OfS warns unis over degree algorithm risks to grade credibility

The Office for Students (OfS) has advised universities to ensure degree classification algorithms accurately reflect students’ academic achievements, warning that some current practices could undermine confidence in the value of degrees.

The regulator’s latest report, published today (6 November), highlighted concerns that aspects of how some universities design or amend their classification algorithms could inflate grades. 

The OfS said it was particularly concerned by methods such as discounting modules with the lowest marks or using the best result from multiple algorithms to determine a student’s final degree class.

The review forms part of the OfS’s ongoing work to maintain public trust in degree standards following a 15-year rise in the proportion of first-class and upper second-class degrees awarded. The guidance is intended to help universities meet ‘condition B4’, a registration requirement obliging them to ensure that qualifications remain credible and retain their value over time.

The OfS said it had examined the classification algorithms used by St Mary’s University, Twickenham, the University of West London, and Teesside University. It found that all three institutions were at increased risk of a future breach of condition B4 and had agreed to carry out internal reviews to test whether their classifications accurately reflected student attainment.

Breaches of the same condition were identified at St Mary’s and West London, both of which had previously introduced algorithms likely to increase the number of higher-class degrees awarded. However, as each institution made changes before the OfS’s investigation and before condition B4 came into force, the regulator confirmed that no further action would be taken.

Jean Arnold, deputy director of Quality at the OfS, said: ‘It’s essential that students, graduates, and employers are confident that higher education qualifications represent an accurate assessment of achievement that stands the test of time. We welcome the progress made by institutions in their efforts to curb the risk of unexplained grade inflation. In recent years, the sector has reduced the proportion of students awarded first-class and upper second class degrees, although levels remain above those awarded in 2010-11.

“Classification algorithms are an important part of measuring the skills and knowledge of students. We would be concerned if, because of how an algorithm is designed or how it has been altered over time, the classes of award being made to students no longer appropriately reflected the achievement demonstrated by those students at the point of assessment.”

She added: “Our aim as the regulator is to build confidence in the value of degrees. Our findings do not seek to question or dispute the classifications awarded to any individual student or groups of students at any institution, now or in the past.

“We welcome the fact that the institutions we have engaged with have committed to further review of their academic regulations. We think it is likely that the approaches taken by the institutions we assessed reflect practices found more widely in the sector.” 

In addition she said the OfS recognised the requirements of condition B4 are “relatively new”, and it will “monitor sector engagement with this report and consider over time whether further guidance or other action is required”.