Once you have submitted your work for assessment, it will be marked according to the assessment marking criteria. These criteria are based on the learning outcomes of your course.
We know it can be an anxious time waiting for your work to be assessed. The information below explains what learning outcomes are, how we mark your work, and what information and feedback you will receive when it has been marked.
Learning outcomes and assessment criteria
Every course is designed with a set of learning outcomes. These learning outcomes outline what a student should be able to do by the end of the course. They may relate to the knowledge you’ve gained, the skills you’ve acquired and/or the values you've developed. The assignments you submit during your course will be mapped to these learning outcomes. This means that each assessed piece of work will test you on particular course learning outcomes, which will be listed in the assignment brief. If you aren't sure how to show how to meet the relevant learning outcomes in your assignment, ask for advice from your tutor.
Your assessment criteria will be closely related to the learning outcomes for your course. They are the categories your tutor(s) use to mark your work, and are often presented in a grid format at the end of your assignment brief, so you know what you are being tested on. Our academic staff aim to make sure assessment marking is clear and understandable to students. If anything isn’t clear, please ask.
How we mark your work
Assignments that are submitted electronically on Moodle are usually marked online and returned using the same platform you used to submit. The University’s policy is that marking should be completed within 15 working days of the assessment submission or examination date for taught modules. These 15 days begin the working day after the assessment or examination date.
Marking completion dates for dissertation-length work and research projects can be up to 20-30 days, as per University policy.
On some courses, you may be assessed in a different way that does not involve online submission of work. This will be outlined in your assignment brief and/or module handbook, which you should be able to find on Moodle. If you are not sure how to find your marks and feedback, please check with your tutor.
Marking scale
The University uses a fixed marking scale from 0-100. A fixed marking scale is one where assessors only use the numbers given on the scale. The tables below show how this system operates at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at YSJ.
Undergraduate fixed marking scale
Postgraduate fixed marking scale
Using the fixed marking scale
Further details of the University fixed marking scale for all students can be found in the relevant section (Marking Scales and Conventions Policy) of YSJ’s Code of Practice for Assessment.
The threshold pass mark is 40 for undergraduate courses and 50 for postgraduate courses. This means that a piece of undergraduate work must score at least 40 to pass, while a piece of postgraduate work must score at least 50. These are the only marks ending in a zero that are included in the University marking scale. Other marks on a classification boundary (e.g., 60, 70) are not included. This is to avoid the possibility of aggregated (overall) module marks falling on a borderline (e.g., 59 or 69), rather than clearly within a grade boundary. This practice is in line with other universities that use a fixed marking scale.
There are some assessments which are scored using a numerical calculation where there is a correct or incorrect answer, such as a multiple-choice exam. These assessments are exempt from the fixed marking scale, and the full 0-100 marking scale is used.
Marks are awarded for each piece of assessed work. Module marks are then calculated by adding together the marks for all the assessed work you have done on the module, with adjustments being made according to the weighting of each piece of work. You can find information about the weighting of each piece of work in the module handbook/outline.
The penalties applied by the University for work submitted late are set out in the relevant section (Agreed Sanctions Policy) of the Code of Practice for Assessment. These are also detailed on our ‘Late or non-submission of work’ page on the Student Hub Portal.
Anonymous marking
Wherever possible, your work will be marked anonymously. You will be told in advance if this is not the case.
Anonymous marking is where student assessments are marked without the student’s name or identity being known to the assessor at the time of marking. (see the relevant section of the Code of Practice for Assessment for more details). This policy is used to promote fairness and reduce bias in marking.
For these reasons, you should avoid including your name on any files you submit for assessment. Instead, you should use your student ID number, to ensure that your marks are added to your student record.
Please note: Anonymous marking does not prevent you from discussing your work with tutors.
Attending tutorials and sharing ideas, plans or partial drafts is a great way to learn and improve your work.
Second marking and moderation
Second marking and moderation are processes where additional members of your course’s academic team review a sample of marking for each module. External examiners from other universities are also employed to review samples from each module to check marking practices and standards. Again, these processes help to ensure fairness and consistency in marking.
Feedback
When you receive your results for a piece of work, it can be tempting to skip straight to the grade you have been given. However, this is typically accompanied by some information about the strengths of your work and any areas for development, which are helpful as a guide for what you should concentrate on in future assignments.
In the case of graded assessments that form part of your degree, feedback is clearly mapped to the assessment marking criteria, and is designed to help you understand the grade, score or outcome you’ve been given.
You may also be given general feedback in class time or in meetings with your tutor, and it’s important to take that into account as well, as this can assist your development as you move forward on your course. It can be helpful to make a note of any useful comments, so you can use this information when you’re working on your next assignment.