Undergraduate degree classification convention (for new students from 2013)
- The Undergraduate degree classification conventions 20/21 applies for undergraduate students who started their programme of study in the 2020/21 academic year and are considered for Award in or after the 2023/24 academic year.
- The relevant Rules for Award applies to students who first started their programme of study in or after the 2021/22 academic year.
Degree classification rules
At the end of your degree course, the marks you achieve on your modules are combined together to determine your overall degree result: a First, a 2.1, a 2.2, a Third, a Pass degree or no degree. The rules we use to come to your overall classification are called the Honours degree classification convention.
Scope
The classification of all classified Honours degrees is to be determined using these conventions for students first registered from October 2013 onwards.
The classification of Honours degrees for full-time students registered prior to October 2013 will be carried out in accordance with the previous degree classification conventions introduced in October 2008. Boards of Examiners will not consider any appeals against degree classifications obtained by such students on the basis of these new unified degree classification conventions.
Lists A and B set out the following, which in each case have been approved by the relevant Faculty Board and the Academic Quality and Standards Committee:
List A: Additional conventions which operate on particular degree courses or in particular departments
List B: Criteria used by departments for the consideration of borderline performance
Section I – Preliminaries and Definitions
1. Course regulations shall specify the relative weightings attached to the different years/stages in calculating the degree classification.
2. For each candidate an arithmetic mean of all their module marks, weighted to take account of the size of the module (credit weighting), and year/stage of study, shall be calculated. The mean shall be expressed as a percentage, rounded to one decimal place.
3. Some courses and departments permit students to opt to follow and be assessed in more modules than are required by the course regulations. Course information provided by the relevant department confirms the programme(s) and year(s) of study in which additional credit may be taken and the number of additional credits that may be taken. No student is permitted to take more than 150 CATS points in any academic year of study.
In such situations, (2) above shall not apply, and the following shall apply:
With the normal load for a year's study being 120 CATS (or such larger figure as is specified by course regulations) and the maximum permitted load being 150 CATS then, for each year of study, a candidate's mean mark is the arithmetic mean of the subset of whole modules, weighted according to their credit weighting, which satisfies the course regulations and results in the highest mark.
The mean shall be expressed as a percentage, rounded to one decimal place.
4. Marks from all modules taken in the relevant years/stages shall be used in the calculation of the mean, including any fail marks, except where excluded under 3 above. Where a module which contributes to the degree classification has been failed but passed on resit, the pass mark (40%) will be used in the calculation of the mean.
5. Pass degrees can be awarded either to students who have followed a Pass degree course, or to students who have followed an Honours degree course but who do not qualify for the award of an Honours degree. Both Honours and Pass candidates will normally be considered for a Pass degree in cases where the overall mean mark achieved is 35.0% or above and below 40.0%, as calculated using either (2) or (3) above, as appropriate.
Section II – Provisional classification
1. Subject to the remainder of this Section II, the mean (M) indicates the classification to be provisionally awarded as follows:
| First | M ≥ 70.0% |
Where the mean is greater than or equal to 70.0% the Honours degree shall be provisionally classified as a First. |
| Upper Second | 69.9% ≥ M ≥ 60.0% |
Where the mean is greater than or equal to 60.0% and less than 70.0% the Honours degree shall be provisionally classified as an Upper Second. |
| Lower Second | 59.9% ≥ M ≥ 50.0% |
Where the mean is greater than or equal to 50.0% and less than 60.0% the Honours degree shall be provisionally classified as a Lower Second. |
| Third | 49.9% ≥ M ≥ 40.0% |
Where the mean is greater than or equal to 40.0% and less than 50.0% the Honours degree shall be provisionally classified as a Third. |
| Pass degree (not Honours) | 39.9% ≥ M ≥ 35.0% |
Where the mean is greater than or equal to 35.0% and less than 40.0% the degree shall be provisionally awarded as a Pass degree. |
| fail | 34.9% ≥ M |
Where the mean is less than 35.0% provisionally no degree shall be awarded. |
2. To be provisionally classified in the class indicated by the mean:
(a) for an Integrated Master’s degree, a candidate must pass (at the 40% module pass mark) in the final three years contributing to the degree classification, whole modules equating to at least 258 credits in total, including at least 90 credits taken in the final year.
