A Guide to Honours Degree Classification
The procedures for classification of honours degrees at Edinburgh University are
defined in University Regulations.
Classification is based on 3rd and 4th year honours courses, amounting to up to 240
credits at SCQF levels 9 and 10. It is the mean (average) of overall coursemarks in
those years which is used to assign classification.
Performance in 3rd and 4th years is equally weighted. However, there are some
exceptions to this. For instance, students spending a non-compulsory year abroad in
their third year will be allocated credits for the study abroad but the final classification
is based on performance in the 4th year only.
Each individual coursemark is calculated by taking the elements of assessment and
applying the appropriate percentage. A typical honours option will have both
coursework and examinations contributing a specified percentage to the overall
coursemark. Overall coursemarks are rounded to whole numbers.
Degree class is indicated by calculating the mean (average) of the overall
coursemarks of the 3rd and 4th year courses, weighted by the number of credit points
of each course. For 20 credit courses, the overall coursemark is added once to the
total of marks and for 40 credit courses, the overall coursemark is added twice to the
total of marks before the overall mean is calculated. This ensures the appropriate
weighting is applied in the calculation. Course marks for 4th year dissertations, for
example, would be added twice.
At the Examination Board at the end of 4th year, the following information is
presented for each candidate (anonymised): a list of all courses taken in the 3rd and
4th years, the overall coursemarks achieved and the mean (average) of overall
coursemarks (calculated as above, and to two decimal places). The Board then
agrees each candidate’s degree class. The classification boundaries are a mean of
70.00 for a 1st class degree, 60.00 for a 2.1 and 50.00 for a 2.2.
The University has rules which must be followed in borderline cases. A borderline
case is defined as a mean within 2 percentage points of the next higher classification
boundary - it therefore covers a mean of 68.00-69.99, or 58.00-59.99. In these
circumstances, the Examination Board looks at how many of the overall coursemarks
fall into the higher and lower classifications and if 50% or more of them are in the
higher classification, then the higher degree classification is awarded.
Any special circumstances which may have affected a student’s performance are
also considered by the Examination Board. The Board, in determining final
classifications and awards, may exercise discretion by taking into account additional
relevant information.
We have provided links to the University’s Assessment Regulations and
Classification Guidelines on the School’s Student Intranet - they are at:
http://www.shca.ed.ac.uk/student/undergraduate/coursework/#regs and can be
accessed by clicking on the appropriate links.
School of History, Classics and Archaeology October 2009