Mark scale
All undergraduate modules are marked using one overall system, which runs from 0100. Marks fall into different classes of performance:
70-100 First Class
60-69 Second Class, Upper Division (also referred to as "Upper Second" or "2.1")
50-59 Second Class, Lower Division (also referred to as "Lower Second" or "2.2")
40-49 Third Class
0-39
Fail
The department or lecturer running any particular module will be able to tell you what
specific marking criteria apply in the department or on the module.
In 2008 the University introduced a new marking scale for undergraduate
modules. The standard required to achieve a given class on any piece of work
remains the same as before, so the borderlines separating classes lie at the
same standard. The following sections apply only to students who first joined
Warwick in autumn 2008 or later; these students will have their work marked as
set out here throughout their courses.
More information is available from the Teaching Quality website:
go.warwick.ac.uk/assessmentconventions/forstudents/
Within the overall system set out above, your assessed work and exams will be
marked on one of two scales, depending on certain characteristics of the assessment
or exam. The department or lecturer running any particular module will be able to tell
you which scale applies to the module.
Numerically based work, work with smaller questions (all points on 0-100
scale)
Where an assessment or exam is based on numerical work, or where there are a
large number of questions in an exam with small numbers of marks for each
question, we can use all of the points from 0 to 100. This is typical of many
assessments and exams in Science, some language work, some exams in
Economics and the Business School and so on. You can find examples on the
Teaching Quality website at
go.warwick.ac.uk/assessmentconventions/forstudents/ug08/markscale/examplepapers/
Other work (17-point marking scale)
Where an assessment or exam is a single piece of work, or a small number of long
exam answers, work is marked using the following scale. This is typical for essaybased subjects, dissertations and many pieces of work where there is no right
answer and the quality of your analysis and argument is particularly important. You
can find examples on the Teaching Quality website at:
go.warwick.ac.uk/assessmentconventions/forstudents/ug08/markscale/examplepapers/
The descriptors in this table are interpreted as appropriate to the subject and the
year/level of study, and implicitly cover good academic practice and the avoidance of
plagiarism. Faculties and departments publish more detailed marking criteria.
With the exception of Excellent 1st, High Fail and Zero, the descriptors cover a range
of marks, with the location within each group dependent on the extent to which the
elements in the descriptor and departmental/faculty marking criteria are met.
Class
scale
Excellent
1st
First
High 1st
Mid 1st
Low 1st
Upper
Second
(2.1)
High 2.1
Mid 2.1
Low 2.1
High 2.2
Lower
Second
Mid 2.2
Low 2.2
descriptor
Exceptional work of the highest quality, demonstrating
excellent knowledge and understanding, analysis,
organisation, accuracy, relevance, presentation and
appropriate skills. At final-year level: work may achieve or
be close to publishable standard.
Very high quality work demonstrating excellent knowledge
and understanding, analysis, organisation, accuracy,
relevance, presentation and appropriate skills. Work which
may extend existing debates or interpretations.
High quality work demonstrating good knowledge and
understanding, analysis, organisation, accuracy, relevance,
presentation and appropriate skills.
Competent work, demonstrating reasonable knowledge and
understanding, some analysis, organisation, accuracy,
relevance, presentation and appropriate skills.
High 3rd
Third
Mid 3rd
Work of limited quality, demonstrating some relevant
knowledge and understanding.
Low 3rd
Fail
High Fail
(sub
Honours)
Fail
Low Fail
Zero
Zero
Work does not meet standards required for the appropriate
stage of an Honours degree. There may be evidence of
some basic understanding of relevant concepts and
techniques
Poor quality work well below the standards required for the
appropriate stage of an Honours degree.
Work of no merit OR Absent, work not submitted, penalty in
some misconduct cases
For calculating module results, the points on this marking scale have the following
numerical equivalents:
Point on
numerical
range of marks for work marked using
Class
scale
equivalent
all points on 0-100 scale
First
Upper
Second
Lower
Second
Third
Excellent
1st
96
93-100
High 1st
89
85-92
Mid 1st
81
78-84
Low 1st
74
70-77
High 2.1
68
67-69
Mid 2.1
65
64-66
Low 2.1
62
60-63
High 2.2
58
57-59
Mid 2.2
55
54-56
Low 2.2
52
50-53
High 3rd
48
47-49
Fail
Mid 3rd
45
44-46
Low 3rd
42
40-43
High Fail
38
35-39
Fail
25
19-34
Low Fail
12
1-18
Zero
Zero
0
0
You can see that marks for all work, whether marked using every point on the 0-100
scale (numerically based work and similar) or on the 17-point scale (essays,
dissertations etc), fall into the same categories. A piece of work given a mark of 81
has reached the standard for "Mid 1st" whether it is a Mathematics exam or a History
essay, an oral language exam or a design project in Engineering.