This is based on four classifications: full-time study, part-time study, men and women. The highest grade you can achieve is a First, also sometimes referred to as a First Class Honours degree. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images News/Getty Images. Carol Finch has been writing technology, careers, business and finance articles since 2000, tapping into her experience in sales, marketing and technology consulting. This can be a lot higher, however, in some distance learning institutions such as The Open University, which is estimated to award at 85+ percent. Most students placed in honors courses are highly motivated and dedicated to their educational experience. If you don't pass your course, you may be awarded a Fail or an Unclassified. Second Class Honours degrees are split into two - the Upper Second (2:1) and the Lower Second (2:2). It depends on department, but some have around 30% first class grads so it is not too hard to get it. You need dedication, motivation, and plenty of hard work. The highest number of first class degrees on record were handed out last year, with almost one in three students graduating with top marks amid concern about grade inflation. Third-class Honours (40% – 50%). According to the UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), an average of 16.5 percent of students studying for their first degree in the academic year of 2011 to 2012 achieved a First. The UK's higher education system classifies degree results in a graded system. In 2010 and 2011, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) reported that approximately 15% of all degree candidates graduated with First Class Honours, or about one student in seven. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Second-class Honours ( 50% -70%). The classification is normally based on eighteen classification marks: - The marks achieved in all eight second and third year papers, with full-unit marks counted twice and half … Try to make friends with coursemates and join study groups, and, if you’re a Fusion student, you should definitely make use of the beautiful study space we have to study socially rather than holing up in your room for hours on end – and then… 7. Having recently graduated with first-class honours, I was one of the lucky ones, but I didn’t consistently achieve first-class marks during my first and second years. Universities are competing to pull in the punters, and if they can offer a high likelihood of getting a first, it is a big draw.”, He added: “In the long term it will damage the credibility of our education system. The Complete University Guide: Percentage of first-class degrees doubles. First-class Honours (70% and higher). Both of these methods helped me a lot. The proportion of first class degrees has increased by two per cent each year since 2013/14 and four-fold since 1994/5, according to figures published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Rough estimates average this at 70+ percent. A Third is the lowest award you can be given as a passing grade, although some colleges give out Ordinary degrees as the lowest pass. Students receive one combined degree and one testamur. Students studying full-time had a 17 percent pass rate at this level; those studying part-time had a 15 percent rate. The percentage of students achieving a first class honours remains stable at 28% for both 2017/18 and 2018/19. In the end it will mean an ordinary degree will hold no weight – and people will have to get masters degrees or PhDs to stand out.”. The majority of UK students are awarded a Second Class degree and only a relatively small percentage achieve a First. In order to obtain the often-elusive 70+ marks, it really is necessary to step it up a gear. In 2019, First Class Honours were given to 29% of students, or three in ten students. Honours degrees are usually four-year programs (sometimes also three-year programs, e.g., ... An honors course is a class in which the most advanced students are placed. At Oxford it is called a ‘congratulatory first’. A Third is the lowest award you can be given as a passing grade, although some colleges give out Ordinary degrees as the lowest pass. Chris McGovern, a former Government advisor and director of the Campaign for Real Education, said: “Qualifications are being devalued. Of those who completed undergraduate degrees last summer, 110,475 students across the UK (28 per cent) were awarded a first. The figures from HESA go back only as far as 1994 - when 7% of students received a first, but they show the proportion of firsts has more than trebled in the past two decades, up to 24% last year. This can be a lot higher, however, in some distance learning institutions such as The Open University, which is estimated to award at 85+ percent. The latest figures come amid mounting concern about grade inflation, with both the higher education regulator and Education Secretary both urging universities to take action over the issue. This follows an increase year on year since 2009/10 where 14% of students achieved this classification. The lifting of student number controls in England in 2015 gave universities free rein to recruit as many undergraduates as they see fit - but the move has led to accusations that they now act like businesses, seeking to maximise their revenue by recruiting as many students as possible. posted 2010-May-25, 4:08 pm AEST ref: whrl.pl/RchVWv. What's more difficult: 4A*s at A Level or a First Class Degree from a top university? A larger proportion of female students gained a first or upper second class honours than male students. Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency showed that in 2016-17, 26% of students gained a first-class honours degree from British universities, compared with 18% in 2012-13. University College Dublin (UCD) New figures detailing student enrolment and qualifications show a quarter of students at UK universities now graduate with a first-class degree - a dramatic increase from just 17 per cent in 2012. The report’s survey of 160 vice-Chancellors found that some voiced concern that “intense competition” between universities for shrinking pools of qualified recruits has had a “damaging” impact. If this is true, I think only 1% of students can get the first class honour. Universities are in fierce competition to attract students and offering a high proportion of top degrees is seen as one way to entice school leavers to an institution. A Department for Education spokesman said it is “concerning” that the “continued increase in firsts across the sector is not proportionate to improving standards”. 3. Can anybody help me to imagine how hard it is to score good marks at Melbourne Uni please so that I can prepare my mind:))? How many people in a group of 30 are likely to get a first class degree? We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future. We asked students and … Universities and colleges all have their own assessment and marking systems and it is not possible to state the exact percentage you need to achieve to be awarded a First. How to get a first in year 1 assignments & exams? That being said, putting in those hours of independent study can get pretty lonely. “We have urged universities to tackle this issue and the Office for Students will use its powers to drive change if the sector does not quickly get to grips with this issue.”. Damian Hinds has previously called on the Office for Students (OfS) to “deal firmly” with any institutions “found to be unreasonably inflating grades”. tsh- Whirlpool Forums Addict reference: whrl.pl/RchVWv. User #728869 215 posts Men and women achieved an equal rate of 17 percent each. One-third of UK universities and colleges awarded a first for 25% of degrees granted in 2015-16 – four times as many as in 2010-11. It was the final year that really made the difference. Students in the UK who are studying for a degree will be graded at the end of their courses. All I did is: Made a timetable and did revisions sticking to it; At times, I studied alone to study efficiently, and when I found myself bored or lacking motivation, then I joined my friend circle for the group study. A relatively small percentage of undergraduates achieve this level each year but this is rising. They said it has led to: “Reduced entry standards and grade inflation, the rise of unconditional offers, increased class sizes, poor experiences for some students, falling enrolments for less prestigious institutions and reluctance to collaborate with local competitors.”, One vice-Chancellor told the report: “We have been sleepwalking into the predictable workings of an unregulated mass market.". In terms of a law career, the degree classification you achieve will make a large impact on your future and it will stay with you throughout your working life as a bench mark of … NUIG handed first-class honours to 14 per cent of its students last year. BA/BSc students are awarded First Class Honours (1st), an Upper Second Class Honours (2A), a Lower Second Class Honours (2B), a Third Class Honours (3rd) or a Pass degree depending on individual course results. To achieve a 2:1 in your degree at university your final mark needs to be over 60% (over 70% being First Class Honours). AJ analysis of data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency revealed that the proportion of students on architecture, building and planning courses receiving highly sought after firsts had more than doubled in less than a decade.. Just 10.8 per cent of degrees in these subjects resulted in first-class honours in 2007/8 compared with 24 per cent in 2016/17, the figures show. For example, in arts at UCD last year, just 8 per cent of students secured a first-class honour, while 55 per cent were awarded a 2.1. The table below shows the percentage of each class of honours degree awarded across the UK, by year. You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Here you'll find 11 tips for how to be on top of the class that will help you succeed - once you have read this article you will know the most effective methods on how to get a first-class degree. 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These figures have doubled over the last ten years which has caused concern that the education system is dumbing down, especially as the increases are higher than the associated rise in the number of students going to university. Many thanks to all of you:D. User #56251 4972 posts. Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the OfS, has said the grade inflation since 2010 is “significant" and "unexplained”, adding that the sector must “quickly get to grips” with the issue. How Much Do Teachers With a Masters Degree Make?→, Become a Teacher With a Psychology Degree→. According to the UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), an average of 16.5 percent of students studying for their first degree in the academic year of 2011 to 2012 achieved a First. She has a bachelor's degree in Modern Languages, a Chartered Institute of Marketing.certificate and unofficial tech and gaming geek status with her long-suffering friends and family. Find out more, The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. This works out at an approximate one in six ratio. First-class degree. But, at some unis, you may also be given a first if you averaged as a very high 2:1, and you've produced work at uni which scored over 70% – check with your tutor to see if this is the case in your department, and what the specific conditions would be for this to happen. The highest achieving students are awarded a First, or, in a small number of cases, a Double or even Triple