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First class honours degree?

+ polarity -

Do you need 70% out of the total number of credits (120 for me, I think) for a first?

Credits are essentially the number of courses you have taken. You need to take 120 in a year, each course will be 10, 20 or 40 credits. On passing a course you will have earned that number of credits.

In your course you will be awarded a grade in percentage form. The average grade is your overall grade. From this you can work out your degree classification.

As to what counts towards your degree, all Scottish universities that I'm aware of don't count the first two years (ie in pre-honours you just have to pass/get 50% to continue to the next level) and the honours years are split 50-50.

Reply 21

secretmessages

18

artorscience?

each course will be 10, 20 or 40 credits

Not always, depends on the university and course :smile:

Reply 22

Callipygian

2

Emperor

pls how hard is it to get 70% in uni....is it approximately the equivalent of getting >90% in an A-level exam???

Probably something like that, depends on the subject though.

I know that to get 90% in a coursework essay at my uni, it has to be of "publishable" standard.

also most modules i take are worth 15 or 30 points, but my boyfriend does computer science at the same uni and his modules are all 10, 20 etc varies a lot i think.

Reply 23

+ polarity -

21

secretmessages

Spoiler

Okay. I think I understand now...

:beard:

So would I actually need 70% in every exam (assuming there is no scaling) to get a first? I want one. :puppyeyes:

And thanks for explaining :h:

Reply 24

CatherineG30

OP

I'm studying Social Sciences at Edinburgh Napier. (I'm aware this isnt the greatest uni in the world just before anyone else decides to tell me.) Anyway, I recently got my module results for the first semester and they were really excellent and one lecturer said to me to try to go for a first class. I should of asked more about it then but I was soo shocked I didn't think.
I never really thought to much about going for a first class as I want to be a teacher but if the opportunity is there....
Thanks for the help :smile:

Reply 25

secretmessages

18

+ polarity -

Okay. I think I understand now...

:beard:

So would I actually need 70% in every exam (assuming there is no scaling) to get a first? I want one. :puppyeyes:

And thanks for explaining :h:

Not every exam, you'd just need an average (with any weighting and scaling taken into account) of 70% overall. So you could get 80% and then a 60%, and if they were equally weighted it would give you a first.

Reply 26

+ polarity -

21

artorscience?

Credits are essentially the number of courses you have taken. You need to take 120 in a year, each course will be 10, 20 or 40 credits. On passing a course you will have earned that number of credits.

In your course you will be awarded a grade in percentage form. The average grade is your overall grade. From this you can work out your degree classification.

As to what counts towards your degree, all Scottish universities that I'm aware of don't count the first two years (ie in pre-honours you just have to pass/get 50% to continue to the next level) and the honours years are split 50-50.

I get you. :top:

My degree is split 0 : 10 : 30 : 60 I think. :nothing:

Reply 27

x_LiNk_x

13

Achieve greater than 70%.

Reply 28

Emperor

wow!! so that means its almost impossible to see ppl getting above 85% in any uni exam/course?

Reply 29

artorscience?

11

secretmessages

Not always, depends on the university and course :smile:

It's a demonstration. I could have included an "etc." Would you like me to edit the post?

Reply 30

+ polarity -

21

secretmessages

Not every exam, you'd just need an average (with any weighting and scaling taken into account) of 70% overall. So you could get 80% and then a 60%, and if they were equally weighted it would give you a first.

Gives me [massive] hope! :awesome:

Reply 31

*Star*Guitar*

17

Callipygian

I know that to get 90% in a coursework essay at my uni, it has to be of "publishable" standard.

Same. That's why I really can't find a comparison between A-level and degree percentages, as much as people want one. It differs slightly depending on the subject of course, but I did A Level law and now I'm reading for my degree in it, and there's just no comparison. Law is a funny one though, there are levels of complexity with the subject that you barely scratch the surface with when doing the A Level.
The degree requres a good level of understanding, ability to digest large amounts of material including a lot of independent research, keeping in mind links and ideas of the wider picture, succinctly explaining complex principles and applying logical conclusions from known solutions to new debates, to name a few things. The opportunity and scope for that in A Level is slim; if I had to, I'd say 90% at A Level is around 50-53% at degree level.

