C/5.2 Grading scales and awards
Policy Owner | Director, Curriculum Quality and Academic Integrity and Director, Student Administration |
Approval Date | 12/09/2022 |
Approval Authority | University Academic Board |
Date of Next Review | 01/09/2027 |
5.2.1 Purpose
5.2.2 Application
5.2.3 Roles and responsibilities
5.2.4 Grading scales
5.2.5 Grading awards
5.2.6 Previous grading awards with honours
5.2.7 Grade point average
5.2.8 Approval and notification of grades
5.2.9 Alteration of grades after release
5.2.10 Definitions
5.2.11 Delegations
Related Documents
Modification History
This policy has been revised and approved, effective 1 January 2023.
|
5.2.1 Purpose
This policy prescribes the grading scale and grading awards that report student achievement and record administrative processes.
5.2.2 Application
This policy applies to award courses (C/3.1) and credit point based units, it does not apply to higher degree research (time-based study).
5.2.3 Roles and responsibilities
Position |
Responsibility |
---|---|
Director, Student Administration |
|
Executive Dean of Faculty and Executive Director, QUT College |
|
Faculty academic board |
|
Head of school |
|
Vice-President (Administration) and University Registrar |
|
Unit coordinator |
|
5.2.4 Grading scales
Grading at QUT includes academic grading and administrative grading.
Academic grading reports student academic achievement by:
- numeric grades on a 7-point scale
- ungraded “S” (Satisfactory) or “U” (Unsatisfactory).
When determining the final grades in a unit may only one grading scale is applied and must apply to all students enrolled in the unit.
For multi-component units, the only grade which can be applied for earlier components is “S” or “U”.
Academic grading at QUT includes:- succinct qualitative descriptor
- generic description of standard to inform grading
- standard percentage ranges where numeric references are used, unless an exception has been approved (C/4.1Curriculum design, approval and accreditation).
Administrative grades are allocated automatically by QUT’s assessment and student management systems.
Academic numerical pass Academic grades are allocated and determined by academic processes, including appropriate moderation. |
|
7 - High Distinction Percentage range: 85%-100%. |
Work provides evidence of an exceptional level of achievement of unit learning outcomes, such as:
|
6 - Distinction |
Work provides evidence of a very high level of achievement of unit learning outcomes, such as:
|
5 - Credit |
Work provides evidence of a high level of achievement of unit learning outcomes, such as:
|
4 - Pass |
Work provides evidence of an acceptable level of achievement of unit learning outcomes, such as:
|
Academic numerical fail |
|
3 - Marginal Fail |
Work provides evidence of limited and/or disconnected learning which fails to demonstrate that unit learning outcomes have been achieved. Students who receive a grade of 3 in a unit may be eligible to apply for supplementary assessment (C/5.5 Student academic concessions) |
2 - Fail |
Work provides evidence of minimal learning in relation to unit learning outcomes |
1 - Low Fail |
Work provides little or no evidence of learning in relation to unit learning outcomes |
Academic ungraded |
|
S - Satisfactory |
Work provides evidence of an acceptable level of achievement of unit learning outcomes and professional competencies (where applicable) |
U - Unsatisfactory |
Work fails to provide evidence of the achievement of unit learning outcomes and/or professional competencies (where applicable) at an acceptable level |
Academic unfinalised |
|
A - Grade unfinalised |
The grade will be issued when available |
Administrative grades |
|
Administrative finalised |
|
E - Exempt |
Specified advanced standing is granted (E/4.2) |
K -Withdrawn Fail |
Student cancels their enrolment in the unit after the published withdrawal date for the relevant teaching period (E/4.3) |
Administrative unfinalised |
|
SA - Supplementary Assessment | Supplementary assessment granted |
DA - Deferred Assessment | Deferred assessment granted |
T - Assessment Continues |
Studies extend over more than one teaching period |
5.2.5 Grading awards
To recognise meritorious achievement, awards are granted as follows:
Awards with distinction |
In recognition of meritorious achievement, awards with distinction may be conferred in undergraduate courses (Associate or Bachelor degrees excluding those awarded with honours) or postgraduate courses (Graduate Diplomas or Masters) as designated in the accredited curriculum.
In exceptional cases, faculty academic boards may recommend to University Academic Board a relaxation of the GPA requirement for a particular graduand. Such a recommendation must be accompanied by an appropriate rationale. To be eligible for an award with distinction a graduand must have completed at least 50% of the total credit points required for the course at QUT. Eligibility for awards with distinction for double degrees is based on consideration of the separate component degree. For either degree, only the units associated specifically with that component are taken into account in the GPA calculations used to determine eligibility. |
Bachelor honours degrees |
The class of honours awarded is determined by the honours GPA:
For all bachelor honours degrees, the following levels of honours are awarded:
|
Honours and double degrees |
Eligibility for awards with honours for double degrees is based on consideration of the separate component degree. The level of the award with honours is the GPA as calculated on the 96 credit points specified as the honours component or the alternative calculation method as approved by University Academic Board. |
5.2.6 Previous grading awards with honours
Students completing bachelor honours degrees after 1 January 2023 will be awarded honours as specified in C/5.2.5. However, if the class of honours to be awarded under C/5.2.5 is lower than the class the student would have received under the previous version of this policy, the higher class of honours will be awarded. The previous levels of honours were:
- Honours I (First Class Honours): Honours GPA of 6.50-7.00
- Honours IIA (Second Class Honours, Division A): Honours GPA of 5.50 to 6.49
- Honours IIB (Second Class Honours, Division B): Honours GPA of 4.50 to 5.49
- Honours III (Third Class Honours): Honours GPA of less than 4.50
5.2.7 Grade point average
QUT provides a grade point average (GPA) to:
- provide students with an indicator of their academic progress
- is a simple numerical index summarising a student's academic performance in a course (C/5.2.10).