First, or a First Class Honours With Distinction (a Starred First). Last month the higher education watchdog warned universities to curb their “spiralling” grade inflation. The majority of UK students are awarded a Second Class degree and only a relatively small percentage achieve a First. And how hard is it to actually get first class honours, what would u have to achieve in the hsc which u could say would be comparable if u know what i mean. In 2015/16, just under 14% of law students graduated with first class degrees. Which degree? According to the UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), an average of 16.5 percent of students studying for their first degree in the academic year of 2011 to 2012 achieved a First. Just 55 per cent of university chiefs thought the removal of number caps was “highly beneficial”, according to PA Consulting’s annual higher education report. Spend down time with your friends. Those included the medical students who under a … The first-class degree or often commonly referred to as “first”, is the highest academic achievement at the undergraduate level in UK universities. Honors classes also cover advanced material, permit more in-depth study than a standard course of study and may … First-class Honours (70% and above) – also known as a First or 1st In a majority of universities this is the highest honours that can be attained with roughly only 10 % of students reaching this level. It is however only a small number of universities that award graduates a First-Class Honours with Distinction which is also sometimes known as a starred first. It's decent but within honours, fairly common. This is based on four classifications: full-time study, part-time study, men and women. The figures come as vice-Chancellors have expressed concern over universities’ falling entry requirements following the removal of the student number cap. The percentage of people getting second upper and second lower honors is about the same, sometimes with the former being slightly lower than the latter. Some 30 per cent of maths students gain a first class degree, with 24 per cent in engineering, 22 per cent in physics and 20 per cent in computer science. Students studying full-time had a 17 percent pass rate at this level; those studying part-time had a 15 percent rate. By Andrew Marszal 19 February 2013 • 07:00 am . This works out at an approximate one in six ratio. First Class Honours (First or 1st) Upper Second Class Honours (2:1) Lower Second Class Honours (2:2) Third Class Honours (Third or 3rd) Ordinary degree (Pass) What your degree grade means for your law career. It is more difficult to get a first class degree in law than it is in any other subject, including medicine. The OfS threatened institutions with sanctions, including fines or even de-registration, if they fail to take action over the issue. What Exactly are university degrees (2.1, 2.2)? Of those who completed undergraduate degrees last summer, 110,475 students across the UK (28 per cent) were awarded a first. Its 2.1s made up 47 per cent of graduates. The spokesman went on:  “A key strength of our higher education sector is its independence, but universities have a duty to maintain the value of the degrees they award. First Class Honours (1) ... Students receive one combined degree and one testamur....more A program combining two undergraduate degrees, enabling Students to graduate with a degree in two study areas. To get a first class degree at university, you will usually need to get 70% or more overall in your assessments and exams. To get first class honours is it u have to maintain a distinction average over the entire degree (4years in most cases) ? Men and women achieved an equal rate of 17 percent each. Students who left school last year with CCD or below at A-level were almost three times more likely to graduate with first class honours than they were in 2010-11, according to the regulator’s own research. For FASS, it's generally the top 5% getting first class honors for the social sciences. But, of course, I didn’t study 24 hours to get first class honor at the University of Melbourne. In 2012-13, the first year higher fees were charged, 18% got a first. The percentage will vary between universities but it's probably around 50% of students getting a first class in science based on USyd stats. Just be careful that everyone will be thinking the same so the later years may get a bit more competitive when students can't use SUs anymore or don't have any left to use, so planning when and where to put in effort is important. Gaining a first-class honours degree is never going to be easy. Earning a first depends on hard work, intelligence – and which subject you pick. The statistics for the 2011 to 2012 academic year show a 16 percent increase on the previous year. The final mark is usually based on the average of coursework and examinations throughout the length of your study, although in a minority of courses it … 72% students at DCU are most likely to get first class or upper second class honours degree overall In the education sector where top grades are harder to attain, 5.5% DCU students were awarded first class honours. How to get a first-class degree. [UPDATED MARCH 2020] Getting a first-class degree is tough. posted 2010-May-25, 4:08 … This system works from First to Third for those who pass their exams. We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. Overall, 26% of graduates who completed their first undergraduate degree in the 2016-17 academic year achieved a first. Credit. Credit may be granted towards Courses in an Award Program based on recognition of prior studies. Official Italian Students … Students in the UK who are studying for a degree will be graded at the end of their courses. 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