Borderline mark?

ladd19 · 22-06-2010 11:12PM #1

My friend is gutted that he only got a 2:2 in law, he got 574/1000 marks. He worked really hard but just had a bad exam or 2. So one needs to get 60% average to get a 2:1 right? so thats 120/200 marks in each exam or 570/1000 marks overall with at least 60% in 3 subjects. But thing is that he was short 3 marks in one exam to get this, he got 117/200, so he was basically 1 r 2% from a 2:1. Is it possible that they might bring him up to the 2:1 as the results he has are only provisional. Or is this never done? I feel so bad for him and I barely got my 2:1 and id know id be gutted to get a 2:2 also. God bless his cotton socks!

LutherBlissett · 23-06-2010 12:01AM

As far as I am aware this is not done - somebody on say, 673/100 wouldn't go up to the a 1H. If you land in the 70s, you're a good bit off the next grade.

yerayeah · 23-06-2010 01:40AM

Would the 2:1 average not need to be at least 600/1000, rather than 570/1000?

ladd19 · 23-06-2010 02:18AM

yerayeah wrote: »

Would the 2:1 average not need to be at least 600/1000, rather than 570/1000?

Well yes that would be a 2:1 but 570/1000 is an aggregate mark of at least 60% in 3 subjects thus overall giving you a 2:1, sorry I should have also said there was 5 subjects, so having an aggregate mark of at least 570/1000 with 60% in at least 3 subjects would give you an average of a 2:1 out of the 5 subjects.

So he had a 574/1000 but just missed out on the 3rd 60% by only 1 or 2%.

LutherBlissett · 23-06-2010 05:03AM

If he picked up the extra 3 marks, (which unless there is a computation error he can't), he would still be well off a 2.1. He would have 577(approx), leaving him 23 marks off the target.

ladd19 · 23-06-2010 06:03AM

LutherBlissett wrote: »

If he picked up the extra 3 marks, (which unless there is a computation error he can't), he would still be well off a 2.1. He would have 577(approx), leaving him 23 marks off the target.

No no as I ..tried.. to explain already if someone gets 570/1000 plus 60% in 3 exams then that person will get a 2:1. Basically there are 5 exams, if you get 60 in 3 you have an average of 2:1 but you have to get 570/1000 or more to get this, or else 600/1000 the person must get. So he didnt get the 3rd 60% by like 1%.

D-Generate · 23-06-2010 09:23AM

After the report on grade inflation which is endemic in Irish universities then I imagine there is not a chance they will bump this up. Its not just a bumping the 3 marks to guarantee 600/1000 but is bumping three marks so as to attain a 2:1 on a technicality so I doubt it. I know of a person last year that missed a first by a single mark so bumping doesn't always happen.

x in the city · 24-06-2010 01:37AM

sorry to hijack this guys

what does 883/1200 equate to, a 2:1 or what, i have no idea how this is worked out..

thanks.

catiny · 24-06-2010 03:50PM

x in the city wrote: »

sorry to hijack this guys

what does 883/1200 equate to, a 2:1 or what, i have no idea how this is worked out..

thanks.

divide 883 by 1200 and you get the percent (883/1200*100 = 73.58%))

70+% is a 1H (first class honours).

orangetictac · 24-06-2010 04:16PM

I think she/he means 833/1200

Padraig Mor · 24-06-2010 04:20PM

OP: every borderline student's marks are individually examined at exam board meetings. Students will regularly be 'bumped up' if they are borderline and believed to be 'good'. Your friend's marks will have been examined on an individual basis and the decision taken not to move them up for whatever reason. Borderline cases do not simply pass under the radar.

Prowetod · 24-06-2010 11:22PM

Should I get some of my papers rechecked as I am only 3/1200 shy of a 1:1.

I heard somewhere that if you don't get a 1:1 in the 1st/2nd/3rd year exams you cannot get a 1:1 degree, is that correct?

Orizio · 24-06-2010 11:48PM

D-Generate wrote: »

After the report on grade inflation which is endemic in Irish universities then I imagine there is not a chance they will bump this up. Its not just a bumping the 3 marks to guarantee 600/1000 but is bumping three marks so as to attain a 2:1 on a technicality so I doubt it. I know of a person last year that missed a first by a single mark so bumping doesn't always happen.

Link?

jacko1 · 25-06-2010 01:27PM

In a recheck they just redo the maths to check that everything was added up and included correctly

Celtise · 25-06-2010 08:34PM

The general concensus I get from this thread is that border line cases won't get bumped up?

Hope this is not the case! My friend just got 4 marks off the overall grade he needed this year (final year) after getting 1H's all the last few years so it kind of sucks and he's appealing.

Penisland · 25-06-2010 08:45PM

eoccork wrote: »

Should I get some of my papers rechecked as I am only 3/1200 shy of a 1:1.

I heard somewhere that if you don't get a 1:1 in the 1st/2nd/3rd year exams you cannot get a 1:1 degree, is that correct?

OMG absolutly!! Get that done ASAP there are deadlines for that kind of thing!!!

jacko1 · 25-06-2010 09:39PM

Celtise wrote: »

The general concensus I get from this thread is that border line cases won't get bumped up?

