult the Senior Senate Assessor for Extenuating Circumstances, who shall assess whether the candidate has no reasonable prospect of being able to complete the outstanding assessment.

b)  Should the Clerk of Senate be satisfied, on the basis of the Board’s recommendation and the assessment of the Senior Senate Assessor, that the candidate has no reasonable prospect of completing and that there is strong evidence that the candidate would have been awarded an Honours degree, the Clerk may invite the candidate to accept the award of an unclassified Honours degree.

c)  The candidate may decline the award, in which event they shall be considered for such exit award as the degree regulations and programme specification may provide.

d)  For the purposes of this section, a candidate’s failure, due to Extenuating Circumstances, to achieve a grade D3 or above in a piece of independent work worth at least 20 credits shall not prevent award of the degree in terms of §16.52(b).

Management of the Assessment Scheme

16.54  Overall responsibility for management of the assessment scheme shall rest with the relevant Head of School.[9]

16.55  The Examiners for the scheme shall comprise Internal Examiners and External Examiners.

a)  The Internal Examiners shall be:

i)    all members of academic staff who teach on the programmes;

ii)   other members of academic staff appointed by the Head of School;

iii)  other individuals whose services are to be employed in the assessment process (e.g. Honorary Lecturers, Research Fellows Category A, Graduate Teaching Assistants, staff from Associated Institutions); such individuals must be nominated by the Head of School and approved by the College (or by the Education Policy & Strategy Committee in the case of Associated Institutions); and

iv)  members of University staff appointed as reviewers of the data of a Board of Examiners.

b)  At least one External Examiner shall be appointed by Court on the recommendation of the Head of School and in accordance with the criteria and procedures agreed by the Senate (see §16.64(a) and (b)).

16.56  The Examiners, the relevant Assessment Officer(s), and a Chair appointed by the Head of School, shall constitute a Board of Examiners for the purpose of determining the results of the assessment procedure.

16.57  The Head of School shall ensure that:

a)  all Assessment Officers, Clerks, and Internal Examiners have completed and passed annual training and other preparation relevant to their role in the assessment procedure, including on-going training to refresh their skills and updates on any changes to policy and practice;

b)  each External Examiner has access to the necessary information and assessment material required to assist them in reaching a reasonable conclusion on assessment performance, and has the opportunity to attend oral examinations and presentations where practicable.

16.58  The Head of School shall, for each course, appoint a member of academic, or senior administrative, staff as Assessment Officer with the following delegated responsibilities:

a)  to collate the provisional results of the assessment procedure and take all steps necessary to ensure their accurate reporting to the Board of Examiners;

b)  to report to the Board of Examiners on the conduct of the assessment procedure, in particular drawing to its attention relevant information pertaining to the circumstances and conduct of individual candidates and any alleged deficiencies in respect of the operation of the procedure;

c)  to ensure that all Examiners are conversant with the learning outcomes of the course, the intentions of the forms of assessment and the appropriate grading or classification scheme in use, the agreed marking and moderation procedures to be followed, and are supplied with marking schemes or other guides where these are employed;

d)  to convey provisional results and other information pertaining to the course, the assessment and the candidates to the External Examiner(s);

e)  to convey the results authenticated by the Board of Examiners to the Registry;

f)  to supervise the arrangements for the assessment procedure including: the preparation of lists of candidates entitled to be assessed; procedures for recording the receipt of an assessment at the time of its submission, and for safe keeping of such records; the anonymity of submitted work, where practicable, throughout its assessment; and any arrangements for candidates with a Study Support Plan in place;

g)  to oversee the maintenance of appropriate records of assessment outcomes for the purposes of subsequent monitoring of courses;

h)  to ensure, in conjunction with the Conveners responsible for each course’s documentation, that such documentation accurately describes the assessment scheme and corresponding procedures;

i)  to oversee the preparation of the relevant forms of assessment under secure conditions and ensure compliance with Senate's requirements in respect of printing of examination papers;

j)  to maintain throughout the assessment period the security of examination papers, other materials to be assessed and records, including examination attendance slips, relating to the procedure;

k)  to confirm arrangements for the secure collection and delivery of the completed scripts where appropriate.