GPAs are reported by course and include:
- the grades of all QUT units completed as part of the course
- all attempts at units which are awarded a numeric grade
- all units with the grade 'K' (withdrawn - Fail) which is calculated as '1'.
The following are not included in the GPA calculation:
- unfinalised results
- final grades of 'S' (Satisfactory) or 'U' (Unsatisfactory)
- units undertaken at another institution
- units where the status recorded is ‘E’ (Exempt).
5.2.8 Approval and notification of grades
A final grade is awarded for each unit attempted. Students are advised of final grades at the end of each teaching period.
Executive Deans review and approve final grades recommended for each student in accordance with course rules.
The Executive Dean may approve a final grade for a student that is different to the grade recommended. This change should only occur after consultation with either the examiner of the unit and/or the relevant Head of School.
Following approval the Director, Student Administration notifies grades to the student.
Grades that are unfinalised at the time of notification will be resolved by QUT promptly.
Where a student fails to meet a debt or obligation to the University, the Vice-President (Administration) and University Registrar may approve the withholding of the student's grades.
5.2.9 Alteration of grades after release
An Executive Dean may, with the concurrence of the relevant Unit Coordinator or the Head of the School offering the unit, alter their decisions on grades to:
- correct a patent error, or
- accord with a decision that the Executive Dean, Head of School and Unit Coordinator are satisfied would have been made if relevant circumstances which were not considered by the Executive Dean had been taken into account, or
- accord with the outcome of a faculty level Review of Grade.
A Head of School responsible for a unit may change a grade to accord with a school level Review of Grade outcome.
The Executive Dean may delegate to another person the authority to approve a change of grade.
5.2.10 Definitions
Bachelor honours degree is a qualification located at level 8 of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).
Cluster qualification is two AQF courses clustered together with the qualifications for each being met. A bachelor honours is a cluster qualification comprising a bachelor degree and a bachelor honours degree.
Embedded honours is a cluster qualification, embedding AQF level 8 components into a four year bachelor degree to create a bachelor honours.
Grade point average (GPA) is calculated as follows:
sum of (unit credit points x numeric grade awarded for the unit) |
= GPA |
sum of credit points of completed units |
For example, for a semester of completed study comprising four x 12 credit point units with grades of ‘7’, ‘4’, ‘6’, ‘3’:
(12 x 7) + (12 x 4) + (12 x 6) +(12 x 3) |
= 5 |
48 |
Stand-alone honours is a separate honours year with AQF level 8 learning outcomes following a three year AQF level 7 Bachelor degree in the same discipline.
5.2.11 Delegations
Refer to Register of Authorities and Delegations (C121) (QUT staff access only).
Related Documents
MOPP C/5.1 Assessment and feedback
MOPP C/5.5 Student academic concessions
MOPP E/4.2 Advanced standing
MOPP E/4.3 Enrolment programs
MOPP E/9.1 Review of grades and academic rulings
MOPP E/10.1 Conferral, graduation and academic dress
Final grade approval and release procedures (QUT staff access only)
Final grade information (QUT staff and student access only)
Australian Qualifications Framework
Modification History
Date | Sections | Source | Details |
12.09.22 | All | University Academic Board | Periodic review - revised policy |
17.11.17 | All | University Academic Board | Policy retitled and revised to include former policy E/6.5 |
07.11.14 | C/5.2.4 | University Academic Board | Policy revised to clarify awards with distinction - effective 01.01.15 |
20.09.13 | All | University Academic Board | Revised policy to include changes to honours grading - effective 01.01.14 |
23.03.12 |
C/5.2.4, C/5.2.5, C/5.2.6 |
University Academic Board |
Policy revised to reflect revised Australian Qualifications Framework |
19.02.11 | All | Vice-Chancellor | Policy revised to include approved name change for Office of Teaching Quality to Learning and Teaching Unit |
13.11.09 | All | University Academic Board | Revised policy effective from Semester 1, 2010; includes grading systems for awards with distinction and awards with honours (formerly C/3.2.12). |
14.11.08 | All | University Academic Board | Revised and renumbered policy to C/5.2, effective from 01.01.09 (formerly C/9.2, E/6.5.8, E/6.5.9 and E/6.5.10) (endorsed by University Teaching and Learning Committee 21.10.08) |
04.04.08 | All | University Academic Board | Revised policy – effective from 01.01.09 (endorsed by Academic Policy and Procedures Committee 10.03.08) |
25.06.04 | All | University Academic Board | Revised policy relating to grades of 3 (effective 25.06.2004) |
26.09.03 | All | University Academic Board |
Revised policy (endorsed by Teaching and Learning Committee 09.09.03)- effective 01.01.2004 |