Does attendance affect your internal marks?
The 75% rule gets all the attention, because falling below it can stop you from sitting an exam. But in some colleges attendance also affects your marks directly, through internal assessment.
Whether attendance counts for marks, how many, and how they're worked out is entirely up to your college or university. This page explains the general idea. Check your own syllabus or ask your teachers.
How it can work
Many courses split a subject's marks into an internal part (tests, assignments, presentations, class participation) and an external part (the end-semester exam). Some colleges include attendance as one small part of the internal marks.
When they do, it's often done in bands. As a made-up example: full attendance marks above 90%, a little less from 85 to 90%, less again from 80 to 85%, and nothing below that. Your college's bands, if it has any, will be different. The point is that attendance above the minimum can still be worth something.
Why a few marks matter
A few marks out of 100 doesn't sound like much. But:
- They're the easiest marks you'll get. No studying, no exam nerves. Just turning up.
- They can decide a grade. If you end up one or two marks below a grade boundary, attendance marks are often the difference.
- They count in every subject. A couple of marks across five or six subjects adds up across your whole result.
The less obvious link
Even where attendance isn't directly graded, it affects your marks indirectly. Class is where teachers drop hints about what's important for the exam, announce surprise tests, and explain the assignment that's due next week. Students who attend regularly hear all of it first-hand.
How to find out your college's rules
- Look at the syllabus or course outline for the subject. Internal assessment breakdowns are usually listed there.
- Check your college's academic regulations or student handbook.
- Ask the teacher in the first week. "How are the internal marks split up?" is a perfectly normal question.
- Ask a senior who did the same course, though rules can change from year to year.
Track against your real target
If attendance marks start at a higher band, your real target in that subject isn't 75%, it's the band you're aiming for. Use the calculator with your own target percentage to see how much room you have at that level.