Academic grading in Australia explained

Academic grading systems in Australia include:

Tertiary institutions

Australian universities issue results for each subject, based on the following gradings:

%ACU,[1] ACS,[2] Adelaide,[3] Bond, Canberra,[4] CDU,[5] CQU,[6] CSU,
UDivinity, Flinders,[7] JCU,[8] MQ,[9] Newcastle,[10] QUT,[11] SCU, UNE, UNSW,[12]
USYD,[13] [14] Torrens,[15] UOW,[16] USC,[17] USQ (from semester 1, 2022),[18] UTS,[19] WSU,[20] ACAP,[21] AIM[22]
UniSA[23] USQ[24] (prior to semester 1, 2022)Griffith, UQ identify specific grades in some courses[25] [26] ANU,[27] Curtin,[28] Deakin,[29] ECU,[30] Monash,[31] Murdoch,[32]
RMIT,[33] UTAS,[34] Swinburne,[35] UWA,[36] VU[37] UNDA[38] [39]
FedUni[40] La Trobe[41] Melbourne[42]
100High Distinction (HD)High Distinction (HD)High Distinction (HD)7High Distinction (HD)High Distinction (HD)AFirst Class Honours (H1)
95–99
90–94
85–89
80–84Distinction (D)Distinction (D)A6
75–79Distinction (D)Distinction (D)BSecond Class Honours Div A (H2A)
70–74Credit (C)Credit (C)B5Second Class Honours Div B (H2B)
65–69Credit (C)Credit (C)CThird Class Honours (H3)
60–64Pass (P)Pass 1 (P1)C4Pass (P)
55-59Pass (P)Pass (P)D
50–54Pass 2 (P2)
40–49Fail (N)Fail 1 (F1)Fail (F, FNP, FNS, FNC or FLW)1, 2, 3Fail (N)Marginal Fail (MF)Fail (N)Fail (N)
< 40Fail 2 (F2)Fail (F)

Note that the numbers above do not correspond to a percentile, but are notionally a percentage of the maximum raw marks available. Various tertiary institutions in Australia have policies on the allocations for each grade and scaling may occur to meet these policies. These policies may vary also according to the degree year (higher percentages for later years), but generally, only 2–5% of students who pass (that is, who achieve raw marks of 50 or more) may be awarded a High Distinction grade, and 50% or more of passing students are awarded a basic Pass grade. Raw marks for students who fail are not scaled and do not increase the allocations of higher grades. Some universities also have a Pass Conceded (PC) grade for marks that fall in the range of 45–49 inclusive.

A few universities do not issue numeric grades out of 100 for individual subjects, instead relying on qualitative descriptors. Griffith University and The University of Queensland issue results of High Distinction, Distinction, Credit, Pass, and Fail.[43] [44]

Grade point average

Grade point averages are not generally used in Australia below a tertiary level. At universities, they are calculated according to a more complicated formula than in some other nations:

GPA={{\sum{(gradepoints x creditpointsforunit)}}\over{\sumcreditpoints

}},

where grade points are as follows:

GradeUniSA[45] WSU
JCU
QUT[46]
UQ[47]
Griffith[48]
USQ[49] FedUni[50] CSU[51] VU[52] Macquarie[53] Adelaide[54] CQUFlinders[55]
Newcastle[56]
SCU[57] ANU
Charles Darwin[58]
UTAS[59] UWA[60]

AIM ACU[61]

UTS[62] Monash[63] SUT[64] Bond[65] Murdoch[66]
RMIT[67] UNDA
High Distinction77777777444
Distinction66666666333
Credit55555555222
Pass4.5 (P1) / 4 (P2)4444444111
Conceded Pass / Near Pass / Fail Level 1/Marginal Fail3.5 (Supp.) / 3 (Conc.)3330n/an/a00.70.50
Fail1.5 (F1 / F) / 1 (F2)21.5001.5000.300
Withdrawn Fail/Late Withdrawal1.511.500000000

A conceded pass is a pass for a course that has been awarded only after supplementary assessment has been undertaken by the student.

Where a course result is a Non-Graded Pass, the result will only be included if the GPA is less than 4, and will be assigned the grade point of 4, otherwise NGP results will be disregarded. The term course unit values is used to distinguish between courses which have different weightings, for example between a full year course and a single semester course.

