Degree classification. Missed out on a 1st class degree by 0.05%

Hi,

This is my first post so forgive me if it’s in the wrong place!

I’m after some advice really. Received my final degree classification and devastated to find out that I have missed out on a first class degree by 0.05%. Received an overall percentage of 69.95%. I have spoken to the head of Head of my School who also coincidentally sits on the exam board, who I asked for a remark on one of my papers which he marks as he is module leader for this module however he said that he will not do this since all marking is ‘fair and appropriate’. He then told me that I also cannot appeal this classification since ‘a disagreement with academic judgement or degree classification’ does not constitute valid grounds for appeal.

I spoke to my student services academic advisors who advised me that I could potentially appeal, based on mitigating circumstances which I was experiencing during exam season however they told me that if my appeal was successful that the university would simply not raise my classification to a 1st and that I would have to resit the relevant paper. However, because this resit would be considered a first attempt if I subsequently did worse in it than my original sitting and thus my overall degree percentage is lowered then this would stand.

I am quite confident I can do better on this resit if my appeal was accepted, however I am worried that my tutor who is the module lead and sits on the exam board and will be marking this paper will be prejudiced after what he has told me about appealing and marking my original paper which I am pretty sure I did better on!

What would you advise? Would you be happy with the high 2.1 or risk resitting and if you did worse accept a lower overall degree percentage?

Thankyou! All advice appreciated

It's highly unusual for a mark this close to the boundary not to be bumped up to a first. Usually 69.51 or greater is awarded a I, and in some places, anything higher than 69 is.

You seem to be suggesting that you actually can resit this. Again, this is unusual. If you've taken an assessment and been graded in it without any serious adverse circumstances or other things to nullify the mark, you usually cannot ask to be a candidate again in parts you've already been assessed in - that would be having two bites at the cherry. To retrospectively apply serious adverse circumstances to an exam/assessment already sat (as you are suggesting in your post) is highly unusual, and only relates to circumstances where you didn't realise that your performance was being affected by the adverse circumstance(s)

Are you quite sure that you would even be able to resit?

For the vast majority of circumstances, a 2i is a 2i, and a further breakdown of the result would not be required - this would be for things like grad schemes and other employment. For those places who were interested in the breakdown, such as if you were applying for further study, maybe law etc, the recruiter could ask to see the transcript, whereupon he or she would see your mark was as close to a I as it is possible to get.

Would I risk appealing, having the appeal accepted (after an inevitably lengthy process), resitting, remarking and waiting...? No. What practically will you gain from this? You know your result is practically a I class result; the transcript evidence this. That would be enough for me.

I understand where you are coming from and appreciate your advice. I know I should probably be grateful for the mark I have received however the amount of blood sweat and tears I invested into this degree makes it so much harder to accept. To be a 1st class student throughout your degree and then to fall al the last hurdle is devastating. Also, doesn’t help that I am trying to break into the legal industry where I know for a fact that a 1st class degree would help me massively! Just feel absolutely devastated tbh

Yes, and I fully understand that. And please note that I'm not suggesting you should be 'grateful' for the mark: it's more a question of what is most expedient and practical in your circumstances.

If it's very important to you (and I can fully see why it would be) then you need to weigh up the risks of retaking and getting a worse mark with the possibility of retaking and having it get you over the boundary. Only you can make that judgement call.

Guess I have a lot of thinking to do! Not going to be an easy decision to make especially as I have the tendency to overthink ALOT! Thanks for your advice, appreciate it.

Personally, if I had the opportunity to resit and felt confident that I could get a higher mark, I would go for it! I'm surprised your grade wasn't bumped up, especially if your other work was of 1st class standard. Sounds a bit fishy to me and I don't accept that work is marked anonymously. It's very easy to check a student's identity with their student i.d. number, which should be on all your papers (especially if they are programme leader). Go for it! Nothing to lose and the worse case scenario will be that you get the same or lower result and remain with a 2:1. Not trying will probably bother you for many years to come.

You're welcome And I'm just one voice here - you'll get plenty more with, I'm sure, different takes on it.

It's not going to be an easy decision, no. What sort of support have you had from your tutor/Director of Studies about this, as well as student services? Is the situation slightly combative or 'pre-complaint' with you in your department?

Unfortunately the director of studies and the head of school is this particular tutor who is also the module leader for this module! Given his previous emails which state that nothing can be done as one cannot challenge their degree classification simply because of an agreement with academic judgement I have a gut feeling that if I was to resit then he would be biased and not give me a higher grade should I do better in this resit! Even when I asked for a remark, as I know for a fact I did better in the exam he told me this is something which the university procedure does not allow!

I have spoke to student services who said I could appeal based on my circumstances however this tutor would be marking my paper since he is the module lead and like I have said I honestly don’t know if he sound be fair! So I am stuck and simply don’t know what to do.

Think bumping up is usually for the year, not for each module. (I don't think modules are even classed on my uni's transcripts)

Yeah I meant bumped up for the final classification. I mean, why not?! That's just plain mean.

Hi,

This is my first post so forgive me if it’s in the wrong place!

I’m after some advice really. Received my final degree classification and devastated to find out that I have missed out on a first class degree by 0.05%. Received an overall percentage of 69.95%. I have spoken to the head of Head of my School who also coincidentally sits on the exam board, who I asked for a remark on one of my papers which he marks as he is module leader for this module however he said that he will not do this since all marking is ‘fair and appropriate’. He then told me that I also cannot appeal this classification since ‘a disagreement with academic judgement or degree classification’ does not constitute valid grounds for appeal.

I spoke to my student services academic advisors who advised me that I could potentially appeal, based on mitigating circumstances which I was experiencing during exam season however they told me that if my appeal was successful that the university would simply not raise my classification to a 1st and that I would have to resit the relevant paper. However, because this resit would be considered a first attempt if I subsequently did worse in it than my original sitting and thus my overall degree percentage is lowered then this would stand.

I am quite confident I can do better on this resit if my appeal was accepted, however I am worried that my tutor who is the module lead and sits on the exam board and will be marking this paper will be prejudiced after what he has told me about appealing and marking my original paper which I am pretty sure I did better on!

What would you advise? Would you be happy with the high 2.1 or risk resitting and if you did worse accept a lower overall degree percentage?

Thankyou! All advice appreciated

Whilst this doesn't do anything help you, given how close you came, Im very impressed by the unis firm stance and their diligent take on extenuating circumstances and resits. I wish all unis were held to this standard, this is how i feel it should be personally, I think it is overall in everyones interest to have a firm clear rule and stick to it as your uni has. (What uni is this?).