What happens if I fail a module?

If you fail a module, don’t panic! In many cases there will still be an opportunity to achieve the credit required for award either through compensation or reassessment (see below).

Compensation

For Level 7 modules the pass mark for module assessments is 50%. However, if your mark for a module is in the 40–49% range, you may still be able to get the credits for the module if your performance in other modules is good enough to compensate. In other words, a ‘marginal’ failure in one module may be compensated by achievement in others.

There is, however, a limit to the amount of credit for which you can be compensated. To be eligible for compensation, you must meet the University’s compensation criteria for your award, which are based on the module marks achieved and your credit-weighted mean for the programme.

This means that a decision about whether a failed module can be compensated can only be reached when marks for all of the modules in your programme are available. For full details, please see the Student Guide to Rules for Progression and Award in Postgraduate Programmes.

If you fail one or more modules (i.e. achieve a module mark of below 50%) you may still receive the credit for the failed module and progress into the next stage or award provided that:

• You have no more than 20 credits worth of marks between 40-49%

• You have no module marks lower than 40% 

Reassessment

If you get a module mark below 40%, this cannot be compensated and you will have to be reassessed in that module. If you get a mark between 40% and 49% and you are not eligible for compensation (either because you have failed too many modules, or because there is another module mark below the threshold for compensation), you may also need to be reassessed in that module.

However, there is a limit to the number of credits in which you can be reassessed. You will be entitled to reassessment provided you have failed no more than 20 credits across the whole programme.

Most but not all modules can be reassessed. If you fail a module that has been defined to be ‘non-reassessable’ and the failure cannot be compensated, you will not be able to progress and will fail the programme.

The mark obtained for the reassessment will be capped at 50. First attempt marks or capped module mark following reassessment (whichever is greater) will be used to calculate your degree outcome.

You can only be reassessed in a module once, without valid exceptional circumstances being upheld. If you also fail the reassessment and the failure cannot be compensated, you will not be able to progress and will fail the programme.

There is also a limit on the number of credits you can fail at first attempt.

If you are required to retake a credit-bearing non-compensatable pass/fail assessment component this will count towards the number of credits you have been reassessed in, even if you pass an accompanying academic assessment at first attempt.

For further information on reassessment, see the Student Guide to Rules for Progression and Award in Postgraduate Programmes.

What is the relationship between compensation and reassessment?

If application of the compensation rules is not enough to give you the necessary credits, then you are allowed to be reassessed (within limits for each programme). The compensation rules may then be applied a second time, if needed, for you to achieve the credits. This means that some first attempt marks could be potentially compensatable: this happens when the compensation criteria are not met on first attempt, but there are marks in the compensation range. Reassessment in other modules might allow the compensation criteria to be met (perhaps by raising the credit-weighted mean), and so the potentially non-compensatable marks can actually be compensated without any need for reassessment in those modules.

Reassessment period

Following the Board of Examiners meeting at the end of Semester 2 your module mark profile will be reviewed. Following the application of the University’s compensation and reassessment rules you will then be notified about your reassessment requirements. All reassessment take place in the ‘reassessment period’ which is in August. Exact dates can be found on your programme Assessment Schedule. You should discuss this with your supervisor.