AF
Absent Fail: Unsatisfactory performance; no assessment attempted.
AS
Audited Course: Assessment not attempted; course not counted towards award requirements.
AW
Academic Withdrawal. Student discontinued the course after the deadline to drop without academic penalty but before the last day of the teaching period.
The AW grade is not included in the calculation of your WAM. However, it is counted as a failed course when calculating your academic standing. The AW grade becomes part of your official academic record, so it is included on your academic transcript.
Note that UAC and other tertiary institutions count all units of credit with an AW grade as 'fails' when determining your GPA.
CM
Competent with Merit. The student has demonstrated competence and outstanding performance in the assessment requirements of the course.
CN
Not Yet Competent. The student has not demonstrated competence in the assessment requirements of the course.
CO
Competent. The student has demonstrated competence in the assessment requirements of the course.
CR
Credit: A good performance; mark range 65-74. Indicates that the student has demonstrated the ability to think analytically and contextually about the course and its assessment requirements, and to understand/present alternative points of view/perspectives and supporting evidence.
DN
Distinction: A superior performance; mark range 75-84. Indicates that the student has demonstrated superior ability to consider the course and its assessment requirements from a number of perspectives and to explore their interrelation.
EC
Enrolment Continuing: The course is taken over more than one Teaching Period and the assessment will be finalised in a later Teaching Period.
EM
Excluded Misconduct. Student has been permanently excluded on the grounds of academic misconduct.
FL
Fail: Unsatisfactory performance, below the minimum expected level. This grade characterises work which shows a significant lack of understanding of the topic or its context, and is therefore unsatisfactory.
HD
High Distinction: An outstanding performance; mark range 85-100. Indicates that the student has produced outstanding work, and has demonstrated a high level of understanding across the entire content of the course.
LE
Late Entry: Late entry. A result has not been submitted by the Course Authority.
NA
Not Assessed: Completion of a course which has no assessment requirements.
NC
Coursework Students
Not Completed: Course assessment requirements have not been completed in a timely manner.
The NC grade is not included in the calculation of your WAM. However, it is counted as a failed course when calculating your academic standing. Requests to change a fail grade to an NC will not be approved.
Research Students
An NC will be applied to the last study period on a research student’s transcript, where the product of the research program was not ultimately submitted. Where an NC is applied in this way, it does not reflect an evaluation of the student’s performance in that study period. Instead, it denotes that the research program was not completed.
NF
Course discontinued without failure. Enrolment in this course is not recorded on myUNSW or an official academic transcript.
PC
Pass Conceded. This grade was discontinued after Summer Term 2015/6. A performance below that normally required for a pass. Was granted when the overall performance was considered to warrant such a concession, and allowed progression to another course for which the former course was a prerequisite.
PE
Professional Experience: Student undertaking a course designated as professional experience. Result pending.
PW
Permitted Withdrawal. Student was permitted to discontinue the course without financial penalty, through the fee remission process.
Information on how PW grades are treated can be found in the table below:
| Included in the Calculation of WAM? | Included in the Calculation of Academic Standing? | Appears on an official transcript? | |
| Prior to 2014 | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Between 2014 and Semester 2, 2018 | Not included | Included as a failed course | Yes |
| Between Term 1, 2019 and Term 3, 2020 | Not included | Included as a failed course | No |
| 2021 onwards | Not included | Not included | No |
* PW grades are not counted in the calculation of maximum repeat fails.
PS
Pass: An acceptable level of performance; mark range 50-64. Indicates that the student has addressed the assessment requirements of the course and has demonstrated an acceptable understanding of the issues entailed.
RC
Research Continuing: Research continuing. No mark is given.
RD
Result Deferred: Student is unable to complete a course in the current Teaching Period. The student must re-enrol to obtain a result.
RS
Research Satisfactory: Satisfactory completion of a research program.
SY
Satisfactory, Successful** or Pass*: (Pass* was discontinued in the mid-1970s.) Satisfactory/Successful completion of a course for which a graded pass is not awarded. No mark is given so courses with this grade are not included in the calculation of your WAM. However, the units of credit are counted as successfully completed, when calculating your academic standing.
**With effect from Term 1/Semester 1 2020, the description of the grade of SY changed from Satisfactory to Successful.
UF
Unsatisfactory Fail: Unsatisfactory performance in an essential component of the course.
WC
Result not finalised. The student has submitted a request for Special Consideration, for which the outcome is pending.
WD
Result not finalised. The student has not submitted or completed one or more components of the assessment requirement.
WJ
Result finalised but not released. Awaiting the outcome of an unresolved matter.
XE
Exchange Enrolment: Student undertaking an Exchange program.