Marking Criteria Essays
CRITERIA FOR COURSEWORK ESSAYS
Class |
Scale |
Numerical equivalent |
Descriptor |
||
First |
Excellent first
|
96 |
Exceptional work of the highest quality
|
||
High 1st |
89 |
Very high quality work which may extend existing debates or interpretations:
|
|||
Mid 1st |
81 |
||||
Low 1st |
74 |
||||
Upper second |
High 2:1 |
68 |
High quality work with the following qualities:
|
||
Mid 2:1 |
65 |
||||
Low 2:1 |
62 |
||||
Lower second |
High 2:2 |
58 |
Competent work with the following features:
|
||
Mid 2:2 |
55 |
||||
Low 2:2 |
52 |
||||
Third |
High 3rd |
48 |
Work of limited quality characterised by:
|
||
Mid 3rd |
45 |
||||
Low 3rd |
42 |
||||
Fail |
High Fail |
38 |
Work does not meet standards required for the appropriate stage of an Honours degree:
|
||
Fail |
25 |
Poor quality work well below the standards required for the appropriate stage of an Honours degree |
|||
Low fail |
12 |
||||
Zero |
Zero |
0 |
|
Work of no merit OR Absent, work not submitted, penalty in some misconduct cases |
CRITERIA FOR EXAM ESSAYS
EXCELLENT FIRST | Outstanding work showing an exceptional command of the texts and issues concerned. The essay is extremely tightly argued throughout, showing extraordinary insight and impressive organisational proficiency in its treatment of the question set. The discussion displays a wide-ranging engagement with secondary sources paired with impeccably-chosen examples from primary sources. The essay is of outstanding quality in terms of clarity, scope and breadth of argument and is written in faultless English. |
FIRST CLASS | Very high quality work (excellent work at the top end of the grade) which engages analytically and imaginatively with the question set and demonstrates a full understanding of the texts or issues concerned. The essay is tightly and convincingly argued throughout, shows evidence of critical engagement with appropriate secondary reading and clearly goes beyond the scope of lecture and seminar work. It handles primary material creatively but with appropriate sensitivity to detail. The essay is written in fluent and literate English. |
UPPER SECOND CLASS(2:1) | Very competent work which focuses clearly on the question set and demonstrates good knowledge of the text or issues concerned. The essay is coherent, well structured and is informed by appropriate secondary reading. It makes good use of examples from primary material and is analytical in its treatment of these. The essay is written in correct English. (An essay in the top band of this category will do all or most of the above; an essay in the bottom band of this category will do some of the above. An essay that has impressive signs of quality may be pulled down from a I to a Ii because of inaccuracies or a lack of rigour. An essay may fall within the bottom band of Ii if its argument is thorough but pedestrian, or because it is short weight or unfinished.) |
LOWER SECOND CLASS(2:2) | A focused answer which endeavours to addresses the question set, makes use of examples from primary material and demonstrates sound knowledge of the text or issues concerned. The essay is, however, of uneven quality: it sometimes lacks structure and its approach tends to be descriptive rather than analytical. There is a satisfactory grasp of grammar and syntax, but (especially at the bottom of this category) the use of English may tend to be simplistic or clumsy. (An essay may fall into this category if its argument is basically sound, but lacks scope; or if it presents a promising argument but is too short, rushed or unfinished.) |
THIRD CLASS | Some limited and basic evidence of reading and understanding of the texts and issues concerned. The essay is descriptive rather than analytical and is characterised by lack of structure or organisation, errors of spelling and grammar and clumsy prose style. The essay will include points which are irrelevant, simplistic and/or underdeveloped, or factually wrong (the candidate may misunderstand the question); and will make inadequate use of examples. An essay may fall into this category if it presents a discernible argument that is excessively short. |
38 HIGH FAIL (SUB-HONOURS) | The essay does demonstrate some basic awareness of key issues and/or a basic knowledge of the text, but the structure of the essay is inadequate and points that are made are underdeveloped and/or sometimes irrelevant. Very thin arguments or significant omissions may be offset by moments of clarity. |
Fail | No evidence of a basic understanding of the text or key issues. Completely irrelevant or ignorant work. |