STA Student Handbook (Taught Programmes) 2025/26

70-79% (Distinction)
Excellent

• Identifies relevant material comprehensively.
• Understands relevant ideas, concepts, contexts and practices thoroughly.
• Applies relevant ideas, concepts and practices thoroughly.

• Deep engagement with appropriate materials.
• Analysis is focussed and convincing.
• The response to the task makes original contributions to existing scholarship and/or creative practice.

• The work is very well structured and organised; the argument or creative logic is systematically developed.
• The work demonstrates a strong command of appropriate expression.
• The presentation follows the required style (e.g. QMUL English and Drama Style Guide, oral presentation requirements, creative specifications).

60-69% (Merit)
Good

• Identifies relevant materials accurately.
• Understands relevant ideas, concepts, contexts and practices accurately.
• Applies relevant ideas, concepts and practices accurately.

• The materials selected are analysed with care.
• Demonstrates awareness of complexities in the ideas or practices that are relevant to the chosen materials.
• The response to the task often engages with relevant arguments and concepts.

• The work is well organised and convincingly structured.
• The style is appropriate and consistent and fully meets what is expected of a student working at this module’s level.
• The presentation of work follows the required style (e.g. QMUL English and Drama Style Guide, oral presentation requirements, creative specification). There may be a small number of minor errors.

50-59% (Pass)
Satisfactory

• Identifies relevant material sometimes but some material could be better chosen.
• Understands relevant ideas, concepts, contexts and practices sometimes.
• Applies relevant ideas, concepts and practices sometimes.

• There is evidence of some use of relevant materials in the investigation.
• There are some coherent elements to the analysis.
• The response to the task is adequate but there are some elements that are underdeveloped.

• The work follows a structure but there are some problems with the way it is organised.
• The style is consistent but expression just meets what is expected for work at this module’s level.
• The work contains citations and references, but these are often not in accordance with the QMUL English and Drama Style Guide.

45-49% (Fail)
Unsatisfactory

• Identifies relevant material rarely.
• Understands relevant ideas, concepts, contexts and practices rarely.
• Applies relevant ideas, concepts and practices rarely.

• Many of the materials chosen are not appropriate for this assignment.
• The analysis is incomplete.
• The response to the task relies extensively on the work of others or falls below the expectations of the module’s level.

• The aims of the work are difficult to follow.
• The style of the work is not appropriate for the assessment and falls below what is expected of a student working at this module’s level.
• The work makes little or no attempt to follow the required style (e.g. QMUL English and Drama Style Guide, oral presentation requirements, creative specifications).

40-44% (Fail)
Poor

• Identifies relevant material insufficiently, with some relevant material absent.
• Understands relevant ideas, concepts, contexts and practices insufficiently for the assignment.
• Applies relevant ideas, concepts and practices insufficiently.

• The materials chosen are not appropriate for this assignment.
• The analysis is incomplete and sometimes lacks coherence.
• The response to the task engages insufficiently with relevant material and falls below the expectations of the module’s level.

• The aims of the work are very difficult to understand.
• The style of the work is not appropriate for the task and there are multiple errors. It falls below what is expected of a student working at this module’s level.
• The work makes little or no attempt to follow the required style (e.g. QMUL English and Drama Style Guide, oral presentation requirements, creative specifications).

0-39% (Fail)
Very Poor

• Identifies little or no relevant material.
• Understands relevant ideas, concepts and practices minimally or not at all.
• Applies relevant ideas, concepts and practices minimally or not at all.

• The materials chosen are not appropriate for this assignment.
• The analysis is incomplete and lacks coherence.
• The response to the task engages with relevant material minimally or not at all.

• The presentation is below the standard expected for work at this module’s level.
• There are frequent errors in grammar and spelling.
• The work makes little or no attempt to follow the required style (e.g. QMUL English and Drama Style Guide, oral presentation requirements, creative specifications).

Guidance for Students

Explainer: Main Areas of Assessment