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

Acid

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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

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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

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it is different for every course
but even if you knew what course you wanted information in, the figures will vary every session
 

Acid

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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

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those kinds of administrative details will never be released to students
 

Survivor39

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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hmmm....

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

Lazarus

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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

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trust me having Dr. Jie Du teaching Discreate Maths 1081 to first years....anything is possible
 

redslert

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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

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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
 

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