July Referrals
If after the application of the above compensation rules you are found to have failed overall, then you will be required to resit examinations in July. The regulations allow you further attempts of up to half the taught credits, for a standard masters programme as defined by your programme specification, so you can still get back on track. In addition you may also resubmit your Dissertation/Project Reports on one further occasion, subject to the Examination Board’s decision; see Section Failed Dissertations and Project Reports.
The Examination Board will then make decisions on your progress and advise you accordingly of the decisions and next steps. Referred assessment at Masters level will be capped at 40% and this is the mark that will be shown on a transcript of results as a 40R; the capped mark is applied to the unit level mark, not just the failed element. It is this mark that will be used to calculate your final degree classification.
If you are on a postgraduate diploma or certificate programme then the overall pass mark will normally be 40%. The same logic for managing reassessment will be applied on these programmes but the mark will be capped at 30R and compensation can be applied for marks between 30-39%. You can be referred in up to half the taught credits on a postgraduate diploma or certificate programme and compensated in up to 30 credits on a postgraduate diploma programme and 15 credits on a the postgraduate certificate programme.
Upon taking the referred assessment, if you fail again the Examination Board will make a decision with regards to your progress. The possible options available may, in exceptional circumstances, include repeating the unit or being awarded an exit award once you’ve exhausted all the opportunities to retrieve the failed assessment.
Referrals may also be compensated; so if you manage to achieve a mark at referral of between 40-49% at Masters level this may be compensated providing you haven’t already used your quota compensatable credit. Compensated referrals will be capped at 40, unless the original mark is higher, and this is the mark (40C) that will show on your transcript of results and be used to calculate your final degree classification.
Again if you are on a postgraduate diploma or certificate programme then the pass mark and compensation mark range will be adjusted according to the lower pass rate.