Final Grades

The grade will be awarded where there is evidence that a student has undertaken the required core work for the topic and has demonstrated at least an adequate level of knowledge/understanding/competencies/ skills required for meeting topic objectives and satisfactorily completing essential assessment exercises.

The student would normally have attained an adequate knowledge of matter contained in set texts or reading materials, and demonstrated familiarity with major academic debates, approaches, methodologies and conceptual tools. A score in the range of 50-64 will be awarded.

Pass is the highest grade which can be achieved in a supplementary assessment granted on academic grounds.

The grade will be awarded where there is evidence that a student has undertaken all of the required core work for the topic and additional work in wider areas relevant to the topic, and has demonstrated a sound level of knowledge/understanding/competencies/skills required for meeting topic objectives and completing assessment exercises at a proficient standard.

The student would normally have attained a sound knowledge of matter contained in set texts or reading materials and have done wider reading, and demonstrated familiarity with and the ability to apply a range of major academic debates, approaches, methodologies and conceptual tools.

Students should have a reasonable opportunity of reaching this grade provided they have completed all course requirements, demonstrated proficiency in the full range of course objectives and shown considerable evidence of a sound capacity to work with the range of relevant subject matter. A score in the range of 65-74 will be awarded.

The grade will be awarded where there is evidence that a student has undertaken all of the required core work for the topic at a high level and considerable additional work in wider areas relevant to the topic, has demonstrated advanced knowledge/understanding/competencies/skills required for meeting topic objectives and completing assessment exercises at a high standard.

The student would normally have attained an advanced knowledge of matter beyond that contained in set texts or reading materials and have done considerable wider reading, and have demonstrated a broad familiarity with and facility at applying a range of major academic debates, approaches, methodologies and conceptual tools.

The grade should reflect very high quality work which shows the student generally works at a level which is beyond the requirements of the assessment exercise and is developing a capacity for original and creative thinking. A score in the range of 75-84 will be awarded.

The grade will be awarded where there is evidence that a student has undertaken the required core work for the topic at a high level and considerable additional work in wider areas relevant to the topic, has demonstrated the acquisition of an advanced level of knowledge/understanding/competencies/skills required for meeting topic objectives and passing the range of topic elements at the highest level.

The student would normally have attained an in-depth knowledge of matter contained in set texts or reading materials and undertaken extensive wider reading beyond that which is required or expected. The student would have consistently demonstrated a high level of proficiency at applying a range of major academic debates, approaches, methodologies and conceptual tools and combining a knowledge of the subject matter of the topic with original and creative thinking.

The grade will be awarded in recognition of the highest level of academic achievement expected of a student at a given topic level. A score in the range of 85-100 will be awarded.

The grade will be awarded in a topic that is assessed only on a pass or fail basis, where a satisfactory level of performance and participation has been achieved. The grade may be awarded to reflect:

- that the student has achieved mastery of the topic content; and

- that the student has satisfactorily completed topic requirements or contractual requirements where these form a prerequisite or condition of passing, or continuing with a program of study.

The Non-Graded Pass is awarded on a pass/fail basis and a score would not normally be assigned. The grade may encompass any level of achievement from satisfactory performance through to outstanding performance (ie scores from 50 to 100). A topic assessed as NGP will not be counted for the purposes of applying Grade Point Average to the grading system.