Grading and assessment
Find information on our grading system, assessment style, and the types of transcripts we provide and when.
Grading
We recognise that responsibility for transferring of credits and conversion of marks for students participating in one of our programmes lies with the home institution.
The University of Manchester uses a standards-based approach by assessing the performance of students against a pre-determined set of learning outcomes and standards.
In our 0–100% numeric grading system, the pass mark is 40%. When interpreting marks over 40%, reference may be made to the classes in which undergraduate degrees (bachelor's with Honours) are awarded. The overall mark ranges are:
| Class* of degree | Percentage mark |
|---|---|
| Class 1 | 70%+ |
| Class 2i | 60–70% |
| Class 2ii | 50–60% |
| Class 3 | 40–50% |
*The class is determined by a weighted average of the overall marks for different years of the degree programme.
Credit equivalence
Most course units at The University of Manchester are worth either 10 or 20 credits, depending on how much work they require. Generally, one UK credit is about10 hours of study, meaning a 10-credit course unit will take 100 hours to complete.
The credits associated with a course doesn't reflect the number of contact hours per week – in the form of seminars, lectures, tutorials, etc – and vary between subject-areas.
As a guide for American students:
- 10 Manchester credits is equal to three US credits
- 20 Manchester credits is equal to five US credits
Assessment
At Manchester, we use various methods for assessing our students' work. Some of our courses are assessed in three-hour written exams while others use a mixture of written exam papers and assessed essays or coursework.
Subject-areas may offer alternative assessment to students who will be returning to their home university before the January exam period.
Our course unit search will let you know if this 'autumn assessment' is available in the subject area.
Transcripts
All Study Abroad and exchange students will receive an official transcript in the July/August following the completion of their studies at The University of Manchester.
Students studying with us for Semester 1 only (September–January) or for a calendar year (January– January) will receive an interim transcript in the March/April following their time in Manchester. They’ll then be provided with an official transcript in the July/August after the end of the academic year.
Interim transcripts are temporary and therefore don’t provide final grades, but they do list modules taken, credit value and the student’s provisional marks. Official transcripts are only issued once marks have been ratified and student grades finalised.
It’s not possible for official transcripts to be issued earlier than July/August. If you’re an applicant in the final year of study at your home university, you’ll need to consider whether the timeframe for receiving an official transcript affects you graduating.