Word count

How do markers know if the word count you put down is actually right and is it true that there is like a 10% leniance (can't spell sorry) either way so if its 1000 words you can have 900 or 1100 words?

Reply 1

digitalparadox

1

I think they have a rough idea of the number of pages 10,000 words takes up for example and then believe your word count. However, i did 15,000 words for a 10,000 word essay and risked it - I ended up with full marks. At the bottom of the essay, i put 10,516 words to make it look realistic and it worked.

Reply 2

Elles

17

depends on the uni - for my dissertation we have to submit an electronic copy, apparently to check for plaigarism but they could do a word count too if the essay looked suspicious i imagine - & if your essay's much longer than everyone else's it might.. (!)

our word count is absolute, so writing to it is part of the assessment i guess. :bawling:

do you have a course handbook or something that would set out the rules & penalties for your course..? :smile:

Reply 3

Alan Smithee

digitalparadox

However, i did 15,000 words for a 10,000 word essay and risked it - I ended up with full marks.

What, you got 100%?

Reply 4

Kittennffc

15

I guess it depends one what kind of assessment it is; markers might be more inclined to penalise for being majorly over or under a wordcount if it was a dissertation, yet if it was just a normal assessment they might not be too bothered unless it was ridiculously over or under.

Its definately true about the 10% lenience though :smile:

Reply 5

Knogle

16

And I think they tend to trust your integrity quite a bit, that is until you're caught for a blatant violation of the guideline. :wink:

Reply 6

sexysax

14

At our uni they allow us 10% either way. They did tell us that they don't actually check the word count but they know roughly what a say 3,000 word essay should look like. We submit everything on paper and an electronic copy to check for plagiarism, so it would be quite easy to double check something.

Reply 7

dismal_laundry

15

cat_meiow

How do markers know if the word count you put down is actually right and is it true that there is like a 10% leniance (can't spell sorry) either way so if its 1000 words you can have 900 or 1100 words?

If you submit your work electronically as an MS Word document, or electronically as well as in hard copy form, they simply highlight the document, go to the "tools" dropdown menu, and hit "word count". In IB, for the big essays, you also have to include an exact word count and they are very strict. I don't know about your lecturers though.

Reply 8

Spunky

14

Kittennffc

Its definately true about the 10% lenience though :smile:

Not at all places, some of my friends have had extra strict tutors who penalise if you go more than 5% either side, others have more lenient ones. As Elles said, the guideline for penalties should be somewhere in your course handbook or on your course website :smile:

.

Reply 9

Fluffy

15

Casey

Not at all places, some of my friends have had extra strict tutors who penalise if you go more than 5% either side, others have more lenient ones. As Elles said, the guideline for penalties should be somewhere in your course handbook or on your course website :smile:

.

Experience. Most experienced markers can spot an essay that's over or under. Most will turn a blind eye to +/- 10%.

Like Elles at Oxon, at BL we also have to submit work through an electronic plagiarism programme, which also word counts...

Reply 10

LongGone

18

At my uni the history department used to take marks off for being one word over... I think they now allow you a whole 1%... how generous :rolleyes:

Luckily the politics department allows you 10% over :smile:

Reply 11

passthesaltplease

5

Markers tend to be more lenient if it is an extra 500-1000 words (or whatever) of quality as opposed to the 'baffle with bull****' approach of rambling on until you feel you've bored them enough that they won't notice how crap your essay actually is.

Reply 12

kookabura

13

Most places seem to allow +/- 10%, but check with individual departments/tutors as some will vary it. I had to do a short report early this term (500 words) and with it being so short anyway they wouldn't let us go under (but we could go over by 10%) so its worth checking. Like people have said though, they won't know if its only a few words over, but the get the feeling for what a 1000/2000/3000 word essay would look like and if its obviously more then they might check it out further. Again, like has been said some places ask for an electronic copy - in which case you need to stick to the limit, obviously its pretty easy to check them for the word limit!

Reply 13

JackieS

11

Kittennffc

Its definately true about the 10% lenience though :smile:

not at my university - you can be under, but not a single word over

Word count

Related discussions

Articles for you