1999 Business and Economics Handbook

Assessment

General
Assessment hurdles

General

Details of assessment for each subject appear in the subject outlines elsewhere in this handbook. Assessment in a subject may be made up of several components: a formal examination, essays, tests, assignments, oral presentations and tutorial participation. Assessment details for each subject will be given in handouts in the first week of each semester, as will further details on subject content and reading material. As this handbook is published several months before the new academic year begins, these subject handouts are definitive.
The final mark that a student receives for a subject will be determined by the board of examiners on the recommendation of the chief examiner, taking into account all aspects of assessment. The rights of students to have assessed work re-marked is determined at departmental level. However, there is a process for verifying fail marks which contribute to a final fail result. This requirement does not apply to pieces of work completed during the course of a subject each of which is worth no more than ten per cent of the final mark, unless the total of such pieces exceeds thirty per cent of the final mark.
For more details see the education policy in the Student resource guide.

Assessment hurdles

Hurdle requirements apply in some subjects and details are given in the subject outline descriptions. A 'hurdle' is a requirement to achieve a certain mark in a specified component of the assessment of a given subject in order to pass the subject overall. When this hurdle has not been met, the method for determining the final mark for that subject will vary between departments.
Normally to pass an undergraduate subject, a student should achieve at least 50 per cent in total, including in the final invigilated examination a mark of at least 40 per cent, although departments can, if they wish, increase this latter minimum requirement. However for third year and higher level subjects, exemption from a final examination requirement may be approved by faculty board on a case-by-case basis.
When a student has failed the final invigilated examination with a mark of less than the specified minimum requirement, but when all assessment components are taken into account has achieved an overall total mark which exceeds 50 per cent, the student will not pass the subject. The mark awarded to students falling within this category is to be determined according to departmental policy, recognising the appropriateness of an invigilated examination as an instrument to assess performance varies among disciplines. Alternatives include: (i) all such students be awarded a mark of forty-eight; (ii) all such students be awarded a mark corresponding to the percentage mark on the final examination; (iii) all such students be awarded the higher of (i) or (ii).