Assessment Criteria

HIGH FIRST BAND A1-2 The work produced is EXCELLENT in most/all aspects, substantially exceeding expectations for this level.

Knowledge & Understanding

Cognitive Skills

Practical & Professional Skills

Transferable & Key Skills

A1    100

A2    92

● Exceptional breadth and for work at this level;

● Explores and evaluates information/ideas from a wide range of sources (may include primary sources);

● Excellent understanding of concepts/theories (some of them abstract) and/or current practice, and several of their applications and implications.

● Selects and applies appropriate methods to address/solve complex and often unfamiliar and unpredictable problems;  

● Exceptional judgement in selection, analysis and evaluation of information and application of learning to different contexts;

● Excellent investigative skills generate well-founded and evidenced conclusions/practical solutions.

● Competence in all the required specialised practical, technical, creative, scholarly or work-related skills, exceeds expectations for this level.

● Excellent presentation and organisation of work and lucid communication in all contexts;

● Exemplary referencing/citation;

● Work demonstrates independence and initiative beyond level expectations, setting objectives and taking responsibility for outcomes;

● Evidences developed team-working and indications of leadership ability;

● Critical reflection / self‐evaluation exceptional for this level.

FIRST BAND A3-4 The work produced is EXCELLENT, exceeding expectations for this level in many aspects.

Knowledge & Understanding

Cognitive Skills

Practical & Professional Skills

Transferable & Key Skills

A3    83

A4    74

● Accurate and coherent in breadth, with depth in many areas;

● Explores and deploys information from a wide range of mostly secondary sources ;

● Thorough understanding of concepts and theories (some of them abstract) and/or current practice, and some of their implications and applications.

● Applies appropriate methods to address/solve complex issues/problems, some unfamiliar/unpredictable;

● Exercises judgement in selection, analysis and evaluation of information and application of learning to a different context;

● Thorough investigation generates well‐founded conclusions/practical solutions.

● Competence in all the required specialised practical, technical, creative, scholarly or work‐related skills, exceeds expectations for this level in some aspects.

● Excellent presentation and organisation of work and lucid communication in most contexts;

● Extensive, accurate referencing/citation;

● Work demonstrates independence and some initiative in setting objectives and taking responsibility for outcomes;

● Evidences developed team‐working skills;

● Reflection and self‐evaluation often critical and insightful.

UPPER SECOND BAND B The work produced is VERY GOOD. It meets all of the intended learning outcomes and exceeds the threshold expectations for this level in several of them.

Knowledge & Understanding

Cognitive Skills

Practical & Professional Skills

Transferable & Key Skills

B1    68

B2    65

B3    62

● Accurate in breadth, with depth in several areas;   

● Locates and organises a wide range of information/evidence;  

● Clear understanding of concepts and theories (some of them abstract) and/or practice and some of their implications and applications.

● Uses appropriate given methods to address complex issues/problems, some unfamiliar/unpredictable;

● Exercises judgement in selection and analysis of information, with some evaluation, and application of learning in a different context;  

● Investigation generates well‐founded conclusions/practical solutions.

● Competently uses all the required specialised practical, technical, creative, scholarly or work‐related skills, with indications of more developed ability in some areas.

● Presentation and organisation of work appropriate to context and purpose, communication clear;                               

● Referencing consistent and accurate;                  

● Work demonstrates independence in setting some objectives beyond those given and taking responsibility for outcomes;                       

● Evidences a high level of team‐working skills; 

● Reflection generates a number of critical insights.

LOWER SECOND BAND C The work produced is GOOD. It meets all of the intended learning outcomes and exceeds the threshold expectations for this level in some of them.

Knowledge & Understanding

Cognitive Skills

Practical & Professional Skills

Transferable & Key Skills

C1    58

C2    55

C3    52

● Accurate, with depth in some aspects;

● Locates and organises a satisfactory range of information/evidence, some of it beyond the given/familiar;

● Satisfactory understanding of the relevant concepts, theories and/or practice;

● Shows some ability to deal with unfamiliar and abstract ideas.

