Anyone received a first at university with less than 70%?

Bill_Gates

Anyone received a first at university with less than 70%?

thanks

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Reply 1

Dragonfly07

I thought that the definition of a first is 70%+ :confused:

Reply 2

lyrical_lie

If it's less than 70% it's a 2:1 regardless I thought. Maybe if they got 69% then got an appeal due to mitigating circumstances or something :dontknow:

Reply 3

Bill_Gates

Original post by lyrical_lie

If it's less than 70% it's a 2:1 regardless I thought. Maybe if they got 69% then got an appeal due to mitigating circumstances or something :dontknow:

Yep thats exactly what i mean. Some universities round up i.e from 68% +

or see this article from about the LSE
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/192163.article

Reply 4

cambio wechsel

I think that there are universities at which a first class degree might be awarded if a preponderance of finals papers are given first class marks, such that it would be possible to have an average under 70.

Reply 5

medbh4805

For Classics mods at Oxford

A First can be achieved by a (weighted) average mark of 68.5 or greater, with at least two marks of 70 or above at least one of which much be on a paper involving essay work, and no mark below 50

I imagine things like this vary enormously however by university and course. :holmes:

Reply 6

Bill_Gates

Original post by medbh4805

For Classics mods at Oxford

I imagine things like this vary enormously however by university and course. :holmes:

very true, so just looking for some input/experiences :redface:

Reply 7

Rybee

Very common practice in all universities, though students are often unaware of it.

A friend of mine was awarded a 2:1 with 58% because 3/5 his final year modules were at 2:1 standard.

Reply 8

Bill_Gates

Original post by Rybee

Very common practice in all universities, though students are often unaware of it.

A friend of mine was awarded a 2:1 with 58% because 3/5 his final year modules were at 2:1 standard.

ah very lucky!.

Reply 9

Forum User

At my university you can get a first with a 68% average as long as you got 70%+ in enough individual modules. I thought that some variant on this was pretty standard.

Reply 10

Bill_Gates

Original post by Forum User

At my university you can get a first with a 68% average as long as you got 70%+ in enough individual modules. I thought that some variant on this was pretty standard.

I keep hearing the same.

Reply 11

Manitude

Yes, some universities round up from 69.5% or so. At Lancaster 68.3% is a first, possibly 68.5%, because they decided that percentages were too confusing so they changed to letter grades which almost arbitrarily map onto a number out of 24 which then corresponds to a percentage.

The borderlines are about 67% to 68.3%, where you get the higher grade if more than half your final year work is above it (or something like that)

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 12

Hustler-1337

Original post by Bill_Gates

Yep thats exactly what i mean. Some universities round up i.e from 68% +

or see this article from about the LSE
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/192163.article

Wait, so essentially some of us are working our asses off whilst the kid at the uni next door (*cough* LSE) just turns up for his exams and pulls out a first and also has better job prospects?

I know there are some disparities between university degree marking, but to say that it is possible to get a first with 52.5% is grossly unfair and taking the mick. I'm not sure whether to believe this article or not and hope it's not the case any longer seeing as the article was written in 2004.

Reply 13

Bill_Gates

Original post by Hustler-1337

its not "exactly 52.5%". As if for example they got 52.5% over all their exams they wouldnt get a first but say if they got 80%+ in a few exams and didnt do well on the rest they would get a first.

Reply 14

playingcards

A First can be achieved by a (weighted) average mark of 68.5 or greater, with at least two marks of 70 or above at least one of which much be on a paper involving essay work, and no mark below 50

It’s the same for History. This is exactly what I had. An average of 68.7, most all papers ranging from 66 to 68 except for one paper at 70 and a thesis at 75.
The jammiest most technical First ever.

Reply 15

ThatPerson

Original post by cambio wechsel

Can you explain what you mean? wth does preponderance mean in this context? I googled it and I still don't understand how this makes sense. :colondollar:

Reply 16

cambio wechsel

Original post by ThatPerson

Can you explain what you mean? wth does preponderance mean in this context? I googled it and I still don't understand how this makes sense. :colondollar:

Suppose that you sit 8 papers to graduate.

Your grades for these are 70, 71, 72, 70, 74, 62, 63, 59, 65.

5 of the 9 papers are first class results but the numerical average here is <70.

As others have said, conventions will differ. But under this circumstance a first class degree might be awarded at many institutions.

Reply 17

Theflyingbarney

For Law at Cambridge (in the first year) you can get a 1st with two papers being 1sts and two 2:1s, so technically you could get a 1st overall for the year with an average of 65% (i.e. 2 x 70%, 2 x 60%). Apparently last year the rules were changed so that both the 2:1s had to be above 65% to get a 1st overall, but they changed them back because it screwed so many people over - a guy in the year above got two 1sts, a high 2:1 and then one at 64%, so missed out on a 1st for the year....

So yeah, here at least it is possible to get a 1st with under 70%, although not on any particular paper, just overall.

Reply 18

rmhumphries

CS @ Nottingham:

If you get 120/240 credits worth of a higher classification (180/260 credits for MSci) and an average of 49/59/67+, you will be awarded the higher classification.

So, BSc Borderline 1st -> 120 credits at 70%+ (out of your modules for year 2/3) and an average between 67% and 69.9%.