At the end of each semester, following completion of the examinations, a faculty board of examiners considers each student's performance as a whole before results are published.
Grades awarded for subjects for undergraduate courses of the faculty are fail (NN), terminating pass (PII), pass (P), credit (C), distinction (D), high distinction (HD). In addition the grade PGO may be used for a pass where there is no higher grade available. Where a student does not achieve a pass (P) or higher grade in a first-semester subject which forms part of a pair of sequential subjects a provisional pass (Pr) may be awarded. On completing the second part of the pair the grade of (Pr) is amended to P or NN. The PII and Pr grades can only be awarded by the board of examiners. A Pr grade may not be carried for more than one semester. In graduate courses of the faculty the additional grade of NE is used.
A candidate, for the purposes of qualifying for an undergraduate degree, shall not count or include more than twenty-four points of PII grades provided that:
(a) a maximum of twelve points of PII grades can be counted for any one year;
(b) where a candidate obtains a PII grade for a subject and subsequently obtains a higher grade for that subject the PII grade is not included in the count of points for qualifying purposes.
Honours grades are awarded in three classes, namely first class honours (H1); second class honours, division A (HIIA); second class honours, division B (HIIB); and third class honours (HIII).
Special consideration and deferred examinations
Where a student has been prevented by illness or other serious cause from presenting for all or part of an examination or where a student's performance has been gravely affected during the semester or academic year or examination or other assessment by illness or other serious cause the student may apply for special consideration or for a special examination.
Such an application must be made within forty-eight hours after a student's last examination and must be supported, where appropriate, with medical certificates and supporting evidence. Special consideration forms are available from the faculty office on each campus.
Special consideration applications are referred to both the examiner and the board of examiners. The examiners take the application into account when marking papers and the board of examiners takes the application into account when assessing the student's results as a whole.