Philosophy
Department Handbook
Section D. Assessment
[Grading Scale] [Criteria] [Significance of Grade Bands] [Types of Assessment] [The Marking Process] [Examinations]
The Grading Scale
Grades for modules are on the following scale, which is the University’s Common Grading Scheme. The Department uses the same scale for grading individual pieces of work, for instance, essays or examination answers.
| Grade | Numerical Equivalents† | |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST/EXCELLENT†† | 1A** 1A* 1A 1B 1C |
20 19 18 17 16 |
| UPPER SECOND/VERY GOOD | 2A 2B 2C |
15 14 13 |
| LOWER SECOND/GOOD | 2D 2E 2F |
12 11 10 |
| THIRD/SATISFACTORY | 3A 3B 3C |
9 8 7 |
| MARGINAL FAIL | 4A 4B 4C |
6 5 4 |
| CLEAR FAIL | 5A 5B 5C |
3 2 1 |
'X' is assigned when a piece of work or a module is not completed.
† These equivalents are used for averaging purposes. For example, if coursework comprises two essays equally weighted, and you receive grades of 2D (12) and 3B (8) for your essays, then your coursework grade would be 2F (10). Module results are rounded to a whole number and expressed through the corresponding grade.
†† 'Excellent', 'Very Good' etc. are categories used on level 8 modules (semesters 1-3). 'First' 'Upper Second' etc. are categories used on modules at levels 9 and 10 (semesters 4-8) and relate to the Honours classification scheme.
Note that grades are given only for work that is actually done. Failure to submit a required coursework assignment, or to take a class test or a centrally timetabled examination, will result in no grade ('X') for the module.
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Criteria for Grading
Written work in essays and in examinations will be graded according to the extent to which they meet the following requirements.
- Quality of Exposition: Views and arguments relevant to the set topic should be expounded clearly, concisely, and accurately. (It should be clear when a view or argument is accepted by the writer of the essay and when it is set up for discussion.) Material expounded should be relevant to the topic. The essay should be written in good English, with good punctuation and good spelling.
- Quality of Understanding: The essay should provide evidence of a good understanding of relevant material. Quality of understanding is revealed by quality of exposition and by comments aimed at illuminating the character and significance of the views and arguments under discussion.
- Quality of Critical Engagement: Critical engagement is thinking aimed at arriving at a well-grounded judgement on the merits or demerits of the views or arguments under consideration. This will often require interpretative work aimed at getting clear about what the view or argument is. An essay may display a high level of critical engagement by clearly representing a view or argument, highlighting its key features, and identifying its strong and weak points, in a manner that displays independence of mind. Essays that, without comment, simply paraphrase or summarise passages from literature (including any lecture notes) do not display independence of mind.
- Quality of Organization: There are different ways in which quality of organization can be exhibited. Minimally, the essay should have a clear aim and the essay should be clearly directed towards achieving that aim. Each part of the essay should be clearly relevant to achieving the aim. It will often be helpful, and may sometimes be necessary, to identify a particular problem and then move on to ways in which the problem may be approached. Essays that string together summaries of the literature in a manner that does not display any sense of direction are not well organized.
- Quality of Presentation: The essay should be easily legible and sensibly formatted. The bibliography, references to the literature, and any footnotes or endnotes should be carefully prepared in accordance with the guidelines in section E.
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The Significance of Grading Bands
The following relates to the Grading Scale set out above
| 1A** - 1C | Excellent mastery of the set topic evidenced by quality of exposition, understanding, critical engagement and presentation. An essay in this category might, but need not, be highly original, but it should display independence of mind, as opposed to being a mere review of issues. Exceptional mastery of very difficult material might merit a grade in this band even in the absence of much critical engagement. Starred 1As will be given only for work that displays a very high level of originality and independence of mind. |
| 2A - 2C | Good to very good understanding of relevant material displaying good exposition, organization and presentation. Evidence of independence of mind, and usually of critical engagement, though not necessarily originality. Very good mastery of difficult material might merit a grade in this band even in the absence of much critical engagement. |
| 2D - 2F | Good to fairly good understanding of aspects of the set topic with some attempt at discussion. Fairly good exposition, organization and presentation. An essay in this band might be inaccurate in part or exhibit significant weaknesses in understanding. |
| 3A - 3C | Some understanding of aspects of the set topic but weak in respect of the key qualities. Some essays in this category might read well and be well organized and presented but exhibit serious misunderstanding of the topic. |
| 4A - 4C | Some attempt to address the topic, but very poor level of understanding and generally very weak |
| 5A-5C | No serious attempt to address the topic. |
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Types of Assessment
Most modules in Philosophy are assessed by a combination of coursework, usually in the form of essays, and examinations that usually call for essay answers. In semester 1 there is no examination. In semester 2 there is an examination counting 40%. From semester 3 onwards the weighting of coursework to examinations is normally 50:50.
The criteria set out above apply to all assignments in which essays or examinations answers in the form of essays are being assessed.
Regulations concerning extensions, submission of essays, and appeals against grades awarded are set out in section F.
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The Marking Process
All coursework essays are marked anonymously. Essay marking is monitored in that each marker submits a sample of essays to another member of staff who reads them, considers the first marker’s grade, and reaches agreement in grades with the first marker.
Second- or double-marking is a system whereby two markers determine a grade for a piece of work without knowledge of each other’s grades. At Levels 8 and 9 there is selective internal second marking of examination scripts. At Level 10 all examination scripts and all final year dissertations are internally second-marked. Essays on PHI9X8 are internally second-marked.
There is an external examining system whereby examiners external to the University monitor the marking of internal examiners.
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Examinations
Examinations take place at the end of the semester in which the module is taken. Students who have obtained a fail grade of at least 4C in a module will be eligible for a resit examination. (See the policy web site mentioned below.)
The University makes provision for deferred examinations in certain circumstances. Application must be made to the Student Programmes Office.
For full details of the University’s assessment policy, see the following web site: http://www.quality.stir.ac.uk/ac-policy/assessment.php .
Students whose grades in examinations are notably worse than their coursework should seek advice from module coordinators or the Chief Examiner on how to improve their examination performance.
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