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FAQ about Grading and Exams for Current Students

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Bahrain Polytechnic would like to share the frequently asked questions to the current students on how grading and exams will be conducted:

What will happen to the exams in general (mid-terms and Final)?
There will still be exams but the format will differ from previous semesters. Examples, open-book exams, time restricted exams/Moodle tests/ quizzes and one-on-one oral exams

How will I be graded?
Because robust controlled assessments such as, supervised written exams are not feasible in the current situation, and to simplify the assessment and marking system in this shortened semester, all assessments will be competency- based and will be recorded on Banner as Pass/ Fail only. The result will show on the academic transcript as Competent/Not Yet Competent (cGPA neutral) as per the Results and Reporting Policy.

What is the essence of this move?
This is the fairest way to ensure students are rewarded for digesting the material of the entire semester and to ensure students achieved the learning outcomes without negatively affecting their CGPA.

What is the meaning of Pass/ Fail?
Its neutral to your CGPA, i.e. have no impact on it. Competent (COMP) or Not Yet Competent (NYC) assigned for the courses offered on your transcript, following the competency- based assessment.

What is the minimum work that qualifies for Pass?
Meeting the learning outcomes for the course. According to the Results and Reporting Policy A-AB-017, under normal circumstances a ‘Pass’ corresponds to C or above grade (which is 60% or above). This is the minimum standard required but there will be no marks recorded on Banner for this semester.

Why add an oral assessment, particularly for NQF level 8 and above courses?
An online oral assessment such as a viva or defended presentation will be used to confirm the students’ work submitted is their own and may be used to confirm the students’ ability to meet all (or some) learning outcomes.

Can I drop a course or withdraw from the entire semester now?
To help students who are struggling with online education, the deadline for dropping individual courses with a (W) grade is extended to the 30th of April 2020.

Does Pass/ Fail apply to all courses this semester?
Yes

What does a ‘Must Pass’ means?
It means student must pass the assessment to pass the course. Failing to pass the assessment will result in failing the course. This already exists in some courses where a controlled assessment is a ‘Must Pass’, regardless of other marks in the course. The HOS or the PM in collaboration with the tutor would decide on the assessments for which a re-sit or re-submission would be offered.

When will a ‘re-sit or re-submission’ be offered?
Where learning outcomes are assessed only in one particular assessment, the assessment would then become by default a must pass and a re-sit/ resubmission would be available during the semester. For exams at the end of the semester, the student grade will be placed on hold (H) and a re-sit will be available during the first 2 weeks of the following semester. In the latter case, where the course is a pre-requisite for another course, student will be allowed to provisionally register in the second course till the release of the re-sit grade.

How would students be graded in courses?
The student grade of Pass/ Fail in courses will come from the assessor team’s professional judgment of the student’s achievement of all learning outcomes as determined from evidence provided in the student’s submitted work. This will be verified by the teaching team at the end of the semester to ensure that student achieved all learning outcomes.

Will a grade Fail in Pass/ Fail impact CGPA?
No, a student getting Fail in the competency-based grading system is actually getting nothing, which will not affect his/ her CGPA, but the normal equivalent course have to be re-taken.

What is the different between getting a Fail grade in the Pass/ Fail system and dropping the course with (W) grade?
Neither will affect CGPA. The difference is that in case of failure (NYC) will show in the transcript as such, whist a withdrawal will show a (W). In both cases the grade will be removed once the course is passed in the future.

Will student performance this semester affect their academic standing?
If a student is under ‘Probation’ they will not be dismissed from the Polytechnic because of academic performance this semester. Because fail grades will not affect CGPA students in ‘Good Standing’ will remain so.

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