An individual Assessment Officer may be responsible for more than one course. Similarly, some or all of the duties detailed above may be undertaken by one or more individuals at School level for some or all courses.

16.59  The Head of College shall ensure that appeals against the outcomes of assessment are considered in accordance with the relevant provisions of the prevailing Appeals Code.

16.60 a)  Any questions of principle or procedure regarding the operation of the regulations governing incomplete assessment shall be determined by the Academic Standards Committee or, in respect of any individual case, by the Clerk of Senate.

b)  Any questions of principle or procedure regarding the operation of the regulations governing Extenuating Circumstances shall be determined by the Senate Assessors for Extenuating Circumstances.

Assurance of Standards

16.61  Examiners shall be responsible for the assurance of standards through the exercise of their academic judgement both directly in the assessment of candidates’ work and indirectly in the design of specific forms of assessment involving mechanical grading operations.

16.62  Internal Examiners shall:

a)  have access to the relevant course documentation, possess an appropriate level of knowledge of the subject matter of the course, the course aims and the learning outcomes and the corresponding course materials;

b)  be provided with guidance as to how the grading or classification scheme is to be applied in the context of the particular assessment;

c)  participate in training related to their role as Examiner and seek additional guidance and/or clarification from the Head of School or relevant Assessment Officer where necessary.

16.63  The method of marking (e.g. single marking, blind double marking, second marking) and moderation procedures shall be made clear to candidates by the School.

16.64  External Examiners shall:

a)  hold an academic or professional post of an appropriate level of seniority;

b)  possess substantial prior experience of assessment at equivalent levels on behalf of institutions judged to be delivering and making awards of comparable standards. Exceptionally a professional nominee who lacks the required prior experience may be appointed provided at least one experienced External Examiner is also appointed for the same course;

c)  be appointed in accordance with the University’s agreed procedures. Please see Appointment of External Examiners for Taught Courses at Undergraduate and Postgraduate Level (Regulation 23);

d)  have no potential conflict of interest or other impediment to the impartial discharge of the functions of external examining;

e)  discharge the following functions:

i)  in respect of the design of the assessment scheme:

  • comment on the syllabus, learning outcomes and assessment scheme of the course and its delivery mechanism in the light of experiences of candidates’ learning outcomes, comparable courses and awards elsewhere and developments within the discipline or field;
  • be consulted regarding proposals for the introduction or modi­fication of a course.

ii)  in respect of a given assessment diet:

  • comment on, in advance, all summative assessment instruments (or, in cases involving a high volume of continuous assessment, a sample may be provided for advance comment);
  • report on the overall standards achieved by candidates and in particular on the comparability of these standards with those of candidates on similar courses or programmes in other UK Higher Education institutions;
  • report on the relationship between these overall standards, programme specifications and published national subject bench­mark statements;
  • assess the soundness and fairness of the implementation of the assessment process;
  • adjudicate where necessary, subject to the authority of Senate, over the grade to be awarded to any particular candidate;
  • certify contentment with the assessment outcomes prior to their publication;
  • provide an annual written report to the Principal as required by the University.

iii)  in respect of meetings of the Boardf Examiners:

  • attend at least one meeting of the Board per academic session.
  • Requirements of the visiting candidate’s home institution shall be taken into account.
  • A visiting candidate may be required to complete an alternative component or components of assessment before leaving Glasgow or may be required to complete outstanding components of assessment at their home institution.
  • Where a course's scheme of assessment includes a component taken under examination conditions, the varied scheme shall normally include a component of assessment under examination conditions.

16.65  All examiners shall maintain the security of examination scripts and other materials to be assessed. Throughout the assessment process examiners must ensure that the identity of any candidate is not disclosed through any form of communication, including e-mail. Examination scripts and other assessed materials must be retained by Schools for the periods prescribed by Senate.

