Examination Conventions 2026-27

Written examinations are marked by a single assessor or examiner according to a pre-agreed mark scheme which is strictly adhered to.  The examination scripts are then checked by an independent checker to ensure that all work has been marked, and that the marks have been correctly totalled and recorded.

Mini projects are set by those giving the course and are double-blind marked by that person and one other assessor (these two mark the work independently of each other). Each proposes a USM for the work. If the assessors’ marks do not differ by more than 10, and do not cross the pass/fail boundary, the final mark will usually be the average of the two marks, rounded to the nearest whole number (.5 is rounded up). However, if the marks differ by more than 10 marks, or cross the pass/fail boundary, the assessors will be required to have a further discussion about the assessment in order to agree on a final USM.

The exception is mini projects which have a model solution and marking scheme approved by the examiners. In such cases each script is marked by an assessor and this marking is checked independently to ensure that all parts have been marked and the part-marks have been correctly totalled and recorded.

The mini projects which are set are submitted to the Examiners for prior vetting, and the Examiners may moderate the marks given by assessors, in particular to achieve parity across subjects. The results will usually be published soon after the next meeting of the examiners and candidates will be advised of the USMs awarded. (Meetings take place in Hilary and Trinity terms, and in September after the dissertation vivas.)

Dissertations are marked independently by the dissertation supervisor and by a second assessor. These two marks are averaged to produce a provisional USM following the same procedures given for mini projects which are double-blind marked. Reconciliation is required if the two assessors’ marks differ by 10 points, or if the range crosses the pass/fail boundary. Each Dissertation will also be seen by at least one Examiner. The second assessor of the dissertation will normally be present at the oral examination, and the Examiners will determine the USM only after the oral examination has been held, taking into account all the evidence from the double-marking, the supervisor’s additional input, and from the oral examination.