Can someone please explain to me or give me a link where I can find out exactly how the University of London external program marking system works? I am really confused by it. Thanks, Brad
While I have never been a U of L student, my understanding is that the grading of courses works much like any other school. It varies a bit from course to course, but you might typically be expected to take several exams and complete some sort of project such as an essay or research paper. You may need to ask the university directly if you need additional details. Jack
I completed an MSc as an external student. Assessment was by a combination of closed book exams and what they called a dissertation (but which was really a literature review of about 100 pages). For both exams and dissertation, a score of 50% was required to pass. A total score of 60-69% would earn you a pass with "Merit" and a total score of 70% or more would earn you a pass with "Distinction." If you passed the dissertation but failed an exam with a score of 40% or more (but less than 50%) then you would get one chance to re-sit the exam 12 months later. I can't really claim to understand how the grading was done, and we never received any feedback on exams or dissertations. Grading was a slow and complicated process, involving external examiners and an examination board that met to approve final grades. The difference from the classes I teach at a U.S. state university was very great. We give a lot of feedback (and the students demand feedback). And we are required to submit final grades within 72 hours of the end of a class -- whereas I did not received grades for the U. London program for more than 2.5 months after the end of each course. We had 26 people who passed, and 7 who failed. I don't know if anyone re-sat an exam.
As an aside, another major difference between the London program and U.S. programs is in the area of privacy. In the U.S. we are obliged to keep grades completely private -- indeed, at my institution we don't enter grades into the system used for online classroms but rather use a different (presumably more secure) computer system for all grades. This level of caution is in part a consequence of the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Conversely, the U. London program coordinator sent out lists of student names and grades (including final grades) to all participants. This is how I know the number of people who failed. This approach is similar to my experience in South Africa -- where lists of names and grades were always posted on public noticeboards.
Dear Brad, Jack is exactly right when he says it varies from one programme to another. The marking schemes and methods of assessment are given in the individual degree Regulations (click for link to those available on our website). Assessment methods are usually in paragraph 5/6 of the degree Regulations. Classification is usually detailed in an appendix usually Schedule C/D in the Regulations. If you have any specific questions that you would like answered please do not hesitate to contact the UoL Information Centre on [email protected] Hope this helps, Brendan Fawcett Promotions Manager University of London External Programme
Brendan, The program that I am interested in is the LLB. I noticed that U of L dose not use the GPA grading method they used by most schools in North America. Could you please explain to me exactly how you're grading method works? Also please let me know when dose the LLB academic year start and end? Thanks, Brad
Hi Brad, Quoting directly from the LLb Regulations. However you might want the simple explanation recently given on the Malet Street Gazette (click here for specific message). I'd recommend you visit the Malet Street Gazette www.malet.com if you are thinking about the LLb programme as it is an active discussion board of mainly current students. All the best, Brendan
Hey Brendan, Could you please tell me how many LLB exam centers dose the U of L have in Toronto and where are they located? Are the LLB exams in Toronto held in May or June? Brad
Hi Brad, Sorry for the slow reply. I've been away out of the office and didn't have reliable internet access. Papers for LLB subjects are usually sat in May/June. I believe that generally UoL students in Toronto would use the Unviersity of Toronto as their examinations authority. The full list of examinations authorities for Canada is available on our website at http://www.londonexternal.ac.uk/exams/overseas.shtml#C Hope this helps. All the best, Brendan
