MedVision ad

Quotas/Scaling/Ranking - Clarification needed! (1 Viewer)

Acid

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2003
Messages
602
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
Can anyone give me a definitive answer on how marks are awarded at UNSW? If it varies by faculty, Commerce would be what i'm interested in.

Is there a limit to how many people can get certain marks? As in, are marks scaled/ranked and then P/C/D/HD's are distributed according to quotas? In a sentence, is there any element of competition like the HSC or can everyone get a HD if they perform at a certain level?
 

Grizzly

euphoric
Joined
Jul 9, 2003
Messages
2,414
Location
there
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2003
i say its quota based....
but, i did get to see the stats for fins2624...majority of students got Cr's, and only 2 out of a few hundred failed.
 

redslert

yes, my actual brain
Joined
Nov 25, 2002
Messages
2,373
Location
Behind You!!
Gender
Male
HSC
2003
it is different for every course
but even if you knew what course you wanted information in, the figures will vary every session
 

Acid

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2003
Messages
602
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
redslert said:
it is different for every course
but even if you knew what course you wanted information in, the figures will vary every session
But the method they use to distribute marks has to be the same each session right?
 

redslert

yes, my actual brain
Joined
Nov 25, 2002
Messages
2,373
Location
Behind You!!
Gender
Male
HSC
2003
those kinds of administrative details will never be released to students
 

Survivor39

Premium Member
Joined
May 23, 2003
Messages
4,467
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2003
Acid said:
Can anyone give me a definitive answer on how marks are awarded at UNSW? If it varies by faculty, Commerce would be what i'm interested in.

Is there a limit to how many people can get certain marks? As in, are marks scaled/ranked and then P/C/D/HD's are distributed according to quotas? In a sentence, is there any element of competition like the HSC or can everyone get a HD if they perform at a certain level?
What difference does it make?! I'm sorry but if you work hard and understand the work and do well in te exam, you will get HD.
 

Lazarus

Retired
Joined
Jul 6, 2002
Messages
5,965
Location
CBD
Gender
Male
HSC
2001
This grade distribution should be roughly correct:

HD: 0 - 10%
DN: 35 - 45%
CR: 30 - 40%
PS: 10 - 20%
FL: 0 - 5%

These are only guidelines that course convenors are expected to work within. The actual distributions are allowed to vary from these guidelines if the variation can be justified with reference to the quality of work being produced by students.

See also the gumleaf diagram in A Guide to UNSW Grades.
 

Minai

Alumni
Joined
Jul 7, 2002
Messages
7,458
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2002
Uni Grad
2006
I think the School of Accounting and School of Economics use the bell curve (obviously with adjustments). Lecturers in first year accounting have said usually 20% of 1A and 1B fail, however that's just due to them not deserving to pass, not being unlucky and ranked low.
 

Acid

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2003
Messages
602
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
OK, thanks guys. And Survivor, it's not about getting a HD - it's more that i'm curious to know how it works and since i'm like the only person in Commerce that didn't do 3/4u maths (I did 2u adv), if the marks are ranked I could be royally screwed in QMA! :)
 

Grizzly

euphoric
Joined
Jul 9, 2003
Messages
2,414
Location
there
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2003
Acid said:
OK, thanks guys. And Survivor, it's not about getting a HD - it's more that i'm curious to know how it works and since i'm like the only person in Commerce that didn't do 3/4u maths (I did 2u adv), if the marks are ranked I could be royally screwed in QMA! :)
:p
3 ppl in my qma tute did general....
 

Survivor39

Premium Member
Joined
May 23, 2003
Messages
4,467
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2003
Lazarus said:
This grade distribution should be roughly correct:

HD: 0 - 10%
DN: 35 - 45%
CR: 30 - 40%
PS: 10 - 20%
FL: 0 - 5%

These are only guidelines that course convenors are expected to work within. The actual distributions are allowed to vary from these guidelines if the variation can be justified with reference to the quality of work being produced by students.
In BIOC2101 Principles of Biochemistry (Advanced) the distribtion is significantly different. The lecturer showed us the distribution of grades in the first lecture.
Something like:

HD: 5 - 15%
DN: 10 - 15%
CR: 15 - 20%
PS: 45 -55%
FL: 10 - 15%
 

Eagles

ROAR~!
Joined
May 5, 2004
Messages
989
Location
Reality
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
hmmm....

I remember them saying at the transition day.. that it's possible for EVERYONE to get a HD in a course.
 

Lazarus

Retired
Joined
Jul 6, 2002
Messages
5,965
Location
CBD
Gender
Male
HSC
2001
Eagles said:
I remember them saying at the transition day.. that it's possible for EVERYONE to get a HD in a course.
Hahah.

No. :)
 

Ghost

Lost
Joined
Feb 12, 2004
Messages
43
Location
City of Angels
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
trust me having Dr. Jie Du teaching Discreate Maths 1081 to first years....anything is possible
 

redslert

yes, my actual brain
Joined
Nov 25, 2002
Messages
2,373
Location
Behind You!!
Gender
Male
HSC
2003
Ghost said:
trust me having Dr. Jie Du teaching Discreate Maths 1081 to first years....anything is possible
oi stop whinging
i have dr du as my tutor, so instead of seeing him every second topic i have the great misery of seeing him everyweek
 

Lord Ac

Trust me *wink*
Joined
Aug 4, 2002
Messages
856
Location
west-Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2003
In some courses with many essays etc they definately bell curve results (eg, philosophy). In contrast courses with a large multiple choice component (eg. psychology 1a/b) can have many students in the higher brakctes because unlike essays (subjective) your either right or wrong in m/c

Ac
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top