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Help with UMS/Raw grades

Hey guys,
Long question but please bear with me, as I REALLY need some help!

Okay so basically for my AS Level (DT: Product Design Graphics) I received a D grade.
I received a sheet of paper with my marks from both units (Unit 1 is coursework. Unit 2 is exam) and it shows Unit 1 I got 63 (out of 90) and 56 (out of 70) for Unit 2.
Now according to page 21 on this: http://www.edexcel.com/iwantto/I%20want%20to%20%20Tasks/0906%20GCE%20Units%20Grade%20Boundaries%20Home-Intl.pdf it means I got a C for Unit 1 and an A for Unit 2, right? Now, how then did I get a D overall??!

Maybe it's to do with UMS/Raw grade conversion? I have no idea about any of this, even after reading that article on TSR!

Pleeeeeeeease any help appreciated - I've called Edexcel and asked my teacher, but both have been extremely useless, and am frustrated at the moment :frown:

Thanks!
Reply 1
I beleive with UMS marks it is out of 100 not according to what the exam paper says its out of. so 63+56=119/2=59.9%%%% which = a D
Reply 2
Sad3k
I beleive with UMS marks it is out of 100 not according to what the exam paper says its out of. so 63+56=119/2=59.9%%%% which = a D

So the marks I received (63 and 56) are UMS marks and not Raw marks? On the link I supplied, it says those are raw marks so i'm a little confused.
Reply 3
Z1NX
So the marks I received (63 and 56) are UMS marks and not Raw marks? On the link I supplied, it says those are raw marks so i'm a little confused.


Any marks you receive on results sheets etc. will never be raw marks. They will always be UMS as raw marks don't mean anything on their own.

The link contains the raw mark grade boundaries. The marks you have look to be UMS however, which use standardised grade boundaries.

Are you sure that those marks are out of 90 and 70? They may have been marked out of those but UMS generally doesn't have the same maximum mark.
Reply 4
TheEd
Any marks you receive on results sheets etc. will never be raw marks. They will always be UMS as raw marks don't mean anything on their own.

The link contains the raw mark grade boundaries. The marks you have look to be UMS however, which use standardised grade boundaries.

Are you sure that those marks are out of 90 and 70? They may have been marked out of those but UMS generally doesn't have the same maximum mark.


Thanks for the helpful reply. Okay, so the marks 63 & 56 are UMS, but do you know how to find out what they're out of so I can work out how close I was to a C? Or if I still deserved higher (Which I now doubt it)

I read somewhere it's always out of 300, but that wouldn't make too much sense in this context :s-smilie: The Element Code is 8GR01 if you're able to find specific grade boundaries :smile: Thanks.

(P.S. So I definitely got 119 out of x, right? Just need to find what x is!)
Reply 5
Z1NX
Thanks for the helpful reply. Okay, so the marks 63 & 56 are UMS, but do you know how to find out what they're out of so I can work out how close I was to a C? Or if I still deserved higher (Which I now doubt it)

I read somewhere it's always out of 300, but that wouldn't make too much sense in this context :s-smilie: The Element Code is 8GR01 if you're able to find specific grade boundaries :smile: Thanks.

(P.S. So I definitely got 119 out of x, right? Just need to find what x is!)


Right, I believe Unit 1 is out of 120 UMS and Unit 2 is out of 80 UMS. The vast majority of AS levels are out of 200 UMS marks (they used to be out of 300).

So in Unit 1 you got 63/120 = D
In Unit 2 you got 56/80 = B

Overall you got 119/200 = D (120 = C).

UMS grade boundaries are always 80% of the max for A, 70% of the max for B etc. Raw boundaries are never this and they change from series to series.
Reply 6
TheEd
Right, I believe Unit 1 is out of 120 UMS and Unit 2 is out of 80 UMS. The vast majority of AS levels are out of 200 UMS marks (they used to be out of 300).

So in Unit 1 you got 63/120 = D
In Unit 2 you got 56/80 = B

Overall you got 119/200 = D (120 = C).

UMS grade boundaries are always 80% of the max for A, 70% of the max for B etc. Raw boundaries are never this and they change from series to series.


Man, thank you so much!
Honestly - If it wasn't for you, I would've still been wary about my grade.
Ah no, 1 more mark for a C :/ Oh well, I'll just improve it via my A2 Level.
Appreciate the help - Enjoy the snow :wink:
Reply 7
TheEd
Right, I believe Unit 1 is out of 120 UMS and Unit 2 is out of 80 UMS. The vast majority of AS levels are out of 200 UMS marks (they used to be out of 300).


By the way, one final question. What makes you think it's out of 120 and 80?

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