SELCS

Assessed essays and other assessed work


The terms 'assessed', 'assessment', 'examination' and 'exam' denote work that is awarded a mark that is included in the calculation of your degree classification.  In SELCS assessed essays and examination scripts are either marked by two internal examiners or (in the case of some courses taken in Years 1 and 2) marked by one internal examiner and 'comprehensively moderated' by a second, in accordance with UCL policy. A cross-section of work from all modules is moderated by an external examiner.  The course descriptions on the pages First-Year, Second-Year and Final-Year Courses courses specify how courses are assessed. 

It is a UCL requirement that students must complete and be awarded a numerical mark for all assessed components of a course. Only assessment components that account for a tiny fraction of the marks for a course can be marked at zero if not completed. You may also be required to pass certain components of a course in order to achieve an overall pass in it.

In order to be eligible for the award of a degree, students must have 'completed' all the course units for which they are registered.  If, for example, you do not attend a timed examination or do not hand in an essay, what will be recorded on your Portico record will not be a numerical mark but 'NC' (not complete) or 'A' (absent).

You should follow the advice of your course tutor when writing essays. The comments on the following pages give some standard advice that you may find useful but you should, please, ascertain from course tutors whether they have additional requirements.