Final Honour School of PhysicsExamination Conventions in June 2014

1 Timings of B and C papers

The previous pattern of three B papers, each split into two Sections, has been replaced by sixB papers as follows:

Paper Title

B1 Flows, Fluctuations and ComplexityB2 Symmetry and RelativityB3 Quantum, Atomic and Molecular PhysicsB4 Sub-Atomic PhysicsB5 General Relativity and CosmologyB6 Condensed-Matter Physics

Each B paper will contain 4 questions worth 25 marks; candidates should attempt two questions.The first 10 minutes will be ‘reading time’, during which candidates may read through thequestions. However during the reading time they may not write anything.

MPhys candidates will do all six papers. BA candidates will do four papers, including B3,B4 and B6.

Each of the seven C papers will be allocated 3 hours 15 minutes. The first 15 minutes willbe ‘reading time’, during which candidates may read through the questions. However duringthe reading time they may not write anything.

2 Marking

As last year, candidates will be required to start each question (other than Section A questionson A papers) in a new booklet. These booklets should be numbered in sequence.

Each paper will be marked numerically, with a maximum mark of 100 for the A papers andC papers, and a maximum mark of 50 for each B paper and each Short Option. Examinerswill mark the script booklets in numerical order until the number of questions specified in therubric has been marked, any other answers being treated as rough work. Consequently, if you doattempt more than the specified number of questions, you should decide which attempts are theweakest, mark the corresponding booklets as “rough work”, and turn them in with any otherrough work at the end of your script.

The effects of a particular A paper proving excessively easy or difficult will be amelioratedby scaling the marks for the paper to a mean mark of 65 by a quadratic algorithm that leaves0 and 100 invariant.

The structure of the B and C papers complicates the scaling of marks, since the mean calibreof the candidates who sit a particular paper might be significantly different from that of thosewho sit another paper. In these circumstances it would be unfair to scale marks such that themean mark on every B paper is 32.5 and the mean mark on every C paper is 65.

Therefore, the Examiners expect that the marks of B papers will be scaled relative to theperformance in the A papers: after scaling with the quadratic algorithm, the mean mark on agiven paper will be the mean in the A papers of the students taking this option.

Similarly, the Examiners expect that the marks of C papers will be scaled relative to theperformance in the B papers: after scaling with the quadratic algorithm, the mean mark on agiven paper will be the mean in the B papers of the students taking this option.

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BA project reports, BA essays and MPhys projects will each be marked out of 100 using theprocedure described in Section 7.

When permission has been granted to replace a paper from the Physics FHS by an equivalentpaper from another FHS, the mark used will be the mark after any scaling applied by theExaminers of that FHS.

3 Checking of Marks

Papers are not generally double-marked, but every paper is centrally checked that (a) everypage has been scanned by the marker, that (b) the marks noted in the margin were summed upand entered correctly on the cover sheet, and that (c) these had been entered correctly on thespreadsheets. In addition, the papers of candidates near class boundaries are specially examined.

MPhys project reports, as well as the BA project reports and essays, are each markedindependently by two markers as described in Section 7; in cases where there are significantdiscrepancies between the markers, the sources of the discrepancies are identified and, if deemedappropriate, the marks are adjusted in consultation with the markers.

4 Assessment of Practical Work

Practical marks are given through the following scheme. In Parts A and B, practical marks areavailable as follows:

Part A Part B/BA Part B/MPhys

Completing experimentsa 15 15 30Assessed Practicalb 20 20 20Oral Skills 15 - -Written Skillsc - 15 -

Total 50 50 50

Notes:a 15 or 30 marks as indicated for completing all experiments (S). Failure to complete the practical

quota will attract the following penalty: (a) A penalty of 5 marks will be deducted for each missed

two-day experiment. (b) If more than 3 two-day experiments are missed, the Examiners may penalise

the student by lowering the final degree by one class.b 20 marks awarded by the Senior Demonstrator, based on both the quality of the entire logbook and

the understanding of the Assessed Practical (chosen at random in advance) demonstrated by the student.c BA students and MPhys students have 1 write-up. For BA students the written skills mark contributes

to their overall Practical mark; for MPhys students a written skills assessment contributes towards their

Mini-Project mark (see Section 6).

