UOL Honours Degree Classification

Today I’m going to write a post about how UOL classify their honours degree. I just received my results and graduated successfully (thankfully), but I do not understand how my results are calculated. So I thought of writing this post for my own knowledge and to benefit future/current students taking the UOL external programme. Beware, this post will be extremely wordy.

Award of Marks:

This is for students who enrolled before 2012 and are not affected by the new regulations.

First Class Honours                              70 - 100
Upper Second Class Honours               60 - 69
Lower Second Class Honours               50 - 59
Third Class Honours                              40 - 49
Pass                                                      34 - 40

Fail                                                         0 - 33

But do not be too happy, the 34% pass mark will continue only until summer 2016. If you fail to graduate or complete the programme (*touch wood!*), the new regulations will automatically apply to you which means you’ll have to get a 40 marks to pass.

On the other hand, for new students who enroll in 2012 and after, the pass mark will be changed from 34% to 40%.

First Class Honours                               70 - 100
Upper Second Class Honours                 60 - 69
Lower Second Class Honours                 50 - 59
Third Class Honours                              40 - 49
Fail                                                       0 - 39

Therefore, you notice that there is no longer a Pass category in the marking scheme. All students will be required to get 40 marks in order to pass and also to achieve a third class honours. LSE stated that this is to encourage and help students to achieve at least an honours standard in their examinations. Sounds more like an excuse to increase their standards to me.

Degree Classification:

For first class honours: Five first class marks; or four first class marks and an aggregate of at least 590.

For upper second class honours: Five upper second class marks (or above); or four upper second class marks (or above) and an aggregate of at least 515.

For lower second class honours: Five lower second class marks (or above); or four lower second class marks (or above) and an aggregate of at least 440.

For third class honours: Eight third class marks (or above).

For a pass degree: For a candidate who went through a three year course without exemptions, will be given a pass degree if s/he has failed not more than three papers in the final year. (half-unit courses are not considered as “a paper”!)

However, this does not apply to second-year direct entry candidates and they did not specify clearly how many papers a second-year direct entry student can fail in order to get a pass degree. In my opinion, I think it should be not more than two failed papers because being a second-year direct entry student myself, I failed one paper in my finals but was still given a second lower honours degree.

Please take note that a drop of one class in the award classification will result where a candidate has failed two papers.

Calculation of Aggregate Marks:

The classification of each candidate will be based on their nine best mark courses which UOL call it nine classification marks. It comprises,

a) the marks achieved in all eight papers taken in second and third year;

b) The ninth mark will be the average of the best three marks in first year papers. So don’t be too happy/discourage when you score extremely well/poor in your first year because they will only select the best three.

For second-year direct entry candidates, the ninth mark will be the average of all eight papers taken in second and third year.

For half unit courses, as they are not considered as a full paper, UOL will pair up two half-units(taken within the same year) with the highest marks and take the average. For example, if you did extremely well for Introduction to Economics and Maths1 during your 1^st year, like 60 and 70 respectively, the average of the two marks will be 65 marks and it will be one of your best three used in the ninth mark(refer to point b above).

The aggregate for each candidate is the sum of the nine 'classification marks'. In all cases, the 'classification marks' shall be based on the marks obtained by the candidate in her/his latest attempt at each element of assessment for each course. If you failed and re-take a paper, don’t think they’ll take the higher score between the two, they’ll take the latest result. So better score higher during the 2^nd attempt.

Appeals:

If you failed your papers, you can make an appeal to UOL by paying $60(i forgot in Pounds or SGD). I don't encourage you to make appeals unless you failed only by 1 or 2 marks and you are really 看不开 about it. Heard from my lecturer that the examiners WILL NOT RE-MARK your paper and neither will they let you see the paper. What they do is just re-calculate the marks. I think the possibility of them counting the marks wrongly is quite low as there are two examiners marking the papers. If you fail by three marks or more, that only proves that you really don't deserve a pass. Don't be so bull-headed. lols. Ok la, but if you have the money, you can try your luck.

Alright, finally done with this post! Its been a long time since I write such information-filled stuff ever since I graduated from poly. If, unfortunately, after reading this post you are like,

 Lols. You can click the links below, I got all my information there.

http://www.lse.ac.uk/resources/calendar/academicRegulations/BA-BScDegrees.htm

http://externalstudy.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/40-pass-mark/

I hope this is useful for my beloved UOL schoolmates. All the best for your studies in UOL!

Good Luck to all UOL Students!

Tomorrow is the day where all UOL (University of London) students get the jitters of logging in to the UOL website to check their results. This year’s results are extremely important to me as it will determine whether I’m able to graduate successfully. So its like a 50-50 thing, either dead or alive.

Initially I wasn’t that nervous but some friends of mine kept tweeting about the count down of the date of results and how nervous they are. Eventually I got infected by their nervous virus.

Actually there are mixed feelings towards getting a pass or fail.

If I pass,

Of course I will feel extremely happy, who doesn’t right. I mean finally can step into the working society and earn money to support my dad. Somemore I don’t want to waste another few thousands dollars to study another year for the few modules that I’ve failed.

To be frank, I am not even hoping for an honors degree, just a pass degree will do. This is how unconfident I am. People always tell me, “Sure can one la.” Ya, easier said than done.

If I fail,

On the other hand, if I failed and have to retake again, I’ll gladly accept it. I can’t blame anyone except myself for the bad results. Deep down, I shamefully admit that I didn't work hard enough for the papers. 

Putting cost factor aside, I actually really don’t mind retaking the papers because that would mean a chance for me to work harder to get better results. Can enjoy another year being a student.

Also, other than income, I really dreaded the working society. Imagine the job interviews you have to go through, office politics, stiff competitions between co-workers etc. Don’t even want to think further. Furthermore, I have really no idea on which career path to take. Therefore, failing might not be that bad as we think. I am very optimistic, I know. Haha

The problem about failing is not failing (if you know what I mean), but the guilt that you felt towards your loved ones. Because I am the only child, studying another year means I’ll be a burden for my aging dad to support me another year. I’ve thought a backup plan which is to work part-time during that one year since I’m likely to be retaking two or three modules. Timetable will be less hectic. This only applies to poor kids like me. Rich kids have no worries because their parents can support them for their entire life.

The above is not too much of a problem. The MAIN, most INTOLERABLE problem is to endure the dirty looks that people give. The kind of despise look and tone. For example,

Insensitive people: “Hi, hows your results?”

Me: “I didn’t manage to graduate, need to retake again another year”

Insensitive people(with the obvious sympathetic face, can’t even bothered to hide it well): “oh, nvm la. Try harder next year lor.”

But in deep in their hearts are like,

“aiyo, study private school still can fail means really jia lat liao.”

Something like that. *roll eyes*

So like I said, it’s mixed feelings. 直的也是死， 横着也是死,  怎样都是死 (going vertical is a dead end, going horizontal is also dead end. Which ever way are all dead ends).

I’ve come to a point where I don’t even dare to pray to god, any gods, for good results. I believe thousands of UOL students are all praying on the same day, same time. The gods will be too busy to hear mine. Why should god bless me with good results when I never even work hard for it? Why should they bless me when I only pray whenever I have problems? Pray also felt pai seh la.

No matter how the results turn out to be, I’ll accept it. But of course, a pass degree will be better. Good luck to all UOL students. =)