Historically, students at Cambridge have received a classification for each Part (year) of their Tripos. Students who matriculated from 2020 onwards also receive an overall degree classification, which appears on their degree transcript.
How is the overall degree classification calculated?
Once each Part of a student’s award has been classified, Part II Examiners use these to calculate an overall degree classification. Each Tripos has an agreed scheme of weighting used to calculate the overall degree classification and this should be listed on course web pages. Exam Boards are responsible for setting the final class boundaries used to determine the overall degree classification.
The majority of Triposes follow either the 0:30:70 or the 0:0:100 scheme of weighting outlined below.
0:30:70 | 0:0:100 |
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In this scheme of weighting, 30% of the final classification is based on work completed in the second year of study and 70% is based on work completed in the third and final year of study. | In this scheme of weighting, 100% of the final degree classification is based on work completed in the third and final year of study. |
Triposes following this scheme:
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Triposes following this scheme:
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In addition, Faculty Boards can request permission from the General Board’s Education Committee to follow a different scheme of weighting, and awards with permission to do so are:
- Law, classes awards following a 0:50:50 scheme of weighting
- Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion, for students who matriculated in 2021 only; the University agreed a policy of no-detriment and students may therefore be classed by either 0:30:70 or 0:0:100 scheme of weighting
An exception has also been made for the Management Studies Tripos, which students can take in either their third or fourth year of study at the University. Candidates taking the Tripos in their third year are classed using the 0:30:70 weighting, with 30% of marks coming from the second-year Tripos. Candidates taking the Tripos in their fourth year are classed by their Part II Tripos scheme only; the Management Studies Tripos result is not factored into the overall degree classification but the mark and class do appear on the transcript.
There are also exceptions for students changing Tripos, and for those who have received an allowance or Ordinary degree, outlined in more detail below.
How is the overall degree classification reported to the University?
In addition to producing class lists for individual Tripos examinations, Exam Boards produce an overall degree classification list for final year students signed by all members of the Examining Board at its final meeting. Faculties and Departments upload the overall degree classification awarded to students to CamSIS.
Students who transfer Tripos or subject in their final year
Examiners are required to determine the overall degree classification for students who have changed Tripos or subject in their final year of study before qualifying for the BA (for example Medical and Veterinary students). These students are classed using the same scheme of weighting as the rest of their cohort. Information about prior performance (for those following a 0:30:70 scheme) is made available to Examiners to help inform their decision about the student’s overall degree class.
In the case of a student who transfers into Part IIA of a Tripos for their final year, the following applies:
- Transfer to a Tripos weighted 100% on the final year (i.e., Part IIB), the weighting must be transferred to Part IIA for that particular student.
- Transfer to a Tripos using the 0:30:70 algorithm, the 70% weighting must be transferred to Part IIA for that particular student.
Students who have been awarded an allowance
Students who have been allowed to progress from the second year to the third year of their award by the Examination Access and Mitigation Committee (EAMC) are classed using the 0:0:100 weighting, regardless of Tripos.
Students who have been awarded an Ordinary BA by the EAMC or who are declared to have received honours do not receive an overall degree classification.
Appeals
As is the case with any examination result, students have the opportunity to challenge a degree classification using the Examination Review Procedure. Further information can be found on the student complaints website.
Further information
Further details about the schemes can be found in the Joint Report of the Council and General Board on the Introduction of an Overall Degree Classification, published in the Reporter in January 2020.