So I’ve got my uni results back and I’ve passed everything which is what I was after. One of the questions I normally have is how far away was I to the next grade, or how close did I make it into that grade.

If you can’t find the information on the QUT Site (which strangely I haven’t been able to do until right now – perhaps it got update since the release of the results), you can use this as a basis:

• 7 – High Distinction: 85%-100%
  Provides evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the unit learning outcomes, competence in using the discourse/s of the relevant knowledge community/ies, and ingenuity, creativity and entrepreneurship in application.
  
• 6 – Distinction: 75%-84%
  Provides evidence of the integration and evaluation of critical ideas, principles and theories in relation to unit learning outcomes and the application of knowledge in new professional situations in flexible combinations to produce a novel, calculated effect.
  
• 5 – Credit: 65%-74%
  Provides evidence of learning going beyond mere replication of content knowledge or skill to show understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, some use of synthesising and analytical skills and the ability to apply fundamental concepts and skills of the unit with some originality or insight.
  
• 4 – Pass: 50% -64%
  Provides sufficient evidence of learning, such as demonstrations of knowledge of fundamental concepts and basic skills and some attempt at application, to be considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to unit learning outcomes.
  
• 3 – Fail: 47%-49%
  Provides evidence of limited and unconnected learning which falls short of demonstrating all unit learning outcomes.
  Students who receive a grade of 3 in a unit may be eligible to apply for supplementary assessment (see E/6.4).
  
• 2 – Fail: 25%-46%
  Provides minimal evidence of learning in relation to unit learning outcomes.
  
• 1 – Low Fail: 1%-24%
  Provides little or no evidence of learning in relation to unit learning outcomes.

* Sources: http://www.mopp.qut.edu.au/C/C_05_02.jsp

Now even those this is what the QUT Standard Grades are, they don’t apply to all subjects. For example I have one subject in which the lecture felt it should be the following (I’m guessing this was changed so that around 36 students, or 32% of students would pass the subject rather than failing and look bad on the teaching staff):

Grade Awarded – Percentage Needed – Amount of Students – Percentage of Students

• Grade 7 (>=80): 6, 5%
• Grade 6 (70-79): 25, 22%
• Grade 5 (60-69): 33, 29%
• Grade 4 (45-59): 36: 32%
• Likely to Fail: (<42): 6, 5%
• Others (didn’t sit for final exam): 8, 7%

As you can see getting a bell curve is important. Also another point I would like to make is that your overall GPA is calculated by your average grade point for all your subjects (what you are awarded at the end of the semester for the subject), instead of your actual grade for each subject (the percentage you obtained for the subject and then averaged out).  I wasn’t aware of this myself until I saw this post at dearqut.com – http://dearqut.com/messages/160 which I agree with.