How to plan a UK degree target with year weights

Work backwards from an overall average using the year weights for your own programme. Keep the arithmetic separate from the rules for awarding a classification.

A final degree result often combines more than one year of study. The contribution of each year depends on your programme’s regulations. A year may not count, may count less than another year, or may require a particular selection of marks. Start with the current rules for your award and entry cohort.

The calculator needs degree weights, not raw module credit values. If Year 2 contributes 40% and Year 3 contributes 60%, enter those two year averages and weights. Do not also add the individual modules already contained in those averages.

A target worked backwards

Suppose the confirmed Year 2 average is 62%, worth 40% of the award. That contributes 24.8 percentage points. For a target overall average of 60%, the remaining 60% must contribute 35.2 points. Dividing 35.2 by 0.6 gives 58.6667%, displayed as a requirement of 58.67%.

Test an ambitious alternative

Keep the same completed result and increase the target to 70%. The needed remaining average rises to 75.3333%, displayed as 75.34%. These figures are requirements under the inputs, not predictions of performance.

A classification has other conditions

A numerical average does not settle every award decision. Minimum credits, module passes, resit caps, rounding and borderline rules can change how an institution makes the official award. The calculator applies none of those rules automatically. Use the result to identify a planning target, then check the rules with your department.