16.66  a)  Meetings of the Board of Examiners in respect of a particular course or programme shall be formally called and constituted, separately from other meetings such as School meetings. The Head of School has final responsibility for the outcomes of all Boards held in their School.

b)  For each Board, the Head of School shall either act as Chair or appoint a suitably qualified senior academic colleague to act as Chair. The Chair must not also be appointed as an Assessment Officer.

c)  Subject to (k), only those Internal Examiners who are suitably trained and have undertaken suitable preparatory work for the business of the Board can be invited by the Chair to any meetings of the Board of Examiners.

d)  The quorum for any Board is the Chair, an Assessment Officer, a Clerk, an Internal Examiner and an External Examiner. If no External Examiner is present then written confirmation of the discharge of the functions of the External Examiner may be considered as equivalent to attendance.

e)  Additional persons who may attend include both those colleagues involved in the Board’s administration and any other colleagues with direct responsibilities for quality assurance or institutional governance.

f)  Meetings of the Board of Examiners shall be conducted in line with instructions issued for this purpose by the Clerk of Senate.

g)  Provisional results for Boards of Examiners will be assembled and checked for accuracy of data by colleagues working under the supervision of the School Head of Professional Services.

h)  These provisional results will then be scrutinised in relation to the Regulations and the correctness of outcomes in advance of the meeting of the Board of Examiners by at least two identified persons appointed for this purpose by the Chair.

i)  The Board of Examiners shall receive reports on these advance checking and verification processes, and shall, on that basis and any other evidence available to it, validate and certify the provided provisional results.

j)  The business of the Board of Examiners shall be minuted in a format provided by Academic Policy & Governance, and provided to Academic Policy & Governance alongside the Board’s calculations within ten working days of their confirmation by the Chair.

k)  In the case of joint or combined Honours degrees the decisions on classifications of the Honours degrees for the programme shall normally be taken at whichever of the subject Board of Examiners meetings takes place later. At such meetings the Board may be composed as set out in (b)-(e) for that subject or may involve a smaller number of members selected by the Board for that subject and representing that Board with power to agree a final classification on its behalf. The other subject will be represented by a number of members of the Board of Examiners for that subject. These representatives will have authority to agree the final classification to be awarded for the joint/combined Honours degree and will convey the views of the earlier Board of Examiners, including those of External Examiner(s) present, to the later meeting. At the later meeting each of the subjects will have an equal weighting in decision making in determining the final degree classification. Where practicable the unapproved grades for the subject which has the later Board of Examiners meeting will be made available to the earlier Board of Examiners to enable it to discuss the final classification appropriate in light of these.

Subject to the agreement of the conveners of both subject Boards of Examiners, and subject to the conditions set out in the Guide to the Assessment Regulations[10] being met, the decisions on classifications of joint or combined Honours degrees for the programme can be taken via correspondence.

16.67  If a Board of Examiners suspects, on the basis of evidence before it, that a disciplinary offence has been committed by a candidate in respect of the assessment, the Board shall invoke the provisions of the Plagiarism & Academic Integrity Code (Regulation 32) or Code of Student Conduct (Regulation 33), as appropriate.

16.68  Academic Policy & Governance shall forward External Examiners' reports to Schools within eight weeks of receipt identifying points to which a response is required. The Head of School shall arrange for External Examiners’ reports to be considered by a School meeting and for appropriate responses to be made to specific recommendations made by the External Examiner: such responses to be conveyed within three months of receipt to Academic Policy & Governance.

16.69  The Head of School shall ensure that the assessment scheme and its operation are monitored through the Annual Monitoring Report on the course.

16.70  The Head of School shall encourage staff to take advantage of opportunities provided by the University to develop their knowledge of assessment procedures and practices with a view to ensuring that assessment schemes are effective and appropriate.

Central Administration of Assessment

16.71  Where an examination is a component of a summative assessment scheme the Head of the Registry shall, in conjunction with the Assessment Officer responsible for the course determine a suitable date and time for the examination,[11] and for examinations held on campus:

a)  allocate adequate accommodation, scripts and other materials as appropriate for the number of candidates to be examined;

b)  provide for secure delivery of the examination paper(s) to the accommodation.

The Director of Academic Services may delegate all or part of this to the Assessment Officer responsible for the course.

