1.  Where Assessments and/or marking have taken place during a period when Assessments and/or marking have been disrupted (for example, global pandemic, industrial action, power outage during exam), University of Nottingham (UoN) will operate classification and progression regulations that differ from the normal regulations but deliver the same learning outcomes. 

2.  In order to apply the regulations described here:

a.  The Head of School (or nominee) must satisfy themselves that students meet (or will be able to meet if they progress) all of the programme level learning outcomes and meet with the approval of any relevant PSRB. If those conditions cannot be met by a student, then that student may not progress until the Actual Marks are received. 

b.  Students must Submit all their Assessments even if a disruption is expected (for example, during a marking boycott).  This includes re-assessments for a failure in compensatable module(s) where the complete marks transcript is not available to determine whether or not compensation can take place. This is in the student's best interest because if the module is not compensated then they might not proceed or progress to the next Stage.

3.  A student’s choosing to not Submit an Assessment will result in the award of a mark of zero for that Assessment.

4.  A student will be allowed to undertake a mixture of assessment and reassessment in the same exam period if they so wish (for example, to best enable them to progress without delay into the next Stage).

Application of the Contingency Regulations

5.  Normally, UoN operates an approach to progression that uses a weighted average of Actual Marks from Completed Modules. When not all Assessment and/or marking is complete by the nominated Exam Board Cutoff date, UoN will instead make use of a mixture of Actual Marks from Completed Modules, Part For Whole Marks calculated from Incomplete Modules where possible, and Derived Marks based on past performance. All other parts of the progression model will remain the same (e.g. borderline regulations will not be changed).

6.  Mark decisions are considered at student level, so within the same Assessment or module, it is possible that one student has an Actual Mark, another a Part for Whole Mark, and another has a Derived Mark.

7.  UoN will proceed as follows, if by the Exam Board Cutoff date:

a.  All Assessments for a module have an Actual Mark (i.e. a Completed Module), UoN will use the Actual Marks for Assessments for that module.

b.  A student has Actual marks for Assessments that are worth at least 40% of the module, then UoN will designate the weighted average of those marks as the Part For Whole Mark for that module. This includes Partially Marked Assessments (subject as always to Clause 2).

c.  A student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth less than 40% of the module, or there are no Actual Marks for Assessments for that module (subject as always to Clause 2), then using Actual Marks provided prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date, UoN will provide the student with a Derived Mark for each Assessment that does not have an Actual Mark or Part For Whole Mark. The selection of marks to use and the formula used are explained in ‘UG: How to calculate a Derived Mark’.

8. For avoidance of doubt, an Actual Mark  not received in time for the Derivation Cutoff (and so not used to calculate the Derived Mark) but then received prior to the Exam Board Cutoff, will be used as an Actual Mark at the Exam Board (even though that Actual Mark was not used to calculate the Derived Mark); in such circumstances the Derived Mark would not be recalculated.

9. Part For Whole Marks and Derived Marks can appear on a transcript as module marks. For avoidance of doubt, it will not show on the transcript that these are Part For Whole Marks or Derived Marks. This information may be able to be provided in supplementary documentation where essential.

Students with Extenuating Circumstances

10.  This section relates to students who have outstanding Assessments due to upheld Extenuating Circumstances (for example, where they have been granted a first sit for an exam).

11.  In line with Clause 7, Actual Marks, Part for Whole Marks and Derived Marks may be utilized to determine the module marks.  

12.  In line with Clause 7, if by the Exam Board Cutoff date a student has Actual marks for Assessments that are worth at least 40% of the module, then UoN will designate the weighted average of those marks as the Part For Whole Mark for that module. This includes Partially Marked Assessments (subject as always to Clause 2).  At this point this could include the zero mark for the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment.  However, the zero mark for the Extenuating Circumstances affected Assessment can be excluded in the part for whole calculation by the Exam Board if the non-Extenuating Circumstances affected Assessments with Actual Marks are worth at least 40% of the module. 

13.  In line with Clause 7, if there are Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth less than 40% of the module, or there are no Actual Marks for Assessments for that module (subject as always to Clause 2), then using Actual Marks provided prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date, UoN will provide the student with a Derived mark for each Assessment that does not have an Actual Mark or Part For Whole Mark. The Derived Mark can be applied to the student record for Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments after they have Submitted the outstanding Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment. 

However, it should be noted that if a student has outstanding Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments because of upheld Extenuating Circumstances at the Derivation Cutoff Date, the mark for those Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments will be recorded as a zero.  This zero will be used for the purpose of calculating the Derived Mark. This means that any resulting Derived Mark will be negatively impacted (lowered) and this is the Derived Mark that would be used for all Assessments without Actual Marks or Part For Whole Marks (whether or not an Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment).  It is not possible to recalculate a Derived Mark at a later date (such as after the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment is Submitted).  Students in this position should take this information into consideration when making decisions whether or not to accept the application of the Contingency Regulations or whether to obtain Actual Marks (see below).

Progression Decisions

14.  If a student is unable to progress because of the application of the Contingency Regulations (for example due to a Part For Whole Mark or Derived Mark), Regulation 20 will be extended to allow students to proceed carrying a total of 40 credits of reassessments. 

15.  For students with outstanding Assessments because of upheld Extenuating Circumstances, which will be recorded as zeroes on their record pending Submitting the Assessment,  where the Part For Whole Mark (if it includes zeros from Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments) and/or Derived mark is not representative of normal performance, then the School may take this into account (for Zero Affected Modules) in making progression decisions under Regulations 10, 11 and 20. These considerations must be determined on a module basis, not elements of Assessment. This must be minuted at the Exam Board. 

Decision period

16.  If any module mark is designated as a Part For Whole Mark or Derived Mark, then, subject to Clause 2, and provided the student satisfies the progression regulations given those marks, then the student may progress to the next Stage depending on their decision. All such students will automatically be offered a choice, supported with supplementary communications to explain in further detail, whether to accept or reject those marks and the progression decision generated by the application of these Contingency Regulations: 
The student must choose either to:

a.  accept the progression decision and the associated marks. Note, any unmarked Submitted Assessments will not subsequently be marked and/or there will be no Equivalent Sit opportunities. This will be considered the default position (see below).

OR

b.  reject the progression decision and associated marks.  In this case the student will obtain Actual Marks as follows:

i.  if there was an original Submitted Assessment and it is not yet marked, they must wait for that Assessment to be marked 

and/or 

ii.  if there was no original Assessment, or the original Submitted Assessment will never be marked (for example, due to irreparable damage to or loss of a script), the student may be offered an Equivalent Sit opportunity(s).

The student will be required to make this decision when they receive a provisional progression decision. There will be a decision period of time for the student to consider their choice and seek advice. The deadline for the decision will be communicated to students in advance of the decision period so that they can prepare accordingly. If the student does not respond by the deadline, it will be assumed that the progression decision and associated marks are accepted.

17.  If any module mark is designated as a Part For Whole Mark or Derived Mark, and if a student does not satisfy the progression regulations given those marks, then, subject to Clause 2, the progression decision and associated marks will automatically be rejected and the student will wait for Actual Marks or Equivalent Sit opportunity (see above).

18.  If a student chooses to reject the progression decision and associated marks and to obtain Actual Marks, then:

a.  The decision would affect all the student’s marks.   It is not possible to retain Part For Whole Marks or Derived Marks on some modules and wait for Actual Marks/Equivalent Sit opportunities for other modules. 

b.  The Actual Mark the student receives for their original assessment / Equivalent Sit will be used in place of Part For Whole Marks and Derived Marks. This means that their marks could go down or up, which could impact the progression decision.

c.  UoN are not able to guarantee when a student will receive their Actual Marks and resulting progression decision. This may mean they are not able to return at the start of the next academic year and it may be necessary for the student to interrupt for a year.

d.  UoN will do everything reasonably possible to ensure Assessments are marked promptly.  Where this period is extended, then from time to time (for example, when some more Actual Marks are available) students may be offered another decision period in case they decide to change their mind.  In this case, any non-response would be assumed to mean the original decision had not changed (i.e. they continue to reject the application of the Contingency Regulations).  

15.  Where students are waiting for Actual Marks, Schools will prioritise these Assessments for marking.  This is a complex issue and will be decided at the time, as appropriate to the situation. It is expected that usually this prioritisation would start with Assessments for students who are due to graduate in the next graduation period.   Additionally, the timing of marking will be dependent on when markers with the relevant expertise are available for marking.

16.  Where students are on an exchange from another UoN campus, then Part For Whole Marks and/or Derived Marks can be calculated using marks from the other campus(s) as appropriate.  Where students are on an exchange from another University, if there are insufficient marks on which to base calculations, then Schools need to submit an exceptional case to QSC. 

1.  Where Assessments and/or marking have taken place during a period when Assessments and/or marking have been disrupted (for example, global pandemic, industrial action, power outage during exam), University of Nottingham (UoN) will operate classification and progression regulations that differ from the normal regulations but deliver the same learning outcomes. 

In order to apply the regulations described here: 

a.  the Head of School (or nominee) must satisfy themselves that students meet all of the programme level learning outcomes and meet with the approval of any relevant PSRB. If those conditions cannot be met by a student, then that student may not be classified until the Actual Marks are received. 

b.  Students must Submit all their Assessments even if a disruption is expected (for example, during a marking boycott).  This includes reassessments for failure in compensatable module(s) where the complete marks transcript is not available to determine whether or not compensation can take place. This is in the student's best interest because if the module is not compensated then they may delay or prevent completion.  

2.  A student’s choosing to not Submit an Assessment will result in the award of a mark of zero for that Assessment.

3.  A student will be allowed to undertake a mixture of assessment and reassessment in the same exam period if they so wish (for example, to best enable them to graduate without delay).

Application of the Contingency Regulations

4.  Normally, UoN operates an approach to classification that uses a weighted average of Actual Marks from Completed Modules. When not all Assessment and/or marking is complete by the nominated Exam Board Cutoff date, UoN will instead make use of a mixture of Actual Marks from Completed Modules, Part for Whole Marks calculated from Incomplete  Modules where possible, and Derived Marks based on past performance. All other parts of the classification model will remain the same (e.g. borderline regulations will not be changed). 

5.  Mark decisions are considered at student level, so within the same Assessment or module, it is possible that one student has an Actual Mark, another a Part for Whole Mark, and another has a Derived Mark. 

6.  UoN will proceed as follows, if by the Exam Board Cutoff Date:

a.  All Assessments  for a module have an Actual Mark (i.e. a Completed Module) , UoN will use the Actual Marks for Assessments for that module.

b.  A student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth at least 40% of the module, then UoN will designate the weighted average of those marks as the Part For Whole Mark for that module. This includes Partially Marked Assessments (subject as always to Clause 2).

c.  A student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth less than 40% of the module, or there are no Actual Marks for Assessments for that module (subject as always to Clause 2), then using Actual Marks provided prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date, UoN will provide the student with a Derived mark for each Assessment that does not have an Actual Mark or Part For Whole Mark.   The selection of marks to use and the formula used are explained in ‘Undergraduate: How to calculate a Derived Mark’.

7.  For avoidance of doubt, an Actual Mark not received in time for the Derivation Cutoff date (and so not used to calculate the Derived Mark) but then received prior to the Exam Board Cutoff, will be used as an Actual Mark at the Exam Board (even though that Actual Mark was not used to calculate the Derived Mark); in such circumstances the Derived Mark would not be recalculated.

8.  Part For Whole Marks and Derived Marks can appear on a transcript as module marks. For avoidance of doubt, it will not show on the transcript that these are Part For Whole Marks or Derived Marks. This information may be able to be provided in supplementary documentation where essential.

Students with Extenuating Circumstances.

9.  This section relates to students who have outstanding Assessments due to upheld Extenuating Circumstances (for example, where they have been granted a first sit for an exam).

10.  In line with Clause 7, Actual Marks, Part for Whole Marks and Derived Marks may be utilized to determine the module marks.  

11.  In line with Clause 7, if by the Exam Board Cutoff Date a student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth at least 40% of the module, then UoN will designate the weighted average of those marks as the Part For Whole Mark for that module. This includes Partially Marked Assessments (subject as always to Clause 2).  At this point this could include the zero mark for the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment.  However, the zero mark for the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment can be excluded in the part for whole calculation by the Exam Board if the non-Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments with Actual Marks are worth at least 40% of the module. 

12.  In line with Clause 7, if there are Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth less than 40% of the module, or there are no Actual Marks for Assessments for that module (subject as always to Clause 2), then using Actual Marks provided prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date, UoN will provide the student with a Derived mark for each Assessment that does not have an Actual Mark or Part For Whole Mark. The Derived Mark can be applied to the student record for Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments after they have Submitted the outstanding Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment. However, it should be noted that if a student has outstanding Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments because of upheld Extenuating Circumstances at the Derivation Cutoff Date, the mark for those Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments will be recorded as a zero.  This zero will be used for the purpose of calculating the Derived Mark. This means that any resulting Derived Mark will be negatively impacted (lowered) and this is the Derived Mark that would be used for all Assessments without Actual Marks or Part For Whole Marks (whether or not an Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment).  It is not possible to recalculate a Derived Mark at a later date (such as after the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment is Submitted).  Students in this position should take this information into consideration when making decisions whether or not to accept the application of the Contingency Regulations or whether to obtain Actual Marks (see below).

Discounting marks:

13.  If the Part for Whole Mark or Derived Mark is lower than average for the Stage, the School may discount up to 20 credits (on a module basis, not by elements of Assessment) of these Part For Whole Marks or Derived Marks for the classification decision.  This must be minuted in the Exam Board.  This provision is separate from, and additional to, any application of Regulation 26b. For avoidance of doubt, where such a Part for Whole Mark may have been included in the Derived Mark calculations, the Derived Mark would not be recalculated.

14.  For students with outstanding Assessments because of upheld Extenuating Circumstances, which will be recorded as zero’s on their record pending Submitting the Assessment, where the Part For Whole Mark (if it includes zeros from Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments) and/or Derived Mark is lower than average for the Stage, then the School may discount up to 40 credits of Zero Affected Modules  for the classification decision. These credits for discounting must be determined on a module basis, not elements of Assessment. This must be minuted at the Exam Board. This provision  would include any application of Regulation 26b (For example, a School could discount 20 credits under 26b plus 20 credits under this clause; or 0 credits under 26b plus up to 40 credits under this clause).

Decision period

15.  If any module mark is designated as a Part For Whole Mark or a Derived Mark, then, subject to Clause 2, the student will automatically be offered a choice, supported with supplementary communications to explain in further detail, whether to accept or reject a classification generated by the application of these Contingency Regulations. 

The student must choose either to:

a.  accept the classification and the associated marks.  Note, any unmarked Submitted Assessments will not subsequently be marked and/or there will be no Equivalent Sit opportunities.  This will be considered the default position (see below).

OR

b.  reject the classification and the associated marks.  In this case the student will obtain Actual Marks as follows:

i.  if there was an original Submitted Assessment and it is not yet marked, they must wait for that Assessment to be marked 

and/or 

ii.  if there was no original Assessment, or the original Submitted Assessment will never be marked (for example, due to irreparable damage to or loss of a script), the student may be offered an Equivalent Sit opportunity(s) 

The student will be required to make this decision when  they receive a provisional classification. There will be a decision period of time for the student to consider their choice and seek advice. The deadline for the decision will be communicated to students in advance of the decision period so that they can prepare accordingly. If the student does not respond by the deadline, it will be assumed that the classification and associated marks are accepted.

17.  If a student chooses to reject the provisional classification and associated marks and to obtain Actual Marks , then:

a.  The decision would affect all the student’s marks.  It is not possible to retain Part For Whole Marks or Derived Marks  on some modules and wait for Actual Marks/Equivalent Sit opportunities for other modules. 

b.  The Actual Mark the student receives for their original Assessment / Equivalent Sit will be used in place of Part For Whole Marks and Derived marks. This means that their marks could go down or up, as could their classification.

c.  UoN are not able to guarantee when a student will receive their Actual Marks and resulting classification. It is likely that their graduation will be delayed. 

UoN will do everything reasonably possible to ensure Assessments are marked promptly.  Where this period is extended, then from time to time (for example, when some more Actual Marks are available) students may be offered another Decision Period in case they decide to change their mind.  In this case, any non-response would be assumed to mean the original decision had not changed (i.e. they continue to reject the application of the Contingency Regulations).  

18.  Where students are waiting for Actual  Marks, Schools will prioritise these Assessments for marking.  This is a complex issue and will be decided at the time, as appropriate to the situation. It is expected that usually this prioritisation would start with Assessments for students who are due to graduate in the next graduation period.   Additionally, the timing of marking will be dependent on when markers with the relevant expertise are available for marking.

1.  Where Assessments and/or marking have taken place during a time period during which Assessments and/or marking have been disrupted (for example, global pandemic, industrial action, power outage during exam) UoN will operate classification and progression regulations that differ from the normal regulations but deliver the same learning outcomes. 

2.  In order to apply the regulations described here: 

a.  The Head of School (or nominee) must satisfy themselves that students meet (or will be able to meet if they progress) all of the programme level learning outcomes and meet with the approval of any relevant PSRB. If those conditions cannot be met by a student, then that student may not progress until the Actual Marks are received. 

b.  Students must Submit all their Assessments even if a disruption is expected (for example, during a marking boycott).  This includes re-assessments for failure in compensatable module(s) where the complete marks transcript is not available to determine whether or not compensation can take place. This is in the student's best interest because if the module is not compensated then they may delay or prevent progression or completion.

3.  A student’s choosing to not Submit an Assessment will result in the award of a mark of zero for the Assessment.

4.  A student will be allowed to undertake a mixture of assessment and reassessment in the same exam period if they wish to (for example, to best enable them to progress without delay).

Application of the Contingency Regulations

5.  Normally, UoN operates an approach to progression that uses a weighted average of Actual Marks from Completed Modules. When not all Assessment and/or marking is complete by the nominated Exam Board Cutoff date, UoN will instead make use of a mixture of Actual Marks from Completed Modules, Part For Whole Marks calculated from Incomplete Modules where possible, and Derived Marks based on past performance. All other parts of the progression model will remain the same (e.g. borderline regulations will not be changed). 

6.  Mark decisions are considered at student level, so within the same Assessment or module, it is possible that one student has an Actual Mark, another a Part for Whole Mark, and another has a Derived Mark.

7.  UoN will proceed as follows, if by the Exam Board Cutoff date:

a.  All Assessments for a module have an Actual Mark (i.e. a Completed Module), UoN will use the Actual Marks for Assessments for that module.

b.  A student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth at least 40% of the module, then UoN will designate the weighted average of those marks as the Part For Whole Mark for that module. This includes Partially Marked Assessments (subject as always to Clause 2).

c.  A student has Actual Marks  for Assessments that are worth less than 40% of the module, or no Actual Marks for Assessments for a module, then subject to Clause 2 and provided the student has completed at least 60 credits of modules in that Stage and has satisfactorily completed all of the required progression modules, then using Actual Marks provided prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date, UoN will provide the student with a Derived Mark for each Assessment that does not have an Actual Mark or a Part For Whole Mark. The selection of marks to use and the formula used are explained in 'Undergraduate: How to calculate a Derived Mark’.

d.  If the student has not completed at least 60 credit of modules in that Stage or has not completed all of the required progression modules (as per the relevant programme specification), then UoN cannot offer a Derived mark as there is not a sufficient body of past performance from which to draw. In these cases, Schools are recommended to consider the following options (none, some or all of these options may be utilised as the School deems appropriate on a case by case basis, minuted at the Exam Board): 

i.  It may be possible for the student to proceed (see below).  

ii.  If the student has extensive ECs and outstanding learning outcomes will be covered in the subsequent Stages, the School may exercise discretion to disregard up to 40 credits in order to allow them to progress. 

iii.  Schools may assess students with Incomplete Modules through a viva voce to determine whether they demonstrate the necessary learning outcomes and can progress.  Students who do not demonstrate those learning outcomes, would be offered a re-assessment in line with the usual methodology.

iv.  UoN may be able to offer a later Derivation Cutoff Date for Foundation and Qualifying Year students after full year assessments are complete in order that the necessary thresholds for Derived Marks are achieved.  This would be determined depending on the precise circumstances of the application of the Contingency Regulations.

e.  If none of these methodologies are appropriate, but the School wishes to make a recommendation to support the students’ progression then Schools may submit an urgent exceptional case to QSC to make a recommendation for how they are to be considered for progression.  Schools must agree this recommendation with their External Examiner. QSC will consider each request on its own merits. 

f.  If none of these routes can enable the student to progress, then the students will need to wait for Actual Marks (see below).  

8.  For avoidance of doubt, an Actual Mark not received in time for the Derivation Cutoff date (and so not used to calculate the Derived Mark but then received prior to the Exam Board Cutoff date, will be used as an Actual Mark at the Exam Board (even though that Actual Mark was not used to calculate the Derived Mark; in such circumstances the Derived Mark would not be recalculated.

9.  Part For Whole marks and Derived Marks can appear on a transcript as module marks. For avoidance of doubt, it will not show on the transcript that these are Part For Whole Marks or Derived Marks. This information may be able to be provided in supplementary documentation where essential.

Students with Extenuating Circumstances

10.  This section relates to students who have outstanding Assessments due to upheld Extenuating Circumstances (for example, where they have been granted a first sit for an exam).

11.  In line with Clause 7, Actual Marks, Part for Whole Marks and Derived Marks may be utilized to determine the module marks.  

12.  In line with Clause 7, if by the Exam Board Cutoff Date a student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth at least 40% of the module, then UoN will designate the weighted average of those marks as the Part For Whole Mark for that module. This includes Partially Marked Assessments (subject as always to Clause 2).  At this point this could include the zero mark for the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment.  However, the zero mark for the Extenuating Circumstances affected Assessment can be excluded in the part for whole calculation by the Exam Board if the non-Extenuating Circumstances affected Assessments with Actual Marks are worth at least 40% of the module. 

13.  In line with Clause 7, if there are Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth less than 40% of the module, or there are no Actual Marks for Assessments for that module (subject as always to Clause 2), then using Actual Marks provided prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date, UoN will provide the student with a Derived mark for each Assessment that does not have an Actual Mark or Part For Whole Mark. The Derived Mark can be applied to the student record for Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments after they have Submitted the outstanding Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment. 

However, it should be noted that if a student has outstanding Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments because of upheld Extenuating Circumstances at the Derivation Cutoff Date, the mark for those Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments will be recorded as a zero.  This zero will be used for the purpose of calculating the Derived Mark. This means that any resulting Derived Mark will be negatively impacted (lowered) and this is the Derived Mark that would be used for all Assessments without Actual Marks or Part For Whole Marks (whether or not an Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment).  It is not possible to recalculate a Derived Mark at a later date (such as after the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment is Submitted).  Students in this position should take this information into consideration when making decisions whether or not to accept the application of the Contingency Regulations or whether to obtain Actual Marks (see below).

Progression Decisions

14.  If a student is unable to progress because of the application of the Contingency Regulations (for example due to a Part For Whole Marks or Derived Marks), Regulation 20 will be extended to  allow students to proceed carrying 40 credits of reassessments. 

15.  For a student with outstanding Assessments because of upheld Extenuating Circumstances, which will be recorded as zero’s on their record pending Submitting the Assessment, where the Part For Whole Mark (if it includes zeros from Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments) and/or Derived mark is not representative of normal performance,  then the School may take this into account (for Zero Affected Modules) in making progression decisions under Regulations 10, 11 and 20. These considerations must be determined on a module basis, not elements of Assessments.  This must be minuted at the Exam Board. 

Decision period

16.  If any module mark is designated as a Part For Whole Mark or Derived Mark, then, subject to Clause 2, and provided the student satisfies the progression regulations given those marks, then the student may progress to the next Stage depending upon their decision. All such students will automatically be offered a choice, supported with supplementary communications to explain in further detail, whether to accept or reject those marks and the progression/completion decision generated by the application of these Contingency Regulations: 

The student must choose either to:

a.  accept the progression decision and the associated marks. Note, any unmarked Submitted Assessments will not subsequently be marked, and/or there will be no Equivalent Sit opportunities. This will be considered the default position (see below)

OR 

b.  reject the progression decision and associated marks.  In this case the student will obtain Actual Marks as follows: 

i.  if there was an original Submitted Assessment and it is not yet marked, to wait for that Assessment to be marked 

and/or

ii.  if there was no original Assessment, or the original Submitted Assessment will never be marked (for example, due to irreparable damage to or loss of a script), the student may be offered an Equivalent Sit opportunity(s).  

The student will be required to make this decision when they receive a provisional progression decision. There will be a decision period of time for the student to consider their choice and seek advice.  The deadline for the deadline will be communicated to students in advance of the decision period so that they can prepare accordingly. If the student does not respond by the deadline, it will be assumed that the progression decision and associated marks are accepted.

17.  If any module mark is designated as a Part For Whole Mark or Derived Mark, and a student does not satisfy the progression/completion regulations given those marks, then, subject to Clause 2, the progression decision and associated marks  will automatically be rejected and the student will wait for Actual marks or Equivalent Sit opportunity (see above).

18.  If a student chooses to reject the progression/completion decision and associated marks and to obtain Actual Marks, then:

a.  The decision would affect all the student’s marks.   It is not possible to retain Part For Whole Marks or Derived Marks for some modules and wait for Actual Marks / Equivalent Sit opportunities for other modules.

b.  The Actual Mark the student receives for their original assessment / Equivalent Sit will be used in place of Part For Whole Marks and Derived Marks. This means that their marks could go down or up, which could impact the progression/completion decision.

c.  UoN are not able to guarantee when a student will receive their Actual Marks and resulting progression/completion decision. This may mean they are not able to return at the start of the next academic year and it may be necessary for the student to interrupt for a year.

d.  UoN will do everything reasonably possible to ensure Assessments are marked promptly.  Where this period is extended, then from time to time (for example, when some more Actual Marks are available) students may be offered another decision period in case they decide to change their mind.  In this case, any non-response would be assumed to mean the original decision had not changed (i.e. they continue to reject the application of the Contingency Regulations).  

19.  Where students are waiting for Actual Marks, Schools will prioritise these Assessments for marking.  This is a complex issue and will be decided at the time, as appropriate to the situation. It is expected that usually this prioirtisation would start with Assessments for students who are due to graduate in the next graduation period.   Additionally, the timing of marking will be dependent on when markers with the relevant expertise are available for marking.

1.  The Derived Mark will be based on actual achievement from the current Stage and level, as far as reasonable. It will be based on: 

a. Actual Marks from Completed Modules received prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date will be included. It should be noted that marks visible in Moodle may not be Actual Marks, in which case these would not be used; the Head of School (or Nominee) would determine if it was appropriate to use those marks.

b. Part For Whole Marks received prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date may be included.

c. If circumstances permit, Actual Marks from Assessments from Incomplete Modules received prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date may be included.  

2.  The marks from Clause 1 (as circumstances permit), received prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date are the Completed Marks.

3.  Because it is necessary for the student to have Submitted all of the original Assessments (where offered) to be able to calculate a Derived Mark, it is not possible for a student to have a Derived mark applied to their record where an assessment opportunity has taken place but the student did not Submit that Assessment.  Note, where the student has an upheld Extenuating Circumstance’s claim (for example, for a later first sit), they may have the Derived mark applied to their record after they have Submitted the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment(s).  However, the timing of the Extenuating Circumstance Affected Assessment may impact the value of the Derived Mark (where the Extenuating Circumstance Affected Assessment was not Submitted and marked at the time of the derivation) and this should be taken into consideration in deciding whether to accept or reject the use of the Contingency Regulations and the associated progression or classification outcomes and associated marks (see  ‘UG classification’, ‘UG progression’ and ‘FYQY progression’ documents).

4.  The credit value of the student’s Completed Marks in a Stage is the sum of the credits of the Completed Modules (whether entirely through Actual Marks or by way of designation of a Part For Whole Mark) plus the pro-rata credits of any Actual Marks for Assessments from Incomplete Modules where the circumstances permit their use for the Derived Mark (see Clause 1). 

For example:

• A student on a 20 credit module who has Actual Marks prior to the relevant cutoff for 100% of the Assessment for that module has completed 20 credits of assessment.
• A student on a 20 credit module who has Actual Marks prior to the relevant cutoff for 50% of the Assessment for that module and where this meets the criteria to designate this a Part For Whole Mark has completed 20 credits of assessment.
• A student on a 20 credit module who has Actual Marks prior to the relevant cutoff for 30% of the Assessment for that module has completed 6 credits of assessment.

5.  In order for the Derived Mark to be reliable, UoN need to make appropriate use of the evidence provided by these completed credits of assessment. UoN will calculate Derived Marks in accordance with the following thresholds:

a. If a student has Completed Marks for 60 credits or more from the current Stage, then the Completed Marks from the current Stage alone will be used to calculate the Derived mark.

b. If a student has Completed Marks for less than 60 credits from the current Stage, then Actual Marks from the previous Stage will additionally be used to calculate the Derived mark. 

6.  The calculation of a Derived Mark requires the following information:

• N: the number of credits on a  programme per Stage (for example  120 credits per Stage)
• A: the credit-value of the student’s Completed Marks in this Stage
• B: the student’s credit-weighted mean for the Completed Marks in this Stage
• C: the student’s credit-weighted mean from module Actual Marks in the previous Stage
• λ: λ = min(2A, N)/N. This means that to calculate the value of λ, one takes the lower value of either 2 times A or N (so if A is 45 credits and N is 120 credits, one takes the lower of 90 and 120, which is 90) and divide that number by N (which is this example was 120, so 90/120, which is 0.75; thus  λ is 0.75).

7.  The formula to calculate the Derived Mark is:

Derived Mark = λB + (1-λ) C

8.  The following information is given to further explain how derived marks are calculated from this formula. 

9.  For example, for programmes with 120 credits per Stage, to estimate the derived mark:

• Using the table below, take the figure in Column D which is closest to the credit value of the student’s Completed Marks in the current Stage (value A above).
• From that row, note the values in columns E and F  (the weight for this Stage (E ) and the weight for the previous Stage (F)).
• Multiply the student’s credit-weighted mean for the Completed Marks for this Stage (value B above) by the value in column E (the weight for current Stage) to create a new value called G
• Also multiply the student’s credit-weighted mean for the Completed Marks in the previous Stage (value C above) by the value in column F (the weight for previous Stage) to create a new value called H
• The estimate of your Derived Mark is equal to G+H.

10.  The following is a narrative for the formula:

If prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date a student has at least 60 credits of Completed Marks in the current Stage, the formula will result in the Derived Mark being that student’s weighted average of those marks.  UoN take this to be appropriate because marks at this Stage are the best predictor we have of your performance at this Stage and at least 60 credits is considered a sufficient body of evidence for this.

If prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date a student has fewer than 60 credits of Completed Marks in the current Stage, the formula will return a result that is a weighted average of the current Stage in combination with a weighted average from work from the previous Stage. UoN need to do this because a fully robust sample of the student’s performance at the current Stage is not available. 

1.  Where Assessments and/or marking have taken place during a period when Assessments and/or marking have been disrupted (for example, global pandemic, industrial action, power outage during exam), University of Nottingham (UoN) will operate classification and progression regulations that differ from the normal regulations but deliver the same learning outcomes. 

2.  In order to apply the regulations described here:

a. The Head of School (or nominee) must satisfy themselves that students meet all of the programme level learning outcomes and meet with the approval of any relevant PSRB. If those conditions cannot be met by a student, then that student may not be classified until the Actual Marks are received.

b. Students must Submit all their Assessments even if a disruption is expected (for example, during a marking boycott). This includes re-assessments for failure in compensatable module(s) where the complete marks transcript is not available to determine whether or not compensation can take place. This is in the student's best interest because if the module is not compensated then they may delay or prevent completion. 

3.  A student’s choosing to not Submit an Assessment will result in the award of a mark of zero for that Assessment.

4.  A student will be allowed to undertake a mixture of assessment and reassessment in the same exam period if they so wish (for example, to best enable them to graduate without delay).

5.  The 60-credit masters Dissertation/Project module must be treated separately and cannot be substituted by a Part For Whole Mark, Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark.  The Actual Marks for the Assessments for this module must be used alongside the outcome for the taught modules to determine the final classification for these students.  Heads of Schools are strongly encouraged to enable the marking of these assessments in time for the final Exam Board where possible.  

For progression from the Taught Stage to the Dissertation Stage:

6.  For PGT Taught Stage modules where the Dissertation Stage does not have a pre-requisite of any of the taught modules, the student can progress to Dissertation Stage.  

7.  Where pre-requisite(s) of one or more Taught Stage modules for progression onto the Dissertation Stage exist, Heads of School are asked to consider whether the student may progress or proceed to Dissertation Stage even if marks are not complete.  Schools may wish to consider the application of existing regulation (Regulation 24b) which allows students to proceed carrying 20 credits of resit marks in exceptional circumstances.

Application of the Contingency Regulations 

8.  For PGT students there will usually be an Exam Board for Taught Stage modules to decide about progression to Dissertation Stage and/or necessary taught module reassessment.  There will always be a final Exam Board where classification decisions are made.  

9.  Marks can only be derived (whether a Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark) for taught modules, not for project/dissertation module.  

10.  Part for Whole Marks can only be used for taught modules (not for the dissertation/project module).

11.  Derived Marks/Provisional Derived marks (for taught modules) will only be calculated for one Exam Board. For example, if they are calculated for the Taught Stage Exam Board, they will not be recalculated for the final Exam Board.  

12.  If a Part for Whole Mark, Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark is used for a taught module for progression in a Taught Stage Exam Board, and the use of Contingency Regulations is accepted by the student, those marks will stand for the final Exam Board for classification purposes.  i.e. those Taught Stage Assessments will not subsequently be marked.

13.  Normally, UoN operates an approach to progression and classification that uses a weighted average of Actual Marks from Completed Modules. When not all Assessment and/or marking is complete by the nominated Exam Board Cutoff Date, UoN will instead make use of a mixture of Actual Marks from Completed Modules, Part For Whole Marks calculated from Incomplete Modules where possible, and Derived Marks or Provisional Derived Marks based on current performance. It is not possible for PG Taught Stage to use past performance. All other parts of the classification model will remain the same (e.g. borderline regulations will not be changed).

14.  Mark decisions are considered at student level, so within the same Taught Stage Assessment or module, it is possible that one student has an Actual Mark, another a Part for Whole Mark, and another has a Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark.

15.  For Taught Stage, UoN will proceed as follows, if by the Exam Board Cutoff date:

a.  If all Assessments for a module have an Actual Mark (i.e. a Completed Module), UoN will use the Actual Marks for Assessments for that module.

b.  A student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth at least 40% of that taught module, then UoN will designate the weighted average of those marks as the Part For Whole Mark for that taught module. This includes Partially Marked Assessments (subject as always to Clause 2).

c.  A student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth less than 40% of the module, or there are no Actual Marks for Assessments for that module (subject as always to Clause 2), then using Actual Marks provided prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date, UoN will provide the student with either a Derived mark or a Provisional Derived mark, as appropriate,  for each Assessment in the Taught Stage that does not have an Actual Mark or Part For Whole Mark where it is possible to do so. The selection of marks to use and the formula used are explained in ‘Postgraduate Taught: How to calculate a derived mark and Provisional Derived Mark’. The Derived Mark and Provision Derived Mark will not apply to the Dissertation Stage.

d.  Where it is not possible to use a Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark for a student (subject to Clause 2), then the student may not progress and/or be classified until the Actual Marks are received.  UoN cannot guarantee when that will be.  It is likely that the student’s graduation will be delayed

16.  For Dissertation Stage, UoN will proceed as follows, if by the Exam Board Cutoff date:

a.  If all Assessments for the dissertation/project module have an Actual mark (i.e. a Completed Module),  UoN will use the Actual Marks for Assessments for that module.

b.  If a student does not have Actual Marks for the Assessments for the dissertation/project module prior to the Exam Board Cutoff Date , then it is not possible to apply a Part for Whole Mark or to calculate a Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark.  In such cases, the student may not be classified until the Actual Marks are received, as follows: 

i.  if there was an original Assessment and it is not yet marked, they must wait for the original Assessment to be marked.  UoN cannot guarantee when that will be. It is likely that the student’s graduation will be delayed.

and/or 

ii.  if there was no original Assessment, or the original Assessment will never be marked (for example, due to irreparable damage to or loss of a script or recording), the student may be offered an Equivalent Sit opportunity(s). UoN cannot guarantee when that will be.  It is likely that the student’s graduation will be delayed.

17.  For avoidance of doubt, an Actual Mark not received in time for the Derivation Cutoff date (and so not used to calculate the Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark) but then received prior to the relevant Exam Board Cutoff Date, will be used as an Actual Mark at the Exam Board (even though that Actual Mark was not used to calculate the Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark); in such circumstances the Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark would not be recalculated.

18.  Part For Whole Marks, Derived Marks, and Provisional Derived Marks can appear on a transcript as module marks. For avoidance of doubt, it will not show on the transcript that these are Part For Whole Marks, Derived Marks, or Provisional Derived Marks.  This information may be able to be provided in supplementary documentation where essential.

Students with Extenuating Circumstances: 

19.  This section relates to students who have outstanding Assessments due to upheld Extenuating Circumstances (for example, where they have been granted a first sit for an exam).

20.  In line with Clause 15, Actual Marks, Part for Whole Marks, Derived Marks and Provisional Derived Marks may be utilized to determine the module marks for the Taught Stage.  

21.  In line with Clause 15, if by the Exam Board Cutoff Date a student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth at least 40% of the taught module, then UoN will designate the weighted average of those marks as the Part For Whole Mark for that taught module. This includes Partially Marked Assessments (subject as always to Clause 2).  At this point this could include the zero mark for the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment.  However, the zero mark for the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment can be excluded in the part for whole calculation by the Exam Board if the non-Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments with Actual Marks are worth at least 40% of the taught module. 

22.  In line with Clause 15, if there are Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth less than 40% of the taught module, or there are no Actual Marks for Assessments for that taught module (subject as always to Clause 2), then using Actual Marks provided prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date, UoN will provide the student with a Derived mark or Provisional Derived Mark for each Assessment in the Taught Stage that does not have an Actual Mark or Part For Whole Mark. The Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark can be applied to the student record for Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments after they have Submitted the outstanding Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment. 

However, it should be noted that if a student has outstanding Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments because of upheld Extenuating Circumstances at the Derivation Cutoff Date, the mark for those Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments will be recorded as a zero.  This zero will be used for the purpose of calculating the Derived Mark and Provisional Derived Mark. This means that any resulting Derived Mark and Provisional Derived Mark will be negatively impacted (lowered) and this is the Derived Mark and Provisional Derived Mark that would be used for all Assessments without Actual Marks or Part For Whole Marks (whether or not an Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment).  It is not possible to recalculate a Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark at a later date (such as after the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment is Submitted).  Students in this position should take this information into consideration when making decisions whether or not to accept the application of the Contingency Regulations or whether to obtain Actual Marks (see below).

Discounting Marks

23.  If the Part for Whole Mark or Derived Mark (not the Provisional Derived Mark) is lower than the average for the Taught Stage, the School may discount up to 20 credits of these Part for Whole Marks or Derived Marks for the classification decision. This must be minuted at the Exam Board. This provision is separate from and additional to any application of regulation 24b. For avoidance of doubt, where such a Part for Whole Mark may have been included in the Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark calculations, the Derived Mark and Provisional Derived Mark would not be recalculated. 

24.  For students with outstanding Assessments because of upheld Extenuating Circumstances, which will be recorded as zero’s on their record pending Submitting the Assessment, where the Part For Whole Mark (if it includes zeros from Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments) and/or Derived Mark (not the Provisional Derived Mark) is lower than average for the Taught Stage, then the School may discount up to 40 credits of Zero Affected Modules for the classification decision.  This decision must be minuted at the Exam Board. This provision would include any application of regulation 24b.  (For example, a School could discount 20 credits under 24b plus 20 credits under this clause; or 0 credits under 24b plus up to 40 credits under this clause).

Decision period

25.  If any taught module mark is designated as a Part For Whole Mark, Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark, then, subject to Clause 2, and provided the student satisfies the progression regulations given those marks, then the student may progress to the Dissertation Stage depending on their decision. All such students will automatically be offered a choice, supported with supplementary communications to explain in further detail, whether to accept or reject those marks and the progression decision generated by the application of these Contingency Regulations:

The student must choose either to:

a.  accept the progression decision and the associated marks. Note, any unmarked Submitted Assessments will not subsequently be marked and/or there will be no Equivalent Sit opportunities. This will be considered the default position (see below).

OR 

b.  reject the progression decision and associated marks.  In this case the student will obtain Actual Marks as follows:

i.  if there was an original Submitted Assessment and it is not yet marked, they must wait for that Assessment to be marked 

and/or 

ii.  if there was no original Assessment, or the original Submitted Assessment will never be marked (for example, due to irreparable damage to or loss of a script), the student may be offered an Equivalent Sit opportunity(s).

The student will be required to make this decision when they receive a provisional progression decision. There will be a decision period of time for the student to consider their choice and seek advice.  The deadline for the decision will be communicated to students in advance of the decision period so that they can prepare accordingly. If the student does not respond by the deadline, it will be assumed that the progression decision and associated marks are accepted.

26.  If any taught module mark is designated as a Part For Whole Mark, Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark, and a student does not satisfy the progression regulations given those marks, then, subject to Clause 2, the progression decision and associated marks will automatically be rejected and the student will wait for Actual Marks or Equivalent sit opportunity (in line with Clause 25ii above).

26.  If a student chooses to reject the progression decision and associated marks to obtain Actual Marks then:

a.  The decision would affect all the student’s marks.   It is not possible to retain Part For Whole Marks, Derived Marks or Provisional Derived Marks on some modules and wait for Actual Marks/Equivalent Sit opportunities for other modules. 

b.  The Actual Mark the student receives for their original Assessment / Equivalent Sit will be used in place of Part For Whole Marks, Derived Marks and Provisional Derived Marks. This means that their mark could go down or up, which could impact the progression and classification decision.

c.  UoN are not able to guarantee when a student will receive their Actual Marks and resulting progression decision. This would also have a knock on effect for the classification decision.  In these circumstances, UoN is not able to guarantee when the student will receive their Actual Marks or progression / classification decisions.  It is likely that graduation will be delayed.

d.  UoN will do everything reasonably possible to ensure Assessments are marked promptly.  Where this period is extended, then from time to time (for example, when some more Actual Marks are available) students maybe offered another decision window in case they decide to change their mind.  In this case, any non-response would be assumed to mean the original decision had not changed (i.e. they still continue to reject the application of the Contingency Regulations).  

Classification 

27.  If any taught module mark is designated as a Part For Whole Mark, Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark, then please see above.

28.  Given the Dissertation Stage does not allow any use of Part for Whole Marks, Derived Marks or Provisional Derived Marks, only Actual Marks for dissertation/project modules will be presented to the Exam Board (albeit circumstances could be such that these marks are delayed, see above).  These project/dissertation module Actual Marks will be combined with the marks from the Taught Stage (see above).  Accordingly, there is no need for a further decision period as there is no further application of the Contingency Regulations.  The classification decision will be presented to students in the usual way.

29.  Where students are waiting for Actual Marks, Schools will prioritise these Assessments for marking.  This is a complex issue and will be decided at the time, as appropriate to the situation. It is expected that usually this prioritisation would start with Assessments for students who are due to graduate in the next graduation period.   Additionally, the timing of marking will be dependent on when markers with the relevant expertise are available for marking.

1.  Where Assessments and/or marking have taken place during a period when Assessments and/or marking have been disrupted (for example, global pandemic, industrial action, power outage during exam), University of Nottingham (UoN) will operate classification regulations that differ from the normal regulations but deliver the same learning outcomes. 

2.  In order to apply the regulations described here:

a.  The Head of School (or nominee) must satisfy themselves that students meet all of the programme level learning outcomes and meet with the approval of any relevant Professional Statutory Regulatory Body (PSRB). If those conditions cannot be met by a student, then that student may not be classified until the Actual Marks are received. 

b.  Students must Submit all their Assessments even if a disruption is expected (for example, during a marking boycott). This includes re-assessments for failure in compensatable module(s) where the complete marks transcript is not available to determine whether or not compensation can take place. This is in the student's best interest because if the module is not compensated then they may delay or prevent completion.   

3.  A student’s choosing to not Submit an Assessment will result in the award of a mark of zero for that Assessment.

4.  A student will be allowed to undertake a mixture of assessment and reassessment in the same exam period if they wish to (for example, to best enable them to graduate without delay).

5.  Part For Whole Marks and Derived Marks can appear on a transcript as module marks.  For avoidance of doubt, it will not show on the transcript that these are Part For Whole Marks or Derived Marks. This information may be able to be provided in supplementary documentation where essential.

6.  Where students are waiting for Actual Marks, Schools will prioritise these Assessments for marking.  This is a complex issue and will be decided at the time, as appropriate to the situation. It is expected that usually this prioirtisation would start with Assessments for students who are due to graduate in the next graduation period.   Additionally, the timing of marking will be dependent on when markers with the relevant expertise are available for marking.

Classification process for PGCert

7.  Normally, UoN operates an approach to classification that uses a weighted average of Actual Marks from Completed Modules. When not all Assessment and/or marking is likely to be complete by the nominated Exam Board Cutoff date, UoN will instead  make use of a mixture of Actual Marks from Completed Modules, and Part For Whole Marks calculated from Incomplete Modules where possible. Derived Marks based on past performance are not possible for PGCert. All other parts of the classification model will remain the same (eg. borderline regulations will not be changed). 

8.  Mark decisions are considered at student level, so within the same Assessment or module, it is possible that one student has an Actual Mark, and another a Part for Whole Mark.
UoN will proceed as follows, if by the Exam Board Cutoff date:

a.  If all Assessments for a module have an Actual Mark (i.e. a Completed Module, UoN will use the Actual Marks for Assessments for that module.

b.  A student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth at least 40% of the module, then UoN will designate the weighted average of those marks as the Part For Whole Mark for that taught  module. This includes Partially Marked Assessments (subject as always to Clause 2).

c.  For PG Cert students, UoN cannot offer a Derived Mark as there is not a sufficient body of past Actual Marks from which to draw from as an indication of past performance. Accordingly, if by the Exam Board Cutoff Date the student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth less than 40% of the module, or no Actual Marks for Assessments for that module (subject to Clause 2), then the student may not be classified until the Actual Marks are received.  UoN cannot guarantee when that will be.  It is likely that the student’s graduation will be delayed. 

PGCert - Discounting Marks

9.  Given the smaller evidence base, it is not possible to discount Part for Whole Marks outside of the usual Regulations. 

PGCert - Decision Period

10.  If any module mark is designated as a Part For Whole Mark  then, subject to Clause 2, the student will automatically be offered a choice, supported with supplementary communications to explain in further detail, whether to accept or reject a classification generated by the application of these Contingency Regulations: 

The student must choose either to:

a.  accept the classification and the associated marks.  Note, any unmarked Submitted Assessments will not subsequently be marked and/or there will be no Equivalent Sit opportunities. This will be considered the default position (see below).

OR 

b.  reject the classification and the associated marks.  In this case the student will obtain Actual Marks as follows: 

i.  if there was an original Submitted Assessment and it is not yet marked, they must wait for that Assessment to be marked 

and/or 

ii.  if there was no original Assessment, or the original Submitted Assessment will never be marked (for example, due to irreparable damage to or loss of a script), the student may be offered an Equivalent Sit opportunity(s).

The student will be required to make this decision when they receive a provisional classification. There will be a decision period of time for the student to consider their choice and seek advice. The deadline for the decision will be communicated to students in advance of the decision period so that they can prepare accordingly.  If the student does not respond by the deadline, it will be assumed that the classification and associated marks are accepted.

11.  If a student chooses to reject the provisional classification and associated marks and to obtain Actual Marks, then:

a.  The decision would affect all the student’s marks.  It is not possible to retain Part for Whole marks for some modules and wait for Actual Marks/Equivalent Sit opportunities for other modules).

b.  The Actual Mark the student receives for their original Assessment/Equivalent Sit will be used in place of Part for Whole Marks. This means that their marks could go down or up, as could their classification.

c.  UoN are not able to guarantee when a student will receive their Actual Marks or resulting classification. It is likely that their graduation will be delayed.

d.  UoN will do everything reasonably possible to ensure Assessments are marked promptly.  Where this period is extended, then from time to time (for example, when some more Actual Marks are available) students may be offered another decision period in case they decide to change their mind.  In this case, any non-response would be assumed to mean the original decision had not changed (i.e. they continue to reject the application of the Contingency Regulations).  

Classification process for PG Dip

12.  Normally, UoN operates an approach to classification that uses a weighted average of Actual Marks from Completed Modules. When not all Assessment and/or marking is likely to be complete by the nominated Exam Board Cutoff Date, UoN will instead make use of a mixture of Actual Marks from Completed Modules, Part For Whole Marks calculated  from Incomplete Modules where possible,and Derived Marks based on past performance. All other parts of the classification model will remain the same (e.g. borderline regulations will not be changed). 

13.  Mark decisions are considered at student level, so within the same Assessment or module, it is possible that one student has an Actual Mark, another a Part for Whole Mark, and another has a Derived Mark.

14.  UoN will proceed as follows, if by the Exam Board Cutoff Date:

a.  All Assessments for a module have an Actual mark (i.e. a Completed Module), UoN will use the Actual Marks for Assessments for that module.

b.  A student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth at least 40% of the module, then UoN will designate the weighted average of those marks as the Part For Whole Mark for that module. This includes Partially Marked Assessments (subject as always to Clause 2).

c.  A student has Actual Marks for Assessments that are worth less than 40% of the module, or there are no Actual Marks for Assessments for that module (subject as always to Clause 2), then using Actual Marks provided prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date, UoN will provide the student with either a Derived Mark or a Provisional Derived Mark, as appropriate, for each Assessment that does not have an Actual Mark or Part For Whole Mark where it is possible to do so. . The selection of marks to use and the formula used are explained in ‘Postgraduate Taught: How to calculate a Derived Mark and Provisional Derived Mark’). 

d.  Where it is not possible to use a Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark for a student (subject to Clause 2), then the student may not progress and/or be classified until the Actual Marks are received, as follows:  

i.  if there was an original Assessment and it is not yet marked, they must wait for the original Assessment to be marked.  UoN cannot guarantee when that will be. It is likely that the student’s graduation will be delayed.

and/or 

ii.  if there was no original Assessment, or the original Assessment will never be marked (for example, due to irreparable damage to or loss of a script or recording), the student may be offered an Equivalent Sit opportunity(s). UoN cannot guarantee when that will be.  It is likely that the student’s graduation will be delayed

15.  For avoidance of doubt, an Actual Mark not received in time for the Derivation Cutoff Date (and so not used to calculate a Derived Mark) but then received prior to the Exam Board Cutoff Date, will be used as an Actual Mark at the Exam Board (even though that Actual Mark was not used to calculate the Derived Mark); in such circumstances the Derived Mark would not be recalculated.

PGDip - Discounting Marks

16.  If the Part for Whole Mark or Derived Mark is lower than the average for the Stage, the School may discount up to 20 credits (on a module basis, not by elements of Assessments) of these Part for Whole Marks or Derived Marks for the classification decision. This must be minuted at the Exam Board.  This provision is separate from, and additional to, any application of Regulation 24b. For avoidance of doubt, where such a Part for Whole Mark may have been included in the Derived Mark calculations, the Derived Mark would not be recalculated.

17.  For students with outstanding Assessments because of upheld Extenuating Circumstances (also see below), which will be recorded as zero’s on their record pending Submitting the Assessment, where the Part For Whole Mark (if it includes zeros from Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments) and/or  the Derived mark is lower than average for the Stage, then the School may discount up to 40 credits of Zero Affected Modules for the classification decision. This decision must be minuted at the Exam Board. This provision would include any application of Regulation 24b and any application of the previous Clause. For example, could discount 20 credits under 24b plus 10 credits under this clause plus 10 credits under the previous Clause).

PGDip – Decision Period

18.  If any module mark is designated as a Part For Whole Mark or Derived Mark, then, subject to Clause 2, the student will automatically be offered a choice, supported with supplementary communications to explain in further detail, whether to accept or reject a classification generated by the application of these Contingency Regulations: 

The student must choose either to:

a.  accept the classification and the associated marks.  Note, any unmarked Submitted Assessments will not subsequently be marked and/or there will be no Equivalent Sit opportunities.  This will be considered the default position (see below).

or 

b.  reject the classification and the associated marks.  In this case the student will obtain Actual Marks as follows: 

i.  if there was an original Submitted Assessment and it is not yet marked, they must wait for that Assessment to be marked 

and/or 

ii.  if there was no original Assessment, or the original Submitted Assessment will never be marked (for example, due to irreparable damage to or loss of a script), the student may be offered an  Equivalent Sit opportunity(s).  

The student will be required to make this decision when they receive a provisional classification. There will be a decision period of time for the student to consider their choice and seek advice.  This deadline for the decision will be communicated to students in advance of the decision period so that they can prepare accordingly.  If the student does not respond by the deadline, it will be assumed the classification and associated marks are accepted.

19.  If a student chooses to reject the provisional classification and associated marks and to obtain Actual Marks, then:

a.  The decision would affect all the student’s marks.  It is not possible to retain Part For Whole Marks or Derived Marks for some modules and wait for Actual Marks/Equivalent Sit opportunities for other modules. 

b.  The Actual Mark the student receives for their original Assessment / Equivalent Sit will be used in place of Part for Whole and Derived Marks. This means that their mark could go down or up, as could their classification. 

c.  UoN are not able to guarantee when they will receive their Actual Marks or resulting classification. It is likely that their graduation will be delayed.

d.  UoN will do everything reasonably possible to ensure Assessments are marked promptly.  Where this period is extended, then from time to time (for example, when some more Actual Marks are available) students may be offered another Decision Period in case they decide to change their mind.  In this case, any non-response would be assumed to mean the original decision had not changed (i.e. they continue to reject the application of the Contingency Regulations).  

20.  Where students are waiting for Actual Marks, Schools will prioritise these Assessments for marking.  This is a complex issue and will be decided at the time, as appropriate to the situation. It is expected that usually this prioritisation would start with Assessments for students who are due to graduate in the next graduation period.   Additionally, the timing of marking will be dependent on when markers with the relevant expertise are available for marking.

Students with Extenuating Circumstances

21.  This section relates to PGCert and PGDip students who have outstanding Assessments due to upheld Extenuating Circumstances (for example, where they have been granted a first sit for an exam).
22. As stipulated above, depending whether a PGCert of PGDip student, a combination of Actual Marks, Part for Whole Marks, Derived Marks and Provisional Derived Marks may be utilized to determine the module marks.  

23.  Both PGCert and PGDip students may have marks designated as Part For Whole Marks for some modules (see above).  These Part For Whole Marks may include the zero mark for the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment.  However, the zero mark for the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment can be excluded in the part for whole calculation by the Exam Board if the non-Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments with Actual Marks are worth at least 40% of the module. 

24.  In addition, PGDip students may have a Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark assigned to Assessments without Actual Marks or Part For Whole Marks (see above). The Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark can be applied to the student record for Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments after they have Submitted the outstanding Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment. 

However, it should be noted that if a student has outstanding Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments because of upheld Extenuating Circumstances at the Derivation Cutoff Date, the mark for those Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments will be recorded as a zero.  This zero will be used for the purpose of calculating the Derived Mark and Provisional Derived Mark. This means that any resulting Derived Mark and Provisional Derived Mark will be negatively impacted (lowered) and this is the Derived Mark and Provisional Derived Mark that would be used for all Assessments without Actual Marks or Part For Whole Marks (whether or not an Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment).  It is not possible to recalculate a Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark at a later date (such as after the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment is Submitted).  Students in this position should take this information into consideration when making decisions whether or not to accept the application of the Contingency Regulations or whether to obtain Actual Marks (see above).

1.  The Derived mark will be based on actual achievement from the Taught Stage, as far as reasonable. It will be based on: 

a.  Actual Marks from Completed Modules received prior to the Derivation Cut Off Date.  It should be noted that marks visible in Moodle may not be Actual Marks, in which case these would not be used; the Head of School (or Nominee) would determine if it was appropriate to use those marks.

b.  Part for Whole Marks received prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date may be included.

c.  If circumstances permit, Actual Marks from Assessments from Incomplete Modules received prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date may be included.

2. The marks from Clause 1(as circumstances permit), received prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date are the Completed Marks.

3.  It is not possible to create a Part For Whole Mark or Derived Mark for the Dissertation Stage. Also, Actual Marks from the Dissertation Stage cannot be used to calculate a Taught Stage Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark.

4.  It is not possible to calculate a Derived Mark for a student studying for a Postgraduate Certificate.

5.  Because it is necessary for the student to have Submitted all of the original Assessments (where offered) to be able to calculate a Derived Mark, it is not possible for a student to have a Derived Mark applied to their record where an assessment opportunity has taken place but the student did not Submit that Assessment.  Note, where the student has an upheld Extenuating Circumstance’s claim (for example, for a later first sit), they may have the Derived mark applied to their record after they have Submitted the Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment(s).  However, the timing of the Extenuating Circumstance Affected Assessment may impact the value of the Derived Mark (where the Extenuating Circumstance Affected Assessment was not Submitted and marked at the time of the derivation) and this should be taken into consideration in deciding whether to accept or reject the use of the Contingency Regulations and the associated progression or classification outcomes and associated marks (see  ‘PGT progression and classification’ and ‘PGDipCert progression and classification’ documents).

6.  The credit value of the student’s Completed Marks for the Taught Stage is the  sum of the credits of the Completed Modules (whether entirely through Actual Marks or by way of designation of a Part For Whole Mark) plus the pro-rata credits of any Actual Marks from Incomplete Modules  where the circumstances permit their use for the Derived Mark or Provisional Derived Mark (see Clause 1).

For example:

• A student on a 20 credit taught module who has Actual Marks prior to the relevant cutoff for 100% of the Assessment for that module has completed 20 credits of assessment.
• A student on a 20 credit taught module who has Actual Marks prior to the relevant cutoff for 50% of the Assessment for that module and where this meets the criteria to designate this a Part For Whole Mark has completed 20 credits of assessment.
• A student on a 20 credit taught module who has Actual Marks prior to the relevant cutoff for 30% of the Assessment for that module has completed 6 credits of assessment.

7.  In order for the Derived Mark and Provisional Derived Mark to be reliable, UoN need to make appropriate use of the evidence provided by these completed credits of assessment. UoN will calculate Derived Marks and Provisional Derived Marks in accordance with the following thresholds:

a.  If a student has Completed Marks totalling at least 50% of the credits for the Taught Stage by the Derivation Cutoff Date (e.g. at least 60 credits for programmes with 120 credits of taught modules), then these Completed Marks will be used to calculate the Derived Mark for the Taught Stage.   In this case, the Derived Mark will be the weighted average of these Completed Marks which are received prior to Derivation Cutoff Date. 

b.  If a student has Completed Marks totalling between 16.6% and 50% of the credits for the Taught Stage  by the Derivation Cutoff Date (e.g. between 20 to 60 credits for programmes with 120 credits of taught modules), then UoN cannot be entirely confident that the student’s credit weighted average is a proper representation of their ability at this level. As such, for these cases UoN will calculate a Provisional Derived Mark for the Taught Stage.  This Provisional Derived Mark will be the weighted average of the Completed Marks which are received prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date.  

c.  Where a student has Completed Marks totalling less than 16.6% of the credits for their Taught Stage by the Derivation Cutoff date (e.g. less than 20 credits for programmes with 120 credits of taught modules), UoN cannot generate Derived Marks or Provisional Derived Marks for the Taught Stage. In these circumstances, the student may not be classified until the Actual Marks are received.  UoN cannot guarantee when that will be.

