Delhi University to Revise Grading Pattern for 2016 College Examination

After Delhi University started the Choice Based Credit Scheme (CBCS) in 2015, the education board of university will now be revising the grading pattern.

This move of the university has come after students protested over problems faced by them due to grading system.

As per the statements of students, there is no provision of individual performances in the new marking system. Moreover, the given grades are based on the class average score.

Under the relative grading system that was introduced for undergraduate courses, all the students will now have to get a score of 100 percent so as to get the outstanding (O) grade for few subjects.

New DU formula to fix CBCS grading

The internal committee established by vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi has proposed a new scheme which retains the original formulae devised by the University Grants Commission but adds what teachers call “grade cutoffs” or, minimum marks required for a certain grade. As in a system of absolute grading, these are fixed-90% for ‘O’, 80% for ‘A+’, 70% for ‘A’ and so on. Consequently, even if the marks range corresponding to the “outstanding” grade is over 100% in relative grading-it was for several papers, especially in the sciences-everyone scoring above 90% will automatically be graded ‘O’. The lower minimum score for a grade will be used to convert.

The DU teachers who had originally flagged the problem have largely okayed it but also suggested further tweaking in the note they submitted to the Dean, Students’ Welfare. Miranda House physics teacher Abha Dev Habib and economics teachers from Kirori Mal and Shri Ram College of Commerce, Saumyajit Bhattacharjee and Sanjay Bohidar, tested the proposed scheme on actual scores in papers from the past two years and found it working for the most part.

For papers with high mean scores and standard deviation (the average variation on the mean)-such as mathematics-the fixed “grade cutoffs,” or absolute grading, will be applicable more often.

Under the new UGC formula , the examiners will have to change total marks into grade points and letter grades.

DU Cut off 2016 Tentative

Moreover, the university’s executive council members have also objected to the relative grading system.

Also, they said that this system was not brought into the notice of the college and was neither placed before the statutory bodies before the first semester results were declared .

While speaking on the issues raised by students regarding the grading pattern, a senior university official said, “The committee constituted by the Vice Chancellor to look into various aspects related with examination under CBCS held its meeting and has suggested some changes regarding computation of grades.”

Further, directions have been given to CBCS committee to submit the recommendation on the grading system.

“The Dean of Students Welfare has sought feedback from various colleges and departments on the proposed changes following which a final decision will be taken in this regard,” the senior official said.