A guide for students · January, May and June
Do first-year exams count at university?
At many UK universities first-year marks do not count towards your degree classification, but you still have to pass the year to go on to the second, and at some universities or on some courses the first year does count for a small share. Your own university’s regulations and course handbook are the authority, and they also set out resits, capped marks and what to do if illness or other circumstances affect an exam.
Does the first year count towards your degree?
Often it does not. The University of Bristol’s guide to classification says plainly that first-year marks do not contribute to your degree classification, and the University of Surrey says the same, adding that you need an overall pass to progress to your second year.
It is not true everywhere, or even for every course at one university. The University of Warwick says that for many of its courses first-year results do not count, but its mathematics handbook gives the three years of its G100 Mathematics degree the weights 10:30:60, so the first year carries a tenth of the result. Four-year degrees, integrated master’s courses and courses with a year abroad or in industry can be weighted differently again. The only reliable answer for you is in your university’s regulations or your course handbook, usually under classification or year weightings.
What you need to progress
Even where the marks do not count, the first year has to be passed. Bristol says you must gain enough credit to progress from year to year, with a year normally worth 120 credits, and at Leeds some modules are marked as pass for progression, which means you must pass them before you can go on to the next year. The pass mark for an undergraduate module is usually 40, but check your handbook, because some courses and professional degrees set their own rules.
So the first year is a good place to learn how university exams work while the stakes are lower, not a year to skip. The habits you build, and the material itself, carry into the second year, where the marks usually do count, and modules later in the course often assume you know the first-year content.
Resits and capped marks
If you fail a module, most universities give you another attempt, usually in a resit period later in the year. At Leeds you usually get two attempts, the first sit and one resit, and an undergraduate second-attempt resit is capped at 40, the pass mark. At Bristol you may retake a failed assessment for a capped mark as long as you have gained at least 40 credits. A capped mark means that however well you do in the resit, the mark recorded is no higher than the pass mark.
Resits are usually for passing, not for improving a mark. Alliance Manchester Business School’s handbook, for example, says its resits are for progression only and are not available to improve a pass you already have. Failing again can mean repeating the year or leaving the course, so if a resit is coming, plan for it as seriously as the first sitting.
When illness or other circumstances get in the way
Universities call them extenuating, mitigating or exceptional circumstances, and the University of Westminster describes them as circumstances outside your control that disrupt your studies. A claim usually needs evidence and has a deadline, and an accepted one can lead to a deferral or an extension without penalty. At Leeds, accepted mitigation can lead to a first-attempt resit, which is not capped and replaces the original mark even if it is lower.
Many universities have a fit-to-sit rule: Westminster says that if you take an assessment you are declaring yourself fit to do so. So if you are ill before an exam, read your university’s procedure before deciding to sit it, and tell your department, your personal tutor or the students’ union advice service as early as you can. A claim made after the results are out is much harder to have accepted than one made at the time.
Where to check
- University of Bristol: a guide to degree classification
- University of Surrey: what each year contributes to your final degree
- University of Warwick: end of year results
- University of Warwick Mathematics: regulations overview
- University of Leeds: resits
- University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business School: reassessment
- University of Westminster: mitigating circumstances claims
Checked against these on . The rules change from year to year, so the pages above are the ones to trust if anything here disagrees with them.
Common questions
Does first year count at university in the UK?
At many UK universities first-year marks do not count towards the degree classification, but you must pass the year to progress. Some universities and courses do count the first year for a small share, so check your own university’s regulations or course handbook.
What happens if I fail a first-year exam?
Usually you get a resit, often later the same year, and the mark is capped at the pass mark. If you fail the resit too, you may have to repeat the year or leave the course, depending on your university’s rules.
Are resit marks capped?
At many universities a resit is capped at the pass mark, which is usually 40 for undergraduate modules. A resit granted because of accepted mitigating circumstances is often treated as a first attempt and not capped; your university’s regulations say which applies.
Can I resit a first-year exam to get a higher mark?
Usually not. Resits are generally for modules you failed, so that you can progress, and some universities say outright that they are not available to improve a pass. Check your own university’s reassessment rules.
What should I do if I am ill on the day of an exam?
Read your university’s mitigating or extenuating circumstances procedure before deciding whether to sit, because many have a fit-to-sit rule: sitting the exam counts as declaring yourself fit. Tell your department as early as you can, and keep any evidence.