16.72  Academic Policy & Governance shall determine and administer procedures to be followed in respect of the appointment, reporting, remuneration and payment of expenses of External Examiners. Procedures shall include provision for the instruction of individual External Examiners to ensure that they understand and can fulfil their responsibilities.

16.73  The Director of Academic Services shall:

a)  provide lists of candidates upon which the official return of the results shall be made by the Assessment Officer;

b)  prescribe the way in which each result shall be recorded and the completed lists returned;

c)  reject any returned list which does not conform to the prescription;

d)  authenticate the accepted lists for releasing the results.

16.74  Responsibility for releasing the results on behalf of Senate shall rest solely with the Head of the Registry who shall determine and administer, subject to the approval of Senate, appropriate procedures for processing the overall assessment results provided by the Assessment Officer(s) for a course to enable:

a)  the publication of results via any internet-enabled computer either on or off-campus;

b)  the recording of results on the candidates’ central records maintained by the Registry.

Candidates, nonetheless, are responsible for informing themselves of the results.

16.75  It shall be stated that all released results are subject to correction in the event of detection of an error.

16.76  If an error is detected in the return made to the Registry or in the published result, and the Exam Board determines the correct result, then:

a)  where the erroneous result is less advantageous than the result to which the candidate is entitled, the Director of Academic Services shall direct that the result is corrected, and inform the Clerk of Senate;

b)  where the erroneous result is more advantageous than the result to which the candidate is entitled, the School will inform the candidate of the error and also the Director of Academic Services, who in turn will immediately alert the Clerk of Senate. The Clerk of Senate shall initiate a reconsideration of the result in conjunction with the relevant Head of College and Head of School and the Director of Academic Services; they may decide to sustain or correct the result in the light of all the factors known to them and shall communicate their decision forthwith to the Director of Academic Services.

In either case the School shall communicate the outcome to the candidate in writing and the Director of Academic Services shall if necessary instruct that the candidate’s record is corrected. Any decisions regarding further progression or award dependent on the incorrect result shall be null and void, and the candidate reconsidered on the basis of the correct result.

16.77  The Registry shall produce and make available a transcript of the results obtained by each candidate which shall conform in scope and layout to principles agreed by Senate.

16.78  Exceptionally when on an occasion some provisions of these Regulations have not been followed, the assessment results shall remain valid provided that the Head of the Registry, in consultation with the Clerk of Senate, is satisfied that the assessment has been conducted substantially in accordance with these Regulations.

Assessment of Study Abroad

16.79  a)  A candidate may undertake a period of study at another institution as part of their degree programme provided that this has been approved according to the process established for that programme.

b)  Grades achieved at, and reported by, that other institution must be converted into grades as set out in Glasgow Grading Schemes 1 or 2 (as appropriate) and taken account of in determining the candidate’s final degree.

c)  Before commencing the period of study at another institution candidates must be informed of the process by which their grades from that other institution will be converted as set out in (b) and should normally be provided with a conversion table showing the equivalences between grades awarded at the other institution and the grades set out in Glasgow Grading Schemes 1 or 2. The process must normally incorporate the possibility of the candidate making representations to the coordinator or committee which is charged with converting grades.

d)  The processes adopted within each programme and the conversion tables must be notified to the appropriate College Dean(s) of Learning & Teaching.

e)  In carrying out the conversion of grades the conversion table may be departed from in light of additional relevant information available to the coordinator or committee which performs the conversion.

f)  The converted grades must be approved by the appropriate Board of Examiners.

g)  Assessed work completed and assessed at another institution must not be reassessed at the University of Glasgow.

h)  Appeals may be made in accordance with the terms of the prevailing Appeals Code.

Assessment of Visiting Students

16.80  A visiting candidate is a candidate undertaking a period of study at the University of Glasgow as part of their degree programme at another institution.

A visiting candidate may be permitted to take any course at the University of Glasgow, including those which normally contribute to an Honours programme.

