Grades & results
Find out how you're progressing in your studies based on the UNSW grading system
Explore our grading system and WAM calculations for your studies.
At the end of every semester you're enrolled in, you will receive a final grade for your courses. These grades are assigned by your course authorities and may feature a numerical mark (0-100). Your grades will then be used to calculate your Weighted Average Mark (WAM).
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Code
Grade
Mark
Explanation
AF
Absent Fail
N/A
Unsatisfactory performance; no assessment attempted.
AS
Audited Course
N/A
Assessment not attempted; course not counted towards award requirements.
AW
Academic Withdrawal
N/A
Discontinued course after academic penalty deadline. Not included in WAM, but counted as fail in academic standing. Included on transcript. Treated as fail by UAC and others for GPA.
CM
Competent with Merit
N/A
Demonstrated competence and outstanding performance.
CN
Not Yet Competent
N/A
Has not demonstrated competence in assessment requirements.
CO
Competent
N/A
Demonstrated competence in assessment requirements.
CR
Credit
65-74
Good performance. Demonstrates analytical and contextual thinking and presents alternative views with evidence.
DN
Distinction
75-84
Superior performance. Explores course from multiple perspectives and their interrelation.
EC
Enrolment Continuing
N/A
Course taken over more than one Teaching Period. Assessment finalised later.
EM
Excluded Misconduct
N/A
Permanently excluded due to academic misconduct.
FL
Fail
0-49
Unsatisfactory performance; lacks understanding of topic/context.
HD
High Distinction
85-100
Outstanding performance and deep understanding of course content.
LE
Late Entry
N/A
Result not submitted by Course Authority.
NA
Not Assessed
N/A
Course has no assessment requirements.
NC
Not Completed
N/A
Coursework: Assessment not completed on time. Counted as fail in academic standing but not in WAM. Research: Program not completed; does not reflect performance.
NF
Not Failed
N/A
Course discontinued without failure. Not recorded on transcript.
PE
Professional Experience
N/A
Pending result in a designated professional experience course.
PS
Pass
50-64
Acceptable performance with adequate understanding of course requirements.
RC
Research Continuing
N/A
Ongoing research; no mark given.
RD
Result Deferred
N/A
Unable to complete course; must re-enrol.
RS
Research Satisfactory
N/A
Satisfactory research completion.
SY
Satisfactory or Successful
N/A
Satisfactory completion without graded pass. UOC counted; not included in WAM.
UF
Unsatisfactory Fail
N/A
Failed an essential component of the course.
WC
Withheld – Special Consideration
N/A
Pending outcome of Special Consideration request.
WD
Withheld – Incomplete Assessment
N/A
Incomplete or unsubmitted assessment.
WJ
Withheld – Unresolved Matter
N/A
Result finalised but not released due to unresolved matter.
XE
Exchange Enrolment
N/A
Student on Exchange program.
Comparison of grading systems
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If you're planning to study overseas or move to a different institution, it can be useful to know how your grades might translate across different grading systems.
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The ECTS was developed to standardise grading across universities in the European Union and improve the interpretation of academic results. It uses fixed percentile bands based on the distribution of passing students:
- A (percentage assigned 10%) = Excellent: outstanding performance with only minor errors
- B (25%) = Very Good: above the average standard with some errors
- C (30%) = Good: sound work with a number of notable errors
- D (25%) = Satisfactory: fair but with some significant shortcomings
- E (10%) = Sufficient: performance fulfils minimum criteria
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In the United States, grading schemes usually have a higher proportion of As and Bs than in the ECTS. For example, even a conservative scheme in the US such as that recently adopted by Princeton University awards about 35% of students a grade of A- or higher.
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While UNSW doesn’t formally use US or European (ECTS) grading systems, it can be helpful to see how your mark might align with these standards.
The Gumleaf diagram below offers a visual guide to estimate your percentile ranking and approximate equivalent grades.
How to read it:
- Based on 2015 course data across UNSW Sydney and Canberra.
- The shaded area represents where the middle 75% of student results fall.
- The red dashed line shows the median performance across all courses.
- Horizontal grid lines mark percentile bands and ECTS boundaries.
Example comparisons:
- A mark of 80 (Distinction) sits around the 20th percentile, roughly equivalent to a B (ECTS) or A (US).
- A mark of 65 (Credit) falls in the lower third of passing grades - about a C (ECTS) or B− (US).
See also
Weighted Average Mark (WAM)
At UNSW Bengaluru, all coursework students will receive three types of Weighted Average Marks (WAMs) that take into account all final results that have associated numerical marks:
- Semester WAM: Calculated from relevant results in a single semester.
- Cumulative WAM: Calculated from relevant results across the entire degree/program.
- Faculty WAM: Calculated from relevant results of courses in a specific faculty. This is used to determine your eligibility for a University Medal.
Grades with no numerical marks will not be included in the calculation of your WAM. However, the grade 'AF' is assigned a mark of zero and is included.
Calculating your WAM
M = mark received in a course
U = units of credit for a course
∑ = the sum of
Example
A student receives the following results for their courses: 80, 81, 82, 83, 84. The first three of these courses are 6 UOC and the last two are 3 UOC. They would calculate their WAM as:
Please note: Each Faculty has its own method of calculating Faculty WAM for the purposes of determining eligibility for Honours, Medals and other recognitions. Contact UNSW Bengaluru Student Centre for further information.
