Grading System - University of Glasgow

Assessment is governed by the university’s Code of Assessment, which is part of the university calendar (the formal regulations). A full explanation is provided here. This specifies a set of grades from A1 (highest) to H (lowest), with descriptions of each grade shown in the table below. Some courses, notably projects, are assessed using these grades directly, but most examinations in Engineering are marked in percentages. The university converts these to grades using the mapping in the table as a guide, but this may be varied.

Mapping of percentage marks to grades and verbal descriptors of grades from the Code of Assessment

Grade	Aggregate Score	% *(BEng Programmes)**	% (BSc Programme)**	Gloss	Primary verbal descriptors for attainment of Intended Learning Outcomes
A 1	22	84-100	91-100	Excellent	Exemplary range and depth of attainment of intended learning outcomes, secured by discriminating command of a comprehensive range of relevant materials and analyses, and by deployment of considered judgement relating to key issues, concepts and procedures
2	21	80-83	84-90
3	20	77-79	78-83
4	19	74-76	73-77
5	18	70-73	70-72
B 1	17	67-69	67-69	Very Good	Conclusive attainment of virtually all intended learning outcomes, clearly grounded on a close familiarity with a wide range of supporting evidence, constructively utilised to reveal appreciable depth of understanding
2	16	64-66	63-66
3	15	60-63	60-62
C 1	14	57-59	57-59	Good	Clear attainment of most of the intended learning outcomes, some more securely grasped than others, resting on a circumscribed range of evidence and displaying a variable depth of understanding
2	13	54-56	53-56
3	12	50-53	50-52
D 1	11	47-49	47-49	Satisfactory	Acceptable attainment of intended learning outcomes, displaying a qualified familiarity with a minimally sufficient range of relevant materials, and a grasp of the analytical issues and concepts which is generally reasonable, albeit insecure
2	10	44-46	43-46
3	9	40-43	40-42
E 1	8	37-39	37-39	Weak	Attainment deficient in respect of specific intended learning outcomes, with mixed evidence as to the depth of knowledge and weak deployment of arguments or deficient manipulations
2	7	34-36	33-36
3	6	30-33	30-32
F 1	5	27-29	27-29	Poor	Attainment of intended learning outcomes appreciably deficient in critical respects, lacking secure basis in relevant factual and analytical dimensions
2	4	24-26	23-26
3	3	20-23	20-22
G 1	2	15-19	15-19	Very Poor	Attainment of intended learning outcomes markedly deficient in respect of nearly all intended learning outcomes, with irrelevant use of materials and incomplete and flawed explanation
2	1	10-14	10-14	Very Poor
H 0	0	0-9	0-9		No convincing evidence of attainment of intended learning outcomes, such treatment of the subject as is in evidence being directionless and fragmentary

*BEng refers to Bachelor of Engineering programmes **BSc refers to Bachelor of Science programmes

In order to be awarded the credits and to achieve the grades in the table, the student must have completed a course satisfactorily. If the student has not been awarded the credits for a variety of reasons, other gradings are used.

For example:

MV means that the student had medical or personal circumstances, which prevented them from taking the exam at first sitting and students can take the re-sit without penalty.
CW means that the student has not completed some part of the assessment, (exam, laboratory report etc) but can still do so before the next academic year. Contact the lecturer if in doubt as to what needs to be done.
CR means that the student has not completed some compulsory element of the course (attended laboratories, etc) and it is not possible to remedy this in the current academic year. Students cannot change CR by taking a re-sit exam and would need to repeat the course. Contact the lecturer if in doubt as to why the student was refused credit for a course.
07 means a deferred result – The university was not able to give the student a grade at the point in time. The reasons range from overseas study to plagiarism, so please ask if this is unexpected.
ZZ means that the student is a debtor. The student cannot see his results, until the debt has been cleared.

Each grade also has an aggregation score on a scale from 0–22. These are used to calculate the student's average performance, which is needed to check the student's progress and for graduation. (There was formerly a 0–16 scale as well, but it is no longer in use.)

Please note that there is no re-sit available for Year 2 (Level 4) courses, such as Control 4N or Software Engineering 3N for BEng in Mechanical Design Engineering.

