Grading Access to HE units, and how to apply the grading standards to student work can often be difficult to get right, but this is a crucial topic to ensure that work is marked and assessed accurately. Student achievement for graded units is recorded as pass, merit or distinction, as set out in the QAA handbook in the links below.
There are three grading standards for Access to HE units:
Grading Standard 1: Knowledge and Understanding
Grading Standard 2: Subject Specific Skills
Grading Standard 3: Transferable Skills
All three grading standards must be used with every graded unit and across every assignment within a graded unit. For Grading Standard 3, a minimum of two of the three components must be chosen for each unit, and all three components must be used across the assessment of a Diploma. Only when all assignments for an individual unit are complete, and all Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria for the unit have been met can grading take place.
Guidance
We have created this useful guide that outlines the three grading standards and how each might be used when assessing. The document also offers guidance on what you should consider when selecting and applying the components and subcomponents when assessing student assessments.
A Guide to The Grading Standards
The documents below provide guidance regarding changing assessment methods for units within the Rules of Combination of an Access to HE Diploma.
A Guide to Assessment Methods and Volume
The document below provides some practical advice and guidance on how to assess and grade work using the three grading standards, to assess student performance for a graded unit which involves answers to numerical calculations that are either right or wrong,
Assessment and Grading without Numerical Marking
You will also find further details and resources on our Quick Guides page to help.
QAA Resources
See the QAA handbook below to help with getting the standard right.
Grading scheme handbook Section A: Introduction & Summary
Grading scheme handbook Section B: The Grading Standards
Grading scheme handbook Section C: Using the Grading Standards in Assessment
Grading scheme handbook Section D: Moderation & Standardisation
Grading scheme handbook Section E: Student results and awards boards