Assessment documents

This section contains information and guidelines on assessment and feedback, academic malpractice, as well as moderation and degree regulations. 

Academic malpractice

General information and guidelines

General academic malpractice guidelines are available from the following document which provides information to staff members on handling cases of plagiarism and academic malpractice:

Academic Malpractice: Procedure for the handling of cases 

Other useful information

University Guidance on Interpreting Turnitin Originality Reports
Further Guidance on using Turnitin to detect Academic Malpractice
Academic Malpractice form

Reduced scale marking

Reduced scale stepped marking is marking that uses a restricted number of marks with the 0-100% range.

Reduced scale stepped marking should simplify the marking process by requiring markers only to make a judgement of high/medium/low within each class and then to assign the appropriate mark. This should improve consistency across markers. In turn, it should support student learning by adding greater clarity to outcomes. For example, a student whose work is awarded 62% will know that the mark represents a low 2.1/low Merit. The feedback provided should then support student learning in achieving a higher mark in the next assignment.

The guide on Reduced Scale Stepped Marking can be found here.

You can also access the Undergraduate Grade Descriptors and the Postgraduate Taught Grade Descriptors.

Moderation

The Moderation Procedure document sets out the expected role of Internal Moderators in the assessment process for taught programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate taught level in the Faculty of Humanities, to ensure consistent and equitable practices.

This document should be read with reference to the following University documents:
Policy on Marking
Guidance on External Examiner Procedures
Guidance on Examination Boards
Policy on Feedback

There are various models of achieving fairness and consistency in marking and assessment in taught undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, with some being more rigorous than others, and more suited to specific types of assessment than others. This document aims to outline the details of some of these models, specifically moderation, in order to provide guidance to staff members in their marking and moderation procedures.

Policy on Marking

This document sets out the University’s Policy on Marking. It applies to the marking of all work (including dissertations) of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught students that is assessed summatively.
The purpose of the Policy is to ensure equality and fairness in the treatment of students and consistency of practice in relation to marking procedures across the University.

Policy on Feedback

The University of Manchester is committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to students on their academic progress and achievement, thereby enabling students to reflect on their progress and plan their academic and skills development effectively.  Feedback, and acting on feedback, is therefore part of the active learning process throughout a student’s course of study.

Methods of feedback will vary according to assessment type, discipline, level of study and the needs of the individual student.

This policy applies to undergraduate and postgraduate taught provision. It sets out the principles under which feedback should be planned and delivered and relates to both formative and summative work.

The School Policy on Marking and Feedback can be accessed here. 

Degree regulations

Degree Regulations relating to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught programmes are approved by Senate.  They contain the regulations specific to a student's programme of study, including details concerning assessment and progression, reassessment and classification.

The latest regulations can be accessed through the links below:  

Undergraduate Degree Regulations (including Integrated Masters)
Postgraduate Taught Regulations (including MRes)

Other supporting documents:

Guide to the Taught Degree Regulations
Taught Degree Regulations Glossary of Terms
Marks at resit and compensation tables