Course Handbook - Faculty of History

e presented to the MPhil Examiners’ meeting, the History Faculty Degree Committee and the
Board of Graduate Studies.
The External Examiner will also act to confirm or raise the dissertation mark where the
examiners have reached independent marks on either side of the borderlines of distinction
(75%) and leave to continue (67%) and their agreed mark is below the borderline. The same
process will be employed as for instances when examiners are unable to agree on their mark
for the dissertation, except that, unless the External is one of the original examiners, he or she
will always be brought in for these decisions regarding borderlines. The External Examiner
will also advise on cases in Part I where the mark might affect the candidate’s final result.
Fails and Marginal Fails in Part I
An agreed and confirmed marginal fail in any one of the elements in Part I constitutes a
marginal fail in Part I as a whole. It may be compensated by an agreed mark of at least 63% in
the dissertation. Any candidate who has an agreed marginal fail mark for one of the elements
in Part I will be notified though his/her supervisor that he/she is in the ‘danger of fail’ category
and therefore needs to achieve the compensatory level in the dissertation. Two agreed and
confirmed marginal failed elements in Part I (Essay, Bibliographical and Historiographical
essay and Bibliography, and Palaeography test) constitute a failure in the examination. An
outright agreed and confirmed fail in any one element in Part I is also an overall failure.
Candidates who fail at this stage will be notified as soon as possible so that they may
withdraw from the MPhil course. Any candidate who fails Part 1 of an MPhil course may
apply to the Board of Graduate Studies for transfer to the Certificate of Postgraduate Study.
Fails and marginal fails in Part II
All candidates must reach a level of pass from each examiner in the dissertation. Candidates
receiving an agreed borderline fail mark, or a fail mark from one examiner, will have their
dissertation read by a third marker, appointed according to the procedure outlined above in the
section headed ‘Third Independent Reader.’ If the examiners cannot agree the following
procedures apply. In the case of the original marks being a pass and a marginal fail, if the third
mark is a Pass the dissertation is deemed to have passed; if the third mark is a marginal fail or
fail, a viva will be held. In the case of the original marks being a pass and a fail: if the third
mark is a pass, the dissertation is deemed to have passed; if the third mark is a marginal fail, a
viva will be held; if the third mark is a fail, the dissertation will be deemed to have failed. In
the case of the original marks being a marginal fail and a fail: if the third mark is a pass, the
dissertation will be deemed to have passed; if the third mark is a marginal fail, a viva may be
held; if the third mark is a fail, the dissertation will be deemed to have failed. However, in all
these cases, the examining committee may take into account the agreed mark of the original
examiners, as well as the original independent marks and the third independent mark. Where
both original examiners have awarded a fail, or where the outcome of a third reader’s mark is
to confirm the dissertation as a fail, candidates will be offered the opportunity of a viva,
should the MPhil examiners confirm these marks after discussion at the Examiners’ Meeting.
If the dissertation is deemed to have passed, the same procedure as for Part I work will be used
to derive the agreed mark.
The MPhil Sub-Committee sitting as the Board of Examiners will make its recommendations
as to whether candidates have passed or failed the MPhil degree to the Degree Committee of
the Faculty of History. Any candidate who is deemed by the Degree Committee to have failed
an MPhil course as a whole may apply to the board of Graduate Studies and the Degree
Committee to be considered for the award of the Certificate of Postgraduate Study.
Conduct of Vivas
Vivas may be held if the two examiners deem it to be necessary, and should be held before the
Examiners’ Meeting. In the event that a viva is held, it will be attended by the two examiners
who awarded the higher of the three marks. Confidential minutes of the viva will be taken
either by the Academic Secretary or Chair of the MPhil or by the Director of Graduate
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