Assessment Procedures
Grade Structure
In the BMus, the grade structure set out below is used for all subjects:
| 80+ | H1 | First Class Honours |
| 75 - 79 | H2A | Second Class Honours Division A |
| 70 - 74 | H2B | Second Class Honours Division B |
| 65 - 69 | H3 | Third Class Honours |
| 50 - 64 | P | Pass |
| Below 50 | N | Fail |
Faculty Pass
In some cases (usually for a final year student), where a mark of not less than 40 percent has been achieved by a student who is making a first attempt at a subject and who has not failed more than 25 percent of subjects in the current year, a Faculty Pass may be awarded. Such a pass does not permit the student to proceed to any subject for which the subject thus passed is a prerequisite, and is therefore not available in first year subjects.
Results
Results for semester one subjects are released in early July, and for semester two and year-long subjects in early December each year. Results can be accessed via the Student Portal. Please note that the InfoLine has now been decommissioned.
Results will not be released by Faculty staff.
A Statement of Results is only issued and mailed to students on request. There are deadlines applicable for requesting a statement and all requests should be made via the Student Portal.
Students who are awarded a supplementary exam will find an 'S' beside their result and will be advised in writing of the details.
Please check your results thoroughly each semester so that problems may be addressed promptly; if you have any queries regarding your results, contact the Faculty Office for further information.
Assessment Procedures
The Student Diary gives information regarding University examinations and the determination of disputes relating to assessment. Details of how examiners are to assess may be found in the directions of the Academic Board pursuant to Statutes 12.3.2, 12.3.9, 12.5.1 and 12.2.11; for further information, see the appendix in the Student Diary. For the Faculty of Music, these are applied as follows:
- Practical study recital examinations are assessed by a panel of two examiners, which consists of one full-time staff member and a specialist for the instrument. Music performance recital examinations are assessed by a panel of examiners: for Music Performance 3, one external examiner plus a specialist for the instrument; for Music Performance 4, one external examiner is used plus a full-time staff member, normally the Dean, plus a specialist. The student’s teacher provides a report to the examiners and a recommended mark. The panel considers the examination performance, the teacher’s report, and the report of repertoire studied during the year. The examiners each give a mark which is averaged.
- All other aural and practical assessments and written examinations and assignments weighted more than 60 per cent of the assessment in a subject in which a student is failed by one examiner are re-marked by a second examiner;
- Components that cannot reasonably be assessed by two examiners (such as tutorial papers, written projects and short assignments, practical teacher or supervisor reports, ensemble participation, or regular aural tests) should not exceed 60 per cent of the assessment in a subject.
Special Examinations
Special examinations may be granted in any Faculty subject under the following circumstances:
- Where students are physically unable to sit an examination or a substantial part of that examination;
- Where a student is ill during the examination, and reports the fact to the supervisor at the examination centre;
- Where a student’s studies have been so gravely impaired by illness or other serious cause that they are precluded from doing themselves justice at the normal examination time.
Medical evidence and an application for a special examination must be provided to the Degree Programs Manager preferably prior the examination and definitely no later than 3 days after the examination. It is possible for Honours to be awarded at a special examination, but the Record Card will show that a special examination was involved.
After a special examination, no further examinations are granted to students who failed to sit or were further affected by illness, although in such cases an application for Special Consideration may be made within 3 days of the examination concluding. The Board of Examiners will then assess the student’s performance and may take the new circumstances into account. A new application must be lodged in respect of such examinations; it is not possible to rely on an earlier application.
Supplementary Examinations
Supplementary examinations may be awarded for any subject in any year of the Undergraduate course by the Board of Examiners under Statute 12.4.3 if, after reviewing the student’s progress in the year as a whole, the Board is satisfied that:
- after taking the examination as scheduled a student’s performance was not too far below the pass mark; and
- the student had made a serious attempt throughout the year.
If a supplementary examination is awarded, the Board will determine the form that the examination will take. The student may be required to submit additional work, to rely on late work already submitted, to revise and re-submit work, or re-take the whole assessment. Assessment will be on a pass/fail basis; Honours will not be awarded at a supplementary examination. After a supplementary examination, no further examinations are granted to students who failed to sit or were affected by illness, although in such cases an application for special consideration may be made within 3 days of the examination concluding. The Board of Examiners will then assess the student’s performance and may take the circumstances into account. A new application must be lodged in respect of such examinations; it is not possible to rely on an earlier application.