For each course, students are awarded a grade on a 1—6 scale, including half points (e.g. 5.5, 4.5 etc.) and quarter points (e.g. 4.75, 5.25, etc.). In accordance with Art. 8, para. 2 of the Ordinance on the evaluation of studies at the EPFL, the final mark for a subject is composed of the marks for its tests and it is rounded up to the nearest quarter point.
A course may be graded based on a number of different assessment components (e.g. multiple pieces of coursework, or coursework plus a session exam). For each component, a “0” can only be awarded:
- if the student does not attend a test,
- if they fail to answer any question, or
- if they do not submit an assignment on time.
If the overall mark for the course as a whole is less than 1 when all assessment components are taken into account, and no valid reason is given by the student for missing exam(s) and/or not submitting work, a grade of NA (not acquired) is awarded.
| Grade Awarded | Description |
|---|---|
| 6; 5.75 | Excellent |
| 5.5; 5.25 | Very Good |
| 5; 4.75 | Good |
| 4.5; 4.25 | Satisfactory |
| 4 | Minimum Pass |
| 3.75 – 1 | Fail |
| NA | Overall score less than 1 |
It is up to the lecturer to decide how assessments are to be marked (out of 20, out of 100, etc.) and how these marks are converted into grades: you can use your own professional judgement (which you should be able to explain if required) as to what level of performance constitutes “excellent”, “very good”, “good”, “satisfactory”, “minimum pass”, “fail” and “NA”. However, the overall marking scheme should always correspond to the table shown. In other words, 4 is a “minimum pass”; 4.25 — 4.5 stands for “satisfactory”, and so on.
Where a course has multiple assessment components (e.g. a mid-term and a final exam), the sum of the marks available for each component must be 100% of the marks for the course (e.g. 40% for mid-term and 60% for the final exam). It is not permissible to have ‘bonus’ tests (e.g. 100% available for the final exam, with the possibility to increase the course mark by up to 20% via a mid-term test).
In cases where more than one person is involved in assessment, the lecturer for the course is responsible for checking personally all work whose level has been judged inadequate (0 and 1 to 3.75).
The exceptions to this marking scheme are required assignments carried out outside EPFL (e.g. an industrial placement), which can only be awarded an “R” (réussite — pass) or “E” (échec — fail) grade.
It is up to the lecturer to decide how assessments are to be marked (out of 20, out of 100, etc.) and how these marks are converted into grades: you can use your own professional judgement (within reasonable limits!) as to what level of performance constitutes ‘excellent”, “very good” and so on.
For further discussion on marking schemes, see the advice section here.
The procedure for submission of grades is set out by the Registrar’s Office (Service académique, SAC). Depending on the type of course and format of the evaluation (continuous assessment, project or end of semester exam) the deadlines differ, so you need to check the deadlines for each of your exams every semester. The deadlines are available on the academic calendar for each semester.
Do not inform students of the marks they have obtained for an exam held during an examination session. The only exception is in the case of a master project: you can tell a candidate whether or not they has succeeded in a master project, but without giving the mark. According to article 19 of the Ordinance on study evaluation (Lex 2.6.0.1), only the associate vice president for education can notify students of any decision regarding success or failure related to grades or credits for each subject/course.
After a grade has been submitted, it can only be changed in cases where there has been a verified error in grading. All grade changes must be verified and approved by a section director, who must confirm that a genuine grading error has been made, as well as the responsible teacher. Special care should be taken in cases where a change in grade will alter a student’s award level. It is not advisable to tell a student, or allow them to infer that a mark was given with a certain degree of flexibility.
In the case of a student who believes their grade is wrong, they have various options and they should be directed to the Student Services for more details. Information about the relevant procedures is available here: epfl.ch/education/studies/en/rules-and-procedures/request_reassment/
Keeping exam scripts and exam papers Students’ scripts (full sets of exam question papers plus students’ answer sheets) are to be kept for six months after the end of the corresponding study programme. Remember that not all students complete the programme in the minimum time possible. Therefore, in practice this means:
- For 1st year preparatory programmes: 1.5 years after the exam.
- For bachelor programmes, 2nd year: 4.5 years after the exam.
- For bachelor programmes, 3rd year: 3.5 years after the exam.
- For master programmes: 3.5 years after the exam.
- For master projects: 1 year after the end of the project.
Students with special needs may apply to the Student Affairs (SAE) for support measures for teaching and assessment.
The SAE will send you a list of beneficiaries and the means of support decided on the basis of the medical certificates presented. There are three types of measures, and you are responsible for implementing them:
- Extension of examination time.
- Placement in a quiet area (i.e., in the front row so as not to be distracted by others, or in a separate room).
- Provision of a secure tablet for consulting the exam and writing answers. It is specifically configured by the Poséidon service. You are responsible for organising the loan by completing a request “Loan of a tablet for an exam” on support.epfl.ch.
For more information, see Lex 2.6.5 or contact [email protected].