Information about assessment of each unit and disclosure of results
The marking process
Details of how a unit is to be assessed and the relative weighting of each component will be given as soon as classes commence.
All exercises, papers and other assignments submitted for assessment will be returned to students with a numerical mark. In the case of a major assignment, teachers will endeavour to provide details of the spread of marks and the average or median scores. More details can be found at Interpretation of Grades.
In assessing any piece of work, teachers will normally apply as wide a spread of marks as is appropriate. When several teachers are involved in the same assessment task, a marking scheme will be agreed on in advance, and scripts will normally be exchanged before final results are determined in order to ensure consistency of marking. In rare cases where marking standards produce significant differences between cores, the department may decide to scale marks in the interests of fairness.
Where a unit is assessed entirely by means of classwork, tutorial papers, essays or other assignments; results will be communicated to students progressively wherever possible.
Where formal written examinations are a major means of assessment, marked examination papers may be returned to students at the discretion of the examiner.
Where papers are not returned:
- results will be communicated to all students in the case of an end of semester examination
- students who wish to sight their marked paper may do so, but will not normally be permitted to take it away. (The Academic Board has recommended that examination papers 'which involve the repeated use of the same material in successive examinations may continue to be kept confidential'.)
Assessment for FRNC1631 and FRNC1632
In assessing overall performance in FRNC1631 Junior French 5 or FRNC1632 Junior French 6 (Advanced stream first year units), the department expects students to achieve a pass result (50 per cent or better) in each component: language and reading. However, a narrow failure (45-49 per cent) in one component will not automatically rule out a pass in the unit overall, providing a good pass has been attained in the other components.
Determining overall results
In determining overall results, the department reserves the right to take account not only of numerical scores, but of attendance, participation in classwork and completion of assignments, including class tests and exercises. As a general rule, students should aim to attend 90 per cent of all classes, and to complete assignments set for assessment purposes.
Responsibility for determining whether a student has successfully passed a unit rests not with the department, but with the Board of Examiners of the relevant faculty. The department can only recommend a result. Following board meetings (mid-July and mid-December), students are officially notified by Registrar's letter of their results. The department cannot disclose results in advance of the Registrar's letter, but members of staff are available for subsequent consultation.