How does grading work at Oxbridge?

I'm an American probably applying to Oxford this year, but I can't find anything on how the grading system works. Are there only final exams at the end of each year? Do they have periodic tests/quizzes throughout the year, and do these count at all towards my final grade? I heard there's a lot of writing and I'll be writing several essays a week - how are these graded, and will they count towards my final grade? Will I have a final GPA out of 4.0 like at American colleges?

Thanks!

Reply 1

G.Hailstone

All (well most) degrees in the UK are graded as follows:

1st (70%)
2:1 - Upper Second Class (60%)
2:2 - Lower second (50%)
3rd (40%)
Fail (<40%)

I am not at Oxbridge so I don't know about what counts and what doesn't, but I believe it is all based on your final year exams. Someone else should be able to correct me or confirm

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 2

fluteflute

19

Seeing as you mentioned PPE in another of your posts....

PPE has exams at the end of the first year called "Prelims", which you have to pass to continue, but don't count towards your final grade. Then there are no exams in second year. But at the end of the third year you have your "Finals", normally eight three-hour exams, which alone determine your final grade.

That might sound daunting, but it's hard to do too badly. More or less everyone will get a 2.1 (see post above). If you've done nothing for three years you might get a 2.2 or 3rd. If you work hard, a significant minority get a 1st.

You'll have practise exams at other times too. But these, and your weekly essays, don't contribute to your overall grade.

(Different Oxford and Cambridge courses work slightly differently, but what I've said above holds for 'Arts' subjects at Oxford.)

Reply 3

Baloney1011

OP

3

I see. So, if my essays have absolutely no impact on my grade, do I have any motivation (apart from a scholarly pursuit of learning xD) to do my best on them?

Reply 4

nexttime

22

Original post by Baloney1011

I see. So, if my essays have absolutely no impact on my grade, do I have any motivation (apart from a scholarly pursuit of learning xD) to do my best on them?

Yes - your tutors will be reading them! They might also be discussed in front of your peers in tutorials.

Consistently performing below standard will get you noticed.

Reply 5

*pitseleh*

20

Original post by Baloney1011

I see. So, if my essays have absolutely no impact on my grade, do I have any motivation (apart from a scholarly pursuit of learning xD) to do my best on them?

Depends.. do you fancy reading out a sub-par essay to your tutor (not every college makes students do this, but mine did) and then being interrogated about it for a whole hour in a small room with no-one else to bail you out? Okay, so I'm making it sound awful (I actually really liked tutorials), but yeah.. you'd soon find out where people get their motivation to write decent tute essays if you tried to slip a sub-standard one past your tutor!

Reply 6

username1865079

14

Original post by Baloney1011

I see. So, if my essays have absolutely no impact on my grade, do I have any motivation (apart from a scholarly pursuit of learning xD) to do my best on them?

What you're assigned to do, like essays, are there to improve your ability (and for your tutor/supervisor to check if you are), so not putting your effort in it will probably eventually affect to your performance. And your DoS/supervisor will make sure you'll know they're not happy with the quality of your work. :wink:

Reply 7

Baloney1011

OP

3

Hmm, so the motivation for good performance at Oxford is more social than academic, whereas in U.S. universities it's the opposite (i.e. "do you want to be embarrassed in front of friends/tutor?" as opposed to "do you want a low GPA?"). Interesting, I never considered this. I think the former is actually a more effective motivation for most people. Anyway, thanks.

Reply 8

username1865079

14

Original post by Baloney1011

Hmm, so the motivation for good performance at Oxford is more social than academic, whereas in U.S. universities it's the opposite (i.e. "do you want to be embarrassed in front of friends/tutor?" as opposed to "do you want a low GPA?" :wink:

. Interesting, I never considered this. I think the former is actually a more effective motivation for most people. Anyway, thanks.

No it's not. You're reading what she wrote too literally.
You may find yourself in an 'embarrassing situation' if your DoS/supervisors detect you're not putting sufficient effort in your work because both them AND YOU know that would eventually lead to poor performance for your grade. (= in form of exam) Those academic staff are there to make sure it won't happen (as well as push you to your academic limit and beyond) and supervisiona are perfect opportunity for them to detect your lack of effort and let you know about their concern (or dissatisfaction, depends upon how they express it) and , if possible/necessarily, put you in the right track. It's nothing social about it.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 9

*pitseleh*

20

Original post by vincrows

No it's not. You're reading what she wrote too literally.
You may find yourself in an 'embarrassing situation' if your DoS/supervisors detect you're not putting sufficient effort in your work because both them AND YOU know that would eventually lead to poor performance for your grade. (= in form of exam) Those academic staff are there to make sure it won't happen (as well as push you to your academic limit and beyond) and supervisiona are perfect opportunity for them to detect your lack of effort and let you know about their concern (or dissatisfaction, depends upon how they express it) and , if possible/necessarily, put you in the right track. It's nothing social about it.

This. (And well done for correctly identifying me as a 'she'.. I'm intrigued as to how you did it!)

The most immediate problem with handing in ****ty work is that you're going to have to justify the nonsense you've written in front of someone who is (a) a lot smarter than you and (b) not going to let you off the hook easily. The more serious problem is the one you'll experience when it comes to finals (assuming you've got that far, and haven't already been pulled up and made to sit special collections etc), when you look back and realise you have nothing of any substance to revise from. It's different for different subjects, but my own tute essays formed the backbone of my revision for finals, and I don't honestly know where I'd have been without them.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 10

mishieru07

12

Original post by Baloney1011

Hmm, so the motivation for good performance at Oxford is more social than academic, whereas in U.S. universities it's the opposite (i.e. "do you want to be embarrassed in front of friends/tutor?" as opposed to "do you want a low GPA?"). Interesting, I never considered this. I think the former is actually a more effective motivation for most people. Anyway, thanks.

I would also add that consistently poor performances in tutorial essays might get you put on academic probation (as will bad grades in pre-term mock exams called Collections), and you might get expelled if you fail to improve. My own college tutors used 2i (ie 60 or better) as a yardstick, but obviously this is flexible and will probably vary depending on college/ tutors.

The other importance of doing well in tutorial work/ collections is that you want to be of good standing with your tutors, because they'll be the ones writing your references for jobs and graduate school. Colleges also give out academic awards (eg scholarships/ exhibitions, prizes for getting a first in Collection), which are helpful for CV purposes, and might have ancillary benefits (eg room ballot privileges)

How does grading work at Oxbridge?

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