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Assessment Regulations for Northumbria Awards (ARNA)

Enid Ashdown, Quality Frameworks Manager

Liz Morrow,Quality Review Manager

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ARNA

• Introduced in September 2002

• Reviewed annually and re-issued each academic year incorporating– any changes to regulations approved by Academic Board (on

recommendation of SLE and its Regulations & Frameworks Sub-committee)

– minor editorial corrections/clarifications

• Fundamental review in 2011/12 and 2012/13 with significant changes introduced in 2013/14

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ARNA includes….

• Progression and Award regulations:– FT programmes (section 3)– PT programmes (section 4)

• Awards and their classification:– FT programmes (section 9)– PT programmes (section 10)

• Flow diagrams illustrating the application of the regulations to different types of award (section 11)

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Appendix I• Academic Misconduct – regulations and procedures

Appendix II• Regulations governing examinations

• Regulations governing alteration to assessment arrangements for disabled students in unforeseen medical circumstances

Appendix III• Glossary of terms

ARNA also includes…

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ARNA

Applies to

• all NU programmes delivered in UK or overseas (including franchise) – any variations must be approved by SLE’s RFSC (formerly by ULT)

and complements

• Modular Framework for Northumbria Awards (MFNA)

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• Credit requirements for NU awards specified in ARNA sections 9 and 10 eg– undergraduate honours degrees normally comprise

360 credits at levels 4, 5 and 6 (120 credits at each level)

– masters degrees normally comprise 180 credits at level 7

• Minimum 60 credits of current learning required for an NU award

• MFNA (5.2) permits some flexibility eg– up to 30 level 3 credits permitted in level 4 UG

programmes– up to 30 level 6 credits in masters degrees

Some principles 1

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At award stage:• classification cannot be improved by

compensation or successful referral• where requirements for named award met,

cannot re-register to improve classification

but, from 2013/14:• FT and PT programmes no longer governed by

the same regulations for progression, compensation and referral

Some principles 2

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Part-time programmeA programme with fewer than 120 credits in an academic or calendar year.

ProgressionFormal progress through an academic programme, meeting key academic requirements…...

Glossary of terms (Appendix III)

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CompensationProvision for the allowance of module failure on the basis of overall performance to enable a student to progress to the next level or complete the award.

Referral/resitA further attempt, following initial failure, at a module assessment……

Glossary of terms (Appendix III)

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Current learningLearning undertaken by a student towards a Northumbria award excluding any credit attained elsewhere which has been recognised as contributing to the overall credit requirements for the award.

Glossary of terms (Appendix III)

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Modules 1

• see ARNA section 2

• modules have specified level and credit value • have one or more components of assessment

• overall module mark rounded to nearest percentage

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Modules 2

• module pass mark - UG (level 6 & below) 40%; PG (level 7) 50%

• module failed if any assessment component not completed ie where student– fails to attend exam or to submit work– submits work late without approval

• where clearly specified, component pass can be required

• module/component can be pass/fail

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Modules 3

Module credit awarded by:• exemption/APL etc (ie through admissions process)• passing module

– 40% UG pass mark; 50% PG pass mark; passing P/F module– all assessment components must be completed NB late

unauthorised submission regarded as non-completion

• compensation of module failure at first sit or referral• passing re-assessment ie referral or deferral• PAB decision to module pass PEC affected module

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Progression on FT programmes

Progression on FT programmes is to next level or from PG taught modules to master’s dissertation

Two requirements for progression: • level average requirement

– at level 3/4, 1st sit level average of 30% required – at level 5/6, 1st sit level average of 40% required– at level 7, 1st sit level average of 45% required

• credit requirement– 120 credits normally required to progress either

• initially (at first sit) or • following referral

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Progression on FT programmes

At end of each level, level average calculated

and decisions made regarding any failed modules

– is compensation possible?

– is student eligible for referral?

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Compensation on FT programmes 1

At end of level or at PG progression point, compensation of module failure automatic if:• failed credits ≤ compensatable credits• current learning > 60 credits (ie not for 60 credit awards)• maximum 20 credits per 120 credit level (see 3.3.3 for full table)• required level average met ie

– level 3/4 30%– level 5/6 40%– level 7 (IM) 50% IM Integrated

Masters– level 7 (other PG) 45%

• module mark ≥ 30%

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Compensation on FT programmes 2

• Compensation not applied to module if:

– PEC claim approved– all assessment components not completed – substantiated academic misconduct – designated non-compensatable (NC)

• Module pass mark and credit awarded when module failure compensated but must not improve award classification

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Referral on FT programmes 1

•No limit to number of referrals of taught modules if required level average met

– level 3/4 30%– level 5/6 40%– level 7 (IM) 50%– level 7 (other PG) 45%

• No level average requirement for referral of master’s project/dissertation

• Module pass mark and credit awarded for successful referral (but, at award stage must not improve award classification)

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Failure on FT programmes

At intermediate stage/s:• student may apply to repeat the level (if current level is not a

repeat level)• if referral attempt failed, progression can be suspended to

retake failed module/s as if for the first time• mark then gained counts in full (with possibility of a further

referral)

