Repeating an exam.

Monkey09

Hi,
I'm looking for some advice with something.
I'm struggling with a subject and I'm starting to think that I could be in trouble for the exam in January.
I'm in final year - Will doing a repeat in August have any impact on my degree. Thankfully, I haven't had to repeat any of my exams before, so I'm not really sure how the system works.
Thanks in advance!

joey54

Monkey09 wrote: »

Hi,
I'm looking for some advice with something.
I'm struggling with a subject and I'm starting to think that I could be in trouble for the exam in January.
I'm in final year - Will doing a repeat in August have any impact on my degree. Thankfully, I haven't had to repeat any of my exams before, so I'm not really sure how the system works.
Thanks in advance!

First thing, don't panic, you still have three and a half weeks before exams start. Put your head down and you never know what might happen.

Secondly, speak to your course chairperson. I could be wrong but I think that
with most, if not all of DCU degree's in the humanities sector you will be limited to a third class honours degree if you fail an exam. No matter how good your results are.

Best of luck with it.

Joey

billyduk

Unfortunately you will have your degree classification downgraded to a 3:1 (speaking from experience). Hopefully all goes well for you in the exam though!

SantryRed

billyduk wrote: »

Unfortunately you will have your degree classification downgraded to a 3:1 (speaking from experience). Hopefully all goes well for you in the exam though!

If you fail one exam in the Summer? Is it not that for that subject you're just given 40%?

billyduk

If you fail an exam in your final year you will have a degree classification of a Third Class Honour. Believe me! Speaking from experience! I failed a single module on attendance (not results... I still got a 64 in the module first time around) in my final year and had my degree knocked from a 2:1 (67.5 avg) to a Third Class Honours degree. :mad:

SantryRed

Did you get an opportunity to repeat?

billyduk

Yeah I did. You have to repeat to complete your degree. Its only if you fail in your final year (Christmas or dissertation/final exams) that your degree classification is knocked down, regardless of whether you are successful in a repeat. I actually scored slightly lower in my repeat!:p

This isn't a policy of DCU's, its a policy of HETAC. DCU have to meet QA standards set out by HETAC and this is one of them.

If you are planning on doing a postgrad then don't worry! Most review your transcripts rather than classification and can be quite forgiving of these things. (depends on the college and the department within that college... varies dramatically!)

If its the workforce you concerned about then don't be... they won't even look at your classification!

Partition

DCU updated their policy on this a few years ago and you no longer are downgraded to a third class degree if you fail a module in final year. Recently my class had to confirm this with our relevant faculty. If you get for example 30% in an exam, then repeat, your overall degree mark will be calculated using 30% as that module mark (not 40% for passing the repeat). So please don't worry, if you have to repeat it won't tarnish your degree. Of course it is best to double check with your own programme chair, as it may vary between Schools although I'm 99% sure this is not the case.

billyduk

Thats good news! It was a very poor and unfair policy to begin with. I would still check with your faculty head to be sure though. You don't want a surprise later in the year when its too late!