CATS

You will notice that individual lecture modules etc. are assigned what are called CATS credits. CATS stands for Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme which is a scheme used throughout the UK higher education system and you might like to note that each CAT is deemed to require 10 hours of student work, to include attendance at lectures, work out of lectures and revision. The normal load for one year of full time study in higher education is 120 CATS. In the first year a 15 lecture module is worth 6 CATS, whilst a 30 lecture one is worth 12 CATS. In the second year most modules consist of about 18 lectures and are worth 7.5 CATS. In subsequent years 15 lecture modules are worth 7.5 CATS (30 lecture ones are worth 15 CATS) reflecting the greater difficulty of these modules.

The Seymour Formula

Please note that the Seymour Formula does not apply to students joining the University from 2013 onward. (For these students the maximum load is 150 CATS and the rule for computing the year mark is explained on the relevant regulation pages.) For most students the normal load is the most appropriate load, and loads in excess of 150 CATS should only be contemplated in exceptional cases. Before contemplating an overload you should discuss it with your personal tutor. We will be monitoring your registrations and you may be asked to discuss the situation with the director of studies. If you have taken an abnormal load then your marks for the year will be determined according to the Capped Seymour formula (named after the late Prof. E. F. W. Seymour, Professor of Physics at Warwick until 1986).

where S_c is the capped Seymour percentage, x_i is the percentage mark obtained in a module with a weighting (CATS), w_i, N is the normal load (typically 120 CATS) and L is the actual load taken by a student. Continuing students will note that this formula is a little different to that used in previous years; it caps the adjustment to marks to that given to a load of 150 CATS. Within the Physics department this change will have little (if any) effect as loads in excess of 150 CATS are not generally permitted. Though this capping will probably remove any desire for a student to go above 150 CATS. The formula gives you fair credit for extra work if you can handle more than the normal load, while discouraging you from offering a module which you have not studied seriously, on the off-chance of picking up a few extra marks. It is important to understand the effect of this formula at exam registration time: if you take an extra module and do reasonably well in it, you increase your marks, but if you do poorly you may even decrease your marks. You can calculate a few realistic hypothetical numerical examples to see the effect of taking extra modules. However, you should be aware that examination boards require significant evidence of performance at the level of the degree classification in the final year. So, for example a BSc student who obtained 65% in each of the 1st and 2nd years on normal load, who then decided to take 150 CATS in the final year obtaining 58% in each of them would have a final year mark of 65.2%, and would have an accumulated credit of 65%. However, since there was no evidence of work at the 2-i level in the final year, the examination board would award a 2-ii degree.

If you are considering taking extra modules you should always discuss this with your personal tutor before committing yourself to the examination. As stated earlier you should not view the 150 CATS normal maximum load as a target, for most students the normal load is most appropriate.

Credit Accumulation

All courses based in the physics department operate on a credit accumulation system whereby your performance in each year of your course counts towards your final degree classification. However, in recognition of the fact that each year builds on the previous one, and that to a large extent a good performance in the later years requires a sound knowledge of the material covered in earlier years, your marks in the later years contribute more to your final mark than those obtained earlier. The actual weighting varies with the degree programme you are following. For the BSc degree programmes in physics, and mathematics and physics, the three years' marks are weighted in the ratio 10:30:60. For the MPhys and MMathPhys degree programmes in physics, and mathematics and physics respectively the four years' marks are weighted in the ratio 10:20:30:40. For the BSc degree in physics and business studies the ratio is 10:40:50.

Marking Schemes

When marking any assessed and examined work we use the following guidelines when classifying your performance:

70% and over

A 1st class performance

60.0% - 69.9%

A 2(i) performance

50.0% - 59.9%

A 2(ii) performance

40.0% - 49.9%

A 3rd class performance

Less than 40%

A failure at the honours level

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