At award stage:• student has failed but may be eligible for lower level award

(pass degree from UG hons degree) if current learning permits

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• Progression on PT programmes at end of stage • Stage normally at end of academic or calendar

year but before programme anniversary• Number of credits in stage depends on

programme structure• Progression requires all modules in stage to

have been passed initially or on referral• Referral of failed module automatic ie no level

average requirement

Progression on PT programmes

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• At award stage only except:– where student exits with lower level award– where all PG taught modules completed at

intermediate stage ie award stage comprises project/dissertation only

• Module pass mark and credit awarded but cannot improve award classification

Compensation on PT programmes

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Compensation of module failure automatic if:• failed credits ≤ compensatable credits• current learning > 60 credits (ie not for 60 credit awards)• maximum 20 credits per 120 credit level (see 4.3.2 for

full table)• module mark ≥ 30% No compensation if:

– PEC claim approved– all assessment components not completed – substantiated academic misconduct – module designated non-compensatable (NC)

Compensation on PT programmes

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• At intermediate stages, referral of failed module is automatic

• At award stage, referral is automatic if all failed modules cannot be compensated

• Module pass mark and credit awarded for successful referral but, at award stage, must not improve award classification

Referral on PT programmes

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If referral attempt failed, at intermediate stage/s:• progression can be suspended to retake failed

module/s as if for the first time• mark then gained counts in full (with possibility

of a further referral)

If referral attempt failed, at award stage:• student has failed but may be eligible for lower

level award (pass degree from UG hons degree) if current learning permits

Failure on PT programmes

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FT programmes PT programmesAt end of level At end of stageLevel average requirement No level average

requirementCredit requirements must be met initially or after referral or compensation

Credit requirements must be met initially or after referral (no compensation)

Progression FT and PT key differences

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FT programmes PT programmesPossible at intermediate and award stages

Normally at award stage only

Applied at end of level Applied at award stage or, for PG masters, on completion of taught modules

Level average requirement No level average requirement

Compensation FT and PT key differences

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FT programmes PT programmes

Level average requirement No level average requirement – automatic at intermediate stage unless intermediate stage represents a progression point to the master’s project/dissertation or student is exiting with lower level award

Referral FT and PT key differences

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Honours classification 1

• 1st sit level average requirement– 40% FT UG hons programmes– 50% FT IM programmes– not applicable for PT programmes (but average determines award

classification)

• classification based on highest from:– level 5/6 average (level 6/7 IM) weighted 40:60 or – level 6 (level 7 IM) average

• then:First - average of 70% or aboveUpper second - at least 60% but less than 70%Lower second - at least 50% but less than 60%Third - less than 50% (minimum 40% FT students only)

NB No 3rd class honours on IM programmes

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Honours classification 2

• borderline rules apply

– 3% at 2.1/First boundary (ie where classification

average is 67-69%)

– 2% at other boundaries (ie at 58-59% for 2.2/2.1;

48-49% for 3/2.2 (UG hons only)

– no borderline at 38-39% (48-49% IM)

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Honours classification 3

• at classification borderline, higher classification awarded where:– best average ends in 9 (ie 69, 59,49) and at least half of credits at award

stage are at higher classification • eg where classification average is 59 at least 60/120 credits must be at 60 or above

for award of 2.1– otherwise (ie 68/67/58/48), majority of credits at award stage must be

at higher classification• eg where classification average is 67, at least 70 level 6 credits must be at 70 or above

for award of 1st

• borderline rules applied before particular referral and compensation applied ie classification determined at 1st sit

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Classification of other awards

• see section 5• Distinction requires 1st sit level average of 70% or

more (borderline 67%) • Commendation requires 1st sit level average of 60 -

69% (borderline 58% (UG) 59% (PG)) • Borderline regulations as for honours degrees

– 1st sit level average 69/59% - higher classification awarded if half credits at award level are at higher classification

– 1st sit level average of 68/67/58 – higher classification awarded if majority of credits at award level are at higher classification

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• 30% minimum module mark requirement for compensation• removal of ‘option to retrieve’ regulations at award stage of

honours degrees • ‘module disregard’ at award stage of honours degrees and on

PG programmes replaced by compensation with pass mark now reported on SMRF/transcript/HEAR

• 60 credit lower level awards (eg PgCert) should only be classified where they comprise a sub-set of prescribed modules defined in programme specification

• removal of ‘right to repeat’ regulations at intermediate stages of honours degrees and PAB discretion to allow repeat opportunity

Key changes in ARNA 2013/14

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FT programmes• 40% level 6 average requirement for

compensation and referral at award stage of UG honours degrees (50% level 7 average IM)

• 45% level 7 average for referral and compensation on PG programmes

• Student who has failed intermediate stage may apply to repeat level

Key changes in ARNA 2013/14

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PT programmes• Progression at end of stage (formerly level)• Referral of failed module/s automatic at

intermediate stage• Compensation at award stage only (NB possible

at intermediate stage of Masters programme if all taught modules have been completed)

• Possibility of award through credit accumulation eg 3rd class honours with 1st sit level average < 40%

Key changes to ARNA 2013/14

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• RFSC (November 2013) agreed that students must not be disadvantaged by changes introduced in 2013/14

• System generated recommendations will reflect 2013/14 regulations but, for PABs relating to 2013/14 (including Resit and Autumn PG PABs), where module/s failed, 2012/13 regulations applied if in student’s interest eg:– at Honours award stage, compensation applied for module mark

<30%– ‘option to retrieve’ regulations may be applied– compensation at PT intermediate stage where this is also end of

level and module compensatable under 2012/13 regulations

Transitional arrangements, 2013/14

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References

• ARNA

• Guide to the Examination Board Process

2013/14

http://northumbria.ac.uk/sd/central/ar/qualitysupport/assess/

• Modular Framework (MFNA)

http://northumbria.ac.uk/sd/central/ar/qualitysupport/approval/framework/