More detail about practical work is published in the Practical Course Handbook. S+ markswill affect the award of practical prizes and commendations by the Examiners.

It is important that students consult their tutors early in the event of difficulty withpractical work.

5 BA Group Projects

A maximum of 25 marks is awarded for the BA Group Project. These are equally dividedbetween the mark for the group and the mark for the individual contribution. The former is

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given by a panel listening to all the group presentations; the latter is given by the group academicsupervisors.

6 MPhys Mini-Projects

A maximum of 30 marks is awarded for the MPhys mini-project. There are 15 marks forcompleting the experimental work and up to 15 marks for the write-up of the project.

7 Assessment of BA Projects and MPhys Projects

BA projects and MPhys projects will be independently graded by two readers: the BA projectswill generally be graded by a Junior (expert) Assessor and a Senior Assessor (Examiner), whilethe MPhys projects will generally be graded by a Senior and a Junior Assessor, who are membersof the department’s Project Assessment Committee. The Senior Assessor will generally work ina different area of physics from the subject of the report, while the Junior Assessor will be chosento have more specialist knowledge. Copies of the project assessment form on which they willgrade each report will be available on the Examination Matters webpages. From these forms youcan see what the criteria are and how much weight will attach to each. Before entering grades,the readers will read the Supervisor’s report on the project to learn what special difficulties wereencountered, the extent of the initiative shown by the candidates, and so on.

Each MPhys candidate will be expected to attend a meeting with the two assessors of theirproject to discuss the written report. The meeting will last about 20 minutes. The candidatewill be expected to start the meeting by giving a short summary of the project, lasting no morethan 5minutes. The rest of the meeting will consist of a question and answer period, whichhas the primary purpose of clarifying any issues that the assessors have with the written report.No visual aids other than the candidate’s report and logbook will be allowed in the meeting.Candidates must take their logbook and a copy of their report to the meeting and they mustsubmit their logbook to the Physics Teaching Faculty Office before the end of 5th week of TrinityTerm.

• For MPhys projects the final project mark will be made up by adding 0.6 times the SeniorAssessor’s total and 0.4 times the Junior Assessor’s total.

• For BA laboratory/literature projects, the two Assessors’ marks will be weighted equally.

8 Late Submission of Work

Work that is submitted after the deadline for submission will be penalised according to thestandard University tariff shown in the table below.

Lateness Cumulative penalty

Up to 4 hours 1%4 – 24 hours 5%24 – 48 hours 10%48 – 72 hours 20%72 – 96 hours 30%96 – 120 hours 40%120 – 144 hours 50%

Note that the cumulative penalties will be deducted from the marks (when expressed outof 100%) as percentage points, but the overall mark cannot go below 0%. For example, if a

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student hands in a piece of work 20 hours late, and that work in itself is worth 65%, the tariffindicates a deduction of 5% leading to a final mark of 60%.

Work submitted more than 144 hours late will only be considered if the candidate hasobtained permission from the Proctors for it to be considered by the Examiners.

This penalty may be reduced or waived, in particular, when, in view of exceptional cir-cumstances, the Proctors have given prior permission for late submission. Therefore if specialfactors make it likely that you will not make a deadline, you should ensure that well before thedeadline you follow the procedure laid out in the Proctors’ and Assessor’s Memorandum to seekpermission to submit late (see www.admin.ox.ac.uk/proctors/info/pam/section9.shtml).

9 Weightings of Papers and Assignment of Classes

After Part B of the BA or Part C of the MPhys, the scaled marks scored on papers, projects,practicals, etc., are added up after multiplication by the following weightings:

BA Course Possible Weighting MaximumComponent marks factor weighted marks

Part A paper (3) (3×) 100 0.75 225 (3 papers)Part A Short Option 50 0.375 18.75Part A full practicals (or Part A half practicals 0.375

+ second short option 0.375) 50 0.75 37.5

Part B paper (4) (4×) 50 1.25 250 (4 papers)Part B Short Option 50 0.50 25Part B practicals or second short option 50 0.50 25BA Project 100 0.75 75BA Group Project 25 1.00 25

MPhys Course Possible Weighting MaximumComponent marks factor weighted marks

Each Part A paper (3) (3×) 100 0.70 210 (3 papers)Part A Short Option 50 0.35 17.5Part A practicals (or Part A half practicals 0.35

+ second short option 0.35) 50 0.70 35

Part B paper (6) (6 ×) 50 1.00 300 (6 papers)Part B Short Option 50 0.50 25Part B practicals (or Part B half practicals 0.5

+ second short option 0.5) 50 1.00 50Part B Mini-Project 30 1.00 30

Part C Major Option paper (2) (2×) 100 1.50 300 (2 papers)MPhys Project 100 1.75 175

Thus, for example, full marks in A1 of the MPhys will yield 70 marks, while full marks in aPart B short option will yield 0.5×50=25 marks.

