Prior Accredited Learning (PAL) how to enter on SITS Contents · year). Create one record per module. 2 Sequence Represents the SMC record occurrence. Will populate automatically

Prior Accredited Learning — how to enter on SITS (last updated April 2017 DF) 1 of 15

Prior Accredited Learning (PAL) — how to enter on SITS

Contents 1- What is Prior Accredited Learning?........................................................................................ 1

2- How to add Prior Accredited Learning to a student’s SITS record — possible scenarios ........... 2

Important notes: ................................................................................................................................. 2

If entering credits for UG level 1: .................................................................................................... 2

If entering credits for UG level 2+ or PGT: ...................................................................................... 2

Student’s credits came from another institution — marks will not count towards the student’s

award (only the credits will be used): ................................................................................................. 3

Student’s credits came from another institution — marks will count towards the student’s award:

............................................................................................................................................................ 5

Student’s credits were taken at University of Exeter — marks will not count towards the student’s

award (only the credits will be used): ................................................................................................. 7

Student’s credits were taken at University of Exeter — marks will count towards the student’s

award: ............................................................................................................................................... 10

3- List of Prior Accredited Learning (PAL) module codes .............................................................. 11

4- How the student’s final transcript will look where SMC records exist ...................................... 15

Student is a direct entry into year 2, completed level 1 at another institution (PAL code used): ... 15

Student is using credits previously taken at Exeter for new degree: ............................................... 15

1- What is Prior Accredited Learning?

Prior Accredited Learning are credits that the student undertook outside of their current programme of study that can be applied to their current record, reducing the amount of credits needing to be taken.

These credits may come from other institutions, or from Exeter. For details, see How to add Prior Accredited Learning to a student’s SITS record (section below).

Under university rules, only credits gained at Exeter can be used to calculate a student’s award.

Approval therefore needs to be sought if any credits/ marks are to be used.

For the University’s policy on accredited prior learning including the approval process, additional guidelines including maximum number of credits allowed and whether achieved marks can be considered towards a student’s award, see the TQA manual — Accreditation of Prior Learning.

http://admin.exeter.ac.uk/academic/tls/tqa/Part%208/8RTQAAPELpaper1.pdf


2- How to add Prior Accredited Learning to a student’s SITS record —

possible scenarios

Once you’ve gone through the appropriate approval process, you must add the credits to the student’s SITS record so that:

SITS will correctly calculate the student’s award (e.g. take the credits into account)

The credits (and mark where applicable/where approved) will appear on the student’s final degree transcript. We must display all credits/marks that counted towards a student’s final award.

These credits/marks are added to the student’s Student Module Credit (SMC) record. The SMC screen can be accessed directly or via SPR > Other > Exempt > Modules.

Different processes must be followed depending on where the credits have come from (other institution or Exeter), as well as whether the marks/results will be used in the final award classification calculation or not. Four different scenarios are documented from page 3.

Important notes:

If entering credits for UG level 1:

If the credits have come from another institution — as results from year 1 do not count towards an award, you can create one entry worth 120 credits (using PAL1120).

If the credits have come from Exeter — you can create entries for individual modules and enter the marks achieved (even if they won’t be used in the final award classification calculation), for the purposes of the student’s final transcript.

If entering credits for UG level 2+ or PGT:

If the mark(s) will not count towards the final award classification (e.g. only the credits will) — you must leave the Mark field blank (as documented below). This means that you will have to manually calculate the student’s award or amend the award record as needed as SITS sees blank entries as equivalent to containing a mark of 0, and will lower the student’s classification accordingly. This process is described in the tables below where applicable.

If the mark(s) will count towards the final award classification:

create individual entries for each module/group of credits that will count towards the student award, to avoid the student potentially being disadvantaged due to rounding.

populate the Mark and other related fields (as documented below).


Student’s credits came from another institution — marks will not count towards

the student’s award (only the credits will be used):

In this example, the student started at Exeter in 2014/5 and entered directly into the 2nd year of a UG programme.

Complete the record as follows (SPR > Other > Exempt > Modules):

# in screen shot

Field name Description

1 Module Enter the PAL*/PALM* module code according to the Faculty and amount of credits.

As the student’s credits have come from another institution, use the generic PAL/PALM module codes. See list on page 10.

