How module marks, end of year and
College marks are calculated
• To provide an explanation of how it works in
SITS
• To look at how we go forward, given feedback
from individual members of academic staff and
comments at Senate
• Consider the impact on academic standards
Key regulatory and policy points
• The pass mark for UG is 40.0% except L7
modules and MBBS/DBS where it is 50.0%
• Discretion can operate within 1% or 2% of the
classification boundary.
• Students are required to pass all modules for
some UG awards, 270 credit points for the
majority of UG bachelor awards and 180 credit
points for PG programmes although up to 30
can be condoned.
Module marks
• Assessment scheme for the module is set up in the
Academic Model according to the approved module
outline.
• Individual marks are entered into MySIS.
• SITS calculates the module mark, based on the
approved assessment scheme.
• It is the result of the calculation that creates a
number to one decimal point, NOT a requirement
that staff mark to one decimal point.
Example
• A simple assessment scheme would be two
items of coursework and an examination
weighted 15:15:70.
• Marks are CW 47 and 42,Exam 36
• Module mark calculated as (47x0.15) +
(42x0.15) + (36x0.70) = 7.05 + 6.30 + 25.20 =
38.55 which is the mark that sits behind what
is seen in MySIS. In MySiS, this is rounded to
38.6
Key points to consider
• By rounding the module mark to the nearest integer,
we effectively move the pass mark to 39.5 or 49.5.
At present they are 39.95 and 49.95.
• By rounding to the integer, a student with 39.4 would
seek their mark rounded down to 39.
• The rounded mark and the College mark might drift if
a student has a number of marks that round to 40
but a College mark that determines a different
classification.
Key points continued
• Some academic staff argue that students marks should not be
measured so finely as marking is not accurate.
• Other academic staff feel that the accurate picture is
completely transparent and the decimal points did not create
issues.
• Some academic schools/institutes discourage marks at the
boundary, particularly the pass fail boundary (eg give 37 not
39) however this does not address the weighted average
issue.
• Other academic schools/institutes recognise that the
weighting of marks results in module marks at the boundary
so feel that this allows for accurate marking ie if it is worth 39,
give 39.
More key points
• The question of the marks to one decimal place only
affected about 2 students out of the 1000s who had
progression and awards considered.
• If we changed the approach, we are likely to
encounter a different set of issues because of marks
rounding down or arguments that 39.4 is close to a
pass mark of 39.5.
• Queen Mary, unlike many other universities
nowadays, allows for the use of discretion in most of
its classification schemes. This is used to the benefit
of many students and is in recognition that it is
impossible always to be exactly accurate in marking.
And final points
• Queen Mary also allows for failure or condoning of
failure in many of its award schemes which again
benefits many students. Many other universities
require students to pass everything.
• Prior to the introduction of SITS and the modelling of
module regulations/assessment schemes in the
system, there were a range of approaches taken
across QM. While not all staff agree with the
approach adopted, it follows the standard approach
to the College mark and is consistent and
transparent.
Conclusion
• There is virtually no impact on the overall standards of
degrees and marks are a true reflection of student
achievement. On balance, the provisions for the use of
discretion create flexibility for SEBs and benefit students to a
greater extent than adopting a different system for recording
and calculating marks.
• Ultimately, the line has to be drawn somewhere to determine
thresholds, particularly the pass/fail threshold. Inevitably, with
the large numbers of students, some will fall just below any
given threshold.
• We should keep the issue under review and see if problems
arise in the second year of operation.