Any variations in the maximum number of marks candidates could have scored during theircourse are handled by finally ranking candidates by the ratio of marks scored to the maximumthat the candidate could have scored.

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Cumulative marks for each candidate are calculated to at least two decimal places. Pre-liminary class boundaries will be drawn on the ranked list of candidates at locations that arenot predefined, but determined by looking for evident break points in the distribution of marksthat reflect the quality descriptors given in the undergraduate handbook and by the assess-ment of scripts near possible boundaries. However, the following table (the USM scheme) givesapproximate relations between the percentage mark m and the FHS class:

Mark m ≥ 70 60 ≤ m < 70 50 ≤ m < 60 40 ≤ m < 50 30 ≤ m < 40 m < 30

Class I II.1 II.2 III Pass Fail

After preliminary class boundaries have been drawn, the Examiners will consider whetherunusual circumstances, such as a relevant medical certificate1, warrant moving particular can-didates up or down the ranking and may make small adjustments to the maximum marks suchcandidates might have achieved to achieve this objective.

The percentages of candidates awarded the various classes in the past five years are givenbelow:

BA degree MPhys degree

Year I II.1 II.2 III Pass Fail Year I II.1 II.2 III Pass Fail

2013 10.2 42.9 38.8 8.2 0 0 2013 48.5 41.2 9.3 1.0 0 02012 25.0 31.3 37.5 7.0 0 0 2012 45.5 42.7 9.1 2.7 0 02011 21.7 41.7 21.7 10.0 5.0 0 2011 48.1 42.5 8.5 0.9 0 02010 17.5 30.0 40.0 10.0 2.5 0 2010 45.8 44.2 10.0 0 0 02009 19.5 41.5 29.3 9.8 0 0 2009 49.4 49.4 1.1 0 0 0

In the assignment of the final class for a given Part A cohort, the examiners aim to ensurethat there should be no in-built advantage in final class by choosing the MPhys course over theBA course, or vice versa.

10 Interim Results

After each part of the examination, your tutor will be told the scaled marks (in percentages)that you obtained in each paper and your overall rank amongst candidates in that part. Thisrank information will not be published, but will be provided to your tutors to enable your tutorsto give you some confidential feedback and guidance.

11 Final Classification Mark

Students in their last year will be provided with a classification mark (rounded to the nearestinteger, with .50 being rounded up) that strictly adheres to the USM scheme shown in thetable in Section 9 above. This is achieved by a piecewise linear mapping of the percentage classboundaries onto the USM scheme.

1See the University’s Policy and Guidance for Examiners and others involved in University Examinations,Michaelmas Term 2013. Annexe B: The use of medical and other certificates in examinations and assessment.

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12 Eligibility for the MPhys Course

On the basis of the Part A marks, the Examiners will publish a list of those students eligible toproceed to the MPhys course. The standard required is the equivalent of a II.1 class or better,and the weightings of the contributing papers, practicals, etc., are:

Part A Course Possible Weighting MaximumComponent marks factor weighted marks

Part A paper (3) (3×) 100 1.0 300 (3 papers)Part A Short Option 50 0.5 25Part A full practicals (or Part A half practicals 0.5

+ second short option 0.5) 50 1.0 50

Should you be undecided as to which course you should be doing, then in the first instanceyou should discuss it with your college tutor. It is not necessary to make up your mind untilthe start of your third year; however it is generally advisable to register initially for the 4-yearMPhys course.

