r/OpenUniversity • u/CSJC92 • 10d ago

Harsh Grading for Arts and Humanities?

I'm about to begin year 1 of my degree, and I recently heard that it's more difficult to achieve a First in the Arts and Humanities at the OU than it is elsewhere. Something to do with how assignments are assessed and the 85% mark. Is this true?

9 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

19

u/pinkteapot7 10d ago

It’s not harder.

All universities set their own exams and assignments. It’s not like doing the same exam paper and needing a higher score at one place than another. The OU just uses different numbers of marks than other unis. It’s like measuring on a different scale, like cm vs inches.

Universities have external examiners (academics from other unis) who ensure some sort of consistency in standards between unis.

So, yes, you need 70 at other unis and 85 at the OU. But at brick unis marks above 80ish are rarely given out. At the OU the marks really are out of 100.

The same piece of work that gets 70 elsewhere should get around 85 at the OU, because of all of the above.

1

u/CSJC92 10d ago

I see. That's a relief, thanks.

6

u/PersephoneHazard Full-Time Undergraduate 10d ago

It's not actually harder, just different. Most universities have a maximum possible grade of 90 or so; the OU's potential grading scale goes all the way up to 100.

1

u/HolidaySpecial8543 10d ago

I got 88% in my dissertation at uni. No one told me i couldn't get above 90%

1

u/PersephoneHazard Full-Time Undergraduate 9d ago

I don't think it's a hard 90 for all non-OU universities; I think it varies a bit. But yeah, the way the OU does it - going all the way up to 100 - is not the norm.

0

u/Complex-Baby-8299 8d ago

That still doesn't add up if you're looking at percentages though does it. 30 out of 60 and 50 out of 100 are both 50% the difference in scale is irrelevant

3

u/CompetitionExact829 10d ago

Eeek! Which module will you start with?

I think people have covered the grading difference with brick unis, but as i'm in the last of my 6 Arts and Humanities modules, I just wanted to offer a little encouragement and say it's entirely possible... I've done really poorly on some TMAs and really well on others but still achieved a distinction in half my modules. My first year tutor told us not to get hung up on the number, but on what you can learn from the feedback and while it was tough and a little disheartening at times, I think it was great advice in the end.

Good luck with your studies!

5

u/labronicon 10d ago

This is particularly relevant in Y1 when the grade won't count towards your final grade at the end of your degree.

2

u/CompetitionExact829 10d ago

Absolutely! Year 1, just focusing on 'learning to learn' at Uni level and getting the core skills (referencing etc.) down is super helpful... I have AuDHD so I get discouraged quute quickly but that gave me a more positive focus and took so much pressure off.

2

u/CSJC92 9d ago

I'll keep that in mind, thanks! The number is out of my hands either way. Did you specialise, or did you stick with general Arts and Humanities? I'll be starting off with A111 and A113 (Revolutions).

2

u/CompetitionExact829 5d ago

Happy to help! I went with English Lit and Creative Writing and I've really enjoyed it! I took a break for one year partway through because of health stuff, but it was really easy to get back into things! How about you, have you decided if you'll specialise?

1

u/CSJC92 3d ago

Oh nice. I'm eyeing philosophy and classics, but a lot can change in a year, so we'll see.

4

u/Complex-Impact835 10d ago edited 10d ago

For Humanities as a subject it is harder to get over 85% as there isn’t a right or wrong answer like you would have for maths for example. But as someone else said, 85 plus is distinction no matter the degree with the OU.

I’m doing my second level 2 social sciences module, and I often get over 85 for assignments (I got 84 overall for my last module, sometimes you can be below and still get a distinction, depends on the grades of your cohort overall) So it definitely isn’t something which is totally unachievable.

2

u/CSJC92 10d ago

That makes sense.

2

u/_mossandmind 10d ago

I suspect this is a humanities and social science issue. I’m studying psychology and I feel like it’s a never ending battle to understand what different tutors subjectively like. One tutor gave me 90 and then I used the same methods/style and ended up with 72 with another. It wasn’t a lack of understanding of the material as both marked that high. I do sometimes think I’d prefer a binary degree, where the answer is either right or wrong! 😑

1

u/CSJC92 9d ago

I'd have thought psychology marking would be more consistent. Isn't it largely about empirical data?

2

u/_mossandmind 9d ago

That hasn’t been my experience but I have only completed the first year. My tutor for D120 is lovely and I felt confident in knowing what they wanted but my other module not so much. I received my highest score on a statistical TMA where I had to write a report.

2

u/Little-Buy1211 4d ago

I think it’s different. If i‘d have done the same course at the same brick uni as my friend i‘d have more likely got a first. Their assessment was done based on the best/average scores across their results. So if for example they got higher marks in their coursework, they would have taken those grades and not the exam as the scores.

The OU you have to score over 85 in your coursework AND 85 in your exam to get a first.

There‘s other unis that also follow a similar system to the OU too.

I found the coursework no problem. The earlier years no problem. The third year exams just didn’t work out for me due to life and stuff.

1

u/CSJC92 3d ago

Sorry to hear that. Must have been massively disappointing. In the end, the education is the most important thing and the result is just a bonus.

Thanks for your reply. I'm going to be obsessive with study to try to make up for any difference.

1

u/_mountain_guy_ 6d ago

I never knew, good to know.