OU course results are calculated by looking at two different marks, based on two different forms of assessment with your course result being the lower of the two marks. This might be continuous assessment and a final exam, continuous assessment and a final extended essay, etc. In the case of DSE212 – Exploring psychology it was continuous assessment and a final exam. I already knew my score for the continuous assessment which was 79, but was waiting to see how the exam I sat back in September went to find out my overall course result. The 79 from continuous assessment meant that the best I could achieve was a grade 2 pass (aka a 2:1 in old money), but if the exam mark was a grade lower then that is the grade I would receive.

The mark for my exam was a nice round 80, so a grade 2 pass it is, to match my grade 2 pass for my level 2 philosophy course.

For my level 2 philosophy course I was given a breakdown of my exam marks, with details about how that compared to other people sitting it, but this time I have only (so far) been given a breakdown of the continuous assessment score (which I already knew).

The level 2 course results will be weighted together with my level 3 course results to give my final degree classification with level 2 results being multiplied by the number of credits the courses are worth, whilst level 3 courses are multiplied by the number of credits and 2. The lower your overall points total, the higher the degree classification. So far I have 120 credits at grade 2, giving me 240 points. A first requires 630 points or less, a 2:1 631-900 points, a 2:2 901-1,170 points (and let’s not go any lower than that). There’s also some quality assurance calculations where your best level 3 course needs to be of the top grade indicated by the calculation. So, to get a first I would need to get at least one first and one 2:1 in my remaining 60 credit level 3 courses which would give me 600 points total (60x1x2)+(60x2x2)+240 = 600.