went over my word count by 10% and i'm scared ill be capped

9

hello, I'm currently in my first year of uni. i recently handed in my essay and it went over the word count of 10% and i fear i may be capped at a pass. It has a table included as well and im scared i won't do well.
i emailed my lecturer about it, but i highly doubt they would read all my essay.

Reply 1

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

22

Original post by mylifeasci

hello, I'm currently in my first year of uni. i recently handed in my essay and it went over the word count of 10% and i fear i may be capped at a pass. It has a table included as well and im scared i won't do well.
i emailed my lecturer about it, but i highly doubt they would read all my essay.

Check the unit outline for your particular module. Each unit might have their own policies for word counts.

When I did my degree, I came across 3 different policies:

•

Anything within 10% above the word count is fine

•

For ever 1% above the word count, 1% is deducted from the grade given

•

Nothing to be concerned about so long it's nothing outrageous like 20% above the word count

It's difficult to say how strict your lecturer/marker will be (they could be 2 different people).

I usually try to stick within the 10% word limit as a guide and really try to cut the content down if necessary.

Whether you would do well or not depends more on what's written and how well it's written as opposed to the quantity of words types. If you have the right content written in the appropriate way, then you should do fine.

It's also first year, so that implies that the grades won't count towards your final grade. Whilst I always encourage people to try their best in their first year to see how far they can go as well as using it as a test run for future assignments (as well as setting a good record for internships), it's not going to be a death sentence if you don't end up with 70%+. That's the worst case scenario. Consider it a lesson.

Reply 2

username5325984

OP

9

Thank you for your response. My essay will be marked by two lecturers. One is female and the other is a male. The female lecturer is more strict whilst the male lecturer is more calm and kind. I decided to email, the lecturer about it but I highly doubt they won’t allow me to deduct any words.
I also submitted it early as it’s due tomorrow at 12pm.

Reply 3

martin7

20

Original post by mylifeasci

Thank you for your response. My essay will be marked by two lecturers. One is female and the other is a male. The female lecturer is more strict whilst the male lecturer is more calm and kind. I decided to email, the lecturer about it but I highly doubt they won’t allow me to deduct any words.
I also submitted it early as it’s due tomorrow at 12pm.

How is the gender of the markers relevant?

The fact that one is "more strict" and the other "more calm and kind" is just how they present themselves. You have no idea how strict/lenient their marking might be.

What penalty (if any) you receive will depend on the policies that are applied. If you're just over the limit this might be overlooked. At least you should expect a comment in the feedback noting you've gone over the limit. You might get docked some marks. The policy might be that the marker stops reading at the limit, which means you won't gain marks for the points you make beyond that point. I think it's unlikely you'll have your marks capped.

What I don't understand is why you submitted your work early when there was work that needed to be done on it (i.e. editing it down to get within the word limit).

Reply 4

LSBU

Official Rep

8

Original post by mylifeasci

hello, I'm currently in my first year of uni. i recently handed in my essay and it went over the word count of 10% and i fear i may be capped at a pass. It has a table included as well and im scared i won't do well.
i emailed my lecturer about it, but i highly doubt they would read all my essay.

Hi,

It really does depend on the university and their word count policy as to how they will treat the extra 10%. Some universities have a 10% rule on either side of the word count whereas some universities are strict on being exactly at the word count.

Universities that don't have the 10% rule either penalise for every percentage you are over whereas some universities just stop reading once they reach the word count meaning that anything said after the limit won't be read or graded meaning your grade will be lower than if you had stayed within the word count.

I would advise checking your university's online platforms to see if they have any information on word count policies or try speaking to more senior students who may be able to advise you as to what happens in your situation.

I hope this is of some assistance and try not to panic too much about the assignment!

Mary
London South Bank University Student Rep (3rd-year Children's Nursing)

Reply 5

Anonymous #1

Original post by MindMax2000

Check the unit outline for your particular module. Each unit might have their own policies for word counts.
When I did my degree, I came across 3 different policies:

•

Anything within 10% above the word count is fine

•

For ever 1% above the word count, 1% is deducted from the grade given

•

Nothing to be concerned about so long it's nothing outrageous like 20% above the word count

It's difficult to say how strict your lecturer/marker will be (they could be 2 different people).
I usually try to stick within the 10% word limit as a guide and really try to cut the content down if necessary.
Whether you would do well or not depends more on what's written and how well it's written as opposed to the quantity of words types. If you have the right content written in the appropriate way, then you should do fine.
It's also first year, so that implies that the grades won't count towards your final grade. Whilst I always encourage people to try their best in their first year to see how far they can go as well as using it as a test run for future assignments (as well as setting a good record for internships), it's not going to be a death sentence if you don't end up with 70%+. That's the worst case scenario. Consider it a lesson.

Yeah I’ve unfortunately had 19%. I submitted it today 1 minute late with one reference missing but it’s been cited in text I’m not sure what to do

went over my word count by 10% and i'm scared ill be capped

Related discussions

Articles for you