2019-20 SPEX COVID-19 Assessment Regulations

The safety-net policy only applies to calculated degree classifications, and as marks for Year 1 don’t count towards your final degree classification, the safety-net policy will only be applied to Years 2 and 3.

We will use all the modules you have completed this academic year before 14th March 2020.

If this is 60 credits or more, we will take the average mark from these modules.

If this is less than 60 credits, we will make it up to 60 credits using your previous year average to make up the missing credits.

When you come to the end of your programme (in June 2021 or 2022), this average mark will be entered for all the affected modules yet to be completed this year. All other marks, including those for next year will be entered as normal. The normal degree calculation rules will be run on these to give a “protected degree classification”.

We will then enter all the actual marks you achieved this year and your degree classification will be calculated as normal. If this classification is lower than the protected classification, then the higher protected classification will be used.

Your transcript will include your actual marks, with some explanation of the safety-net process.

Some illustrative examples of the protected classification are given below.

Student 1 – Year 2 on a 3-year programme.

• Year 1 average: 72.6%.
• Year 2 completed modules: #1 15 credits 73%, #2 15 credits 56%, #3 15 credits 65% and #4 15 credits 73%.
• Safety-net average calculated from the 60 credits completed in Year 2 and so is 66.75%.
• This mark and the 60 credits of modules affected are kept on record until June 2021 when a degree classification is calculated. At that time, a mark of 67% is put in for all Year 2 modules affected and classification rules run as normal (including the Year 3 marks from 2020/21) to calculate protected degree classification. This will be compared to the degree classification with actual marks and the higher will be used if there is a difference. 

Student 2 – Year 2 on a 3-year programme

55 credits completed in Semester 1.

Year 1 average: 74%

Year 2 completed modules:

• #1 10 credits 70%
• #2 10 credits 68%
• #3 10 credits 87%
• #4 10 credits 61%
• #5 10 credits 68%
• #6 5 credits 82%
• Plus 5 credits made up from the student's Year 1 average (74%), #7 5 credits 74%

Safety-net average calculated from the 55 credits completed in Year 2 and 5 credits from the student's Year 1 average and so is 72%. This mark and the 60 credits of modules affected are kept on record until June 2021 when a degree classification is calculated. At that time, a mark of 72% is put in for all Year 2 modules affected and classification rules run as normal (including the Year 3 marks from 2020/21) to calculate protected degree classification. This will be compared to the degree classification with actual marks and the higher will be used if there is a difference.

We will use all the final year modules you have completed before 14th March 2020.

If this is 60 credits or more, we will take the average mark from these modules.

If this is less than 60 credits, we will make it up to 60 credits using your previous year average to make up the missing credits.

This average mark will be entered for all the final-year modules yet to be completed. The normal degree calculation rules will be run on these to give a “protected degree classification”.

When you have completed all the assessments for the year, all the marks will be entered and your degree classification will be calculated as normal. If this classification is lower than the protected classification, then the higher protected classification will be used.

Your transcript will include your actual marks, with some explanation of the safety-net process.

Some illustrative examples of the protected classification are given below.

Student 1 – Year 3 on a 3-year programme. Year 2 average: 62.7%. Year 3 completed modules: #1 20 credits 71%, #2 20 credits 64% and #3 20 credits 66%. Safety-net average calculated from the 60 credits completed in Year 3, and so is 67.0%. A mark of 67% is put in for all Year 3 modules not yet completed and classification rules run as normal to calculate protected degree classification.

Student 2 – Year 3 on a 3-year programme. Year 2 average: 71.6%. Year 3 completed modules: #1 10 credits 74%, #2 10 credits 68%, #3 10 credits 76% and #4 10 credits 66%. Safety-net average calculated from the 40 credits completed in Year 3, and 20 credits equivalent to the Year 2 average, and so is (74*10+68*10+76*10+66*10+71.6*20)/60 = 71.2%. A mark of 71% is put in for all Year 3 modules not yet completed and classification rules run as normal to calculate protected degree classification.


Student 3 – Year 3 on a 3-year programme. Year 2 average: 52.4%. Year 3 completed modules: #1 15 credits 61%, #2 15 credits 52%, #3 15 credits 63% and #4 15 credits 33% Safety-net average calculated from the 60 credits completed in Year 3 (including the failure), and so is 52.25%. A mark of 52% is put in for all Year 3 modules not yet completed and classification rules run as normal to calculate protected degree classification.

Please see the Classification of Honours Degrees section of the Academic Guide for more in-depth information on this topic and a breakdown of degree classification boundaries below.

Your overall weighted degree average is calculated using the following weightings:

• The average from your best 80 credits achieved at Year 3 are given a weighting of 3 i.e. multiplied by 3/6.
• The average from your worst 40 credits achieved in Year 3 and the best 40 credits achieved in Year 2 are given a weighting of 2 i.e. multiplied by 2/6.
• The average from your worst 80 credits achieved in Year 2 are given a weighting of 1 i.e. multiplied by 1/6.

These components are then added together to give your weighted degree average:

Example:

• Best 80 credit Year 3 average = 68
• Worst 40 credit Year 3 and best 40 credit Year 2 average = 63
• Worst 80 credit Year 2 average = 61

68 * (3/6) + 63 * (2/6) + 61 * (1/6) = 34 + 21 + 10.17 = 65.17% weighted degree average

If your weighted degree average comes to within 2% of the next degree classification boundary (called the 'Window of Opportunity'), then the Preponderance and Exit-Velocity principles are applied. This means you could attain a higher degree classification if you satisfy either of these principles.

Preponderance Principle

Half of the credits that count towards your degree must be in a degree classification higher than your weighted degree average.

This would mean getting 120 credits at a higher degree classification across Years 2 and 3.

Example:

• Year 2 - 40 credits between 50-59% (2:2) and 80 credits between 60-69% (2:1).
• Year 3 - 80 credits between 50-59% (2:2), 30 credits between 60-69% (2:1) and 10 credits at 70+% (1st).
• Weighted Degree Average - 58.3% (2:2).
• Final Result - Upgraded to a 2:1 due to: 
  • 1) The weighted degree average being in the Window of Opportunity.
  • 2) Preponderance being satisfied i.e. 80 credits in Year 2 plus 40 credits in Year 3 were above a 2:2 classification. That gives 120 credits at a higher degree classification than the weighted degree average.

Exit-Velocity Principle

You must achieve an final year average which is in a higher degree classification than your weighted degree average.

Example:

• Weighted Degree Average - 58.3% (2:2).
• Final Year Average - 61.2% (2:1).
• Final Result - Upgraded to a 2:1 due to: 
  • 1) The weighted degree average being in the Window of Opportunity.
  • 2) Exit-Velocity being satisfied i.e. the final year average is at a higher degree classification than the weighted degree average.