Students across Britain will now receive a ‘report card’ along with their traditional degree classification.
The reform of the centuries old system comes after a report said that the existing system of firsts, seconds and thirds no longer provides enough information for graduate employers.
Students will now receive a two-page sheet of paper giving a comprehensive list of their achievements.
The file, titled Higher Education Achievement Report, will include a breakdown of marks and may even give details of performance in oral tests and coursework.
Bob Burgess, the vice-chancellor of Leicester University, who developed the scheme, said, “the honours degree classification system is in urgent need of modernisation.
“Every year, the case for a significant change grows stronger and voices calling for reform grow louder.”
The new scheme comes off the back of the Burgess Report, which was commissioned by Universities UK, a body of UK university vice-chancellors.
With the lack of detail that an honours classification provides heavily criticised by the report, 18 UK universities are now trying out the new grading plan, including St Andrews and UCL.
Oxford University, however, will not be among the first group of institutions trialling the scheme.
However, a University spokesperson refused to rule out the possibility of joining the scheme in the future.
She said, “The skills recruiters will want are not necessarily those tested by an Oxford degree, which is why they have their own selection criteria for graduates.”