Some other universities, such as the University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales, University of Sydney, and University of Wollongong[68] use a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) for the same purpose as a GPA. The WAM is based on the raw percentage grades, or marks, achieved by the student, rather than grade points such as High Distinction or Distinction.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Assessment and Grades . Australian Catholic University . 1 March 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090505035926/http://www.acu.edu.au/about_acu/publications/handbooks/2009/general_information/2009_academic_regulations/assessment/ . 5 May 2009 . dmy .
  2. Web site: Computer Professional Education Program: Subject Grading . Australian Computer Society . 30 June 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110423013214/http://www.acs.org.au/cpeprogram/index.cfm?action=show&conID=examgrade . 23 April 2011 . dmy .
  3. Web site: Results. University of Adelaide. 1 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090504225138/http://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/results.html. 4 May 2009. dead.
  4. Web site: Grading Scheme. University of Canberra. 1 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090215165734/http://www.canberra.edu.au/student-services/examinations/grading-schema. 15 February 2009. dead. dmy-all.
  5. Web site: Grading Policy . Charles Darwin University . 6 February 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131219013727/https://www.cdu.edu.au/governance/policies/pol-017.pdf . 19 December 2013 . dmy .
  6. Web site: Grading and Results Policy. CQ University. 1 March 2009.
  7. Web site: Grading Scheme. Flinders University. 1 March 2009.
  8. Web site: Assessment Policies and Procedures. JCU. 7 May 2016.
  9. Web site: Grading Policy – Policy Central. Macquarie University. 8 June 2013.
  10. Web site: Grades . Newcastle University . 1 March 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081204171156/http://www.newcastle.edu.au/study/examinations/grades.html . 4 December 2008 . dmy .
  11. Web site: QUT grading scale. Queensland University of Technology. 19 July 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100723164459/http://www.mopp.qut.edu.au/C/C_05_02.jsp. 23 July 2010 . live.
  12. Web site: Explanation of UNSW Grades . UNSW . 1 March 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091112025239/https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/atoz/Results.html . 12 November 2009 . dmy .
  13. Web site: Grades. University of Sydney.
  14. "University of Sydney Academic Board Resolutions: Assessment and Examination of Coursework" Approved by the Academic Board 2000-12-13, link verified 5 July 2008
  15. Web site: A24.0 Grading Scheme. 11 January 2016. Torrens University. https://web.archive.org/web/20160120100716/http://www.torrens.edu.au/images/pdf/a240_grading-scheme.pdf. 20 January 2016. dead.
  16. Web site: Legend of Grades. University of Wollongong. 1 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090228203150/http://www.uow.edu.au/student/examinations/legendofgrades/. 28 February 2009. dead. dmy-all.
  17. Web site: Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) – Academic Policy. 2016-01-11. University of the Sunshine Coast.
  18. Web site: Grades Procedure - University of Southern Queensland . policy.usq.edu.au . 29 June 2022.
  19. Web site: Grading Schema. UTS. 1 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090303045643/http://www.sau.uts.edu.au/assessment/results/grades.html. 3 March 2009 . live.
  20. Web site: Grades . UWS . 1 March 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081028081454/http://www.uws.edu.au/currentstudents/current_students/sitting_exams/results/grades . dead . 28 October 2008 .
  21. Web site: Grade Table and GPA » Navitas ACAP . www.acap.edu.au . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140902234958/http://www.acap.edu.au/current-students/managing-my-course/student-handbook/new-two-column-page . 2014-09-02.
  22. Web site: AIM Business School Student Handbook. Australian Institute of Management.
  23. Web site: How is a grade point average (GPA) calculated?. University of South Australia. 5 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110521145907/http://unisa.edu.au/campuscentral/faq/academic%20review/faq/acadrev_faq03.asp. 21 May 2011 . live.
  24. Web site: Grading . University of Southern Queensland . 26 November 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101207054427/http://policy.usq.edu.au/portal/custom/detail/assessment/Assessment.pdf . 7 December 2010 . dmy .
  25. Web site: University of Queensland CIVL3340 Course Profile Grading System . University of Queensland.
  26. Web site: University of Queensland LAWS5228 Course Profile Grading System . University of Queensland.
  27. Web site: ANU – Results – Student Administration Services (SAS). Australian National University. 25 July 2010.
  28. Web site: Grading. Curtin University. 1 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090226065742/http://examinations.curtin.edu.au/students/grading.cfm. 26 February 2009 . live.
  29. Web site: Results Key. Deakin University. 17 May 2013.
