Grade Point Average: Report of the GPA Pilot Project 2013-14

This report is published as the result of a range of investigations and debates involving many universities and colleges and a series of meetings, presentations, discussions and consultations. Interest in a grade point average (GPA) system was originally initiated by a group of interested universities, progressing to the systematic investigation reported here. It asks the question: Can a GPA system enhance the reporting of student achievement in the UK? This endeavour has built on the work of my group, which resulted in the Universities UK report Beyond the Honours Degree Classification published in 2007. That report concluded that the UK honours degree is a robust and highly-valued qualification but the honours degree classification system (HDC) is no longer fit for purpose. The proposals in that document for a Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) have been widely adopted but the need for a simple and straightforward summative indicator of a student’s overall achievement remains. Students place great store by it and it makes an important contribution to employer decisions and entry to further study and training. The need for a more granular summative indicator is vital. The latest Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) figures indicate that 70% of honours degree awards now fall into the upper second or first class category. GPA offers an important opportunity to tackle this situation and provide students with a more internationally recognisable measure. Our recommendations have been carefully constructed to build upon the evidence gathered from the sector regarding the appetite and capacity for a change in award systems. In particular, we are recommending that a process of ‘dual running’ of GPA and HDC takes place in the first instance. This will allow institutions to adopt GPA within timescales that suit their institutional context while ensuring that a national system is retained. Dual running will also allow time for extensive communication about GPA with all stakeholders and enable evidence to be collected to refine its implementation. I am particularly pleased that we have established an agreed GPA scale for UK higher education that will improve transparency in award calculations and tackle differences in award outcomes between the quantitative and qualitative subjects. I would like to extend my thanks to the institutions that participated in the pilot and members of the Advisory Group. Finally, I would like to thank the members of staff and associates of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) who managed this project, facilitated the engagement and meetings of participating providers and drafted this report: Professor Sue Bloxham, Professor Graham Curtis, Professor Philippa Levy, Dr Erica Morris, and Dr Geoff Stoakes. Professor Sir Robert Burgess Chair of the HEA’s national GPA Advisory Group