GRADES

An assessment grade code will be given for each piece of formal assessment in a unit (see unit outlines) and the final assessment grade will be determined from a weighted combination of grades for individual pieces of assessment. Assessment grades and criteria are set out below.

Assessment Grade	Grade %	Grade Point Value	Description	Demonstrated Ability
HD High Distinction	85 - 100%	7	Work gives evidence of excellence of scholarship, including convincing argument, effective organization, a wide and varied base of reading, both primary and secondary, effective use of the literature, and good writing style.	Outstanding capacity to develop skills and knowledge in the field of study Outstanding comprehension of all elements of the unit content (encompassing both knowledge and study skills) addressed Outstanding level of argument/discussion referenced to material studied in the unit and to material found elsewhere Outstanding competence in assignment writing in the tertiary education context
DD Distinction	75 - 84%	6	Work gives evidence of effective organization of material, with a wide range of reading and an original approach to the topic, presented as a logical and sustainable argument, with fluency and cogency of expression.	Very high capacity to develop skills and knowledge in the field of study Very high level of comprehension of all elements of the unit content (encompassing both knowledge and study skills) addressed Very high level of argument/discussion referenced to material studied in the unit and to material found elsewhere Very high level of competence in assignment writing in the tertiary education context
CC Credit	65 - 74%	5	Work gives evidence of effective organization of material leading to a reasonable conclusion, and/or a wide range of reading as a base of the argument.	More than satisfactory capacity to develop skills and knowledge in the field of study More than satisfactory level of comprehension of all elements of the unit content (encompassing both knowledge and study skills) addressed More than satisfactory level of argument/discussion referenced to material studied in the unit and to material found elsewhere More than satisfactory level of competence in assignment writing in the tertiary education context
PP Pass	50 - 64%	4	Work gives evidence of sufficient and pertinent knowledge of the information relating to the topic, including the ability to select the most appropriate knowledge and to order it in a reasonably coherent manner.	Satisfactory capacity to develop skills and knowledge in the field of study Satisfactory level of comprehension of all elements of the unit content (encompassing both knowledge and study skills) addressed Satisfactory level of argument/discussion referenced to material studied in the unit and to material found elsewhere Satisfactory level of competence in assignment writing in the tertiary education context
** NN Fail	0 - 49%	0	Work is typified by an inadequate amount of knowledge, excessively irrelevant data, and/or poor selection and ordering of material. An item should not fail on the basis of poor written expression.	Unsatisfactory capacity to develop skills and knowledge in the field of study Unsatisfactory level of comprehension of sufficient elements of the unit content (encompassing both knowledge and study skills) addressed Unsatisfactory level of argument/discussion referenced to material studied in the unit and to material found elsewhere Note: When a grade of Fail is awarded, the right to submit supplementary work for assessment may be allowed where the failure is marginal. In such cases, the award of NN will carry the additional designation (Supp). No more than two supplementaries may be granted to any student in a semester. Where a supplementary is allowed, the maximum grade given will be Pass (PP).
** SS Satisfactory	non-graded pass		Used for Practicum courses.

** Grades of Fail and Satisfactory are not included in the calculation of Grade Point Averages.

Level 5 Criteria - Thesis

A thesis should be a coherent exposition of a research study and follow an ordered sequence in which the research objectives, relationship to other scholarly work, methodology and strategies employed, and the results obtained are identified, analysed and evaluated. The main text should include a discussion of the conclusions or results. The thesis may take any of a number of forms, depending on the field, e.g., a report, an argument, or a critique. The thesis will be assessed by experts in the field who will have an expectation that the dissertation meet the commonly accepted standards for a piece of academic research in their field. It is expected that any written component will be in English.

The 40cp theses in both the Master of Theology and the Master of Ministry are officially marked on a Pass/Fail basis.

Other Assessment Grades

Assessment Grade	Grade Point Value	Description	Demonstrated Ability
PC Pass Conceded	3		The grade of Pass Conceded may be awarded by the Academic Committee, but only for the final unit needed for completion of the requirements for an award. A unit given the grade Pass Conceded cannot contribute towards the requirements for a major.
AD Audit		Used where a unit is not taken for credit
ANC Assessment Not Complete		Used where an extension of time is granted for submission of work for assessment

Written Work - Word Requirements

Where the assessment item is an essay or written work, complying with word requirements is also a component in determining assessment grades.

As well as the guidelines above, the following table shows the word requirements appropriate for each level in the postgraduate programs.

Unit Level Code	Course	Description	Word Requirements
1	Undergraduate	Introductory undergraduate units, with no prerequisites, which provide a general overview of a particular Field (A/B, C, D, or H); for example, the core units in the Bachelor of Theology degree. The major focus of this level is to introduce students to a wide body of information in the field. Therefore, these units provide a unifying approach to the study of the field before the more advanced and in-depth study of particular components of the field in advanced electives.	Total assessment length: 4,000-5,000 words.
2	Undergraduate	Advanced undergraduate units, where prerequisites generally include the completion of the introductory unit (or equivalent) in the same Field. Units at this level build on the platform provided by Level 1 units by means of a more detailed study of selected components of the fields, which requires a greater degree of sophistication in critical analysis by the students.	Total assessment length: 5,000-6,000 words
3	Postgraduate	Introductory postgraduate units, with no prerequisites, which provide a general overview of a particular Field (A/B, C, D, or H); for example, the core units in the Graduate Certificate in Theology. The major focus of this level is to introduce students to a wide body of information in the field. Therefore, these units provide a unifying approach to the study of the field before the more advanced and in-depth study of particular components of the field in advanced electives.	Total assessment length: 5,000-6,000 words
4	Postgraduate	Advanced postgraduate units, where prerequisites generally include the completion of the introductory unit (or equivalent) in the same Field. Units at this level build on the platform provided by Level 3 units by means of a more detailed study of selected components of the fields, which requires a greater degree of sophistication in critical analysis by the students.	Total assessment length: 6,500-7,500 words
5	Masters coursework thesis		Total assessment length: 15,000-20,000 words

Specific assessment requirements are detailed in the expanded unit outlines distributed to students at the introductory lecture for each unit.

All written work which is required by a lecturer for a unit (whether counted for assessment or not) must be included within the maximum word limit level for that unit.

It is expected that students will acquaint themselves with the issues relating to the use of inclusive language and that inclusive language will be used in work submitted for assessment.

Presentation and referencing of essays is to be in accordance with the guidelines set out in the BCt Style Guide. Copies of the Style Guide are available in the Libraries and will be uploaded to the web before the start of semester 1, 2008.

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