All things You Should Know About UK Grading System

The UK education method is different and unique from the other countries. So on, the grading system is unique that UK universities follow. Before going to the United Kingdom for further learning, it is vital for International students to understand the UK grading system. Although, the most vital thing is the entire UK does not follow the same. A similar pattern follows by England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Whereas; Scottish uses a diverse way of grading. Yet, British higher education has such a high reputation that many countries follow the same grading system.

Many International students find fascinating about university grading system UK. Also, it is necessary for them to know the grading system, where they want to apply. So this blog will be helpful for scholars who desire to pursue higher education in the United Kingdom. 

UK Grading System in Compulsory Education

The grading system in the United Kingdom (UK) provides a transparent way to evaluate the academic performance of students. It gives the organizations an option to compare the achievements of scholars easily. Doing this gives a chance to make informed and better decisions. Thus, the compulsory education grading system in UK is divided into four prime stages. After completing each stage, they have to give different examinations. Also, scholars evaluated the academic achievements against curriculum levels. Apart from the exam scores, students' participation in projects is considered for checking their performance. There are eight levels of this performance evaluation in the compulsory education of grades in UK schools. To know more precisely, read the below pointers;

General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)

GCSE is a qualification exam students have to give when they have to complete compulsory education. There are two (2) GCSE grading systems applied in the United Kingdom (UK). One indicates the number from 1 to 9, which use in England. The second one uses Wales and Northern Ireland to evaluate the achievement of students from A to G UK grade system of letter scale.  

It is the brief of the GSCE grading system used in UK compulsory education. Now, if you are going to the United Kingdom for higher education, then learning the grading system for the same is beneficial. To know more effectively, read the below section.

UK Grading System in Higher Education

The United Kingdom (UK) has a special and unique higher education uni grades system. So it is critical for students to know about this, especially for International ones. Understanding the scale is a must to pass the exams smoothly. It has the most unique feature, which aims to describe the academic achievement of students effectively. It gives better chances to scholars to gain better opportunities.    

UK degree classification for higher education method is highly valued as it shows the academic strengths, skills and special abilities of the scholars. Thus, it helps students to compete better globally. Also, such scholars get better options by representing the documents. It is why many learners prefer to study in the UK to achieve better prospects. Since the UK university grades system has proved to be the most effective way to evaluate the performance of students, many other countries like Australia and Canada follow this on some occasions. These nations use this with some changes to assess the valuation of student learning. 

The grading system of UK universities uses a letter scale system from A to F to highlight the performance of students. Thus, if a student gets an A in the UK uni grading system, it shows such scholars' outstanding performance. On the other hand, getting an F means the learner does not achieve enough marks to pass the exam. To know more precisely the higher education grading system, read the below section.

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UK Grading System for Undergraduates

There are two types of degrees or programs for undergraduates in the United Kingdom (UK) uni grading system UK. Although, the grading scale remains the same for both. The two different types of programs are given below

Ordinary Degree or Pass Degree: 

It is a common bachelor's degree in the UK. For example the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc)

Honours Degree: 

Many International students have excited to pursue such a course and search for what is an honours degree UK. To make the way easier for them, this is an undergraduate degree with honours and is considered a higher standard than the ordinary one. For example; B.Sc Honours  

The undergraduate degree in the United Kingdom (UK) is classified into four prime stages based on the scores achieved by the scholars. Read the below pointers to get brief information on all four stages. 

First Class (Distinction)

The first class degree is often considered as “First” or “Distinction” in the UK university grading system. Also, it is the highest academic achievement level in UK universities. Students who outperform this have been considered as excellent to outstanding in the exam. When talking in terms of percentage, scholars who achieve the minimum 70% and higher in the undergraduate degree fall into this stage. Apart from it, when talking about the letter grades, students with such grades are equal to an A level grading system.  

So if an undergraduate student gets a first class degree, it means they were outperformed during the course and have better knowledge. Usually, this grading system changes depending on the university. 

