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What's considered a good % in a uni essay?

My first essay got 61% :frown: I rushed it as I found out a bit 3 days before it was due.

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The following grades are offered by English universities:

1.

1st class - 70%+

2.

2:1 - 60-69%

3.

2:2 - 50-59%

4.

3rd class - 40-49%

A good grade according to most employers is 2:1 or above.

Some universities have the following comments on grade boundaries:

1.

80%+ - Exemplary (Nobel Prize winners and lecturers' performance; something worthy of publishing)

2.

70-79% - Excellent (Top class student)

3.

60-69% - Good (you have done most things correct, but missing the ingredients for top marks)

4.

50-59% - Below average (Some things wrong)

5.

40-49% - Barely a pass


I have my own scale and comments for humour sake. Let me know if you want to know what it is.
Original post by Anonymous
The following grades are offered by English universities:

1.

1st class - 70%+

2.

2:1 - 60-69%

3.

2:2 - 50-59%

4.

3rd class - 40-49%

A good grade according to most employers is 2:1 or above.

Some universities have the following comments on grade boundaries:

1.

80%+ - Exemplary (Nobel Prize winners and lecturers' performance; something worthy of publishing)

2.

70-79% - Excellent (Top class student)

3.

60-69% - Good (you have done most things correct, but missing the ingredients for top marks)

4.

50-59% - Below average (Some things wrong)

5.

40-49% - Barely a pass


I have my own scale and comments for humour sake. Let me know if you want to know what it is.

Sorry, forgot to mention, the grade boundaries mentioned above are only for bachelor's level (and PG Diplomas).
If you're doing a master's, 50% is a pass, 60% merit, 70% distinction
Original post by Anonymous
I have my own scale and comments for humour sake. Let me know if you want to know what it is.

I'm curious now.
Reply 4
Avatar for Sinnoh
Sinnoh
22
Original post by Anonymous1502
My first essay got 61% :frown: I rushed it as I found out a bit 3 days before it was due.


Yeah that's good. It might seem like a far cry coming from A-level when getting very high marks or even full marks could happen, but at uni in general it's very unusual to get more than 80%.
Original post by Anonymous
I'm curious now.

I'm not sure if it violates TSR's T&Cs.
Reply 6
Avatar for Tinders
Tinders
20
Original post by Anonymous
I'm not sure if it violates TSR's T&Cs.

Okay I think I understand now. 😂
what year are you in?

Don't think first year uni grades count towards the final degree classification. At least mine didn't.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Anonymous
Sorry, forgot to mention, the grade boundaries mentioned above are only for bachelor's level (and PG Diplomas).
If you're doing a master's, 50% is a pass, 60% merit, 70% distinction


I'm not doing a masters and those are the grade boundaries for my degree :emo:
a percentage >= 60%
Original post by Mesopotamian.
I'm not doing a masters and those are the grade boundaries for my degree :emo:

some degrees have higher grade boundaries for good reason e.g. I think the pass mark for medicine is 80%.

What degree are you doing?
Original post by Anonymous
some degrees have higher grade boundaries for good reason e.g. I think the pass mark for medicine is 80%.

What degree are you doing?

Dentistry
is the pass mark for medicine 80%?
Original post by Anonymous1502
My first essay got 61% :frown: I rushed it as I found out a bit 3 days before it was due.

That's a great grade for your first essay. Really well done. :hat2: At university, especially in Edinburgh, you generally want to try for anything above 60%. 60% itself can be a bit of a struggle, considering how academic the work can be compared to most other universities.

Good job on your grade.

Original post by Anonymous
The following grades are offered by English universities:

1.

1st class - 70%+

2.

2:1 - 60-69%

3.

2:2 - 50-59%

4.

3rd class - 40-49%

A good grade according to most employers is 2:1 or above.

Some universities have the following comments on grade boundaries:

1.

80%+ - Exemplary (Nobel Prize winners and lecturers' performance; something worthy of publishing)

2.

70-79% - Excellent (Top class student)

3.

60-69% - Good (you have done most things correct, but missing the ingredients for top marks)

4.

50-59% - Below average (Some things wrong)

5.

40-49% - Barely a pass


I have my own scale and comments for humour sake. Let me know if you want to know what it is.

Scottish universities follow the same grade metric. I disagree with the 80%+ comment. Instead, I'd say that anything above 85% could be publishable, and if someone were consistently achieving 85%+, then they would be considered truly exceptional. However, I wouldn't even consider Nobel winners in the same breath as those who receive 80%+. It's not even comparable. If your argument is that all Nobel winners would achieve 80% then you're obviously correct but that's a silly argument to make considering their league is unfathomably beyond 99.9% of undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students as well as academic researchers. Moreover, any PhD student should be able to consistently achieve 80% for an undergraduate essay.

In general, 1st year assignments are there to guide students on the fundamentals of essay-writing and research. The grades don't necessarily matter; just make sure you're taking all feedback into consideration, and that you're approaching markers for further questions (should you have any). As long as you're improving, then that's a great thing.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Anonymous
some degrees have higher grade boundaries for good reason e.g. I think the pass mark for medicine is 80%.

What degree are you doing?

:facepalm:
For that specific essay and other 1st semester/year essays, most people I know (when I did it...) received grades in the mid 50% region. @Anonymous1502, you're good. :hat2:
Exeter is basically just telling us all in a nicely passive aggressive way that they're fed up of the mess this year's grade inflation has created (thanks to we know who) and basically just doing what they want because they can. Nice.
Original post by Anonymous
The following grades are offered by English universities:

1.

1st class - 70%+

2.

2:1 - 60-69%

3.

2:2 - 50-59%

4.

3rd class - 40-49%

A good grade according to most employers is 2:1 or above.

Some universities have the following comments on grade boundaries:

1.

80%+ - Exemplary (Nobel Prize winners and lecturers' performance; something worthy of publishing)

2.

70-79% - Excellent (Top class student)

3.

60-69% - Good (you have done most things correct, but missing the ingredients for top marks)

4.

50-59% - Below average (Some things wrong)

5.

40-49% - Barely a pass


I have my own scale and comments for humour sake. Let me know if you want to know what it is.

yeah
:no:

Spoiler

Original post by Anonymous1502
My first essay got 61% :frown: I rushed it as I found out a bit 3 days before it was due.


60% is pretty good a 2:1 you say you rushed it you might be able to get 70%ish if you can take your time next time and not need to rush it which is a very good mark (a first).
Original post by jonathanemptage
60% is pretty good a 2:1 you say you rushed it you might be able to get 70%ish if you can take your time next time and not need to rush it which is a very good mark (a first).

I got 75% in my last one, I'm very happy about that :smile:

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