Open Uni grade boundaries

[louandivy]

Yeah I always thought the grading system was different too?

 

[xemmax]

Sometimes me and my sister score almost the same .... and mine is like a 2;2 and hers is a bloody first lmao... it does wind me up 85 % is high. I have read a justification for it before though and it was to do with how they mark something about using the full 0-100 :S i dno hahaha

This is what I mean - at regular universities marks rarely go above 80/85 (excluding science/maths etc). It's just a different system isn't it?

 

[emyandpotato]

Yeah it probably is, I just can't get my head around it. If it was simply different grading surely a pass mark would be 55% not 40%?

 

[xemmax]

Yeah it probably is, I just can't get my head around it. If it was simply different grading surely a pass mark would be 55% not 40%?

Only if it still followed the same pattern of 10 points between classes.. What are the boundaries for each class?

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

They will be the same standard of work .. first class work will be marked as first class work. Iykwim

 

[emyandpotato]

Ah, no they don't, they jump by 15 marks. A 2:1 is 70%, for example, and a 2:2 is 55%. That makes sense. Thank you! Wow I sound an idiot

 

[xemmax]

Haha no you don't, it is confusing when they both start at 40. Plus it would annoy me if I was used to one marking scheme and then had to switch to another!

 

[freckleonear]

I've been told it's because normal universities mark upwards from 0, whereas the Open University marks down from 100.

 

[Pearls18]

I haven't done OU I've only been to mainstream unis, and currently study distance learn for my masters from one, but I am going to assume that the marking system in general is different. I would assume (I've not heard of this before this thread though) that say for example you wrote an English lit paper identically and had it marked under the OU system and under a different uni that for example it would get 70% in the mainstream, but 85% in OU so although one is higher than the either it equates to the same thing, a first. I hope it is this otherwise it is definitely unfair!!!

I agree with wishyouwerehere in that distance learners probably get generally better marks, I was a 2.1 student through my undergrad full time, but now I study distance learning I am a "distinction" student. However, if distance learning generally creates better motivated students they shouldn't be penalised for it, they should be recognised as potentially better students if this is the trend and get the same marks as anyone else would, if you are going for a job your employer should know if you had the better quality marks regardless of how you studied.