The QAA Access to HE Diploma
Student Handbook:
Assessment
The QAA Access to HE Diploma
Student Handbook: Assessment
ASSESSMENT
The centre staff team plan and manage the assessment process, including the writing of
assignments and grading of work.
Assessment and how it relates to achieving the Diploma
To achieve the QAA Access to HE Diploma you must achieve a total of 60 credits, 45 credits at
level 3 from graded units and 15 credits, at either level 2 or 3, from ungraded units. In order to
achieve each unit you will have to successfully complete assignments designed to test the
required knowledge, understanding and skills.
The ungraded units are simply ‘achieved’ or ‘not achieved’ on completion. If you successfully
achieve the graded units you will be awarded an overall pass, merit or distinction for each one.
There is no overall grade for the Diploma.
Each unit has a number of credits attached to it. If you achieve all the learning outcomes and
assessment criteria for a unit at the appropriate level, you are awarded the number of unit credits
at that level. Your units will be worth 3, 6 or 9 credits.
Setting the assignment
1. For each assignment you will be provided with an assignment brief which explains exactly
what is expected of you in that piece of work.
2. The learning outcomes and assessment criteria to be assessed by the assignment will be
stated and linked to specific tasks.
3. The grade descriptors which will be used by your tutor to make the grading decision
about your work (level 3 graded unit assignments only) will also be clearly indicated and
explained.
4. The assignment brief will show the date the assignment was handed out and the date by which
it should be handed in. It will also identify whether or not drafts are permitted.
Submission of assignments
1. Assignments must be handed in on the pre-arranged date (hand-in date) as stated on the
assignment brief.
If you require an extension, for an exceptional reason only, for either an ungraded or a graded
assignment, you must apply on the appropriate form to the unit tutor, before the agreed hand-in
date. They may ask you for evidence. The granting of an extension is not automatic and must be
formally approved.
If you hand in a graded assignment late, without an extension being granted, you can only
achieve a pass, not a merit or distinction, for the grade descriptors in that assignment. There will
be no right to a resubmission in this instance. (If there are judged to be extenuating
circumstances in this instance then, through the referral process, a further opportunity to
resubmit may be granted following an application and consultation with the course team, internal
and external moderators. The granting of a referral is not automatic.)
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The QAA Access to HE Diploma
Student Handbook: Assessment
2. Assignments must be submitted with a completed assignment brief front sheet signed and
dated by you, to confirm the assignment is your best attempt at the tasks and your own work.
Assessment and feedback
1. Achievement of an assignment is judged against the assessment criteria first i.e. has the
assignment achieved level 2 or level 3. Secondly, if it is a graded unit, it is judged against the
grade descriptors to make a grading decision. Students, tutors or assessors, internal moderators
and external moderators will all be working to the same criteria.
2. Tutors or assessors will make an assessment judgement on the basis of each assessment
criterion: No achievement, which occurs when you have not been able to demonstrate sufficient
understanding, knowledge or skills relevant to the assessment criteria being assessed.

Level 2 (L2) achievement for level 2 units

Level 3 (L3) achievement for level 3 units
For level 2 and ungraded level 3 assignments, when you have achieved all of the assessment
criteria in that assignment it is considered a successful submission and it will be classed as
‘Achieved’ (the only designation available).
For graded units ONLY, once level 3 is achieved for all of the assessment criteria in that
assignment, a grading judgement will made for each grade descriptor; Merit or Distinction may be
awarded if your work meets the required standard.
A pass is achieved if you meet the basic requirements of the assessment criteria but do not
achieve the requirements of the merit or distinction grade descriptors. The Pass, Merit or
Distinction “grades” for assignments are known as grade indicators.
Arriving at your unit grade
On completion of a unit, a list is made of the grade indicators you achieved for each of the grade
descriptors used to assess each of your assignments, in ascending order.
So for example, for one unit you might have achieved:
Assignment 1 - Pass and Merit
Assignment 2 - Pass and Pass
Assignment 3 - Merit, Distinction, Distinction
When placed in ascending order, these grade indicators give you a grade profile for the unit of
PPPMMDD. The middle grade indicator becomes the grade for the whole unit. In this example it
would be Merit (M). This single grade is listed on the transcript of units which accompanies your
Diploma certificate.
NB. Grades awarded are not confirmed until the Final Awards Board at the end of the course.
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The QAA Access to HE Diploma
Student Handbook: Assessment
3. If your assignment does not meet the requirements of all the assessment criteria you will be
given the opportunity to re-submit the relevant section (a resubmission), usually within 2 weeks.
Tutors will provide comprehensive verbal and written feedback on your work, clearly indicating
the positive aspects of the assignment and exactly what you need to resubmit to provide
evidence of achievement for the assessment criteria that were not met on the first submission.
No indication will be given of potential grade achievement.
