The information in the sections below will help you understand what the numbers, letters and symbols in your provisional marks email mean. We've provided this information given the additional complexity created by the Marking and Assessment Boycott during 2023.

Please remember that the information contained within the provisional marks emails is subject to change. We share provisional marks to allow you to prepare for your next steps, either at LSE or elsewhere. However, sharing marks early means they have not yet been ratified by the relevant exam boards and can therefore change. This means that provisional marks emails cannot be used an official record, they are for your reference only.

When will you receive your provisional results email?

Students following taught postgraduate programmes that receive their results in November were sent their provisional marks, by email, on 4 September 2023. We send this email so that you know the grades from your taught courses, whilst you're waiting for dissertation/capstone courses to be marked.

Assessments with an asterisk (*)

If an asterisk (*) shows against an assessment this means that you have EITHER a confirmed deferral in place OR achieved a mark of zero (usually as the result of an absence). If you have had an email confirming that your deferral was processed, please be assured that there is nothing further that you need to do at this stage. 

Missing Assessment Marks

If there is a blank space against an assessment, this means the mark has not yet been received by the Student Services Centre.

• For some assessments (particularly dissertation, capstone and similar) this will be because marking is ongoing. This is perfectly normal, marks for these type of courses would never normally be available at this time of year and are only published in November.
• For other courses, marks may be missing because of the Marking and Assessment Boycott. We are unable to give further detail about these at this stage but would like to reassure you that we’re doing everything that we can to mitigate the impact of the boycott and publish complete final results in November

Missing Course Marks and Grades

If there is a blank space against a course, this means that we are missing a mark for at least one of the components in that course and thus cannot calculate an overall mark for the course. 

Grades

Grades show against courses. You can interpret them using the list below:

DI = Distinction
M = Merit
P = Pass

F = Fail
FB = Bad Fail
NA = At least one component of assessment in the course has been deferred
AB = Absent from all components of assessment
I = Incomplete (i.e. you were absent from at least one component of assessment but have complete others)

The Student Services Centre cannot accept responsibility for any issues arising from changes to these provisional marks. It is not be possible for the Student Services Centre to discuss provisional marks. You cannot challenge or appeal against provisional marks, or request an administrative mark check for them.

If you did not receive the provisional results email it means that you're results are blocked, this is usually because there is an ongoing Academic Misconduct case or an outstanding query about one of your marks. We will have been in touch to explain what is happening. Provisional marks emails are sent to student with a debt to the School.

If you have a query about a mark please contact the relevant academic department.