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QAA update on numerical marking for the Access to HE Diploma

On Friday 11 September 2020 QAA issued the following statement regarding changes to the use of numerical marking for their AHE Diploma.

"Use of numerical marking as part of the Access to HE Diploma grading scheme ceased on 1 September 2020.

The approval to remove numerical marking was granted by the Access Recognition and Licensing Committee (ARLC) in April 2018. Since then Access Validating Agencies (AVAs) licensed by QAA have been working with their course providers to implement this decision.

Numerical marking was not compulsory under the grading scheme. It was included to address the concerns of some subject groups when grading was introduced in 2009. Since its introduction there had been some confusion about when numerical marking could be applied and how it should work alongside the other grade descriptors. There had also been concerns about why there was no national or AVA scale for grades and numerical marking. QAA's guidance tried to address these concerns, nevertheless experience has shown that the challenges in its implementation have meant it has not been used widely."

For more information about the grading scheme and tutors’ quick guide to grading, please visit the Access to HE resources page on the QAA website.


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