Rules for Progression and Honours Assessment

The student's results at the end of each academic year must meet certain requirements for the student to progress through the degree programme. There are similar requirements for graduation. These are set out formally in the University Calendar. The following is a brief, unofficial summary.

Progression (BEng Programmes)

For progression from Year 1 (Level 3) to Year 2 (Level 4) in BEng, the student's Year 1 results, excluding the courses undertaken in Glasgow during OIP, must satisfy these conditions:

Successful completion of 120 credits with a minimum grade of E3 in every course (130 credits for Aerospace programmes)
A minimum grade of D3 in the best 110 credits
GPA of at least 9.0 (i.e., D3) on the 0–22 scale

The student may re-sit courses in Year 1 to meet progression requirements. The grade points are capped at 9, corresponding to D3, and only the student's results from the first attempt in Year 1 will be carried forward to the student's degree classification.

The School Progress Committee meets in June and September to consider the progress of all students. They consider the student's results with any evidence of personal difficulties and decide whether the student:

Can make normal progress to the next year of study
Will be offered the opportunity to repeat some courses, in order to improve the student's results; there is no automatic right to any further reassessment beyond the first re-sit
Should be excluded from further studies, in which case the committee will consider whether the student's results meet the standard for an exit award

Note that Applicable Mathematics 2N, 2S, and 3S are included in the progression requirements but not in the degree classification. The courses undertaken in Glasgow during the OIP are included in the calculation of the Year 1 GPA, used for degree classification.

Progression (BSc Programme)

For progression from Year 1 (Level 3) to Year 2 (Level 4) in the BSc, the student's Year 1 results must satisfy these conditions:

Successful completion of 120 credits
An aggregate score of D3, (i.e. 9 on the University 22 point scale) in Year 1 (Level 3), at first attempt

The student may re-sit courses in Year 1 to meet the progression requirements or to meet pre-requisites for Year 2 (level 4) courses.

The purpose of progress requirements is to stop students from wasting time and money by studying for a degree programme that he or she is unlikely to complete.

Honours Assessment

Honours GPA	Honours classification
18.0 – 22.0	First class
17.1 – 17.9	Either first or upper second class (at discretion of GSA Final Examination Board)
15.0 – 17.0	Upper second class
14.1 – 14.9	Either upper second or lower second class (at discretion of GSA Final Examination Board)
12.0 – 14.0	Lower second class
11.1 – 11.9	Either lower second or third class (at discretion of GSA Final Examination Board)
9.0 – 11.0	Third class
8.1 – 8.9	Either third class or fail (at discretion of GSA Final Examination Board)
0.0 – 8.0	Fail

Graduation Information for BEng Programmes
The university has general requirements for graduation and BEng has extra rules that are similar to those for progression. To successfully complete Year 2 (Level 4) in BEng, the student must satisfy these conditions at first assessment:
Successful completion of 120 credits with a minimum grade of E3 in every course
Minimum grade of D3 in the best 100 credits
Average GPA of at least 9.0 (i.e. D3) on the 0–22 scale
Grade D3 or better in individual project work
These rules are set by the Engineering Council for accredited degrees. The student will be considered for the degree of BSc (Honours) in Engineering, which is not accredited, if the student meets the university’s standard requirements but not the extra rules. Note that the student requires a minimum grade of D3 in his major individual project for any honours degree, and that reassessment is not permitted in Year 2 (level 4).
The student's degree classification is calculated from a weighted average of results from Year 1 (Level 3) and Year 2 (Level 4), weighted 30/70.
Graduation Information for BSc Programme
The University has general requirements for graduation and the BSc has extra rules that are similar to those for progression. Year 2 (Level 4) has nine courses, and an individual project that counts for three courses. To successfully complete Year 2 (Level 4) in the BSc programme, the student must satisfy these conditions at first assessment:
An average grade of at least 9.0 (i.e. D3) on the 0-22 scale
Successful completion of 120 credits
A grade of at least D3 on the level 4 individual project
The student's degree classification is calculated from a weighted average of results from Year 1 (Level 3) and Year 2 (Level 4) weighted 40/60.