Pass Margin Worksheet
One sheet per course. Fill it in when marks come back, not at the end — the whole value is in finding out early.
BFCBrilliance · bfcbrilliance.com/tools/minimum-passing-score-calculator
The course
- Course
- Pass mark
- Hurdle requirement (if any)
- Average so far
- Weight already marked
- POINTS BANKED
- AVERAGE NEEDED ON WHAT'S LEFT
Every component, as marks come back
| Component | Weight % | Mark % | Points earned | Running banked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The arithmetic
- Points banked
- average × weight done ÷ 100
- Points still needed
- pass mark − points banked
- Average needed
- points needed ÷ weight left
- Best possible finish
- banked + weight left
- Worst possible finish
- banked
- ⚠ Above 100
- not reachable — act now
- ⚠ Hurdle
- a separate condition, not an average
Before you rely on the number
- Weights taken from the syllabus, not estimated
- Every returned mark included in the average
- Weights of returned work added correctly
- Checked whether any component is dropped
- Checked for a hurdle requirement on the final
- Checked whether a resit mark is capped
- Withdrawal deadline noted, in case it is unreachable
- Recalculated each time a mark comes back
Above 100 is the answer, not an error
If the required average exceeds 100 the grade is out of reach. That is worth knowing in week eight, while a withdrawal deadline or a resit application is still open, rather than after the exam.
An overall pass can still be a fail
Many courses set a minimum on the final exam regardless of your average. Clearing the overall pass mark does not clear a hurdle. It is usually one sentence in the syllabus — find it before you plan around any of this.