Cracking the UK Grading Code: What U.S. Students Need to Know — by Thomas Marr, University of St Andrews
Grades at UK universities often look very different from U.S. GPAs. In this article, Thomas Marr of the University of St Andrews explains how marks are awarded and what they mean for students.
By Thomas Marr, University of St Andrews US Admissions Director:
The University of St Andrews is similar to other UK universities in how we describe our degree classifications for graduating students. The vast majority of UK university students graduate either with first-class honours (know simply as a first), a 2:1 degree (second class, upper), a 2:2 degree (second class, lower) or a third-class degree. This is exactly how St Andrews operates too.
A St Andrews student is awarded their degree based on the specific subject/s studied in years 3 and 4, and the overall classification recognises the average quality of their work in those years. This also means that 1st and 2nd year do not directly contribute to the classification awarded. It would be wrong to say that years 1 and 2 do not matter; year 1 progress is important for entry to year 2, and year 2 marks must be high enough to allow a student to progress to years 3 and 4. Poor performance in year 2 can mean that a student will compete just one more year instead of two, and leave earlier than their peers.
Individual classes at St Andrews are known as “modules” and their weight (10 credits, 20 credits, 30 credits) reflects the amount of work required to complete the class. Students generally complete 60 credits per semester and 120 credits per year. A degree is awarded based on 480 credits being completed.
The actual marking scale at St Andrews is where we appear to be most different to our peers. We use a 20-point scale where 20 is full marks on a module and a grade of 7 is a pass. To earn a first class honours degree, a student must average 16.5 or above across their modules in years 3 and 4. An overall average of 13.5 to 16.4 results in a 2:1 award, and 11.5 to 13.4 is a 2:2.
Lastly, there is no single rule when it comes continuous assessment and end of semester exam performance at St Andrews. Some modules are a 50/50 split of continuous and end of semester exams, but other classes might be 40/60 or 60/40 or they can even be 100% course work, or 100% exam performance. Students are aware of the assessment method when choosing their classes and tend to choose the type of assessment model that they are most comfortable with.
All St Andrews students meet with an Adviser of Studies every semester to decide which modules to take, and to ensure that the classes they are choosing will contribute to earning a degree. No-one is left to figure these things out for themselves. The St Andrews way of doing things might seem complicated but students get the hang of it very quickly and the flexibility afforded by our approach is partly why we have a 99% student retention rate from year 1 to year 2.
About Jo Clark:
Jo Clark is the founder of Overseas College Counseling, based in New York City. She specializes in providing expert, friendly, and personalized guidance to U.S. students and families navigating the application process to universities in the UK and Europe. With years of experience and a deep knowledge of international admissions, Jo helps students find their best-fit university, understand entry requirements, and submit standout applications—making the journey as smooth, stress-free, and successful as possible.