• Section 1 - Background and Purpose
• Section 2 - Scope
• Section 3 - Policy Statement
• Section 4 - Procedures
• Weighted Average Mark
• Ungraded Passes and Fails Not Counted in WAM
• Circumstances Where Conceded Passes Will Not Be Awarded
• Additional Assessment for Last Subject
• Arrangements for Additional Assessment
• Re-enrolment in a Subject With a Conceded Pass
• Non-eligibility for Further Assessment
• Processing Conceded Passes
• Right to Review
• Section 5 - Definitions

This Policy applies only to subjects commenced prior to 1 November 2021.

Section 1 - Background and Purpose

(1) The University offers conceded passes to facilitate course progression and completion where a student has narrowly failed a subject.

Section 2 - Scope

(2) This Policy applies to:

1. All campuses
2. All for-award higher education coursework subjects
3. All for-award higher education coursework students
4. All staff involved in the assessment or administration of higher education subjects

Section 3 - Policy Statement

(3) Subject to the Conceded Pass Procedures, a conceded pass will be awarded in a coursework subject when the mark obtained in the subject is at least 47% but less than 50% and the Weighted Average Mark (WAM) for the Progression Period is at least 50%. The WAM requirement will be waived where the subject within the marks range for a conceded pass is the only subject that the student attempted during the Progression Period.

(4) The maximum number of credit points that can be awarded as conceded passes for subjects at any given year level is 15. 

(5) Students awarded a conceded pass will be required to attend a session with an academic or an academic skills adviser, to help them understand what contributed to their original fail and how to improve their performance in future progression periods.

(6) All conceded passes are terminal and may not be used to satisfy prerequisites. 

(7) The Policy and procedures make no distinction between full-time and part-time students, apart from the WAM waiver for single-subject enrolments.

Section 4 - Procedures

(8) A conceded pass will be awarded in a coursework subject when the mark obtained in the subject is at least 47% but less than 50% and the Weighted Average Mark (WAM) for the Progression Period is at least 50%. The WAM requirement will be waived where the subject within the marks range for a conceded pass is the only subject that the student attempted during the Progression Period. Other conditions are set out in the Policy.

Weighted Average Mark

(9) Weighted Average mark is calculated using the following values:

1. Achievable credit points: the achievable credit point value for each subject attempt that will contribute to the completion of the award course (or the coursework component of an award course taught by both research and coursework);
2. The weighting of a subject according to its year level: currently all subject versions have the same weight for all year levels (i.e. a weight of one);
3. Numeric mark value: the numeric value out of one hundred recorded as the finalised assessment outcome for the subject attempt.

(10) The WAM for a progression period is calculated as follows:

(11) If an assessment outcome has no numeric mark, then it cannot be used in the total calculation except for an NS (Did Not Sit) or KN (Late Withdrawal with Academic Penalty) grade, where the default numeric mark value of zero will be used in the calculation.

(12) A WAM cannot be calculated if a student has one or more incomplete grades (e.g. X or W) within the Progression Period.

Ungraded Passes and Fails Not Counted in WAM

(13) If no mark is given for a failed subject (ungraded fail), then the subject will not count when calculating the WAM for the purposes of assessment for a conceded pass.

(14) If no mark is given for a passed subject (ungraded pass), then the subject will not count when calculating the WAM for the purposes of assessment for a conceded pass.

Circumstances Where Conceded Passes Will Not Be Awarded

(15) A conceded pass will not be granted for a specific subject if:

1. it is a core subject for the course being undertaken; 
2. it is required for professional accreditation; 
3. it is necessary for a student to demonstrate professional or clinical competence as part of its assessment requirements;
4. the student has failed a hurdle requirement; or
5. the student has received a finding of serious academic misconduct within the subject under the Academic Integrity Statute 2015.

Additional Assessment for Last Subject

(16) This section applies where a student has failed in the current progression period, with a mark between 0 and 49%, the last subject required to complete the course of study in which the student is enrolled. The School of enrolment will offer additional assessment to allow the student a second opportunity to pass the subject if the following eligibility requirements are met:

1. the student completed all the assessment tasks required for the failed subject; 
2. the student does not qualify for a conceded pass in the failed subject;
3. the failed subject is not predominantly workplace-based (e.g. clinical subjects and practical). Where the failed last subject is predominantly workplace-based, no additional assessment is available; and
4. the student has not received a finding of serious academic misconduct within the subject under the Academic Integrity Statute 2015.

(17) If a student passes the additional assessment awarded under this section, the final mark and result for the subject will be 50D; if the student fails the further assessment, the original fail result will stand and the student will be required to repeat the subject.

Arrangements for Additional Assessment

(18) Arrangements for additional assessment as per section 4 above will be managed by the student’s School of enrolment. The timing, terms and conditions of the assessment must be communicated clearly to the student at least five business days before the assessment task (if the assessment is an event, such as an examination or test). If the assessment requires an output such as an essay, reasonable time must be allowed for completion of the task.

Re-enrolment in a Subject With a Conceded Pass

(19) A student who has obtained a conceded pass in a subject may be permitted to re-enrol in the subject but, in so doing, must forfeit the conceded pass and accept the original fail grade.

Non-eligibility for Further Assessment

(20) Students who have received a conceded pass for a subject are not eligible for any further assessment in that subject.

Processing Conceded Passes

(21) Conceded passes (NCs) are processed through the normal systems for awarding and confirming results. They will be awarded automatically to students who satisfy the eligibility criteria.

Right to Review

(22) A student wishing to seek a review of a decision in relation to a conceded pass or additional assessment should seek a review through ASK La Trobe. Requests may be referred for further academic review if appropriate.

(23) Students who are dissatisfied with:

1. any aspect of the implementation of this Policy may lodge a complaint under the Student Complaints Management Policy;
2. the outcome of any review many seek further review through the Office of the University Ombudsman.

Section 5 - Definitions

(24) For the purpose of this Policy and Procedure:

1. Conceded Pass: A pass, represented by the grade NC, that counts towards a qualification but does not satisfy a prerequisite. If subject X is a prerequisite for subject Y, a student who receives a terminal pass for subject X receives the full credit point value of subject X but is not entitled to proceed to subject Y.
2. Hurdle Requirement: a condition for passing a subject other than the overall mark, which is specified in the Handbook and in subject documentation.
3. Progression Period: The period of study at the end of which a student’s academic progress is formally assessed. There are two Progression Periods within an Academic Year, the first running from 1 January to 30 June inclusive and the second from 1 July to 31 December inclusive. A Progression Period may include more than one teaching period. Each subject enrolment is assigned to a specific Progression Period according to the last day of the teaching period in which the Subject is offered.
4. Terminal Pass: same as Conceded Pass.