2 Sequence Represents the SMC record occurrence. Will populate automatically when creating records via SPR.

3 Year The year that the credits were taken/completed in.


In this example, the student studied at INTO in 2013/4 and the 120 credits from INTO are being used towards the student’s Exeter degree, starting in 2014/5.

SITS and the final transcript (and HEAR) will recognise a date in the past (e.g. prior to the student’s Exeter start date)

4 Credits Credit value for the module code being used.

5 Scheme Always enter EX.

6 Level The level/stage of the programme that the credits are being applied to. Use M for postgraduate.

In this example, the student is exempt from completing the first year of the programme, therefore Level = 1.

7 Selection Status

Enter C for compulsory or O for optional. Equivalent to C/O field in SMO.

8 Reason Not mandatory, for internal use only. Can be used to describe where the credits came from or why they’re being applied.

9 Title Will automatically populate when you complete the Module field. Taken from MOD (Module) screen.

10 Count in process

Tick this box. You now have 2 options: (ignore the below if the APL credits were at level 1 for a UG student as level 1 marks are excluded from the award classification calculation process)

1- Run PSA option 18 to create the SAW record: a) As the Mark field is blank (as the mark was not approved

towards the final award classification), SITS will see the blank field as a mark of 0 when you run PSA option 18. The student’s stage weighted average and classification will be lowered as a result.

b) Manually calculate the student’s stage weighted average and classification based on the amount of Exeter marks and credits (i.e. non-PAL codes).

c) Go to SPR > Other > Award > Awards d) Amend the Recommended field to the calculated classification

and amend the Average field to the student’s calculated stage weighted average. The Calculated Award should be correct. Store your changes.

e) Email your SITS contact, so that background records can be created (to record the correct calculation, incl. preponderance).

f) Run PSA option 7 when ready to do so.

2- Manually create the SAW record (i.e. do not run PSA option 18): a) Calculate the student’s stage weighted average and

classification based on the amount of Exeter marks and credits (i.e. non-PAL codes).

b) Go to SPR > Other > Award > Awards. c) File > Add.


d) Populate the following fields:

Year — academic year student being awarded in

Obtained Award — code of the calculated award

Calculated Award — same as Obtained Award

Intended Award (see SPR > Award Details > Intended)

Recommended — refers to the award classification

Award Name — programme name + proficiencies

Award Status — input C for calculated

Faculty — UG or PGT or other (indicated in SPR)

Mark — refers to the stage weighted average e) Store your changes. f) Email your SITS contact, so that background records can be

created (to record the correct calculation, incl. preponderance). g) Run PSA option 7 when ready to do so.

Student’s credits came from another institution — marks will count towards the

student’s award:

In this example, the student undertook a similar programme at another University and then started

at Exeter in 2012/3.



Number in screen shot


1 Module Enter the PAL*/PALM* module code according to the Faculty and amount of credits.

As the student’s credits have come from another institution, use the generic PAL/PALM module codes. See list on page 10.



In this example, the student studied at the University of Wales in 2011/2 and the 30 credits from that university are being used towards the student’s Exeter degree, starting in 2012/3.


4 Mark Scheme

Enter a module mark scheme appropriate to the module’s Faculty.

Undergraduate module — enter UMOD01 or UMOD02

Postgraduate module — enter PGTMFC *


This is needed to validate the Grade that you will attribute to the Mark that you will enter.

*PGTMFC is the generic PGT marks scheme for modules commencing in 2016/7, replacing the PGTMOD. PGTMOD may still be used in exceptional circumstances, details of which can be found in the PGTMFC Mark Scheme notes.


6 Mark Enter the mark (numerical) for the module.

7 Grade Enter the grade associated to the mark:

UG = 1, 21, 22, 3 or FC

PGT = D, M, P or FC



In this example, the student is exempt from completing a module that is part of a postgraduate taught degree, therefore Level = M.

10 Selection Status




13 Count in process

Tick this box as the credits and mark will be applied to the student’s award. SITS will perform the necessary calculations for you.