(b) for an Honours degree (whether of three or four years’ duration), a candidate must pass (at the 40% module pass mark) in the final two years contributing to the degree classification, whole modules equating to at least 168 credits in total, including at least 80 credits taken in the final year.
(c) for a Pass degree (whether of three or four years’ duration), a candidate must pass (at the 40% module pass mark) in the final two years contributing to the degree classification, whole modules equating to at least 150 credits in total, including at least 50 credits taken in the final year.
(d) for part-time students, Sections II(2)(b) and (c) shall apply as follows:
(i) for an Honours degree, a candidate must pass (at the 40% module pass mark) whole modules equating to at least 168 credits in total at FHEQ levels 5 (intermediate) and 6 (Hons level) combined, including at least 80 credits at FHEQ level 6.
(ii) for a Pass degree, a candidate must pass (at the 40% module pass mark) whole modules equating to at least 150 credits in total at FHEQ levels 5 and 6 combined, including at least 50 credits at FHEQ level 6.
(e) In respect of students in the Faculty of Science who joined Warwick in Autumn 2008, section II(2)(a-c) shall not apply.
(f) In respect of students in the Faculty of Science who joined Warwick in autumn 2009 and autumn 2010, Sections II(2)(b) and (c) shall not apply and the following shall apply:
(i) for an Honours degree (whether of three or four years’ duration), a candidate must pass (at the 40% module pass mark) whole modules equating to at least 80 credits taken in the final year.
(ii) for a Pass degree (whether of three or four years’ duration), a candidate must pass whole modules equating to at least 60 credits taken in the final year.
3. To be provisionally classified in the class indicated by the mean, a candidate must achieve marks in that class or higher in whole modules, equating to at least 48 credits in total, which are relevant to the discipline(s) named in the degree title, and which are taken in the final two years contributing to the degree classification. Departments may specify how the 48 credits must be distributed over the final two years. Course information provided by departments to students will specify:
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the criteria for determining if a module is relevant to the discipline(s) named in the degree title;
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any additional requirements for specific modules which must be included within the 48 credits, or requirements as to the distribution of the 48 credits over the final two years.
4. List A contains additional conventions governing the provisional classification of candidates on particular degree courses or in particular departments. Additional conventions must be approved by the relevant Faculty Board and the Academic Quality and Standards Committee.
Section III – Classification by the Board of Examiners
1. The Board of Examiners will determine the final classification of candidates. Boards of Examiners may use their academic judgement to award a degree class that is different from that provisionally determined under Section II, but must minute their reasons for doing so.
2. At the commencement of the meeting of the Board of Examiners, the Board will consider and confirm any scaling or other adjustments that have been made to module marks which have contributed to the calculation of the provisional classification of candidates in accordance with Section II above.
Consideration of borderline cases
Where a student’s mean mark falls below a class boundary but is within 2.0% of that boundary the Board of Examiners shall reconsider the student’s performance and consider whether to promote them to the higher class or not; this provision does not apply to the boundary at 35.0% between a Pass degree and failure.
The criteria which the Board of Examiners may take into account when considering borderline performance include:
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performance above the class boundary in final year;
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preponderance of module marks above the class boundary;
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performance above the class boundary in core modules or optional core modules (as listed in course regulations).
List B contains other criteria used by departments for the consideration of borderline performance. These criteria must be approved by the relevant Faculty Board and the Academic Quality and Standards Committee.
Mitigating circumstances
4. Where a student’s performance has been adversely affected by certified mitigating circumstances these shall be taken into account by the Board of Examiners in classifying the student’s degree. If certified mitigating circumstances are considered by a sub-group of the Board in advance of the meeting of the full Board of Examiners, the Board shall take into account the minuted recommendations of the sub-group.
Approved by Senate at its meeting on 4 July 2018. Last updated 25 October 2018.