Marking Criteria

Coursework (ACPs, SAQs and CPRs)

Coursework will be blind marked (wherever possible) by members of the Programme Team. 15-20% of each round of submissions will be second marked by a paired, blind marker, in these instances the two markers will agree a final mark. Where a single marker is uncertain if the submission warrants a fail mark, or in the instance of moderated work where the two internal examiners cannot agree a mark across the pass/fail boundary, a further internal marker can moderate the piece of work. If there is still failure to agree, the script will be sent to the External Examiner. Objectivity is ensured by the use of a standard marking scheme. This is used to provide trainees with feedback on their performance and to record decisions for the external and internal examination boards. Work is graded according to the following scheme:

Pass P

Borderline pass BP

Borderline fail* BF

Fail* F

*Work given a borderline fail may be subsequently resubmitted for examination. An outright fail will require the submission of a new piece of work. Resubmissions are marked either as Pass or Fail and no further written feedback is provided to the trainee.

All ACPs and CPRs will receive qualitative feedback- normally within 10 working days following the Exam Board meeting after the submission date. This feedback is presented to facilitate the trainees' learning from their coursework assignments and cannot be used as a sole basis for an appeal against any decision made by the Board of Examiners. Trainees should arrange a meeting with the first marker to obtain more detailed feedback in the event of a fail. It is the trainee's responsibility to instigate this meeting.

SAQ resubmissions following a borderline fail will be granted 4 weeks for a resubmission, ACP resubmissions following a borderline fail will be granted 8 weeks for a resubmission and CPR resubmissions will be granted deadlines on a case by case basis.

Coursework will not be routinely marked down for poor spelling or presentation. However, in extreme or persistent circumstances marks will be reduced at the discretion of the Board of Internal Examiners, even if this results in the failure of the work in question.

Breaching a client's anonymity via inclusion, or insufficient anonymisation, of their family name in the report, and/or significant aspects of their address, will constitute grounds for work receiving a BORDERLINE FAIL. Other breaches (first name of client or family member, member of staff, trainee, supervisor, service) will receive a CONDITIONAL mark. 

A CONDITIONAL mark may also be given if work contains significant errors (e.g. typographical errors, poor presentation) which, whilst not affecting either the academic content or the grading, are sufficiently serious to require resubmission to the satisfaction of the Internal Examiners. Coursework with a Conditional mark has to be resubmitted within four weeks of the trainee receiving the mark. Failure to meet the requirements of the condition could result in reduction of the marks at the discretion of the Board of Internal Examiners, even if this results in the failure of the work in question. 

If a conditional mark is received it is the trainees' responsibility to gain approval that they have satisfactorily completed the required changes from the first marker. A signed approval form should be submitted along with the revised coursework.

A conditional grade is considered as evidence of poor quality control and where a repeated pattern emerges the number of conditional marks obtained by a trainee is formally monitored as an indicator of professional standards. It is expected that assignments are presented to a high standard as this is in keeping with professional requirements.

Short Answer Questions

All answers will be marked by a first marker and graded as pass, borderline pass, or borderline fail. In the case of borderline marks, an opinion from a second marker will be obtained. The focus of the assessment will be your familiarity with, and general understanding of the directed readings that you have been set. We will not be assessing on the detailed contents of each reference nor any related articles. If a question is graded as borderline pass or borderline fail, you will be provided with written feedback.

Where 5 or more SAQ answers are graded as a Borderline Fail the overall assignment will be considered as a Fail. A new set of SAQ answers must be completed. All must normally be graded as a minimum of Borderline Pass for the resubmission to be graded as a Pass.

Where one to 4 answers in the original SAQ set are borderline failed then the overall assignment is counted as grading pending. If all borderline failed items are passed on resubmission, then the assignment is graded as a Pass. If any individual SAQ is borderline failed on resubmission the SAQ set is graded as a Fail and the Board of Examiners will require a full set of new SAQs to be completed within a specified time frame. All must normally be graded as a minimum of BP on a single attempt for the submission to be passed.

Observed Clinical Skills Assessment (OCSA)

A member of the Programme team will independently rate the role-play using the revised form of the Clinical Skills Assessment Rating Form (CSA-RF, revised; see Blackboard for example), and then agree a pass/fail mark. Trainees will be assessed on the following domains of the CSA-RF:

• Demonstrating Professional Therapeutic Engagement

• Creating a Secure Base

• Formulation (sharing psychological ideas)

• Facilitating Mutual Understanding, and 

• Session Structure