The scheme of assessment for a course shall normally be the same for a visiting candidate as for a University of Glasgow candidate, though this scheme may be varied in the event that the visiting candidate is required to return to their home institution before all course assessment has been completed. In considering variation of the scheme of assessment and the components of a varied scheme of assessment for a visiting candidate:

a)  Requirements of the visiting candidate’s home institution shall be taken into account.

b)  A visiting candidate may be required to complete an alternative component or components of assessment before leaving Glasgow or may be required to complete outstanding components of assessment at their home institution.

c)  Where a course's scheme of assessment includes a component taken under examination conditions, the varied scheme shall normally include a component of assessment under examination conditions.

A visiting candidate who attends the University of Glasgow for less than the full duration of a course shall be awarded credit in proportion to the amount of teaching time attended.

Course results for a visiting candidate must be confirmed by a University of Glasgow Board of Examiners. Where a visiting candidate finishes their studies at Glasgow before the scheduled meeting of the Board of Examiners, provisional results must be provided to the visiting candidate as soon as practicable. Where the candidate’s home institution requires a confirmed result prior to the scheduled meeting of the University of Glasgow Board of Examiners, an interim Board must be convened.

Posthumous Awards

16.81 A Board of Examiners may recommend to the Clerk of Senate that an award governed by these Regulations be made posthumously in the following circumstances:

a)  The candidate had completed the programme of study and satisfied the requirements of the award; or

b)  The candidate had not completed the programme of study and/or had not satisfied the requirements of the award but there is strong evidence that they would otherwise have completed the programme and satisfied those requirements. In determining whether to make such a recommendation, the Board of Examiners shall consider the candidate’s performance in all submitted assessments. 

In the case of a taught Masters degree, the Board of Examiners may recommend the award of the degree where there is strong evidence that they would otherwise have met the requirements for the award in relation to the independent work as well as for the taught courses. In relation to the independent work, this may include evidence other than formal submissions.

A posthumous award will normally be made only where the candidate had completed a substantial amount of the assessment required at the level[12] of the award.

Glasgow Grading Scheme 1

Primary Grade

Gloss

Secondary Band*

Grade Point

Primary Verbal Descriptors for Attainment of Intended Learning Outcomes

A

Excellent

A1

22

Exemplary range and depth of attainment of intended learning outcomes, secured by discriminating command of a comprehensive range of relevant materials and analyses, and by deployment of considered judgement relating to key issues, concepts and procedures

A2

21

A3

20

A4

19

A5

18

B

Very Good

B1

17

Conclusive attainment of virtually all intended learning outcomes, clearly grounded on a close familiarity with a wide range of supporting evidence, constructively utilised to reveal appreciable depth of understanding

B2

16

B3

15

C

Good

C1

14

Clear attainment of most of the intended learning outcomes, some more securely grasped than others, resting on a circumscribed range of evidence and displaying a variable depth of understanding

C2

13

C3

12

D

Satisfactory

D1

11

Acceptable attainment of intended learning outcomes, displaying a qualified familiarity with a minimally sufficient range of relevant materials, and a grasp of the analytical issues and concepts which is generally reasonable, albeit insecure

D2

10

D3

9

E

Weak

E1

8

Attainment deficient in respect of specific intended learning outcomes, with mixed evidence as to the depth of knowledge and weak deployment of arguments or deficient manipulations

E2

7

E3

6

F

Poor

F1

5

Attainment of intended learning outcomes appreciably deficient in critical respects, lacking secure basis in relevant factual and analytical dimensions

F2

4

F3

3

G

Very Poor

G1

2

Attainment of intended learning outcomes markedly deficient in respect of nearly all intended learning outcomes, with irrelevant use of materials and incomplete and flawed explanation

G2

1

H

 

 

0

No evidence provided

* The Secondary Band indicates the degree to which the work possesses the quality of the corresponding descriptor.

On a small number of programmes, candidates are required to achieve specific grades for certain components of assessment. Where an overall course result meets programme requirements but any component grades achieved on that course do not, an 'X' is prefixed to the overall course result. The 'X' prefix may be applied to course grades of D3 and above.

This gloss is used because it is the lowest grade normally associated with the attainment of an undergraduate award. Undergraduate students should be aware that entry to most Honours programmes requires grades above D in certain courses. Postgraduate students should be aware that on most programmes an average above D in taught courses is required for progress to the dissertation at Masters level. Students should consult the appropriate degree regulations and course documentation for the grades they require to progress to specific awards.


