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Assessment and grading scale

​​The most commonly used system at the University of Cantabria to assess students’ academic performance is the continuous assessment system replacing or combining the written exam with other assessment procedures, such as an oral exam, the presentation of written work, etc. Students’ active participation in class is generally valued positively in the final grade.

The national grading scale goes from 0 to 10. All subjects passed must be given a numerical grade to a decimal point, from 5.0 to 10 according to the following scale:

A - Sobresaliente: from 9.0 to 10
B - Notable: from 7.0 to 8.9
C - Aprobado from 5.0 to 6.9
D - Suspenso: from 0 to 4.9

Matrícula de Honor (Sobresaliente with distinction): Lecturers may award a distinction to students obtaining a grade equal or superior to 9.0. Its number cannot exceed the 5% of the number of students registered for that particular subject.

Students have the right to sit for the final exam twice (February and September for first semester courses, and June and September, for courses taking place in the second semester).

Equivalence between the ECTS scale and the UC’s grading scale, in accordance with exchange student guidelines, is as follows:

Sobresaliente (9,0-10)​A
Notable (7,0-8,9)​B
Aprobado (5,0-6,9)​C
Pte. de Examen:It means that the student is registered but has not sat for the exam yet or that the course has not been graded.
No Presentado:​The student has not sat for the final exam.
​------------​​Grades D, F and E do not have equivalence with the UC’s grading scale.

In the near future, this scale will disappear following the ECTS guidelines and will be replaced by a percentage scale that will reflect the grading culture of the university and of each discipline in particular, that is to say the percentage of students that obtain each of the grades.