13 Year Outcome after Part B of the MPhys

After Part B, MPhys candidates will be given a ‘Year Outcome’ (I, II.1, II.2, III, Pass, Fail)on their OSS record that is based on their cumulative overall percentage mark for Part A andPart B (rounded to the nearest integer, with 0.50 being rounded up) that strictly adheres tothe USM scheme shown in the table above. This is achieved by a piecewise linear mapping ofthe percentage class boundaries (which will be determined by the Examiners in an analogousmanner to that described in Section 9) onto the USM scheme.

The Year Outcome will be included in each MPhys Part B candidate’s OSS record. Togetherwith the information mentioned in Section 10, this is intended to assist any MPhys candidatewho is considering withdrawing with a BA degree after the Part B results have been announced.(For details of this ‘exit route’, see ‘Changing from the MPhys to the BA’ in the section ‘ThirdYear 2013-2014 [MPhys Course]’ of the Physics Undergraduate Course Handbook 2013-2014.)

14 Oracle Student System (OSS)

Examination results will be released via the Oracle Student System. You will be able to viewthem at Student Self Service, www.ox.ac.uk/students/exams/results/. The system is bestsuited for entering all marks as percentages. Prior to 2010 all Practical Work marks and ShortOption paper marks were presented on academic transcripts out of a possible 50 marks. Since2010, candidates taking Part A have had all their marks displayed as percentageson their OSS academic transcripts.

OSS displays a ‘Year Outcome’ section. The possible year outcomes are as follows:

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Year Possible ExplanationOutcomes

Year 1 Pass Candidate is allowed to continue to Part A.Pass at repeat attempt Candidate is allowed to continue to Part A.Partial Pass Candidate is allowed to continue to Part A

subject to the candidate completing practical work.Fail Candidate is not allowed to continue to Part A.

Year 2 Pass Candidate is allowed to continue with theMPhys course should they be enrolled in it.

Partial Pass Candidate may continue to the BA course,but not the MPhys course.

BAYear 3 First Class

Second Class, Division OneSecond Class, Division TwoThird ClassPassFail

MPhysYear 3 First Class Candidate is allowed to continue to Part C.

Second Class, Division One Candidate is allowed to continue to Part C.Second Class, Division Two Candidate is allowed to continue to Part C.Third Class Candidate is allowed to continue to Part C.Pass Candidate is allowed to continue to Part C.Fail Candidate is allowed to continue to Part C.

MPhysYear 4 First Class

Second Class, Division OneSecond Class, Division TwoThird ClassPassFail

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15 Prizes

The following prizes may be awarded for excellence in various aspects of the BA and MPhysfinal examinations:

• The Scott Prize for the best performance in the MPhys examination £650

• The Gibbs Prize for performance in the MPhys examination £250

• The Scott Prize for performance in the BA examination £400

• The Winton Capital Prize for Outstanding Performance in the 2nd year (Part Aexamination) £250

• The Winton Capital Prize for the Best MPhys Research Project £500

• The Gibbs Prize for the best use of experimental apparatus in an MPhys Project £100

• A Physics Prize for an MPhys Project in Atomic and Laser Physics £150

• The BP Prize for an MPhys Project in Theoretical Physics £150

• A Johnson Memorial Prize for an MPhys Project in Astrophysics £150

• A Johnson Memorial Prize for an MPhys Project in Atmospheric, Oceanic and PlanetaryPhysics £150

• The NTT Prize for an MPhys Project in Biological Physics £150

• A Physics Prize for an MPhys Project in Condensed Matter Physics, £150

• The John Thresher Prize for an MPhys Project in Particle and Nuclear Physics, £150

• The Metaswitch Prize for a best use of Software in an MPhys Project, £150

• The Rolls-Royce Prize for Innovation in an MPhys Project, £150

• The Tessella Prize for Programming in Software in an MPhys Project, £150

• A Physics Prize for the best BA project, £150

• A Physics Group Prize for the best group project presentation, £150 (shared)

• The Scott Prize for performance in the Teaching and Learning Physics in Schools Option,£150

• The Gibbs Prize for performance in the Physics Department Speaking Competition, £100

• Head of Physics Faculty Prize for performance in the Physics Department Speaking Com-petition, £50

• The Gibbs Prize for practical work in Part B of the MPhys examination, £50

• The Gibbs Prize for practical work in Part B of the BA examination, £50

• The Gibbs Prize for practical work in Part A of the examination, £50

J. A. JonesNovember 12, 2013

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