How to Work Out Your Degree Classification

To work out your degree classification, find a credit-weighted average of your module marks for each year that counts, then combine those year averages using your university's year weightings. At many UK universities first year doesn't count and final year counts most. Compare the result with the bands: 70 for a first, 60 for a 2:1, 50 for a 2:2.

If that sounds like a lot of maths, don't worry. It's two simple steps, and once you've done it once you can check your progress any time. Every university sets its own rules, so this guide shows real examples from Leeds, Nottingham and Bristol, then walks you through a worked example with made-up marks.

How are university grades calculated?

Universities turn your marks into a degree class using an algorithm. Leeds describes this as "an agreed set of rules, processes and calculations". It sounds grand, but for most students it comes down to this:

1. Average each year. Work out a credit-weighted average of your module marks for each year that counts.
2. Weight the years. Combine those year averages using your course's year weightings. Later years usually count more.
3. Match the bands. Compare your final mark with the classification bands, then apply any borderline rule.

Your university publishes how its method works, and the exact rules for your course will be in your programme handbook or your university's regulations.

This is completely separate from the Tariff that got you in. Your A-levels and UCAS points help you win a place, but they don't carry over into your degree mark. Once you start, only your university module marks matter.

Step 1: how do you work out a credit-weighted average?

Each module is worth a number of credits, and a full year is often 120 credits. Bigger modules count for more. Bristol explains that a 20-credit unit is one-sixth of the year mark when the year is worth 120 credits.

To find your year average:

• multiply each module mark by its credits
• add those results together
• divide by the total credits for the year

So a 40-credit dissertation pulls your average twice as hard as a 20-credit module. That's handy to know when you're deciding where to put your effort.

Step 2: how are the years weighted?

This is where universities differ most. Here are some published splits for a standard three-year bachelor's degree. They're examples only, so check your own course.

Leeds calls its split "the 1:2 weighting of grades between programme years 2 and 3", which works out at roughly a third and two-thirds, very close to Nottingham's 33/67 standard. Bristol has two possible weightings for each type of degree, depending on the subject.

Integrated master's degrees (four-year courses such as an MEng or MSci) spread the weight across more years. Leeds uses 1:2:2 across years 2, 3 and 4. Nottingham's standard is 20/40/40 across Parts I, II and III, unless a professional body requires something different.

The rules on the Leeds page apply if you started in or after 2022/23 and began your final year in or after 2024/25. Rules do change over time, so always look at the version that applies to your start year.

Does first year count towards your degree?

At all three example universities, first year marks don't go into your final degree mark.

• Bristol says plainly: "First year marks do not contribute to your degree classification."
• Nottingham's regulations say marks from the qualifying stage (the stage before Part I) do not contribute to the final mark calculation.
• Leeds bases the honours average on years 2 and 3 only.

That doesn't mean first year is a free pass. You still need to pass it to move into second year, and Bristol mentions meeting "a minimum standard for progression". First year is also where you build the study habits that your counted years rely on.

Don't assume every course works the same way, though. Check your programme handbook to see which years count for you.

Worked example: working out a degree class step by step

Imagine a student on a three-year degree where each year is 120 credits and years 2 and 3 are weighted 1:2 (a Leeds or Nottingham style split).

Year 2 (made-up marks)

Year 2 average: 7,200 ÷ 120 = 60.

Year 3 (made-up marks)

Year 3 average: 7,920 ÷ 120 = 66.

Combine the years. With a 1:2 weighting, year 3 counts twice: (60 + 66 + 66) ÷ 3 = 192 ÷ 3 = 64. That's a 2:1.

If the same student were on a 40/60 split instead, the sum would be (60 × 0.4) + (66 × 0.6) = 24 + 39.6 = 63.6. Bristol rounds the final programme mark to the nearest whole number, so that becomes 64, still a 2:1.

Notice how the stronger final year pulled the result up. Under both splits, finishing well matters more than a shaky start in year 2.

What marks do you need for a first, 2:1, 2:2 or third?

Leeds, Nottingham and Bristol all use the same bands:

Bristol calls these bands "standard for degree classification within the higher education sector in the UK". The difference between universities is how they deal with marks that land just under a boundary.

What happens if you're on a borderline?

A borderline mark sits just below a class boundary, like 69 or 59. Each university has a fixed rule for these, so it isn't down to anyone's mood on the day.

Bristol's rule looks at your whole mark profile. Its guide says the higher class "is awarded if 50% or more of the unit marks, once they have been weighted by credit point and year of study, fall within the higher classification". Bristol also rounds your final mark before deciding whether it's borderline.

Nottingham's rules are set out in its degree classification regulations. Nottingham's regulations also say that marks from resits (reassessment) don't go into the final mark for honours degrees, which is worth knowing if you ever need to resit a module there.

How do placement years and four-year degrees work?

A year abroad or in industry is handled differently at each university.

• Bristol: a year away "will normally have a weighting of 10% with the weighting of the second year reduced by the same amount". For a four-year bachelor's with a year in industry or study abroad, the weightings are 0:30:10:60 in Arts, Law and Social Sciences and 0:15:10:75 in Science and Engineering.
• Nottingham: a "with year in" course has a placement or study year that counts in the final classification. An "including a year in" course has one that doesn't.
• Leeds: its calculator notes mention integrated master's courses with a study abroad variant that isn't included in the classification average.

So the course title can tell you a lot. If you're choosing between versions of a course, it's worth checking how the extra year is treated before you pick your firm and insurance choices.

Courses leading to a professional qualification can have their own rules too. Leeds says that if this applies to you, your school will explain how your classification works.

How do you check your own degree classification?

Start with your university's regulations or programme handbook. Look for three things: which years count, the year weightings, and the borderline rule. Then follow the steps above with your own marks.

Some universities offer their own tools. Leeds, for example, has downloadable calculator spreadsheets, though it says there is "no guarantee" the result will match your final award, because an exam board confirms every classification. Treat any estimate you work out as a guide.

Still applying to university?

If you're in sixth form or college right now, your degree class is a few years away. The steps that matter first are getting your application in and knowing where your grades could take you. Our guide to how the UCAS application works covers the process, and you can use the UCAS points calculator to turn your predicted grades into a Tariff total. Then look at what you can study with your UCAS points to shortlist courses, and check how each one calculates its degree class while you're comparing them.