Upper Second Class (Merit or 2:1)

After the first class, the students who achieved the marks below from 70% fall into the degree classification UK category of “Upper Second Class” or “Merit”. Also, this category is also labelled as a 2:1 class. In order to get into this, students have to perform well and achieve scores from 60% to 69%. If any scholars get this type of score in the university grading UK, then it means they have good knowledge but need some improvement. 

Apart from all of this, students have to accomplish a minimum upper second class degree to pursue the master's degree. In this case, if scholars have to follow the same dream, they must clear this thing in mind and work hard to achieve better scores for second class honours grades. 

Lower Second Class (Pass or 2:2)

After the upper second class, students who secure marks below marks from merit fall into this category. It is also known and labelled as 2:2 degree. Compared to the other described qualifications, scholars who achieved scores ranging from 50% to 59% have lower academic achievements. In addition, it does not show any significant skill and ability of students in their CV. Also, students who fall into this category of grading system in UK universities get fewer chances of employability. 

Third Class Degree

A third class degree is the minimum academic qualification students can achieve in the undergraduate degree. Scholars who secure marks between 40% to 49% get into this category. Unfortunately, learners with such marks do not get the opportunity of finding good jobs. However, the number of such students is smaller, who get the third class in the UK grading system university.

So it can be valuable for International students to know the grading system before going to the UK. Understanding the pointers and working hard for better grades will be helpful in earning more job prospects. Now, the below section is about post graduates students grading scale. Students can understand how the masters degree grades assess in the United Kingdom (UK). 

UK Grading System for Post Graduates

The master's level degree and programs are too difficult in the UK. It is because the student's coursework is evaluated by the two tutors and both agree on a grade. Also, this is the final mark that students get when the master's program. It is also different from undergraduate first, second class honours, and third class degrees. The master's degree in the UK is divided into two categories namely Standalone Master’s and Integrated Master’s Degree. They both follow different grading systems. To know the difference, read the following section. 

Standalone Master’s Degree or Program

The United Kingdom masters grades for a standalone degree are divided into two types. Follow the below section to know the difference between both and their grading system. 

Taught Master’s Degree

This master’s degree combine dissertation, projects, and different modules. Students have to work together for 180 credits. Each model alone is worth 10 to 30 credits. Students have been assessed on the basis of the length and requirements. As per the university grades UK for this mostly follows the detailed grading system which is given below;

Distinction - 70% and +

Merit - 60% - 69%

Pass- 50% - 59%

Third Class Pass- 40-49%

Master’s Degree by Research

This type of degree or program requires students who want to pursue a course of research. Most institutes and universities give results to students on the basis of pass or fail, with giving distinction grade UK. Scholars should understand the grading system before pursuing a master's degree in research. 

Integrated Masters Degree

On the other hand, as the name suggests integrated courses are integrated with other programs. Such degrees pursue by the science field students. Scholars can do a 4 years course with the master. Although, these courses follow the same grading system of undergraduate degrees like first, second upper and lower second class honours, and third class honours. In this course, the last two years' marks students have more weightage than the first two years. So it can be valuable for scholars to clear the grading system in mind to score well and increase the job opportunity options. 

So these are the masters grading scales international students can learn to grab better knowledge and pursue higher education according to the UK universities grading system. It can be valuable for scholars to know them and get good scores in higher education and increase the chances of a better future. 

How Gradding Help Study Abroad Aspirants to Fulfil the Dream?

Learning the local grading system of the desired country is necessary for the aspirants to study abroad. When it comes to pursuing education in the United Kingdom, scholars should know about the number to letter grades UK system. It can be valuable for them to prepare for the exams accordingly. There are numerous scholars who dream of going abroad every year, and Gradding.com help them to accomplish this goal with ease. Also, the most fascinating country for them is the United Kingdom for obvious reasons. It is known as one of the best education destinations and top universities. So it can be fruitful for scholars to understand the UK grading system first to pursue their dream and achieve a degree with higher scores. 

If you also dream of going abroad, taking help from us can be valuable to achieve the goal without complication. We provide support throughout the process and help in resolving the queries.