Reply 32

secretmessages

18

artorscience?

It's a demonstration. I could have included an "etc." Would you like me to edit the post?

No, but it sounded like your post was suggesting that they were the only options, that's all.

Reply 33

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

17

Emperor

pls how hard is it to get 70% in uni....is it approximately the equivalent of getting >90% in an A-level exam???

I'd say it's pretty hard but not in the same sense that getting 90% at A level is hard. It's hard because you have to do a lot more reading (where as at A level you just needed to know the curriculum inside out) and outside work increases a lot. Plus some of the markers are tough :p:

Also the level at which you write has to be so much better.

Emperor

wow!! so that means its almost impossible to see ppl getting above 85% in any uni exam/course?

In essay based assessments it's not impossible but the numbers are low

Reply 34

RadioElectric

2

Emperor

wow!! so that means its almost impossible to see ppl getting above 85% in any uni exam/course?

Where'dya get that from? Whether you see very high results like that is usually particular to the content/style of a module. It happens.

Reply 35

Emperor

*Star*Guitar*

Same. That's why I really can't find a comparison between A-level and degree percentages, as much as people want one. It differs slightly depending on the subject of course, but I did A Level law and now I'm reading for my degree in it, and there's just no comparison. Law is a funny one though, there are levels of complexity with the subject that you barely scratch the surface with when doing the A Level.
The degree requres a good level of understanding, ability to digest large amounts of material including a lot of independent research, keeping in mind links and ideas of the wider picture, succinctly explaining complex principles and applying logical conclusions from known solutions to new debates, to name a few things. The opportunity and scope for that in A Level is slim; if I had to, I'd say 90% at A Level is around 50-53% at degree level.

thats scary :eek:

Reply 36

Callipygian

2

The best i have got in an essay based exam was 84.62, but the essay was only worth about 60% of the exam the rest was short answer, we didnt get told the individual marks. however that was a module that i REALLY loved, want to do my dissertation in that area etc so not really a normal example, the other grades in essay based exams arnt that high.
If the exams are more mathy you can do really well, all my statistical modules are quite high marks, its either right or wrong and split up into smaller sections than an essay.

Reply 37

CatherineG30

OP

Emperor

thats scary :eek:

I think that depends on the specific a-levels and even what papers you sit at a-level whether is excel or ccea etc

Reply 38

*Star*Guitar*

17

Emperor

thats scary :eek:

Ah but do bare in mind I say that's because for starters the amount of stuff on your syllabus at degree level than A level (in second and third years particularly) is a lot more, so as long as you keep up the pace in terms of the knowledge you need to gain, then your mark should comfortably reach 60%. What some people don't realise is the skills needed to then reach the higher 2:1/first bracket, which aren't particularly practised at A level and which is why those previously comfortably getting As may get a shock. The way you think about what you're learning and the way you use the material in your essay becomes much more important here.

Reply 39

halfoflessthan50p

12

orca92

Would everyone at the same uni be able to get a first if they all achieved over 70% or does a certain amount have to get a third, 2:2 etc?
If it is the case that not everyone in the year can get a first then surely you stand more chance at getting a first at somewhere like Northumbria as opposed to Cambridge right?

The percentage of people getting firsts in some subjects at Cambridge will be >%40 whereas it will be much lower at other places. Percentage of good degrees (2:1s and 1st) is one of the things on all the league tables.

Emperor

wow!! so that means its almost impossible to see ppl getting above 85% in any uni exam/course?

My housemate got %98 in his quantum mechanics exam. Ridiculous :no:

I managed to scrape a 1st. I generally got between %65 and %85. Im not sure it was worth it really though because I was stressed out and miserable through a lot of uni.

For a science degree anyway, my advice would be:

for the exams - do every single problem and past paper that exists

and for each lab report - put in 20 more references than anyone else.

First class honours degree?

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