Progression regulations applying to Physics modules and accredited Physics programmes

An overview of the progression regulations within the Physics programme are detailed here. There are differences from the general College regulations on progression that apply to students in School of physics modules within our Physics degree programmes.

The full text of these derogations from the College Progression and Award rules can be found at: https://www.tcd.ie/teaching-learning/academic-affairs/ug-prog-award-regs/derogations/by-school.php Select the year and scroll to the School of Physics.

A) Minimum mark requirement and Qualified Fails in Fresher years

1. These regulations apply to the Fresher JF and SF 10 credit modules that are core to Physical Sciences (TR063) and Theoretical Physics (TR035), and which are available as Open modules to JF and SF Chemical Sciences (TR031) students.
   These modules are JF: PYU11P10, PYU11T10, PYU11P20, PYU11T20; and in SF: PYU22P10, PYU22T10, PYU22P20, PYU22T20. (This does not include PYU11F10, PYU11F20, PYU11H20).
2. In these Fresher modules there is a minimum mark requirement of 30% separately in both the Examination component and the Laboratory component, in order for either a Pass or a Qualified Pass mark in the module to be granted. The Progression threshold is not simply an overall module mark of 40% or higher, but requires minimum marks in these components.
3. A mark of less than 30% in either the Examination or Laboratory components leads to a Qualified Fail. A Qualified Fail requires reassessment in that component before progression to the next year can occur. Reassessment of the exam component is in the reassessment examination period; reassessment of the laboratory component occurs before the beginning of the reassessment examination period.
4. If a mark of less than 30% occurs or recurs in the examination or laboratory component following the reassessment period, the student cannot progress and must repeat the year. This necessarily applies to students who had deferred their first attempt at examinations to the reassessment period.
5. Students who fail a module with a module mark of =35% are not eligible for Pass by Compensation, or a Qualified Pass, if either of the examination or laboratory components is less than 30%.
6. For context only, two points are repeated from the general Undergraduate Progression and Awards regulations. The first is that as much as 10 credits can be eligible for a Qualified Pass or a pass by compensation with marks of 35% or higher, provided the other 50 credits of module marks are 40% or higher, and there is an overall pass. Secondly, students who fail a given module can only be reassessed in failed components of the module.

B) Capping of reassessed components in the reassessment session in Fresher and Sophister years

• These regulations come into effect for the academic year 2024-2025 and beyond.
• In reassessments, a cap (maximum mark) of 60% will apply to
  • i) all the reassessed components for core Junior Fresh and Senior Fresh Physics modules delivered as part of the Physical Sciences and Theoretical Physics courses (and available to students in the Chemical Sciences course as Open modules) which are listed above in A(i).
  • ii) all reassessed components of all modules in the Sophister years (except Trinity Electives) within the four accredited degree programmes Physics, Physics & Astrophysics, Nanoscience, and Theoretical Physics, irrespective of the owning School. Accreditation of these degree programmes is by the Institute of Physics (IoP).

  The capped reassessments are required of College and the School of Physics by the Institute of Physics (IoP) for continued accreditation of our degree programmes in Physics, Physics with Astrophysics, Nanoscience and Theoretical Physics. This was to ensure the continued integrity and quality of our degree programme, results and outcomes. It should be noted that uncapped resits are not the norm in other universities either in Ireland or elsewhere that have degrees accredited by the IoP, where the usual capping level of reassessed components or exams is at 40%. The reassessment capping level agreed with the IoP is a compromise between ensuring the quality of our degree recipients and degree results against the intended purpose of the uncapped resits elsewhere in College. That policy was to encourage students to achieve the intended learning outcomes in the reassessment by engaging fully with learning in order to do their best, and this is still possible as students are rewarded for doing more than the minimum required to pass.

  Examples in Junior Fresh or Senior Fresh of Qualified Fails:

  • Example of a qualified fail at the first attempt:
  • Student A in their Semester 1 JF module obtains a mark of 60% in their labs, 80% in their assignments but 25% in their examination with weightings of 30%, 10% and 60% respectively. Their module mark is thus (60*0.3) + (80*0.1) + (25*0.6) = 18+8+15 = 41%. This however is a Qualified Fail as they obtained a mark
  • Student B in their Semester 2 JF module obtains a mark of 60% in their labs, 80% in their assignments but 20% in their examination with weightings of 30%, 10% and 60% respectively. Their module mark is thus (60*0.3) + (80*0.1) + (20*0.6) = 18+8+12 = 38%. This is a Fail mark in the module, and this mark is not eligible to be a Qualified Pass as this student obtained a mark Compensation rules otherwise apply to module marks >=35% provided 50 credits of modules have achieved a pass mark and no more than 10 credits of module are equal to or above 35% and none are below 35%, provided that the annual average mark is 40% or higher.
  • If either Student A or Student B above obtained those marks in their reassessment examination at their second attempt, i.e. obtaining a Qualified Fail or being ineligible for a Qualified Pass, they must repeat the year. Instead of a full repeat year on-books there is the possibility to apply through their Tutor to take the following year as an Off-Books student taking Assessment in this module, if they are eligible to do so.
  • Example of a capped reassessment:
  • Student C in their Semester 2 SF module obtains a mark of 50% in their labs, 80% in their assignments but 20% in their examination with weightings of 30%, 10% and 60% respectively. Their module mark is thus (50*0.3) + (80*0.1) + (20*0.6) = 15+8+12 = 35%. This is a Fail and they are reassessed in the failed component, and not eligible for compensation or a Qualified Pass as they had a mark
  • In their reassessed exam, having engaged at length with the material they perform well in their examination and would obtain a mark of 80%. This exam mark component is capped at 60% while the other component marks remain as they were.
  • The final mark is thus calculated as: (50*0.3) + (80*0.1) + (60*0.6) = 15+8+36 = 59% for the module.

  The Physical Sciences Handbooks are available at this website for : Junior Fresh, Senior Fresh and the Sophister Booklet.