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This article was written by Adam Thorn
The findings, revealed for the first time by a yorker Freedom of Information Act request, show an incredible gulf in likelihood of gaining top marks in degree subjects. Only 23% of Students taking a BSc in Chemistry achieved at least a 2:1 last year, while 82% of students taking the allegedly tough-going PPE degree achieved a 2:1 or above.
The news comes after the Linguistic department downgraded the marks of nearly an entire moduleÂ’'s worth of students, after too many people achieved 2:1s last year.
The gap in obtaining 2:1s between subjects now stands at an incredible 93%, with Music Technology Systems degree the toughest subject with just a 7% 2:1 rate. Some subjects seem to literally guarantee students to get a 2:1 - "Linguistics and Philosophy" over the last three years has had a 100% 2:1 rate.
Some of the other subjects with staggeringly high 2:1 or above rates are Psychology at 87%, environmental science at 86%, History of Art at 85% and music at 79%. Tougher subjects include Computer Science at 30%, physics at 39% and Maths at 51%.
The results raise questions as to the worth of the degree class system. Despite obvious differences in the difficulty to achieve a 2:1 among subjects, most job offers simply ask for a 2:1 irrelevant of the subject. The results contrast strongly to the A-Level system, where the average pass mark to obtain an "A" grade stands at 25%.
Maths, despite being one of the toughest degree courses, is one of the easiest at A-Level - with 43.7% given an A grade compared with 14% of those in media studies.
The degree system is unique in the British academic system as individual universities and departments are free to set the boundaries and standards for reaching each degree class. A-Level, GCSE and SATS exams are all rigidly controlled by three examination boards across the country which try to ensure that all grades across subjects are roughly equal in difficulty – despite recent criticism that they are getting easier.
The number of 2:1s given by a subject does not show the subject's difficulty. Its a useless metric.
As an example, consider Philosophy having an 100% 2:1 rate but only 50% of the students who start the course, finish it. That would entirely skew the results.
It would be more important to look at the standard of work required to achieve a 2:1. I would be more interested in a survey investigating the number of hours a week a student puts into a subject to achieve a certain grade.
Couldn't agree more with the previous comment - There's the massive assumption that everyone at the university has the same intelligence and dilligence, and that certain courses don't attract cleverer people.
Not only that, but look at the grades actually required to get on the course itself. English Lit, apparently an 'easy' option requires AAA/AAB, one of the most competitive.
Also, it is all self-selective; ie, the comment about Maths being 'one of the easiest A'Levels'... ha! It gets good results because the students put in the work; A'Level maths naturally, as a general rule, attracts intelligent students!
...well I don't know about anyone else, but after that article I'm planning to take this year easy. not only does my subject have a nigh on 100% 2:1 or above, but to have got on to it I must be exceptionally clever. I'm going to go and feel pleased with myself.
"Despite obvious differences in the difficulty to achieve a 2:1 among subjects, most job offers simply ask for a 2:1 irrelevant of the subject"
Yes but if you're doing a 'difficult' subject, such as computer science, you're unlikely to be applying for a job that would accept someone with a 2:1 in any subject...
any chance of getting the rest of the departments' figures up?
Alex drop me an email through the "contact us" (choose editor) and I'll send you the full results.
"Maths, despite being one of the toughest degree courses, is one of the easiest at A-Level - with 43.7% given an A grade compared with 14% of those in media studies." This assertion is not justified since it assumes that all students have the same ability, which they do not. Maths is typically taken by more able students, so naturally there is a greater proportion of high grades. Further Maths has an even high rate of A grades for the same reason.
The entry level requirments for Chemistry are BBB and for PPE are AAB so of course there will be variation in the ability of students selceted for these courses.
The article seems to be showing that arts/humanities are far easier than Sciences however these subjects are so different that comparing the nature of assessment is irrelevent.
I did a history degree at york and i worked hard for my 2:1, i know other people at york on these supposedly 'easy' courses who do little work and this is reflected in the 3's and 2:2s that they are averaging.
As for what you have subsequently written about PPE students in Vision it seems like you have a vendetta against all of these high achieving degress. I thought that we had all left the petty and judgemental environment of high school to come to university, a place where we can be who we want to be - and with that not be judged for choice of subject or end degree result!
I know at least one person who was accepted onto the Chemistry course despite only achieving a C at A Level. As a history student i needed an A to read my course. Surely such a difference in the grades needed to do a degree could be an explanation for the proportion of 2:1's issued for each subject?
Two posts that pretty much sum up my gripe with Adam Thorn's ignorant and biased comments in the last issue of Vision.
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