exam marks

goonyougoodthin

Gretting Maynoothonians, I was just thinking about the exam marks and had a question, is there a minimum mark needed in the written exams required to pass? Say you got 20% off your marks for the continuous assessment would that mean you would only have to get the remaining 20% of your written exam to pass I thought you'd have to get a minimum of 40% in the written regardless but am I thinking of that because that's how the leaving cert was?

LeixlipRed

No, unless there's a special provision for the particular module that you have to pass the written component but I'm not aware of any modules like that.

TouchingVirus

LeixlipRed wrote: »

No, unless there's a special provision for the particular module that you have to pass the written component but I'm not aware of any modules like that.

You sure LeixlipRed? Isn't part of the purpose of CA to bump you up if you do utterly crap in the written exam?

Effluo

I know electronic engineers have to get either 30+% or 35+% in the main exam to pass. Although if other students are doing the module they only need over 25%.

I'm pretty sure for most other students + subjects the mark is 25%

Not sure if they really enforce it though, Know lots of people(myself included) who have missed out on the required mark for continuous assessment. Yet when the result come out if they got the mark in the final exam they pass...

goonyougoodthin

LeixlipRed wrote: »

No, unless there's a special provision for the particular module that you have to pass the written component but I'm not aware of any modules like that.

Thanks, heard it from a few people but wanted to be sure, good to know if I do bad in the written on the day it won't be to bad as I did good in the CA's.

LeixlipRed

TouchingVirus wrote: »

You sure LeixlipRed? Isn't part of the purpose of CA to bump you up if you do utterly crap in the written exam?

That's what I meant.

Ostrom

Bottom line is 25%. Anything less than this and you cannot compensate.

LeixlipRed

efla wrote: »

Bottom line is 25%. Anything less than this and you cannot compensate.

That's for a module though. Not specifically a written exam.

Effluo

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Not specifically a written exam.

Well i know for a computer science module i did, the lecturer said i had to get 25% in the final test to pass...

Even though if i only got 20% in the final exam, it would have put me over the total 40%

leopoldbloom

As I understand it, and I've failed A LOT in my time. You have to get more than zero in both elements so that they add up to 25% at least. IE if you have more than 40% in CA already and decide to skip the exam you will still fail.

Effluo

leopoldbloom wrote: »

As I understand it, and I've failed A LOT in my time. You have to get more than zero in both elements so that they add up to 25% at least. IE if you have more than 40% in CA already and decide to skip the exam you will still fail.

I don't get it...

40 + 0 = 40

40>25

leopoldbloom

I know, but that's how it works. I know people who have passed a module in CA and not bothered with the exam, they got a nicely nasty surprise in their results.

Effluo

lol

I don't think your version makes any sense though...

Do a few more examples

leopoldbloom

The basic idea is this, you have to submit something in both sections. So, CA = 10%, exam = 15%. CA+Exam = 25% and you can compensate.

However, CA = 45%, exam = 0% (Absent). CA+Exam = 45%, but still fail.

So, in other words, even if you don't know anything you MUST do the exam, even if you only get 1% if you want to pass by compensation.

Devia

Requirements are generally module specific. There are modules where you have to pass both CA elements and the written exam to pass the module (I know this from experience) so you should probably send an email to the department for a definitive answer to the question.

tootyflutty

slightly off topic here, but what happens if you fail a subject or just a module of a subject that you are going to drop anyway?
And you can compensate accross different subjects, say I did well in one subject, but failed another, coud I use the other one to make up the marks?

mickstupp

Think you've to pass everything, even if you're dropping the subject.
And I think you can only compensate across modules not subjects.

astroguy

As far as I know, there is a provision for compensating across different subjects but not sure exactly how it works, it's more complicated than just between modules in a subject. I think it can end up bringing your other subject's mark down quite a bit, maybe someone can explain this better than I can!

LeixlipRed

You can't compensate across subjects.

astroguy

LeixlipRed wrote: »

You can't compensate across subjects.

I thought you could, but that you got penalised for it, so that the other subject would have to be significantly better to let you pass. I was sure this happened to someone I knew. Has it always been this way or is this a new thing?

astroguy

I think maybe this is what I was thinking of:
http://www.nuim.ie/calendar/rules/documents/marksandstandards_000.pdf Page 27
"In First-Year Science, students may pass the year by compensation by passing three of their subjects, obtaining at least
30% in their fourth subject and obtaining at least 40% on aggregate in the four subjects. Such student may not
continue with the failed subject in second year unless they obtained at least 35% in that subject. Therefore if the failed
subject has below 35% and is a requirement in the second year of the programme (such as Biology or Chemistry in
the Biotechnology programme, Experimental Physics in the Astrophysics programme, or Mathematics in programmes
involving Computer Science, etc) students must either repeat the failed subject in order to meet the requirements or
seek to switch to another programme (if any) for which they are qualified.
In Second-Year Science, students may pass the year by compensation by passing two of their subjects, obtaining at
least 30% in their third subject and obtaining at least 40% on aggregate in the three subjects. Students may only
continue in Third-Year with subjects in which they obtained at least 40%.
Students in Third-Year Science need to pass the third year examination in science and achieve 45% in each subject
that they wish to continue with in Fourth-Year. Students passing third science but failing to achieve the standard for
entry to fourth year will be awarded the BSc(Pass). Students may Pass Third-Year Science by compensation if they
achieve at least 45% in one subject and between 35% and 39% in the second subject.
In First-Year Arts, students may pass by compensation by passing two of their subjects, obtaining at least 35% in their
third subject and obtaining at least 40% on aggregate, provided that the two passed subjects are compatible in 2nd
year. Such students may only continue in 2nd year with subjects in which they have obtained at least 40%, hence
students cannot pass by compensation in a subject that is a requirement for the second-year of the programme."

i.e. for some programmes you can pass by compensation across subjects if you get at least 30% in the other subject, but you may not continue with this subject in your next year.

LeixlipRed

Interesting, wasn't aware of that. Not sure that applies in Arts though. I worked in the Exams Office and I still don't know all the rules