Policy to develop satisfactory academic progress

Examination, assessment, passing grades (and graduation) of students:

The grading of a course consists of two parts: the score representing the continuous assessment of the student’s course work and the final evaluation, represented by the final written examinations of the semester. The pass grade is 50% of the total score. The continuous assessment grade accounts for 40%, and the final written test accounts for 60% of the total score.

A 1. Methods of examining students:

A system of continuous assessment and final evaluation of students is followed. The lecturer of each course in co-operation with the Department Manager determines how the course is evaluated and the percentages corresponding to the continuous assessment and final evaluation. The way in which each course is evaluated is made clear before the beginning of each course, at the beginning of each semester, in the published study program for each course, and in the “Study Guide”.

  1. During the semester, the teacher assesses by means of a mid-term diagnostic test or by assignments and/or another form of test. The percentage or percentages of scores collected represent the score for the continuous assessment.
  2. The final exam is conducted at the end of the semester on the entire content of the course. It is possible for specialized courses (e.g. laboratory work, practical work, practical training) to have a non-written final examination or for it to be replaced by a graded continuous assessment.
  3. Thesis work supervised by a teacher/tutor. The grade of the Graduate Thesis is determined from the average mark of the supervisor and a second assessor.

A 2. Methods for grading students:

  1. The grade for a course is derived from the grade for continuous assessment and the percentage of gained in the final written examination of the semester. In courses where there is no final written examination, the course’s score is deduced from the grades for the continuous assessment.
  2. Courses are assessed on a scale of 1-100.
  3. The final grade for the course, for example, will be the sum of the score resulting from the continuous assessment (maximum 40%), and the score from the written examination (maximum 60%).
  4. The score entered in the official books of the school consists of two parts: (a) the grade for continuous assessment, of any type, carried out during the semester and (b) the grade for the final written examination at the end of the semester.

 B 1. Conditions for passing grades and graduation of the students from the school:

  1. The pass mark (base mark) for courses is 50 points on a scale of 1-100. In the case of a 40:60 split (example III above) the continuous assessment grade should be at least 20 points (base mark) and the final assessment must be at least 30 points (base mark). In cases where a passing grade (base mark) is achieved but one of the scores is lower than the required base mark, reference is made to the Sector Evaluation Board, which decides on the conditions for passing and / or graduation.
  2. A student is only entitled to graduate after having fulfilled all their obligations towards the School.

B 2. Methods for passing students:

The student is considered to have passed a course if they achieve a grade from A to C. The pass grades are made clear before the beginning of each course, at the beginning of each semester, in the published study program for each course and in the “Study Guide”. The table below shows the allocation of the different grades.

Pass gradeInterpretation    Percentage  Highest possible percentage
AExcellent85-100%100
BGood65-84%84
CGood50-64%64
FFailure0-49%49

Repeating courses and re-sitting examinations

If the Evaluation Committee decides a student must repeat a course or courses they have failed, the student must attend the repeated course when offered.

Students who want to improve their score are entitled to repeat the course or to re-sit exams when offered. The Certificate of Academic attainment (Transcript) will record the last grade awarded to the student.

Noting that:

  1. The total number of European Teaching Units (ECTS) for the course which the student has attended in addition to the course for which they have sat an examination will not exceed 40.
  2. The number of course ECTS for the exam to be re-sat does not count when calculating the student’s tuition fees.
  3. The number of ECTS for the course to be repeated counts when calculating the student’s tuition fees.
  4. If the student succeeds in the examination, they are awarded the grade they have obtained in the final examination.
  5. If the student fails the examination, then the Evaluation Committee will decide whether to allow the student to repeat the course or the examination.
  6. A student may not repeat an examination more than 3 times.

 Recording and endorsing scores

  1. Each exam essay is prepared by the teacher concerned and checked and co-signed by the coordinator or the person responsible for each department.
  2. The two grades of the course (from the continuous assessment and the final evaluation) are submitted electronically by the relevant teacher to the Secretary of the Department and to the Head of Department, who forward them to the Evaluation Committee.
  3. The two grades are studied by the Evaluation Committee, chaired by the Director and the Head of Department, and decisions are made for each student, co-signed by the members of the Evaluation Committee and by the teacher/lecturer.
  4. The committee is entitled to give up to 1 compensated pass per semester if the overall exam grade and for course work is very close to passing (46-49), and provided the overall grade for the semester is over 60.
  5. The Commission decides whether the student is required to re-sit the examination, the course work, or both.
  6. The score sheets are submitted to the Academic Committee for ratification.
    1. If the scores for a course show a statistical difference of two standard deviations from the average, i.e. if more than two-thirds of the students examined in a lesson fail to pass this lesson, then the Academic Committee may differentiate the rankings by reduction. The decision of the Academic Committee will be final.
    2.  Once these grades are validated by the Academic Committee, they will be entered in special columns, analytically and collectively, i.e. as two separate scores and a cumulative score in the Special and General Record Book. Thus, there will be a double entry, one in the statement for grades and one in the Special and General Record Book.
  7. The two validated and signed rankings, together with an index, are kept in files, in the permanent records of the faculty for a period of not less than five years, which is the usual length of time between two assessments of educational institutions (accreditations).
  8. Validated results are published on the internet. Students must use their username and password to be able to see their scores.

Revision of grades

Every student is entitled to request a review of their grade if they feel that they have been wrongly assessed, or considers that an error or omission has occurred. In such a case, the student submits an objection to their grade to the Academic Committee, with a written request to the Secretary of the Department within seven days from the announcement of the results.

The Academic Committee decides on the objection and registers its decision in a relevant report, following the procedure below:

  1. In order to re-evaluate the written paper, the Academic Committee, in co-operation with the Head of Department, appoints a two-member committee of two other teachers of the same or related specialty, who re-examine the paper.
  2. The paper is submitted to the members of the two-member committee, with the student’s name and initial grade hidden from view.
  3. The grade of the two-member committee, which is the final for the written examination, is communicated to the Head of Department as soon as possible, who in turn sends it to the Academic Committee.
  4. The final grades to be validated/approved by the Academic Committee will be transferred to the student’s Certificate of Academic attainment (Transcript) in the Studies Office.
  5. The new grade is recorded in the Special and General Record Book as a separate entry. The same is done in the statement for grades, which are kept in the school file for five years.

Graduation of students from the School

A student graduates from the School when they have attained at least the base mark, which is the passing grade, in all courses in the field of study they have attended, and completes 240 ECTS. Finally, in order to obtain a degree a student must have fulfilled all their obligations towards the School.

Upon completion of their program of studies, C.C.T.S. provides students, free of charge, with an official copy of their Degree and an official copy of a Transcript containing the grades on all the courses that the student has attended, their relevant ECTS and their average grade.

The student also receives a copy of the Diploma Supplement in English, which includes all the necessary information to be used by the student for the recognition of his academic and professional qualifications in any European country. Specifically, the Diploma Supplement has been developed based on the templates of the European Union, the Council of Europe and UNESCO-CEPES and it includes basic information about the student, C.C.T.S., the type and level of the degree, detailed results per course (such as grade and allocated ECTS), the grading scale and the overall structure of the educational system of Cyprus.

C.C.T.S. has adopted the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System to allocate the ECTS for each course in all of its programs. Therefore, the degrees issued by C.C.T.S. are aligned with the Bologna principles and facilitate their recognition and transfer at European level.