Senate Regulation 5 for students commencing their studies in 2018/19 or later and who were due to graduate in 2021: Progression

Assessment and progression

5.12

The performance of all students will be reviewed by a Board of Examiners to determine whether they have met the requirements to progress to the next level of study.

5.13

To progress automatically to the next level students must have passed all modules and achieved an overall credit weighted average for the level of at least 40.00%.

5.14

Students will be considered to have failed all modules in which a mark of less than 40.00% has been obtained at first attempt and will be permitted a reassessment attempt in the failed assessments.

5.15

In the case of an Integrated Master Degree the threshold mark students are required to obtain in order to progress to the M degree at each level will be stated in the relevant programme specification. Students who do not meet the threshold requirement will normally be required to transfer to the equivalent Bachelor Degree. If a student does not achieve the required level for progression at the end of their third year of studies (level 6) or a CWA of 50.00% or higher at the end of level 7 (year 4) they will be considered by the Board of Examiners as a finalist for a Bachelor Degree.

Re-assessment

5.16

Students may be offered the opportunity to be re-assessed in failed components (i.e. those with a mark of less than 40.00%) on request, if the opportunity would enable them to improve their module mark. Where a Panel of Examiners determines that a particular assessment component must be passed to receive credit for a module students will be required to be re-assessed in the failed component. In certain modules there may be no provision for reassessment, for example practical work in laboratory-based subjects and in some modules provision may be made for alternative reassessment. In such cases this will be stated in the module specification.

5.17

If an assessment component is a re-sit or re-submission and a student obtains a pass the maximum mark which can be obtained for the component is 40.00%. The final module mark will be the weighted marks of all components after the cap is applied to particular assessments.

5.18

The performance of students who have undertaken re-assessments will be reviewed by a Board of Examiners.

5.19

Students who have completed the requirements to pass the modules for which they have been reassessed will progress to the next level.

5.20

Subject to the achievement of an overall credit weighted average of 40.00% for the level (levels 4-6), modules with a mark of 35.00-39.99 may be awarded credit and deemed to be compensated fails.

5.21

Individual modules may be designated as having to be passed at Honours level (40.00% or higher) if this is the requirement of a Professional or Statutory Body (PSRB) or for some other significant reason approved by the Quality and Standards Sub-Committee.

5.22

Students undertaking a major/minor degree programme must pass at least one of their minor modules at honours level (40.00%) at each level of the programme in order to progress to the next level.

5.23

Students who have not passed all their assessments in accordance with the regulations above will have their performance reviewed by the relevant Board of Examiners which will determine an outcome for each student by considering the options below:

Progression decisions for Level 4 students

(a) A student who has no accepted mitigating circumstances and has achieved a mark below 35.00% in more than 45 credits following re-assessment will have their studies terminated;
(b) A student who has passed at least 105 credits and has not failed any prerequisite modules will be permitted to progress to level 5 and carry the failed credit. Students will not be required to re-sit/re-submit the failed assessments
(c) A student who has passed at least 90 credits will be permitted to proceed to the next level of their programme repeating the assessments for the failed module alongside the standard 120 credits for level 5. In order to be permitted to proceed and re-sit/re-submit, students should have failed no more than 30 credits, have fail marks no lower than 15.00% and have a credit weighted average for the level of at least 40.00%. This option is not available where the failed modules are prerequisites;
(d) A student who has passed at least 90 credits and has failed to achieve a pass mark in optional modules only, may be permitted to progress to level 5 taking new modules in place of those failed, in addition to the standard 120 credits for the level, In order to be permitted to proceed and substitute modules, students will have failed no more than 30 credits of optional modules and have a credit weighted average of at least 40% for the level. This option is not available where the failed modules are prerequisites;
(e) A student who has passed at least 75 credits but has failed modules up to a maximum of 45 credits who does not meet the criteria in (b) to (d) above will be permitted to repeat level 4 (their first year) as if for the first time. Students who repeat a period of study will not carry credit or marks from the period and level repeated. Students will attend teaching events, accumulate credit and take assessments as if for the first time;
(f) Proceed and substitute may be allowed in the case of a student undertaking a major/ minor degree programme where they have failed to reach the required level in the minor subject at the end of level 4 and requested a transfer to the single honours programme of their major subject. In such cases modules substituted will be taken from level 4 modules of their major and will be taken alongside the level 5 modules.
(g) Students on the MBChB programme who are given a repeat year will only receive one attempt at the relevant assessments and will not be eligible for a further re-sit;
(h) If a student who is eligible for a repeat year is unable to take up this option they may apply to the Academic Registrar to be considered for a Resit without Residence period of study, which means that they will be permitted to take the assessments associated with the modules failed one further time and will have their studies suspended in the meantime, meaning they will not attend teaching.

Progression decisions for Level 5 and 6 students

(a) A student who has no accepted mitigating circumstances and has achieved a mark below 35.00% in more than 45 credits following re-assessment will have their studies terminated;
(b) A student may be permitted to proceed to the next level of their programme repeating the assessments for the failed modules alongside the standard 120 credits for that level. In order to be permitted to proceed and re-sit/re-submit, students should have failed no more than 30 credits with a mark lower than 35% and have a credit weighted average for the level of at least 40.00%.
(c) A student who has a failed module of no more than 15 credits from level 4, and has exhausted all reassessment opportunities for those credits, may proceed to the final level of study, providing they have passed at least 105 credits at level 5 with a mark of 40.00% or higher, following any reassessment opportunities;
(d) A student may be permitted, in certain circumstances where stated in the relevant programme specification, to proceed to the next level of the programme taking, new modules in place of those failed in addition to the standard number of credits for the level. In order to be permitted to proceed and substitute modules, students will normally have no more than 30 credits with marks below 35.00% and have a credit weighted average for the level of 40.00% or higher. Where proceed and substitution is allowed this will be stated in the programme specification.
(e) A student may be permitted to have one final attempt to re-sit/re-submit modules. Such students will have their studies suspended in the meantime and will be registered as without residence students. This means that they will not attend scheduled teaching sessions.
(f) In the case of the MBChB degrees the Board of Examiners may permit students to retake a year in residence.
(g) A student may be permitted, in certain circumstances, to repeat the level or part of the level as if for the first time in accordance with 5.26 below.

5.24

Two attempts at assessment for a module will be permitted, a first sit/submission and one re-sit/resubmission except in cases where (b) to (e) above apply. Reassessment is only permitted where a student has failed an assessment. Where a re-sit or re-submission results in a lower mark than the first attempt the higher of the two marks will count towards the module mark. The award of further attempts under these criteria are at the discretion of the Board of Examiners. The maximum number of times any assessment may be attempted is three, except in such cases where a Mitigating Circumstances Panel has made an alternative recommendation on the basis of accepted mitigating circumstances.

Repeat periods of study

5.25

Repeat periods of study of either a semester, where the programme structure allows, or a year may only be granted in exceptional circumstances where the student has accepted mitigating circumstances, for which evidence has been provided.

5.26

In reaching a decision on granting a period of repeat study a Board of Examiners will follow the recommendation of the Mitigating Circumstances Panel which in turn will comply with the definition of mitigating circumstances articulated in Senate Regulation 7.96.

5.27

Repeat periods of study will normally be granted on one occasion only and will not exceed one year. In the case of the degrees of the MBChB a maximum of one repeat year will be granted for the programme.

5.28

A student who is repeating a period of study will not carry credit or marks over from the period and level repeated. Students will attend teaching, accumulate credit and take assessments as if for the first time.