  30. Web site: Grading Schema . Edith Cowan University . 1 March 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090219012526/http://ecu.edu.au/student/assessment/results/grades.php . 19 February 2009 . dead . dmy .
  31. Web site: Results legend. Monash University. 3 February 2013.
  32. Web site: Assessment Policy. Murdoch University. https://archive.today/20090227183807/http://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/policies/assessment.html. dead. 27 February 2009. 1 March 2009.
  33. Web site: Higher Education Grading. RMIT University. 1 March 2009.
  34. Web site: Legend of Results. University of Tasmania. 1 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090509095232/http://www.studentcentre.utas.edu.au/examinations_and_results/forms_files/legend_results.pdf. 9 May 2009. dead.
  35. Web site: Grade Point Average. Swinburne University of Technology. 4 December 2014.
  36. Web site: Grades and marks . University of Western Australia . 15 May 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110409064823/http://handbooks.uwa.edu.au/undergraduate/poliproc/StudentProcedures/AssessmentandExamination/GradesandMarks . 9 April 2011 . dmy .
  37. Web site: Academic Result Codes. Victoria University. 11 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160111110654/https://www.vu.edu.au/student-life/exams-results/results/academic-result-codes. 11 January 2016.
  38. Web site: General Regulations . University of Notre Dame Australia . 28 August 2020.
  39. Web site: General Regulations of the University of Notre Dame, Australia.
  40. Web site: Grade Point Average (GPA). 2016-01-11. Federation University Australia.
  41. Web site: La Trobe University Higher Education Assessment Grades. 3 February 2013. La Trobe University.
  42. Web site: Chan . Angeline . 2023-11-24 . When and how to access results : The University of Melbourne . 2023-11-29 . Students . en.
  43. Web site: Grades. 11 January 2016. James Cook University. https://web.archive.org/web/20160120100717/https://www.griffith.edu.au/students/exams-assessment/grades. 20 January 2016. dead.
  44. The University of Queensland (2015). "http://ppl.app.uq.edu.au/content/3.10.07-grading-system". Accessed on 22 March 2016.
  45. Web site: How is a grade point average (GPA) calculated? . University of South Australia . 27 December 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121205051956/http://w3.unisa.edu.au/campuscentral/faq/academic%20review/faq/acadrev_faq03.asp . 5 December 2012 .
  46. "QUT grading system" Retrieved 19 July 2010
  47. "Explanation of grades" Retrieved 8 March 2012
  48. Web site: Calculation of Grade Point Average Policy. Griffith University. 29 July 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161130152347/http://policies.griffith.edu.au/pdf/Calculation%20of%20GPA%20Policy.pdf. 30 November 2016. dead.
  49. Web site: Grades Procedure - University of Southern Queensland .
  50. Web site: Grade Point Average (GPA). Unknown. federation.edu.au. en. 2018-05-16.
  51. Web site: Conferral and Graduation Policy / CSU Policy Library .
  52. Web site: 2018-10-09 . Understanding your Grade Point Average . 2023-08-13 . askvu.vu.edu.au.
  53. Web site: "Calculating Your Grade Point Average". https://web.archive.org/web/20090123225325/http://www.deanofstudents.mq.edu.au/gpa.htm. dead. 23 January 2009.
  54. Web site: Grade Point Average . University of Adelaide . 10 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120627044930/http://www.adelaide.edu.au/enrol/gradepointaverage/ . 27 June 2012 . dmy .
  55. Web site: Flinders University: Student Related Policies and Procedures Manual . 4 May 2010 . 18 May 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100518143301/http://www.flinders.edu.au/ppmanual/student/assessment.html . dead .
  56. Web site: Grade Point Average (GPA) Calculation Guideline. University of Newcastle. 6 July 2012.
  57. "Coursework Awards – Grade Point Average" Link verified 5 November 2012
  58. Web site: Charles Darwin University Grading Policy(2013). https://web.archive.org/web/20150402020111/http://www.cdu.edu.au/governance/policies/pol-017.pdf. dead. 2 April 2015.
  59. http://www.utas.edu.au/exams/results "Results"
  60. "http://www.ask.uwa.edu.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/348/~/what-is-gpa-(grade-point-average)%3F" Link verified 18 July 2011
  61. Web site: 9. Results .
  62. Web site: 2014-03-17 . Grade point average and weighted average mark . 2024-01-16 . University of Technology Sydney . en.
  63. Web site: Grade point average (GPA) .
  64. Web site: Understanding your academic results .
  65. Web site: Bond University | Grading Scale | Study Abroad & Student Exchange | Gold Coast . 2009-11-02 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091004105427/http://bond.edu.au/degrees-and-courses/study-abroad-student-exchange/study-abroad/grading-scale/index.htm . 4 October 2009 .
  66. Web site: Grade Point Average . 17 September 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100621000006/http://www.murdoch.edu.au/students/myinfo/GPA.html . 21 June 2010 . dead .
  67. Web site: Grade point average (GPA) . RMIT University . https://web.archive.org/web/20140701180020/http://www.rmit.edu.au/students/gradingbasis/gpa . 1 July 2014 . dead.
  68. University of Wollongong (2008). 2008 Course Handbook: Assessment. Accessed on 24 December 2008.