● Uses given methods to analyse issues/problems, some unfamiliar/unpredicatable and complex;

● Satisfactory selection and analysis of information, with little evaluation;

● Applies some aspect of learning in a different context;

● Competently uses all of the required specialised practical, technical, creative, scholarly or work‐related skills, with more developed capability in at least one area.

● Satisfactory organisation and presentation of work, communications mostly appropriate to the context/purpose;

● Referencing mostly consistent/accurate;

● Work demonstrates satisfactory independence in addressing objectives and taking responsibility for outcomes;

● Evidences satisfactory team‐working skills;

● Satisfactory reflection with some insights.

THIRD BAND D The work produced is SATISFACTORY. It meets all of the intended learning outcomes at, but rarely exceeding the threshold expectations for this level.

Knowledge & Understanding

Cognitive Skills

Practical & Professional Skills

Transferable & Key Skills

D1    48

D2    45

D3    42

● Largely accurate across most areas, with limited depth;

● Locates and organises an acceptable range of information/evidence mostly from given/familiar secondary sources;

● Adequate understanding of the main concepts, theories and/or practice;

● Engagement with abstract/unfamiliar ideas or implications and applications is slight.

● Analysis using given methods is adequate;

● Limited ability to apply learning to complex, unfamiliar or unpredictable contexts/issues;

●Tendency to description and reliance on familiar/given material or approaches.

● Use of all the required specialised practical, technical, creative, scholarly or work‐related skills is adequate.

● Organisation and presentation of work and communications adequate in most contexts, with some mistakes/irrelevancies;

● Some errors in referencing;

● Work demonstrates adequate independence in addressing given objectives and taking some responsibility for outcomes;

● Tendency to rely on support/direction from others; ● Limited teamworking skills;

● Limited reflection with few insights.

MARGINAL FAIL BAND F1-2 The work does NOT MEET THE REQUIRED STANDARD. It fails to meet all of the intended learning outcomes and is marginally inadequate for this level.

Knowledge & Understanding

Cognitive Skills

Practical & Professional Skills

Transferable & Key Skills

F1    35

F2    20

● Inaccuracies/omissions in some areas, depth limited;

● Range of information limited to the familiar/given with some errors in organisation;

● Occasional errors in understanding of main concepts, theories and/or practice; ● Struggles to engage with unfamiliar/abstract ideas and complexities.

● Superficial analysis;

● Some failure to apply learning to complex, unfamiliar or unpredictable issues/contexts;

● Overly descriptive and reliant on familiar/given material or approaches.

● Use of some of the required specialised practical, technical, creative, scholarly or work‐related skills is marginally inadequate.

● Elements of disorganisation/ poor presentation/ poor or inappropriate communication or expression;

● Errors/omissions in referencing, or none;

● Work demonstrates insufficient independence in attempting to address given objectives and taking responsibility for outcomes;

● Relies on support/direction from others; ● Underdeveloped teamworking skills;

● Minimal reflection lacks insight.

MID AND LOW FAIL BAND F3 The work produced does NOT MEET THE REQUIRED STANDARD. It fails to meet all of the intended learning outcomes and is inadequate for this level.

Knowledge & Understanding

Cognitive Skills

Practical & Professional Skills

Transferable & Key Skills

F3    15

● Substantial inaccuracies/omissions/irrelevancies;

● Range of information inadequate and disorganised;

● Substantial errors in understanding of concepts, theories and/or practice, or none;

● Fails to engage with/address unfamiliar/abstract ideas and complexities.

● Analysis absent or with significant errors/omissions

● Fails to apply learning;

● Descriptive and heavily reliant on very restricted range of given/familiar material and approaches, poorly understood.

● Inadequate use many/all of the required specialised practical, technical, creative, scholarly or work‐related skills.

● Work is disorganised, poorly presented with poor/inappropriate communication and expression;

● Substantial errors in referencing, or none;

● Work fails to address objectives and take responsibility for outcomes;

● Fails to engage in/ shows deficiencies in team‐working;

● Reflection inadequate/absent with no insight.

SUBMITTED BAND S The work is submitted, but shows no attempt to address any of the criteria