Since publishing full details of the ‘no-detriment’ policy we have received queries from some finalists regarding the use of marks from study or work abroad, or industrial placements, in the calculation of the ‘safety net’ benchmark. Having reviewed this aspect of our policy, with a focus on giving these students as much security with respect to marks as others, we have revised our approach as follows:

In the current policy it is stated that where ‘students have completed less than half of their stage credits through assessments submitted on or prior to 15th March 2020, we will use all of their 2019/20 credits (double weighted) and, where possible, we will make up the remaining credits necessary to calculate a benchmark by using their credit-weighted mean mark for the last academic stage studied at the University of Exeter.’ This meant that for those finalists who had studied abroad or undertaken a placement last year, we would not use the credit-weighted mark for this year abroad or placement in the calculation of the benchmark. Instead, we would use the credit-weighted mean mark from their last Exeter-based year of study (usually the second year).

Under the amended policy, under circumstances in which insufficient credits have been completed in 2019/20 to create a benchmark for students who studied abroad or undertook placements in the preceding stage, the remaining credits will be derived from the credit-weighted mean marks for the preceding academic stages. These marks will be used with the same relative weighting for the study abroad year as is used in degree classification calculations. We believe that this approach recognises the importance of credits gained through ‘years out’ (i.e. any form of study outside the University), while recognising the variability between programmes and placements, and also ensuring consistency with our existing policies regarding the weighting of academic stages.

In all cases the ‘year out’ will be factored into the benchmark calculation such that it is consistent with our usual method for calculating degree classifications. The information provided here is by way of an example which covers the majority of cases. The precise formula for this varies between programmes (such as where the ‘year out’ does not take place in the 3rd year of a 4 year programme, or for 5-year integrated Master’s programmes). You can find details of degree classification weightings in the Teaching Quality Assurance Manual here under 9.2 and 9.8.

As an example,

Consider a student in the 4th year of a 4-year programme, who spent the 3rd year abroad and who has completed 30 credits (of the required 60 credits for benchmark calculation) in 19/20 academic year prior to 15th March.

They are on a programme where the weighting of marks used in degree classification for years 2, 3 and 4 is: 2:1:4.

Their benchmark can be estimated as follows:

Benchmark=([(M430)+(M310)+(M2*20)])/60

Or

Benchmark=[(M41/2)+(M31/6)+(M2*1/3)]

Where :

M4 = credit-weighted mean of marks gained in 19/20 academic year before 15th March
M3 = credit-weighted mean of marks in year 3 (study abroad)
M2 = credit-weighted mean of marks in year 2