what percentage do u need to pass uni? (1 Viewer)

[iamsickofyear12]

is it hard to pass? i mean, looks pretty easy to be getting distinctions+ if all you need is 75+

It really depends on how the subject coordinator feels like running the subject... workload and marking is not even remotely consistent. Generally it is not too difficult to pass, although some lecturers like to try and fail as many people as possible by making the subject unreasonably hard.

Distinctions are not too difficult to achieve if you are smart enough and are willing to put in a little bit of effort but they are by no means easy and you won't always get them.

HD's are not easy to get. Based on my experience I would say that it probably takes 3 times more work to get a HD than a D. I don't think it is worth it.

 

[melsc]

Course dependent i'd assume? What's the easiest course in general to get such marks? The humanities subject as someone has said?

No thats normally how it works, how difficult it may be to get such marks does depend on the course, but the allocation is the same. In Arts I have to work less for a HD but its not like more than 5% of the class get HDs. Generally they are only able to give a certain amount to maintain the curve, hence in a high performing group a lot of borderline marks might be given but there wont be an increase in D's or HD's, so there might be a lot of people around the 74%, 84% areas. If they have to many HD's or D's thet look for the papers that are borderline and those usually get a high mark in the lower band.

 

[Rafy]

I can't speak for other unis but the conceded pass grade has been scrapped at most USYD faculties.

 

[melsc]

MQ has a pass conceeded (PC) but in a lot of faculties it does not count i.e. you can't progress to the next core law subject until you get a P

 

[shakky15]

At uni, an average sort of mark is a credit. A pass is below average, but still OK (in that you don't have to take that course again). May still have an impact on your ability to get into honours, and stuff like that later, though.

For most courses, probably 5-10% of students will get a HD. The average calibre of the students that you are competing with is higher than at high school, since people tend to pick courses that they are good at or like. And these are the people who have survived the filtering process of getting the necessary UAI to get into uni in the first place. So don't think that getting a D or a HD is going to be comparable to getting 75+ in a HSC subject - it isn't.

In addition, some faculties are much tougher than others. Law and Arts are both notorious for tough marking at the top of the bell curve. It is not uncommon (at UNSW, anyway) to have 2nd year law subjects that give no HDs at all. From what I hear, history and philosophy are similar, too.

Somebody (Lazarus?) posted up a marks distribution table from the UNSW law school that they'd got hold of a few years ago... If you can find it, it makes interesting reading...

speaks sense.. thanks..

but i think theres a good opportunity to get D+ if a lot of the cohort is always out partying/looking just to pass etc..

thanks for the help

 

[spence]

I'm also pretty sure UTS doesn't have conceded passes anymore

 

[Graney]

but i think theres a good opportunity to get D+ if a lot of the cohort is always out partying/looking just to pass etc..

You do realise uni grades aren't scaled in that way? Like, it's possible for no one to get a D+. It's also possible, in theory for everyone to get a HD (though the course and lecturer would come under some serious scrutiny).

It's not like the HSC, it doesn't matter how the rest of your cohort goes, you are marked against an absolute, invariable standard. You earn every mark, and they are not generally scaled.

You also realise most people at uni are just as smart and competitive as you?

 

[jemsta]

look at this guy, hasnt even started uni yet and he expects to get 75+ for each subject he undertakes.
Just wait till uni mate...as for the meantime enjoy your holidays and worry about it when it comes.

 

[melsc]

speaks sense.. thanks..

but i think theres a good opportunity to get D+ if a lot of the cohort is always out partying/looking just to pass etc..

thanks for the help

I don't know of any course where the majority of the course is always out partying... but even if there are some out there most uni students are naturally intelligent and can work hard when the time comes to and those who aren't work even harder.

Basically you need to work hard, not all the time but most of the time and at least when its assessment/exam time. You also have to balance a social life and work as well. Its not like uni where people don't expect you to work, help out around the house, expect you to be a social hermit etc, people don't cut you slack like they do during the HSC, you have to find time for everything and do you work and this makes it all the more difficult

This is not to scare you but to prevent you from freaking out in your first year, I ended up with mainly credits, a pass and a highly fluked HD in my first year and at first to me that seemed quite bad, until I found out thats actually quite good. First year is the weeding year after all. Just don't expect D's/HD's in the first year, sure its possible but most first years don't end up with them...as you get use to uni it gets easier. Good luck and stop worrying about it so much

I just remembered something, heres a good example of how different uni marks to high school. In my first year in a few assessments out of 40 I got 29.75/40 when 30 was a D...it happened a few times and each time I was told its just not quite D quality, I doubt that at high school you'd be marked by .25 but it happens at uni...not all the time...but some times

 

[Trebla]

When I did the HSC, I was under the impression of "work hard now, and you can bludge later", but since uni, I've found out that's definitely not true at all. You have to commit to uni, it is not a bludge. A distinction grade is achievable but it takes a good amount of effort to achieve one. I had to work hard to maintain a distinction average...

