The Student Room Group

How are access courses graded

I'm applying to do an access course in environmental science and the degree I plan to do afterwards asks for 30 level 3 credits at distinction grade. The access course details say I will be doing 3 subjects and will have 4 assignments per subject.

Does anyone know how access courses are graded? I don't really know what "30 credits at distinction" means as I don't know the grading system for access courses.

Thanks :smile:
Original post by Chris.A
I'm applying to do an access course in environmental science and the degree I plan to do afterwards asks for 30 level 3 credits at distinction grade. The access course details say I will be doing 3 subjects and will have 4 assignments per subject.

Does anyone know how access courses are graded? I don't really know what "30 credits at distinction" means as I don't know the grading system for access courses.

Thanks :smile:


I did a BTEC, which uses a similar system but can't give specifics to access.
Each essay is given a grade:
So if I remember right, there is pass (E), merit (C) and distinction (A).
Each of these are worth a different amount of points.
From this I'm assuming you need a certain number of distinctions to fulfil the 30 credits?
As a guess, It may be something like 2 for pass, 4 for merit, and 8 for distinction.
Reply 2
Original post by Chris.A
I'm applying to do an access course in environmental science and the degree I plan to do afterwards asks for 30 level 3 credits at distinction grade. The access course details say I will be doing 3 subjects and will have 4 assignments per subject.

Does anyone know how access courses are graded? I don't really know what "30 credits at distinction" means as I don't know the grading system for access courses.

Thanks :smile:


I am currently. Doing an access course. It consists of 60 credits. We chose three level 3 subjects which are 15 credits each. We also do communications, research skills and a research project, maths and it. We do 9 level 2 credits and 51 level 3, although this year we also did extra level 3 credits, but they are not doing that next year. Each unit is marked as either, pass, merit or distinction. So you basically need half the available credits at distinction.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 3
Thank you that make sense, half at distinction doesn't sound so daunting, although I will try to get as many as possible :smile:
I understand that from September, all Access courses will be restricted to offering 45 credits at level 3 and 15 at level 2. Some currently do this anyway but others do all 60 at level 3. Most universities, however, base their offers on the assumption that you will be doing 45 credits, so their requirements will probably be the same next year as they are for this year.
The college I study at from next year will only offer level 3 credits.

We also have 45 core level 3 credits in physics, biology, anatomy & physiology, chemistry& maths. We also have a research project involving a proposal then and experiment and presentation of the project which in total is worth 12 level 3 credits. We then have IT and maths at level 2. Communications can be either level 2 or 3 depending on what level you need the credits at. We also have additional modules as some people need 60 level 3 credits for their Uni offer. Crazy really as you only need 45 to pass the course! Level 2 credit are only graded pass or fail.

Some people are taking additional modules so that they can choose their best grades at the end.

The way it works with our course pass is over 40% merit over 60% and distinction over 80%. We also get really good information from tutors as to what we need to achieve to get p/m or d.

Have you spoken to the universities yet to find out what you need to achieve on the access course for a place at Uni? I know the expectations for everyone on our course vary wildly from 45 distinction credits to just passing the course. Some people applying to the same course have different conditions as well!


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 6
Original post by RobertsClan
The college I study at from next year will only offer level 3 credits.

We also have 45 core level 3 credits in physics, biology, anatomy & physiology, chemistry& maths. We also have a research project involving a proposal then and experiment and presentation of the project which in total is worth 12 level 3 credits. We then have IT and maths at level 2. Communications can be either level 2 or 3 depending on what level you need the credits at. We also have additional modules as some people need 60 level 3 credits for their Uni offer. Crazy really as you only need 45 to pass the course! Level 2 credit are only graded pass or fail.

Some people are taking additional modules so that they can choose their best grades at the end.

The way it works with our course pass is over 40% merit over 60% and distinction over 80%. We also get really good information from tutors as to what we need to achieve to get p/m or d.

Have you spoken to the universities yet to find out what you need to achieve on the access course for a place at Uni? I know the expectations for everyone on our course vary wildly from 45 distinction credits to just passing the course. Some people applying to the same course have different conditions as well!


Posted from TSR Mobile



Thank you that's really helpful, mine may be similar as its science. The university I want to go to asks 30 level 3 credits at distinction, I have no idea how difficult this is going to be to achieve, hopefully I will have good tutors!
I'm luck I only have to gain a pass overall, although so far I have distinctions in everything so far.

I've found the tutors to be really helpful our's tell you what they expect you to have to gain a pass merit or distinction and so long as you keep I top of the work as you get it I'm sure you'll be fine. At the end of the day they want is all to get into our first choice of course.

I do know that some people who started the course having been told that they need 30+ distinction credit found their conditional offer was actually much lower when they got their offer through UCAS.

Good luck I'm sure you'll enjoy it.






Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 8
My first choice Uni requires 30 distinctions and 12 merits at level 3. So far I have 30 level 3 distinctions. Out tutors have also being very good at telling us what we need to do and the assignment briefs are really clear for each grade descriptor, so you clearly is what you need to do to get good grades. If you put in lots of work you will get the grades xx


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 9
Hi could anyone give me a little advice as I am still a bit confused. My offer from University requires at least 9 level 3 credits at distinction. How many credits are given for each essay/unit that I have achieved at distinction? Thanks :smile:
Reply 10
It depends on the unit. Most of ours were 3credits but some were 6, and we got 9 for our research project.


Posted from TSR Mobile

Quick Reply

Latest