By Lucy Carroll
Students at the state’s top universities are being awarded the highest grades at double the rate they were a decade ago, while distinction marks have surged by at least 50 per cent in the same period.
Higher education experts say the reasons behind the rise varied, but are partly a result of marking system changes, the switch to remote learning and increasing competition as elite institutions vie for enrolments.
The proportion of students being awarded high distinctions and distinctions was higher in 2021 compared with 2011 at Sydney University, UNSW and the University of Wollongong. Credit: Louise Kennerley
Data obtained by the Herald shows the proportion of students receiving high distinctions at Sydney University increased from 5 per cent in 2011 to 13 per cent in 2021, while at the University of NSW high distinctions were handed to 6.5 per cent of students, up from 3 per cent 10 years ago.
A third of students landed a distinction grade at UNSW in 2021, up from 22 per cent a decade ago, and at Sydney University distinctions climbed from 16 to 26 per cent. Similar increases in top marks were reported at the University of Wollongong.
All three universities reported about 40 per cent of students picking up the highest two grades in 2021.
Deputy vice-chancellor at UNSW Merlin Crossley said despite growth in high distinctions, the overall proportion of students securing the highest possible marks is low.
Students in 2021 were awarded higher grades compared with 2011 at some of the biggest NSW universities.
“Some grade inflation may have crept in, and students are becoming more inclined to push back and question teachers about marks if they feel they are too low,” he said.
However, students now are taking courses they are passionate about, and there is more choice, which means they are more likely to excel, Crossley said. “I think students are working harder, and teaching is better.”
“Universities are also more supportive and quick to intervene. Fails – which are often a result of disengagement and not choosing the right course – are now less likely too.”
Fails at UNSW fell from 5.5 per cent in 2011 to 3 per cent in 2021.
A spokesperson at Sydney University said a decision in 2012 to map grades according to an academic standard – rather than fit a normal distribution curve – has driven the changes in grading.
“We consider a standards-based grading model to be more consistent and fairer, as it means all our students must meet a certain standard to achieve a particular grade,” the spokesperson said, noting the pandemic and move to online testing had caused variation in grades.
Andrew Norton, a higher education academic at ANU, said the marks reported in 2021 are “not seriously skewed to the top” as they are in the United Kingdom, where grade inflation has prompted a crackdown on providers after the students awarded first-class honours degrees doubled to 38 per cent between 2011 and 2021.
Inflated grading – where students are handed marks above what may be justified – is more likely at the pass or fail point rather than the top end of the scale, Norton said.
“I don’t think grade inflation is a huge issue, but it’s clear there’s been a non-trivial increase in high distinctions and distinctions. This has coincided with a labour market becoming more difficult for new graduates which is an incentive to keep marks up.”
More high-achieving students could be enrolling too, Norton said. “And the stakes have gone up, so it’s not crazy to think students are querying marks with academics more often.”
Pressure to hand out high grades to protect the pipeline of students entering graduate degrees could also be a factor, especially as competition in the sector intensifies.
A spokesperson for Sydney University said shifts in grades between 2011 and 2021 reflected the change to online assessments during the pandemic. “We’re now moving towards a return to face-to-face invigilated exams for our students,” they said.
Most universities offered more flexibility for students when applying for academic consideration during the pandemic, which affected results. However, data from Wollongong University shows distinctions and high distinctions have been rising steadily from 2015.
Craig Mellare, a lecturer at Sydney University’s business school who is running a survey into assessment grading practices, said the increase in average grades was concerning.
“Students could be more capable, so it’s important to look at ATARs and other factors that may be influencing this. But I do think the number of appeals – and the propensity for students to appeal their marks – is rising,” he said.
Oxford Professor of higher education Simon Marginson said it was difficult to know whether a rise in top grades reported at some overseas institutions was a result of better work, or the increased student consumer pressures on universities. “Certainly the high-achieving students of today are very good academically,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Tertiary Education and Quality Standards Agency confirmed it had received four letters of concern about grade inflation that relate to two providers this year.
“Two of these matters require further assessment as we have identified a potential risk of non-compliance with the higher education standards framework,” the spokesperson said.
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