UK grading system?

[Izu]

Can anyone help me... I'm trying to figure out how to calculate my future bachelor's diploma to the UK classification to see what grades I need this coming semester.

I found this:
UK Grading system:
70%-100% = A
60%-69% = B
50%-59% =C
40%-49%=D
below 40 = F

Bulgarian Grading system is like this:
92 - 100 % A = 6 (from 5.50 to 6.00)
75 - 91 % B  = 5  (from 4.50 to 5.49)
59 - 74 % C  = 4 (from 3.50 to 4.49)
50 - 58 % D = 3 (from 3.00 to 3.49)
0 - 49 % F  = 2 (from 2.00 to 2.99)

Does this mean that if I get a diploma of 5.00 in Bulgaria this would be equal to UK's A (First)? Or it will be considered a 2:1? Any ideas?

[WhiteyChan]

At university level, the lettered grades are done away with :P I don't know whether it varies from university to university - probably doesn't - but at mine, which is a pretty good one, a First is 70%, 2:1 is 60%, 2:2 is 50% and a Third is 40%. Below 40% is a fail. So, a 5.00 in Bulgaria would be equivalent to a First in the UK.

[sleepingferret]

70%  ???

I had to get above a 70% or it was considered failing and I had to retake the class.  Not that I ever had an issue with it, but still you can get away with getting a 70% and walk away with some nice recommendations?  Bleh.....

[Izu]

Yeah... I think so too... Which would be sweet!  O8) I guess that I'll have to write to the universities where I plan to apply and ask them just in any case...


And yeah... I know, Ferret. xD Over here is the same even if the official numbers are the ones I posted. Unofficially I need 99% at least to have an A, about 90% for a B, 80ish for a C and 70ish for a D.

[WhiteyChan]

70%  ???

I had to get above a 70% or it was considered failing and I had to retake the class.  Not that I ever had an issue with it, but still you can get away with getting a 70% and walk away with some nice recommendations?  Bleh.....

Well, evidently, that just shows how hard the British universities are :P - anything above 50% is considered good, and even 40% is acceptable (I got 41 and 42% in the two maths modules I took this year and I was happy with those results!).

[Izu]

Well... I just hope that the British universities will admit that the other systems are much harder... Because I'd rather have a First than a 2:1 >.>

And if I need a 70% once I'm there to get A's... Sweeeeet~  O8)

[Vandren]

Just a word of warning, Izu, lower percentages for letter grades doesn't necessarily mean an easier grading system.

Case in point, in the U.S., getting a 50-60% on the Literature Subject Area Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is considered very good because it's not particularly easy (plus it covers everything from Beowulf to the modern day, so basically it's impossible to score 90+% on).  Another example: a friend's in med school and currently going through one of the state required tests . . . only about two-thirds of the students pass all the tests with a 50% or higher on the first try (or so he says).

[WhiteyChan]

Well, evidently, that just shows how hard the British universities are :P - anything above 50% is considered good, and even 40% is acceptable (I got 41 and 42% in the two maths modules I took this year and I was happy with those results!).

This wasn't sarcasm Izu, I'm not kidding when I say that the British Higher Education system is one of the toughest in the world, especially if doing a subject like maths, any (real) science, computing, even some English degrees (we invented the language, guess it makes sense we're the best at it :P).

[Izu]

I'm sorry, but the Bulgarian system is much tougher. At least my university. There is nearly 70% of people who just fail and leave university because it's that tough. I've seen exams and projects that have been given to people from similar majors like mine in the UK and... it's not all that hard, but my guess is I think so because I'm already used to a much harder level. I'm not saying that it will be easy to get A's, but it will be much easier than here. Try scoring 100% on any exam... But even if you do get 100% on a practical exam you go to a theory exam and if you don't pass the theory you fail. Or if you get a 90% on the theory you'll get a C or a B in the best scenario. I've had exams on which I scored like 98% and I still got B's. But still... it depends on the teachers, on how hard you study, on your luck, because exams are sometimes all about luck - getting the one question you know the best or being asked the only thing you don't know... But that's quite the offtopic...

Taking in mind the scoring systems that I've posted above. My B=5.00 will it be considered a 2:1 or a 1? Because for the MSc that I've liked I'm required to get a 2:1, but if they accept it as a 1 it will be just a big plus for me. Also... if I have a 4.80 which is still considered a B over here, does it mean it's a 2:1? or it goes down to 2:2?

For example... if one student has two A's and two B's (2x6 + 2x5 = 22 / 4 = 5.50 which is A over here) will it be a 2:1 or a 1?

I tried if they consider that 75% of the mark is a 1 then 0.75 x 6 = 4.5 which means that anything from 4.50 over here to 6.00 is considered a 1 in the UK?

Or I should just give up on calculations and ask the universities?

[WhiteyChan]

Or I should just give up on calculations and ask the universities?

This. Ask whichever university you're interested in going to what their policy on foreign post-grads is, how the grades convert across. To be honest though, a lot of them probably won't care, and the top top ones will probably want you to get an A anyway. It all depends.

[Izu]

No... all the universities I'm interested in want me 2:1 which in the worse scenario is a B, which I already have. *ponders* I'll wait for the craziness to go away around all the post-grads courses starting and I'll write to them in October maybe. Though I'll be aiming for at least a solid 5.00 if not above. Just in case. :]