Hope this is not the case! My friend just got 4 marks off the overall grade he needed this year (final year) after getting 1H's all the last few years so it kind of sucks and he's appealing.

but he cant just appeal. he has to show that there was an irregularity in how they ran the exam or else have a serioue medical or family situation - even then they make you explain why you didnt inform them before

CantGetNoSleep · 29-06-2010 01:20AM

eoccork wrote: »

Should I get some of my papers rechecked as I am only 3/1200 shy of a 1:1.

I heard somewhere that if you don't get a 1:1 in the 1st/2nd/3rd year exams you cannot get a 1:1 degree, is that correct?

No its not correct, you can get one regardless of what you got previously

Some courses count a percentage of 3rd year for your final mark

Chrisco · 29-06-2010 02:24PM

ladd19 wrote: »

My friend is gutted that he only got a 2:2 in law, he got 574/1000 marks. He worked really hard but just had a bad exam or 2. So one needs to get 60% average to get a 2:1 right? so thats 120/200 marks in each exam or 570/1000 marks overall with at least 60% in 3 subjects. But thing is that he was short 3 marks in one exam to get this, he got 117/200, so he was basically 1 r 2% from a 2:1. Is it possible that they might bring him up to the 2:1 as the results he has are only provisional. Or is this never done? I feel so bad for him and I barely got my 2:1 and id know id be gutted to get a 2:2 also. God bless his cotton socks!

It is highly likely that an appeal in his case would be successful, as it would be difficult to refute the argument that each of his answers in that paper may have been deserving of one more mark.

He should begin by asking to inspect the exam paper in question, just to make sure the adding up was correct, and then appeal on the grounds that having inspected the paper he believes that the mark given to it is unfair and inaccurate and that it was deserving of 120 marks.

As someone else pointed out, each students' marks are discussed at the exam boards, but it would be very unusual for the board to leave a student three marks short of moving up a class, which leads me to believe that this one did slip under the radar.

He should definitely appeal; I'd be astonished if he wasn't successful.

eoccork wrote: »

Should I get some of my papers rechecked as I am only 3/1200 shy of a 1:1.

I heard somewhere that if you don't get a 1:1 in the 1st/2nd/3rd year exams you cannot get a 1:1 degree, is that correct?

In the BA (which I am guessing you are a First year in) Honours are only awarded in Third Year, so appealing would be pointless as there is no such thing as 1H or 2H1 etc in First/Second Year.

Padraig Mor · 29-06-2010 03:39PM

Chrisco wrote: »

As someone else pointed out, each students' marks are discussed at the exam boards, but it would be very unusual for the board to leave a student three marks short of moving up a class, which leads me to believe that this one did slip under the radar..

On the contrary, I would believe that the fact he wasn't moved up indicates that particular attention was paid to the results of the student in question. Still, they won't lose anything by appealing....

jacko1 · 29-06-2010 03:54PM

Chrisco wrote: »

It is highly likely that an appeal in his case would be successful, as it would be difficult to refute the argument that each of his answers in that paper may have been deserving of one more mark.

He should begin by asking to inspect the exam paper in question, just to make sure the adding up was correct, and then appeal on the grounds that having inspected the paper he believes that the mark given to it is unfair and inaccurate and that it was deserving of 120 marks.

As someone else pointed out, each students' marks are discussed at the exam boards, but it would be very unusual for the board to leave a student three marks short of moving up a class, which leads me to believe that this one did slip under the radar.

He should definitely appeal; I'd be astonished if he wasn't successful.

except that you CANNOT appeal an academic judgment - read the form !! you must have grounds for appeal - it specifically says that you cannot appeal on grounds that you should have done better

Chrisco · 29-06-2010 04:03PM

jacko1 wrote: »

except that you CANNOT appeal an academic judgment - read the form !! you must have grounds for appeal - it specifically says that you cannot appeal on grounds that you should have done better

If he were 2 marks short then he could appeal on the grounds of procedure: normally a borderline mark that close would be rounded up, and his wasn't, therefore normal procedure was not followed.

It is doubtful whether this would succeed when he is 4 marks short, since normal procedure is not to automatically award four marks to bump it up.

D-Generate · 03-07-2010 11:00AM

Orizio wrote: »

Link?

http://www.independent.ie/education/going-to-college/grade-inflation-concerns-2086301.html

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0301/breaking40.html

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/okeeffe-confirms-grade-inflation-took-place-448695.html

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0302/1224265433916.html

LutherBlissett · 03-07-2010 01:22PM

Chrisco wrote: »

If he were 2 marks short then he could appeal on the grounds of procedure: normally a borderline mark that close would be rounded up, and his wasn't, therefore normal procedure was not followed.

It is doubtful whether this would succeed when he is 4 marks short, since normal procedure is not to automatically award four marks to bump it up.

The borderline appeal approach won't work. In a situation like this, the mark is not awarded on overall impression - it is awarded as the sum total of marks accumulated from questions done. It's unfortunate if you land close to a higher grade, however over the essays completed, you just didn't get over the line. Your overall grade is not a holistic thing, it's what individual marks add up to.

Sometimes, you just have to accept that you just weren't good enough, which is what I would advise the friend of the person who initiated this thread to do.

Borderline mark?

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