Getting your results - Joint Institute students
Find out when and how you get results for modules, stages of your studies, and your overall course.
When you’ll get your results
Throughout your course, you’ll get module results and stage results.
Module results
If your assessment took place during:
- a teaching period, you’ll usually get your mark within three weeks
- the semester 1 assessment period, you normally get your mark by week 1 of semester 2
- the semester 2 assessment period, you get your mark after your School’s exam board has met during the summer
You can check when your module marks for semesters 1 and 2 will be published by logging into Sussex Direct.
Stage results
A stage result is different from a module result. It confirms the exam board’s decision on your academic progress. You’ll also get an average mark, known as a stage mean.
Stage results are published on Sussex Direct once your full year results have been considered by an exam board.
How to get your results
All results (including stage results) are formally published in the Module Results section in Sussex Direct. Once your stage result has been published, your mark on Sussex Direct is the official result you’ll see on your transcript.
Transcripts
Your transcript is a hard-copy print-out of all your module results and your degree outcome.
If you need an interim transcript, it will only show your module results to date.
Find out more about transcripts.
Your certificate comes with your final transcript. You normally get this at your graduation ceremony.
How your results are calculated
Your course outcome is made up of assessment, module and stage results. These count differently towards your degree.
Module results
Most modules are made up of more than one assessment. Each assessment will normally contribute to your overall mark for the module. The percentage of each assessment may vary.
Example: A module could have an essay worth 30% and an exam worth 70%.
You get the credit for the module if you pass it.
Stage results
Your stage result is decided by your School exam board based on:
- the number of credits you have achieved on your modules
- your ‘stage mean’, which averages out the marks given for each module, weighted to the amount of credits for each module.
You can see your stage result and stage mean in Sussex Direct when results are published.
Course results
Your award outcome is decided by your School exam board, based on the marks and credits you have achieved during your time at Sussex.
You need a certain stage mean and number of credits to get your award. See the undergraduate and postgraduate regulations page to check the classification boundaries and criteria.
Different stages are worth different percentages to your overall result. See the contribution of the stage result on your Module Results page on Sussex Direct.
Resitting an assessment
Go to Sussex Direct for information about what kind of resit you’re doing and when it takes place.
This could be any type of assessment, such as an exam, essay or presentation.
You will need to complete a new resit brief or assignment that will not be the same as what you took at initial attempt. The exception for this is the dissertation, where you normally continue to work on your existing topic, usually without further supervision.
Retakes will be taken in the assessment period following the semester in which the module is delivered. Therefore, retakes for Autumn modules will take place in the retake assessment period following the first semester, whilst retakes for Spring term modules will be scheduled in the retake period after the second semester.
Difference between a resit and a sit
If you’re offered another opportunity to take an assessment, the mark you get may be capped or uncapped.
A resit is a further attempt to pass a module. The mark you get for a resit assessment is capped at the pass mark of 40%. The uncapped mark is shown on your transcript.
Tip: See what level your module is in Sussex Direct by choosing your timetable and selecting the relevant module code. The level is listed under the FHEQ row.
A sit is a type of retake that gives you another opportunity to complete a module assessment. Check your Module Results page in Sussex Direct for details of the sit you’ve been given.
Your mark from a sit attempt is not capped and may be combined with marks you achieved for other assessments from the module.
You might be offered an optional sit if we accepted an exceptional circumstances claim and you have passed the module.
You must decide by the deadline shown on your Module Results page in Sussex Direct. Select the "accept" or "decline" option. You can change your decision as many times as you like before the deadline. If no option shows here, then please contact ZJSU-JI@sussex.ac.uk to confirm your choice.
Important: The mark you get for a resit or sit assessment will be used for progression and/or award purposes, even if it’s lower than your original mark. If you don’t take the resit or sit, your original mark will stand.
Mandatory resits and sits
You’ll have mandatory resits or sits because you have not achieved the required credits on all of your modules.
If you fail your resit, we might allow you to progress into your next stage of study with a trailed resit – this means you have to take the resit to get the credits for the module but you can do it later on.