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Handed in a coursework 800 words short. Can i still pass?

So i handed in a final year piece of coursework 800 words short of the word limit which was 3000. I completed the question however i don't think i will pass and now i am worried that i won't graduate because i'll have failed the module. :frown:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 1

lukas1051

How much was the word limit? If it was like, 1000, then probably.

Reply 2

hobnob

Probably, but depending on what your faculty's regulations are, you may be marked down for it.

Stupid question.

Original post by lukas1051

How much was the word limit? If it was like, 1000, then probably.

You meant to add an extra 0 there, didn't you? :p:

Reply 5

DarkSenrine

If it was a 20,000 word limit, you're fine.

If the limit was 800, you're monumentally ****ed.

Reply 6

lukas1051

Original post by hobnob

You meant to add an extra 0 there, didn't you? :p:

Haha, nope. A 200 word essay would almost definitely fail you.

it was 3000 words.

I would have thought 2200 would be ok for a 3k word limit......... Assuming you have covered all the points you need to cover and to the necessary standard.

There is no point adding on 800 words of waffle if it doesn't add any value to the assignment.

Reply 9

hannah_dru

If you have the same +/- 10% margin that we have then you may well have a problem.

Reply 10

chrislpp

I'd have thought with all the crap in academia you'd be awarded MORE marks for answering the question in as few words as possible.

It's like being asked to get into work in the morning on time except you have to have done 300 miles to get there.

Reply 11

lazy smurf

The general rule is + or - 10% so 2700 - 3300. So I think you will get marked down.

Reply 12

username266244

quality not quantity, if you have answered the question, then its fine. The examiner might even appreciate the fact that you wrote so succinctly

Reply 13

Kitty Pimms

You may not get a stonking mark for it, but you'd be very unlikely to fail solely on the basis of brevity, I would have thought. Certainly I wouldn't automatically fail an essay of 2,200 words unless it was 2,200 words of ****e. I would expect though that in comparison to longer essays it may be missing some depth of analysis or perspectives that other essays had covered and therefore conclude that it may be a rush job. Having said that I would rather read a short, high quality essay than a rambling pointless effort that met the word count.

Reply 14

hobnob

Original post by lukas1051

Haha, nope. A 200 word essay would almost definitely fail you.

Oh, right, so you were referring to the bit in the post about being worried about failing the module. I thought you were answering the question in the thread title (i.e. 'Can I still pass?'), in which case you might have been slightly too optimistic in suggesting that 200 words would be sufficient for a pass... :wink: