Helpdesk

For most undergraduate degrees at Beds, your final degree will be calculated using the BEST of two different calculations. To clarify:

• Your degree could be calculated using the marks you got in your final year only (Calculation 1)
• Your degree could be calculated using a combination of the marks you got in your last year and your second last year (Calculation 2)
• Your final degree classification will be based on the BEST overall grade determined by these two calculations (So, your final degree will either be Calculation 1 OR Calculation 2)

Calculation 1 Explained

• Your degree will be based on marks from the best 90 credits taken in your final year – including at least 30 credits from your final year project or dissertation
• An academic year is normally 120 credits, and your degree will be based on the best 90 credits
• So, say you took four modules worth 30 credits each in final year, and scored 63, 65, 72, 75. The best 90 credits would be 65, 72, 75, and your final degree classification will be the average of these three grades
• To calculate your average grade, use the following formula: [CREDITS OF THE UNIT]/90 x [UNIT GRADE], and add them all together. For example, if you got the grades 68, 72 and 79 in three 30 credit units in final year, you would calculate the average grade as follows: (30/90 x 68) + (30/90 x 72) + (30/90 x 79) = 73. Your final degree would be 73, which is a first class. 

Calculation 2 Explained

• Your degree will be based on marks from both your final year and your second last year
• Marks from the best 90 credits taken in your final year – including at least 30 credits from your final year project or dissertation – will be double weighted (aka, they will count for twice as much as the marks in your second to last year)
• Marks from the best 90 credits taken in your second last year will be single weighted
• In simple terms, 90 credits from your final year will count for two thirds of your overall agree, and 90 credits from your second last year will count for one third of your overall degree 
• To calculate your average grade per year, use the following formula: [CREDITS OF THE UNIT]/90 x [UNIT GRADE]. For example, if you got the grades 65, 72 and 73 in three 30 credit units in final year, you would calculate the average grade as follows: (30/90 x 65) + (30/90 x 72) + (30/90 x 73) = 70
• Once you have calculated the final year and second last year averages via the above method, you must combine them as follows. Remember, your final year marks are worth two thirds of your overall grade, so multiply the average grade gained in final year by 0.66, and your second last year marks are worth one third of your overall grade, so multiply the average grade gained in your second last year by 0.33.
• For example, if your average mark in final year was 70, do 70 x 0.66 to get 46.2. If your average mark in your second last year was 75, do 75 x 0.33 to get 24.8. Then, add these two numbers together to get 71. This is your overall degree mark. 

Will my final degree award be based on Calculation 1 or Calculation 2? 

Your final degree award will be the best of the two calculations

For example, if Calculation 1 produced a mark of 71 (first class), and Calculation 2 produced a mark of 67 (Upper second class), then Calculation 1 will be used to award your final degree

What are the classification bands for undergraduate honours degrees?

What are borderline grades?

When students narrowly miss out on a higher degree classification, this is called a borderline grade (see table for specific examples). 

In these cases, the Examination Board will review a student’s final year marks, and if 60 credits or more are in the higher classification category, then that student will be recommended for a higher award.

For example, if a student scored 61, 75, 70 across their best 90 credits in final year (3 x 30 credit modules), their overall degree would be 69, which would mean the student gets a 2i.

However, this grade falls in the Borderline First Class category, and as 60 credits are still in the higher category (grades 75 and 70), this student would be recommended for a first class degree instead.