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The School of Biological Sciences has a standard Honours School Assessment framework. Eight points, each worth 12.5% are allocated:

Coursework 4-5

Specific skills 1-2

Research Project 2

Remember, however, that your Part II final overall mark (plus the assessment of your placement in the case of C621 students) contributes 20% to your final degree mark, and the Honours assessment outlined below contributes 80%. In the case of C1T2 (Life Science with a European Language), the carry-forward mark contributes 30% to the final degree mark, and the Honours assessment (which includes a one-unit language course) will contribute 70%.

In-Course Assessment (37.5%)

Research Project 25%
(comprising Preliminary report 10%, Approach and Technique 30%,
Final report 50%, Oral presentation. 10%)

Dissertation 5%

Data handling exams 7.5%

Each data-handling paper will consist of 3 questions, and students should attempt all the questions. The ability to handle, interpret and analyse data is essential to the course. Most of the questions will be similar to those in topics covered in the TACS course, but appropriate material from the rest of the course may be included. Questions may also be based on aspects of the subject not included in the course, but which a graduate in this discipline might be reasonably expected to interpret. Even if you cannot completely answer these questions, it is important that you attempt them. Some marks will be awarded for a logical incorrect answer; no marks will be awarded for a blank answer!

January/Summer Examinations (62.5%)

Coursework examinations

In these examinations, the papers ask relatively specific questions about the content of the course being examined. You should note however, that many/most of these questions may require information from other sources (other lectures in the course, lectures in other courses, outside reading, etc.) to obtain first class marks. At this level, the examiners are expecting an integrated answer to the question, not a regurgitation of lecture notes. Extra marks are awarded for details of experimental proofs, authors of definitive papers, relevant formulae or sequences, detailed diagrams, good discussion style, etc.

The standard formats of the coursework examinations are as follows:

0.5 point: 1.5 hours

1 point: 3 hours

The individual examinations are:

January BIOL401 1 point BIOL402 1 point BIOL301 0.5 point

Summer BIOL411 1 point BIOL322 0.5 point BIOL404 1 point or 2 from: BIOL314, 315, 316, 319 (2 x 0.5 point)

The criteria to be used for the assessment of written examinations is reprinted overleaf:

Submission and Return of Coursework

Arrangements for submission and return of your coursework reports and essays and for submission of your Final Project Report are detailed elsewhere in this handbook.

In the interests of fairness between students and good management of the assessment and return procedures, submission deadlines are strictly observed and the following lateness penalties apply:

The penalty (i) may be waived at the discretion of the Director, only if evidence of good cause (usually medical) for late submission is produced. The penalty (ii) may only be waived at the discretion of the Director of the School and with the consent of the Board of Examiners.

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