1.

Responsibilities of Sub-Boards of Examiners

1.1

The Graduate School Board of Examiners, in consultation with the Graduate Studies Sub-Committee as necessary, shall have the authority to approve variations to this Scheme.

1.2

Each degree programme shall be the responsibility of a Sub-Board of Examiners. Taking into account all information properly presented to it and by exercising its academic judgement, the Sub-Board shall decide if each candidate has satisfactorily completed all elements of assessment as set out in the programme regulations. Where the Sub-Board recommends that an award should be made, it will also determine the classification of the award in accordance with section 5 below.

1.3

Each course shall be the responsibility of a Sub-Board of Examiners. The Sub-Board shall confirm a numerical mark for each candidate taking a course falling within its responsibility.

2.

External Examiners

2.1

Each Sub-Board of Examiners shall include at least one external examiner competent to judge the candidates concerned.

2.2

All elements of assessment for a course shall be marked by internal examiners and, as appropriate, an external examiner. External examiners may act as final moderators of assessed work, with the power to adjust marks up or down.

2.3

No mark or grade shall be assigned for any course or element of assessment for a course without an external examiner having been able to approve it, whether or not s/he attended a meeting of examiners.

3.

Mark and Grade for a Course:

3.1

The examiners for each course will decide a numerical mark for each candidate using the following scale:

Each Department, Institute and Group shall specify the value of x as 19, 29 or 39 for all its courses, and this shall be clearly published in the School Calendar and in departmental student handbooks.

3.2

The grade of Bad Fail will be used internally to indicate when a fail cannot be compensated and, therefore, must be re-attempted. It will not appear on official transcripts.

3.3

Unless they receive written instructions from the Examinations Office to do so, e.g. in the case of dyslexic candidates, examiners shall assess work without referring to medical and/or exceptional circumstances. Such circumstances will be considered by the Sub-Board of Examiners at the meeting where the award of degrees is considered.

4.

Eligibility for Award of Degree

4.1

In order to be considered for a degree, a candidate must have completed all elements of assessment required for the course as listed in the corresponding programme regulations.

4.2

A candidate who is absent for any element of assessment for a course will be considered not to have completed the course. Moreover, the absence will count as one of the attempts allowed for the course unless it is authorised by the Chair of the Sub-Board of Examiners responsible for the programme.

5.

Calculation of the Award of Degree

5.1

A Distinction will be awarded if either (a) a mark of 70 is achieved in a majority of the courses, or (b) the courses are passed with an average mark of 68 or more;

5.2

A Merit will be awarded if the courses are passed with an average mark of between 60 and 67;

5.3

A Pass will be awarded if the courses are passed with an average mark of between 50 and 59.

6.

Failure to Achieve an Award of Degree

6.1

If a candidate has not been awarded a degree, s/he shall normally be entitled to re-sit the failed courses only (on one occasion) and at the next normal opportunity. Results obtained at re-sit shall always supersede any previous attempt.

6.2

If a candidate has met the requirements for the award of a degree having re-sat failed courses, s/he can only be recommended for the award of a Pass degree unless, in the judgement of the examiners, the initial failure(s) was at least in part a direct result of medical and/or exceptional circumstances.

7.

Appeals and Offences

Appeals against decisions of Sub-Board of Examiners will be handled according to the Appeals Regulations. Assessment offences will be handled according to the Regulations on assessment offences: plagiarism or Regulations on assessment offences: offences other than plagiarism. All School Regulations are published in the School Calendar.

8.

General Proviso

It is also open to a Sub-Board of Examiners to recommend to the Graduate School Board of Examiners any departure from this Scheme and/or from its 'local rules' if, in their judgement, this would be equitable for any individual candidate or any group of candidates as a direct result of medical and/or exceptional circumstances. Such circumstances would need to be extraneous to the normal assessment process and would apply to that candidate or group of candidates only. The following conditions also apply:

8.1

That the student is very close to the next higher classification boundary (within 3 marks in a single paper or 5 marks on aggregate);

8.2

that the student has marks in the higher classification range;

8.3

that the student has demonstrated that the examination or set of examinations were significantly and negatively affected by exceptional circumstances that were unforeseen and beyond his/her control;

8.4

that the student has demonstrated that his/her performance in the affected examination(s) was significantly out of line with his/her performance in other, unaffected examination(s).