The International Grading System Cheat Sheet

[RussSchultz]

[*] 1st Class or 2:1 degree in Electronics or Computer Science Degree

For those of us ignorant of British educational systems, what is "1st class" or "2:1 degree"?

MOD EDIT:

It was pointed out to us that B3D is an international resource, as indeed it is. And as such it would be useful to have the below discussion, which was wandering well OT for a given job posting, be its own thread so interested folks could use it as a reference going forward for all job listings in a "foreign" (to the potential applicant) country.

So it was split off into its own thread.

We will moderate it, however, and prune it if it gets too far off course or general kibbitzing happens.

 

[Davros]

Degree classification

First-class honours (often called a 'first' and awarded when a student obtains an overall mark of over 70%)
Second-class honours, Upper Division (written 2 i or 2:1 and pronounced; 'two one')
Second-class honours, Lower Division (written 2 ii or 2:2 and pronounced; 'two two')
Third-class honours
Pass or ordinary degree

 

[RussSchultz]

Ahhh.

So, I guess in the US, we'd refer to it as a 'A' average or 'B' average.

 

[Nite_Hawk]

Ahhh.

So, I guess in the US, we'd refer to it as a 'A' average or 'B' average.

Sounds about right, though quite different from our system. From what little I just read, it appears that most employers only really distinguish between 2:1s 2:2s, so it's probably something like the 3.0 GPA that a lot of employers use as an HR screening here.

Nite_Hawk

 

[Simon F]

Sounds about right, though quite different from our system. From what little I just read, it appears that most employers only really distinguish between 2:1s 2:2s, so it's probably something like the 3.0 GPA that a lot of employers use as an HR screening here.

Nite_Hawk

I know we aren't supposed to post here but...

Do US grades run from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest) with 4 being a "pass" score? If so, based on my Aussie UNI experience, then I'd think a 1st class degree would need a GPA of > 6.

 

[AlphaWolf]

I know we aren't supposed to post here but...

Do US grades run from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest) with 4 being a "pass" score? If so, based on my Aussie UNI experience, then I'd think a 1st class degree would need a GPA of > 6.

NA is mostly on a 4 point scale. 0 being a fail, 1 being a pass.

 

[RussSchultz]

NA is mostly on a 4 point scale. 0 being a fail, 1 being a pass.

0=F
1=D
2=C
3=B
4=A

Where F is fail, and 'C' is 'average'.
(Or in grad school, where 'c' is failing, strangely)

I think our similar cutoff for what Simon's post listed is a '3.0' (i.e. 'high B' average)

 

[Simon F]

0=F
1=D
2=C
3=B
4=A

Where F is fail, and 'C' is 'average'.
(Or in grad school, where 'c' is failing, strangely)

I think our similar cutoff for what Simon's post listed is a '3.0' (i.e. 'high B' average)

The 1..7 scale in Aus' is meant to be a bell curve so 7s are meant to be rare.

 

[Nite_Hawk]

The 1..7 scale in Aus' is meant to be a bell curve so 7s are meant to be rare.

The Bell curve used to be more popular in the US. It is still sometimes used on a per-class basis, but often times the professor will use some other method (either weighted averages or simply a straight percentage grading system). An individual's GPA is thus somewhat complex as it is the average of the scores for all classes taken (sometimes including classes that don't specifically count toward the major, which students will use to "pad" their GPA). Sometimes employers here will ask for both a general GPA and a major specific GPA to get a better idea of a student's performance in their area of expertise.

Nite_Hawk

 

[NovemberMike]

Complex is not quite the word. In my last semester, I don't think I listened to a single lecture in my computer engineering course, didn't study at all for the tests and, like half the class, got an A. In my Com Sci class I pulled multiple all nighters, was at every lab/lecture and I got an A-. And the professor asked me to TA the class this semester because I was in the top 4 students out of 150 as far as grades went in that class.