Glasgow Grading Scheme 2

Grade*

Gloss

Range of Mean Grade Points

Grade Points for Aggregation

Verbal Descriptors for Attainment of Intended Learning Outcomes Relating to Professional, Practical or Clinical Competence

A0

Excellent

18 – 22

22

Exemplary and polished demonstration of the required skill(s), displaying underpinning knowledge, sound judgement and appropriate professional values, as evidenced by focussed sensitivity to the context, the needs of any subject, and the wider implications of the candidate’s actions

B0

Very Good

15 – <18

17

Efficient and confident demonstration of the required skill(s), displaying underpinning knowledge, sound judgement and appropriate professional values, as evidenced by an evident appreciation of the possible implications of the candidate’s actions, demonstrating initiative and flexibility of approach

C0

Good

12 – < 15

14

Clear demonstration of attainment of the required skill(s), displaying underpinning knowledge, good judgement and appropriate professional values, as evidenced by familiarity with how to proceed in a range of contexts

D0

Satisfactory

9 – < 12

11

Adequate independent performance of required skill, displaying underpinning knowledge, adequate judgement and appropriate professional values, suitable to routine contexts

E0

Weak

6 – < 9

8

Adequate independent performance of some but not all required skills. Some knowledge, judgement and professional values that indicate an awareness of personal limitations

F0

Poor

3 – < 6

5

Presently inadequate independent performance of the required skill. Knowledge, judgement and professional values are at least sufficient to indicate an awareness of personal limitations

G0

Very Poor

1 – <3

2

Wholly inadequate performance of the required skill, lacking in secure base of relevant knowledge and poor use of such knowledge, showing fundamental misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Evidence of poor judgement and professional values

H

 

0 – <1

0

Not presently demonstrating capability to independently perform the required skill, with such evidence as has been provided lacking self-awareness of limitations and prone to errors of judgement and faulty practice

* On a small number of programmes, candidates are required to achieve specific grades for certain components of assessment. Where an overall course result meets programme requirements but any component grades achieved on that course do not, an 'X' is prefixed to the overall course result. The 'X' prefix may be applied to course grades of D0 and above.

Footnotes 

[1] The term ‘course’ refers to a self-contained unit of study on a particular topic with defined level, credit value, aims, intended learning outcomes, mode(s) of delivery, scheme of assessment and possibly also pre- and co-requisites.

[2] Information about the SCQF may be obtained at https://scqf.org.uk/

[3] §16.14-§16.21 relate to timed examinations taking place in exam halls on-campus or at other approved venues. While the provisions do not directly apply to online examinations, in determining the duration of the latter note should be taken of the principles set out in these provisions.

[4] For the purposes of these Regulations, Monday to Friday are counted as working days except when the University is closed for a public or other Holiday. Saturdays and Sundays are not counted as working days.

[5] Illustrations of the different formats of online examinations and their submission windows are given in the Guide to the Assessment Regulations.

[6] For students on programmes that begin at another point in the year (for example January starts), the academic session is the 12-month cycle of their cohort.

[7] A candidate experiencing chronic or persistent illness or long-term adverse personal circumstances is encouraged at as early a stage as possible to contact appropriate sources of support such as their Adviser of Study/Advising Team and the Disability Service. The Support to Study Procedure may be used to consider how best to support any such candidate in their studies.

[8] A repeat of a single semester will only be permitted where practicable given the structure and academic requirements of the programme.

[9] Head of School means the Head or Heads of School or Schools responsible for the course, or other equivalent officers.

[10] The conditions are set out in the Guide to the Assessment Regulations.

[11] In scheduling examinations, the Registry shall take reasonable steps to ensure that no candidate is normally required to sit more than three examinations in two days and shall avoid, as far as possible, a candidate sitting a morning examination the day after an evening examination.

[12] A posthumous classified honours degree may only be awarded to a student who had been a Senior Honours candidate even where Junior Honours courses are taken at level 4.

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