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Marks for courses completed at other institutions (transfer credit) are not included in your WAM. This is due to differing grading systems.
If you are granted transfer credit for courses completed at UNSW Bengaluru under a different program, your marks will count towards the WAM of your new program.
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Grade
Meaning
SY
Satisfactory
XE
Student undertaking an Exchange program
NA
Not Assessed
RS
Research Satisfactory
AS
Audited Course
NF
Course discontinued without failure
NC
Not Completed
RD
Result Deferred
EC
Enrolment Continuing
AW
Academic Withdrawal
FL
Fail (has a nominal value for WAM calculations of 25)
Note: Under the Successful/Fail grading basis (e.g. SY/FL with no mark), the grade FL is not included in WAM.
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For grades entered without an associated numerical mark under the standard grading system (grade with a numerical mark), the following nominal marks are used for WAM calculations:
Grade
Nominal mark used in WAM
PS
55
CR
70
DN
80
HD
90
FL
25
Your grades may affect your academic standing
Your academic performance at UNSW Bengaluru is represented by your academic standing. This is calculated by the percentage of courses you successfully pass in each semester. Continued poor performance could lead to suspension or exclusion.
Please refer to the key dates page for the Release of Results dates for each semester.
Apply for Review of Results
If you believe the result for any of your assessment tasks doesn’t reflect your performance, you can apply for a Review of Results. However, note that a review of your results is not automatically approved and may lead to your grade either going up or down.
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When requesting a Review of Results, the following reasons do not consitute valid grounds for review:
- Challenges to a course's specified learning outcomes
- Challenges to a course's approved assessment methods
- Challenges to a course's standards that must be met to award particular marks/grades
- Overloading courses in a semester
- Financial implications brought on due to not passing a course
- The marks and/or grades of other students
- Lack of proficiency in the language of tuition
- Requiring additional marks to obtain a higher grade or weighted average mark (WAM)
- A penalty given out for academic misconduct as outlined by University policies and procedures.
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- Discuss your performance in the assessment with the Lecturer-In-Charge. For further assistance, please visit UNSW Bengaluru student support page.
- After discussing, if you still believe that the marks you've received do not reflect your performance, you may apply for Review of Results.
Note: Store any marked work with you in case it's required for re-marking. - Download and complete the Review of Results application form.
- Email your completed application form and any supporting documents to exams.bengaluru@unsw.edu.au.
Your application must be submitted within five (5) working days following the date you receive your assessment marks. These include marks released during the official Release of Results period or marks released at any other time. Public holidays and UNSW Shutdown periods don't count towards the five days following Release of Results.
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Please ensure you have reviewed the reasons that are not grounds for a Review of Results.
When requesting a Review of Results, you must provide a clear reason for review, including supporting evidence, such as references to the marking rubric. Applications without satisfactory reasoning or evidence may be declined by the Course Authority.
- For assessments completed as a group, all members must agree to the request. Make sure to include the zID of each member, as the outcome may impact everyone’s results.
- If you’ve been suspended, excluded, or terminated because of poor academic standing, you still must submit your appeal by the deadline – even if your review outcome is pending. This protects your position in the case that the review is unsuccessful.
- In general, whenever applying for Review of Results, continue your enrolment plans according to the marks you currently have. This is the safest progression, in case your marks don't change.
Email your completed form to exams.bengaluru@unsw.edu.au.
How to proceed after receiving withheld results
Result not finalised. The student has submitted a request for Special Consideration, for which the outcome is pending.
Result not finalised. The student has not submitted or completed one or more components of the assessment requirement.
Result finalised but not released. Awaiting the outcome of an unresolved matter.
If you receive a WC or WD grade you must contact your Lecture-In-Charge within the specified time noted in the course handout, but in any case no more than 5 days after the release of results, as it might be necessary to organise further assessment. You will be aware of the unresolved matter that a WJ grade relates to.
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Following Release of Results at the end of each semester, if withheld and late entry grades (WC, WD and LE) prevent the determination of a true academic standing level, your academic standing level will be Pending.
After the deadline for Suspension or Exclusion has passed, withheld grades of WD and WC will be treated as Fails if a student's academic standing was not Good in the previous semester. This ensures early identification of students who may be at risk of failure, and allows them to consult an academic advisor before finalising their enrolment for the next semester.
If your academic standing is Suspension or Exclusion and you are awaiting the outcome of a:
- Special Consideration application
- Supplementary Assessment
- Supplementary Exam
- Review of Results application
- Conduct and Integrity matter;
Then you are strongly encouraged to lodge an appeal by the deadline specified in the Academic Standing communication you received following the release of results. As there is no way of knowing the outcome of such matters, you must lodge your appeal by the specified deadline as you will not be given the opportunity to lodge a late appeal, nor will any extensions be granted.
Have a question?
Contact us for advice on all things UNSW Bengaluru, including faculty-specific questions, essential services, support and development. We’re here to help at BengaluruStudentHub@unsw.edu.au.