Resubmitted work and the original submission, with its feedback sheet, must then be handed in
on or before the agreed date. The resubmitted work should be clearly identified as such.
The resubmitted work will then be assessed. If your work passes the assessment criteria which
were not achieved the first time and the assignment is for a graded unit, the whole assignment
can then be graded.
If your assignment still fails to achieve all the assessment criteria it may be referred. This means
that, only with the approval of the course team, internal and external moderators, can a further
resubmission be allowed. A referral is not an automatic right and usually only applies in
extenuating circumstances. If successful, the grades for the assignment will be capped at a Pass.
In summary:
Students have the following opportunities to achieve the assessment criteria: Firstly, the original submission.
 Secondly, a resubmission
 Thirdly, a referral for a second resubmission (this is not an automatic right and must be
approved through an application process involving One Awards moderators)
4. Internal moderation (IM) of assignments is one part of the internal quality assurance process.
Internal moderators check that: The assessment process and grading decisions are appropriate and being made in line
with QAA requirements
 Feedback to students is clear, comprehensive and developmental
 All documents are correctly filled in and signed and dated by both the tutor and student.
This procedure is to ensure that assessment is fair and equitable across the Diploma. This may
result in a slight delay in assignments being returned to you. However this will be kept to a
minimum. In the event of internal moderation taking longer than expected, the assignment may
be returned to you, on the understanding that internal moderation is still to be done.
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The QAA Access to HE Diploma
Student Handbook: Assessment
Contesting A Grading Decision (Representation)
1. If you wish to contest the grade given by an assessor, you must do so at the earliest
opportunity (within one week of receiving the assessed work back).
2. In the first instance, the assessor will discuss the assessed work with you to explain the
grading decision made.
3. If an administrative error has been made the error will be corrected.
4. If you wish to pursue the representation, you must do so on the appropriate form,
following the provider’s stated procedures, whereupon it will be considered by another
appropriately qualified member of staff and the internal moderator.
5. If the representation process concludes there is no case for re-grading i.e. the assessor’s
original decision is confirmed, the grade will stand. If, however, it is considered that there
is a case for re-grading this will be negotiated between the assessor and internal
moderator. You will be informed of the final decision and written records will be kept.
These will be seen by the external moderators.
Certification
The award of full or partial achievement of Access to HE Diplomas and grades is confirmed at
the Final Awards Board, which is held at the end of the course. Your results will then be verified
for certification.
The Access to HE Diploma is regulated by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
(QAA) and accredited by One Awards (an Access Validating Agency). Upon award of your
Access to HE Diploma, One Awards will issue a Diploma certificate and a credit transcript listing
the units, credits and grades you have achieved. If you have not completed the full Diploma you
will receive a credit transcript for the units you have achieved but not a Diploma certificate.
One Awards are required to send your results to UCAS for onward transmission to Higher
Education Institutions. They also make results available as soon as the certificates have been
produced to universities who have signed up to their secure results service. Only the
universities to which you have applied can access your results via this service. Certificates
are usually sent to centres within 10 working days of verification.
The above systems however do not replace the need for you to let the university you have
applied for know about your results, and some universities will also ask to see your certificate(s)
before they confirm your place on the course.
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Access to HE Diploma
Application for extension of deadlines for assignments or examinations
Student Name:…………………………………(Print)
Unit………………………………………
Assignment title and number:……………………………………………………………………………
Reasons for Extension:
(Students are requested to provide a brief account of the reasons for extension.
Wherever possible, and especially in cases of illness, a third party letter or note should
be attached to this form).
Continue on attached sheet if necessary
Date:
Student Signature:
Assessor Name:
(print)
(Assessor should provide any other relevant information to assist with assessing the above claim, and indicate the new
submission date)
Continue on attached sheet if necessary
Assessor Signature:
Date:
Approved / Rejected
Reasons if rejected
Name of person responsible for approval:
Designation:
Signature:
Date:
Assignments submitted late without an approved extension will be capped at a Pass
The QAA Access to HE Diploma
Student Handbook: Assessment
Access to HE Diploma
Contesting a grading decision (Representation).
Student Name :…………………………………(Print)
Unit:………………………………………………..
Assignment (title and number) …………………………………………………………
Original grades (add GD numbers and grades)
GD
GD
GD
GD
Reasons for representation:
Grades following representation
GD
GD
GD
GD
(Students are requested to provide a brief account of the reasons for,
contesting a grade, including title and number of the assignment)
Student's signature:
Date:
Assessor’s name:
(print)
Assessor should provide any other information to assist in assessing the above representation.
Continue on attached sheet if necessary
Assessor’s signature:
Date:
Internal Moderator’s name:
(print)
Internal Moderator should provide any other information to assist in assessing the above representation. This should
include discussions between the IM and assessor.
Internal moderator’s signature:
Date:
Name of person responsible for approval:
Designation:
Signature:
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