9. Year Outcome and University Standardised Marks

The Preliminary Examination is an unclassified examination in which candidates are awarded overall either a distinction, pass or fail. However, marks for each individual examination paper will be reported as University Standardised Marks (USMs). The object of the USMs is to allow direct comparison between the results of examinations in different subjects. 

The moderators may scale the raw marks when translating them into USMs. The moderators may choose to scale marks where in their academic judgement:

  • a paper was more difficult or easier than in previous years, and/or
  • an optional paper was more or less difficult than other optional papers taken by students in a particular year, and/or
  • a paper has generated a spread of marks which are not a fair reflection of student performance on the University's standard scale for the expression of agreed final marks, i.e. the marks do not reflect the qualitative marks descriptors.

Such scaling is used to ensure that all papers are fairly and equally rewarded.

When scaling the raw marks on a paper the moderators will consider the following:

  • the total sum of the marks for all questions on the paper, subject to the rules above on numbers of questions answered;
  • the relative difficulty of the paper compared to the other Prelims papers;
  • the report submitted by the moderator/assessor who set and marked the paper.

Moderators will use their academic judgement to ensure that appropriate USMs are awarded and may use further statistics to check that the marks assigned fairly reflect the students' performances on a paper.  Moderators will also review a sample of papers either side of the classification borderlines to ensure that the outcome of scaling is consistent with the qualitative marks descriptors.

 The correspondence between the USM ranges and classes in a classified examination is according to the following rules:

  • 70-100: First Class
  • 60-69: Upper Second Class
  • 50-59: Lower Second Class
  • 40-49: Third Class
  • 0-39: Fail

These marks reflect the qualitative descriptors given in Appendix M.

Marks for formally assessed coursework will be similarly standardised.

Candidates shall be deemed to have passed the examination if they have satisfied the moderators in all five papers and the practical assessment. The overall outcome (distinction/pass/fail) is calculated from the USMs for individual papers according to the following. Weighted averages are calculated hence, the first including CM (the Computational Mathematics USM) and the second without.  

\[
Av_1 = \frac{MI + MII + \frac{6}{5}(MIII) + \frac{4}{5}(MIV) + \frac{4}{5}(MV) + \frac{1}{2}CM}{5 \frac{1}{2}},
\]

\[
Av_2 = \frac{MI + MII + \frac{6}{5}(MIII) + \frac{4}{5}(MIV) + \frac{4}{5}(MV)}{5},
\]

Both weighted averages are symmetrically rounded (i.e. 62.49 would be rounded down, 62.5 would be rounded up). 

Year outcomes in 2025-26 will be awarded according to the following conventions:

  • Distinction: Both AV1 ≥ 70 and AV2 ≥ 70, and a mark of at least 40 on each paper and for the practical assessment. 
  • Pass: Not meriting a distinction and a mark of at least 40 on each paper and for the practical assessment. 
  • Partial Pass: A mark of at least 40 on three or more of Papers I-V but do not meet the criteria for a pass or distinction. Such candidates may be required to resit the failed paper(s) and/or practical assessment before being awarded their final year outcome (see section 11 below)
  • Fail: A mark of less than 40 on three or more papers