Don't expect the majority of the cohort to have this attitude of wanting to "just pass" their degrees. Most people with common sense know that heaps of other people have the same degrees as them, and to gain an advantage they must get those good marks, with all else being equal. Also, heaps of people want to do honours (because it increases your employability) and you need a good academic record to get into it, and this is another incentive to work hard.

Think about it, assuming all other things equal, you would much rather employ someone with a good academic record as opposed to someone who barely passes, because those with the good marks show that they can work hard and will produce good results for the company.

Also, keep in mind that unless you entered an unpopular low UAI cut-off course, the cohort is going to be A LOT SMARTER than those in high school. Take a Combined Law degree for example, the cut-off is usually 99+. I've met heaps of people taking that degree and trust me, it is awfully competitive, which is not surprising because you have the top 1% of the state thrown into one cohort. Everyone is very hard working and very smart, so it takes a lot to beat them.

 

[shakky15]

When I did the HSC, I was under the impression of "work hard now, and you can bludge later", but since uni, I've found out that's definitely not true at all. You have to commit to uni, it is not a bludge. A distinction grade is achievable but it takes a good amount of effort to achieve one. I had to work hard to maintain a distinction average...

Don't expect the majority of the cohort to have this attitude of wanting to "just pass" their degrees. Most people with common sense know that heaps of other people have the same degrees as them, and to gain an advantage they must get those good marks, with all else being equal. Also, heaps of people want to do honours (because it increases your employability) and you need a good academic record to get into it, and this is another incentive to work hard.

Think about it, assuming all other things equal, you would much rather employ someone with a good academic record as opposed to someone who barely passes, because those with the good marks show that they can work hard and will produce good results for the company.

Also, keep in mind that unless you entered an unpopular low UAI cut-off course, the cohort is going to be A LOT SMARTER than those in high school. Take a Combined Law degree for example, the cut-off is usually 99+. I've met heaps of people taking that degree and trust me, it is awfully competitive, which is not surprising because you have the top 1% of the state thrown into one cohort. Everyone is very hard working and very smart, so it takes a lot to beat them.

yeah, true

i think im going to put this all in the back of my mind for the moment and worry about it all next year lol

 

[drewbrow1]

This diagram is 100% awesome in explaining the uni grading system.
(Bottom axis is UNSW grading, right axis is european and US systems, left axis is percentage of students exceeding X mark. Bottom bound represents 'easy' courses, top bound is 'hard' courses.)

This page is also a good read.

 

[darkwolfzx]

the famous gum leaf model

 

[kevinx2]

Ooo, nice. Cheers.

 

[lala2]

Yeah, you gotta remember that everyone in your course has already attained that minimum level of achievement to get in. Even if you picked one with a lower UAI cutoff, say 75, you're competing with people who placed in the top 25% of the state as opposed to everyone including those at the bottom of the state.

I'd say a credit was fairly average. You put in a reasonable amount of effort, you get a reasonable mark (credit). Distinction is yep, you're above average for your cohort, again, top 10% usually. HD is for the top 5%, and pass--you're acceptable but probably a bit below average. I got raw mark of 87% back for an assessment this semester, it really shocked me because I haven't see a mark like that since I left school, which is how competitive it is.

 

[ConquerDiscover]

hey guys thanks for the replies.

um, anyone know the pass for a Bachelor of Science majoring in Biology/Geology? (UAI requirement for this course is about 73).

I'm going to aim for pass in Uni

if you think about it, as long as I pass, I'll continue and move on with the people who are getting HD's.

Pass ftw.

 

[wrong_turn]

im quite sure you just need to pass them or need to pass the final to pass the course.

 

[lala2]

^^My mistake. Though I think you mean they're the 60th percentile, taking the 2007 statistic, and therefore in the top 40%.

 

[webby234]

At USYD, the guidelines say that in first year about 3% of the people who pass should get HD, the top 14% get D or above and top 42% for C or above. Higher years it's 4%/18%/50%. So in general, to get over 65, you need to be above average. That's supposed to be an average over large numbers of students and in advanced units/harder subjects where the quality of the students is high the percentages will be higher.

http://www.usyd.edu.au/ab/policies/Assess_Exam_Coursework.pdf (bottom of page 15)

 

[piitb]

All the chiro people who do anatomy at Macquarie need to get something like 60% for a pass. So strange. :-/

i'd be quite scared to goto a chiro who only knew 50% of his stuff wouldnt u