8.  When considering classification and/or completion of Taught Stage, Exam Boards will have sight of the Actual Marks for the Assessments for the relevant Stage(s), and the Provisional Derived Mark for the Taught Stage. If the student’s Provisional Derived Mark for the Taught Stage is either of 2 degree classes (i.e. Pass, Merit, Distinction) or 15 marks higher or lower than the actual Taught Stage average (that is, the weighted mean of module marks for Taught Stage which will be a combination of Actual Marks, Part For Whole Marks, Derived Marks and Provisional Derived Marks), Exam Boards are asked to not use the Provisional Derived Mark  for the purposes of Taught Stage completion or classification.  In these circumstances, the student may not be classified until the Actual Marks are received.  UoN cannot guarantee when that will be.

Actual Mark: The Actual Mark is the mark that comes from the Assessment submission actually (sic) having been marked, by a person with appropriate expertise. It is for Heads of School (or deputy) to decide whether sufficient marking and moderation has taken place for that mark to be used. An Actual Mark applies to each Assessment (so, to each element of module assessment).  For example, a module may have three assessments, a coursework for 20% of the credits, a presentation for 30% of the credits and an exam for 50% of the credits.  Each of these three elements would, in normal circumstances, have an Actual Mark. 

Assessments: This includes all summative assessments (for example, exams, coursework, presentations, vivas) and all summative reassessments (whether as first sit or subsequent sits). It also includes all elements of assessment and reassessment within a module.   For example, a module may have three summative assessments (or reassessments): a coursework for 20% of the credits, a presentation for 30% of the credits, and an exam for 50% of the credits.  Each of these three elements is an Assessment.

Completed Marks: These are marks as described in Clauses a, b and c (below) that are received by the relevant department prior to the Derived Mark Cutoff Date, and which may be used to generate a Derived Mark (or Provisionally Derived Mark). The Completed Marks will be based on the marks as listed below, some of which would always be included (Clause a) and some of which may be included in different circumstances (Clauses b and c): 

a. Actual Marks from Completed Modules will be included. It should be noted that marks visible in Moodle may not be Actual Marks, in which case these would not be used; the Head of School (or Nominee) would determine if it was appropriate to use those marks.

b. Part For Whole Marks may be included. This will depend on whether the associated Actual Marks have been received prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date and also whether a decision about whether these are designated as Part For Whole Marks has been made prior to the Derivation Cutoff Date.

c. If circumstances permit, Actual Marks from Assessments from Incomplete Modules may be included. This will depend on a complex array of circumstances and is decided at University level.  

Completed Module: These are modules where Actual Marks have been received by the relevant cutoff date for all elements of assessment.  For example, a module may have three elements of assessment: a coursework for 20% of the credits, a presentation for 30% of the credits and an exam for 50% of the credits.  Each of these three elements would, in normal circumstances, have an Actual Mark.  In these circumstances (i.e. Actual Marks for all elements) this would be considered a Completed Module.  The module mark would be calculated in the usual weighted average way.

Contingency Regulations:  These are the UoN’s regulations which are to mitigate against risk to student classification and progression where University business has been significantly disrupted. These regulations will be utilised when authorised by Senate.

Decision Period:  This is the period of time given to student to consider the progression or classification decision (and associated marks) arrived at following the application of the Contingency Regulations.  It would usually be a few working days.  Ahead of and during this period students should consider their options and seek advice.  The deadline for the decision will also be notified to students ahead of the Decision Period where possible. 

Derived Mark: The calculations used for Derived Marks are explained in ‘Undergraduate: How to Calculate a Derived Mark’ and ‘Postgraduate Taught: How to Calculate a Derived Mark and Provisional Derived Mark’ sections.

Derived Mark Cutoff date: If and when the contingency regulations are enacted by Senate in periods of disruption, the Pro Vice Chancellor for Education and Student Experience and Deputy Registrar will set relevant cut off dates.  It is possible that these are different for different student groups (e.g. UG, PGT, PGR) depending on the circumstances.  The Derived Mark Cutoff date will be the date by which all Actual Marks need to be received by (so by close of business on that date) in order for that mark to be included in the calculation of the derived mark for that module.

Dissertation Stage: This relates to Postgraduate Taught students only. These students notionally have two Stages in their Programme of Study.  The Taught Stage relates to the taught (sic) modules that are not the final dissertation or research project.  For example, for a one-year full time masters totalling 180 credits, there would be 120 credits of taught modules; for a two-year full time programme there would be up to 180 credits of taught modules). This is followed by a Dissertation Stage (normally 60 credits).  In calculating a student’s Derived Mark, Taught Stage relates to the taught modules a student has  taken. For a Postgraduate Diploma, the 120 credits relate to the Taught Stage of the masters and there is not a Dissertation Stage.  In calculating a student’s Derived Mark, Taught Stage relates to the taught modules the student has taken.

Equivalent Sit: If all goes to plan a student undertakes one sit at an Assessment.  For various reasons sometimes additional sits are required.  For example, a student may fail a module and need a reassessment (or even a second reassessment if they are eligible).  Equally sometimes a student has an Extenuating Circumstance (for example, they are admitted to hospital on the day of an exam) and may be offered a first attempt at that assessment at a later date (a first sit).  An Equivalent Sit means that the student will get another equal attempt at that Assessment, whether it was the student’s first sit, a reassessment or a second reassessment.

Exam Board Cutoff Date: If and when the contingency regulations are enacted by Senate in periods of disruption, the PVC ESE and Deputy Registrar will set relevant cut off dates.  It is possible that these are different for different student groups (e.g. UG, PGT, PGR) depending on the circumstances.  The Exam Board Cutoff date will be the date by which all Actual Marks need to be received by (so by close of business on that date) in order for that mark to be included in the classification or progression decisions that the exam board will make.

Extenuating Circumstances Affected Module: A module with one or more Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments.

Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment: If a student has an upheld extenuating circumstance claim for a particular assessment which is still outstanding (for example, first sit for an exam which has not been Submitted whether through self cert or otherwise) at the relevant date, then that assessment is considered Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment on that date. Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments will be recorded as zero in the records until the assessment is Submitted, then the zero would be replaced by an Actual Mark, Part For Whole Mark or Derived Mark as per the relevant circumstances.  

Incomplete Module: these are modules where Actual Marks have not been received for all elements of assessment for that module.

Non-Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessments: Any Assessment which is not an Extenuating Circumstances Affected Assessment.

Part For Whole Mark: This mark can be calculated when there are Actual Marks for Assessments, including Partially Marked Assessments, that are worth at least 40% of the module. The weighted average of those Actual Marks will be the Part For Whole Mark for that module. 

Partially Marked Assessments: for Part for Whole purposes, a Partially Marked Assessment is when some questions within that assessment are marked and some are not, enabling a weighted average of the marks to generate an Actual Mark for that Assessment. For example, if an exam was weighted 100% for the module and it had 4 questions each worth 25 marks each, if due to the reasons for the application of the contingency regulations two questions were marked and two were not, then the Actual Mark would equate to 50% of the credits of the module and thus could be used as a Part for Whole Mark for that module.

Provisional Derived Mark: the calculations used for Provisional Derived Marks are explained in ‘Postgraduate Taught: How to Calculate a Derived Mark and Provisional Derived Mark’ section.

Stage: A student’s Stage refers to the academic year of study: for instance, Qualifying Year, Part I, Part II, Part III.

Submitted: For the contingency regulations to be applied for a student it is necessary that the student has attended, completed and/or submitted that assessment.  For simplicity, the contingency regulations refer to this as Submitted the Assessment (or Submit).  This applies to all forms of summative Assessment (for example, exams, coursework, presentations).

Taught Stage: This relates to Postgraduate Taught students only. These students notionally have two Stages in their Programme of Study.  The Taught Stage relates to the taught (sic) modules that are not the final dissertation or research project.  For example, for a one-year full time Master’s programme totalling 180 credits, there would be 120 credits of taught modules; for a two-year full time programme there would be up to 180 credits of taught modules). This is followed by a Dissertation Stage (normally 60 credits).  In calculating a student’s Derived Mark, Taught Stage relates to the taught modules the student has taken. For a Postgraduate Diploma, the 120 credits relate to the Taught Stage of the Master’s programme and there is not a Dissertation Stage.  In calculating a student’s Derived Mark, Taught Stage relates to the taught modules the student has taken.

Zero Affected Modules: These are modules which include a Part For Whole Mark or Derived Mark (not Provisional Derived Mark) where those calculations included zeros from Extenuating Circumstance Affected Assessments. When discounting such modules the credits for discounting must be determined on a module basis, not by elements of Assessment.