Calculating Weighted Average Mark (WAM)

Your Weighted Average Mark (WAM) appears on your academic record.

It is calculated according to the following formula:

M = mark received in a course
U = units of credit for a course
∑ = the sum of
 

Example

For example, a student receives the following results for their courses: 80, 81, 82, 83, 84. The first three of these courses are 6 UOC and the last two are 3 UOC. They would calculate their WAM as:

(80 x 6) + (81 x 6) + (82 x 6) + (83 x 3) + (84 x 3) / (6 + 6 + 6 + 3 + 3)  =  81.625

WAM at UNSW

UNSW calculates for all undergrad and postgrad students the Term WAM for relevant results in a semester, and calculates a separate cumulative WAM for relevant results throughout the student’s entire program.

Only results with associated marks are included in the WAM calculation, apart from AF, which since Semester 1, 2003, has had an equivalent mark of zero.

Grade-only results not included in calculating WAM are:

SY - Satisfactory
XE - Student undertaking an Exchange program
NA - Not Assessed
RS - Research Satisfactory
AS - Audited Course
NF - Course discontinued without failure
NC - Not Completed
RD - Result Deferred
EC - Enrolment Continuing
AW - Academic Withdrawal
PW - Permitted Withdrawal

Note 1: Where grades have been entered without an associated mark, the following nominal marks are used:

  • PS grade on its own has a nominal value for WAM calculations of 55
  • CR grade on its own has a nominal value for WAM calculations of 70
  • DN grade on its own has a nominal value for WAM calculations of 80
  • HD grade on its own has a nominal value for WAM calculations of 90
  • FL grade on its own has a nominal value for WAM calculations of 25

Note 2: If you have transfer credit for course(s) completed at another institution, then the marks for these courses will not be included in the calculation of your WAM.  This reflects the different grading schemes at other institutions.

From Semester 1 2016 onwards, if you are approved for transfer credit for course(s) completed at UNSW in a different program, then the marks you achieved for the specific course(s) will be included in the calculation of your WAM for your new Program.