Progress & Assessment
Your personal tutor will discuss your progress at end of each term. A record is kept of your attendance at example classes (and associated marks in the assessed problems), and of your attendance and marks in the laboratory. While your tutor will learn if you are missing classes, or not doing well on coursework, you are the person in the best position to identify any issues you are having. If you feel that you are having problems please raise these with your tutor before these end-of-term meetings. Students whose general performance does not improve, or who do not do well in the January Mathematics examination, will be asked to discuss the matter further with the Director of Studies.
Your engagement with your course will be recorded at a number of monitoring points (6 in term 1, 5 in term 2, and 2 in term 3). Missing 3 of these will result in your being required to discuss the matter with your tutor, whilst missing 6 will probably lead to your being required to withdraw, although we will normally intercede earlier. It is hoped that this approach to monitoring your progress will allow us to identify well before the Summer examinations students who are having major problems with the course or with adjusting to University study. We expect that any student who is having difficulties will seek help or advice for themselves at an early stage, rather than letting things slide until the problems become severe.
Examinations
In the first year, examinations are held at two points during the year. In January (usually in the first week of term 2), there is an examination on the first half of the Mathematics for Physicists module. The remainder of the examinations take place in the third term in weeks 34 to 37. The method for registering for the examinations and assessed work will be explained at the appropriate time.
Marks for the year are considered by the First Year Board of Examiners according to conventions harmonised across the University. The overall pass mark for the year is 40%, but it is also necessary to achieve a pass performance (40%) in the required core modules and in modules worth 90 CATS credits or more in order to proceed to the second year of the honours course. The required core modules are:
PX152 Physics Laboratory/PX151 Astrophysics Laboratory I, PX153 Mathematics for Physicists, PX154 Physics Foundations, PX155 Classical Mechanics and Relativity, and PX157 Electricity and Magnetism.
If PX152/PX151 is failed you will normally be required to withdraw without being offered the opportunity of resitting.
Some examinations may be scheduled on Saturdays. Examination scheduling is dealt with for the whole University by the Registry and is largely outside the control of the Physics Department. The timetables are published on their website and personalised timetables should be available through MyWarwick.
Resits
For those, who do not meet the criteria for progression to the second year, there are resit examinations in September. You should note that, when the Examination Board considers the resit marks, it considers only the marks obtained in the resit examinations. These marks are not recombined with assessed coursework modules. This affects only the examinations for PX153 Mathematics for Physicists. If you pass a resit the module will appear as passed in your transcript but the mark will be capped at 40%.
Students who fail the resit tests will be required to withdraw.
Right to Remedy Failure
In addition to resits required by the Board of Examiners, you may be offered optional resits. These are to allow you to remedy failures in modules, in which a pass is not necessary to progress (modules which are not required core and in which passes are not necessary to ensure you have passed modules worth at least 90 credits). If you have any questions relating to optional resits offered to you, please discuss these with your tutor in the first instance.
Resits (required or optional) are only available in modules, that are predominantly assessed by written examination.
Mitigating Circumstances
If your performance is likely to be (or has been) affected by personal circumstances, you can ask for these to be taken into account. If the Mitigating Circumstances panel recommend it, you may be offered a further first attempt (FFA) at a failed written examination.
Assessed Work
Credit for the Laboratory module is based on work handed in for assessment during the module. It is a rule in the University, that where assessed work is submitted late, credit is reduced by 5% of the original total available credit for each day or part of a day by which it exceeds the deadline. For small pieces of work (less than 2 CATS) more stringent rules may apply. In the case of the weekly problems late work receives no credit unless there is a good reason for late submission. Allowance can be made when work is missed or submitted late because of illness, provided that a medical certificate has been submitted to the staff member responsible. Laboratory work attracts a significant proportion of the year's credit. Details of how it is assessed and the credit allocated will be given by those running the laboratories. Laboratory work is regarded as an essential part of the first year course. The First Year Board of Examiners at its meeting in June requires students whose marks are unsatisfactory in PX151 or PX152 (i.e. marks less than 40%) to withdraw from the University, regardless of their overall performance.
Cheating
The University has Regulations defining and proscribing cheating in examinations and assessed work. You are expected to be aware of these Regulations and abide by them.
[ Top of Document ]