Student’s credits were taken at University of Exeter — marks will not count

towards the student’s award (only the credits will be used):


https://as.exeter.ac.uk/media/level1/academicserviceswebsite/it/documents/sitscoursenotes/PGTMFC_Mark_Scheme.pdf




1 Module Enter the module code that the student took at Exeter (in a prior year). Create one record per module.



In this example, the student studied at the University of Exeter on MSc Economics in 2012/3 but withdrew prior to completion. The student later (in 2014/5) returned on another programme and the credits for the module that was previously taken can be used towards the 2nd programme.

SITS and the final transcript (and HEAR) will recognise a date in the past (e.g. prior to the student’s Exeter start date).




In this example, the student is exempt from completing certain credits as part of a MSc (PGT) programme, therefore Level = M.

7 Selection Status





10 Count in process

Tick this box. You now have 2 options: : (ignore the below if the APL credits were at level 1 for a UG student as level 1 marks are excluded from the award classification calculation process)

1- Run PSA option 18 to create the SAW record: a) As the Mark field is blank (as the mark was not approved

towards the final award classification), SITS will see the blank field as a mark of 0 when you run PSA option 18. The student’s stage weighted average and classification will be lowered as a result.

b) Manually calculate the student’s stage weighted average and classification based on the amount of Exeter marks and credits (i.e. non-PAL codes).

c) Go to SPR > Other > Award > Awards d) Amend the Recommended field to the calculated

classification and amend the Average field to the student’s calculated stage weighted average. The Calculated Award should be correct. Store your changes.

e) Email your SITS contact, so that background records can be created (to record the correct calculation, incl. preponderance).

f) Run PSA option 7 when ready to do so.

2- Manually create the SAW record (i.e. do not run PSA option 18): a) Calculate the student’s stage weighted average and

classification based on the amount of Exeter marks and credits (i.e. non-PAL codes).

b) Go to SPR > Other > Award > Awards. c) File > Add d) Populate the following fields:

Year — academic year student being awarded in

Obtained Award — code of the calculated award

Calculated Award — same as Obtained Award

Intended Award (see SPR > Award Details > Intended)

Recommended — refers to the award classification

Award Name — programme name + proficiencies

Award Status — input C for calculated

Faculty — UG or PGT or other (indicated in SPR)

Mark — refers to the stage weighted average e) Store your changes.


f) Email your SITS contact, so that background records can be created (to record the correct calculation, incl. preponderance).

g) Run PSA option 7 when ready to do so.

Student’s credits were taken at University of Exeter — marks will count towards

the student’s award:




1 Module Enter the module code that the student took at Exeter (in a prior year). Create one record per module.




In this example, the student studied at the University of Exeter on MSc Economics in 2012/3 but withdrew prior to completion. The student later (in 2014/5) returned on another programme and the module that was previously taken can be used towards the 2nd programme.


4 Mark Scheme

Enter a module mark scheme appropriate to the module’s Faculty.

Undergraduate module — enter UMOD01 or UMOD02

Postgraduate module — enter PGTMFC *

This is needed to validate the Grade that you will attribute to the Mark that you will enter.

*PGTMFC is the generic PGT marks scheme for modules commencing in 2016/7, replacing the PGTMOD. PGTMOD may still be used in exceptional circumstances, details of which can be found in the PGTMFC Mark Scheme notes.


6 Mark Enter the mark (numerical) for the module.

7 Grade Enter the grade associated to the mark:

UG = 1, 21, 22, 3 or FC

PGT = D, M, P or FC



In this example, the student is exempt from completing a module that is part of a postgraduate taught degree, therefore Level = M.

10 Selection Status




13 Count in process

Tick this box as the credits and mark will be applied to the student’s award. SITS will perform the necessary calculations for you.

3- List of Prior Accredited Learning (PAL) module codes

https://as.exeter.ac.uk/media/level1/academicserviceswebsite/it/documents/sitscoursenotes/PGTMFC_Mark_Scheme.pdf


The modules below are to be used where the credits were achieved at another institution.

Where modules taken at Exeter are being re-used, use the Exeter module codes.

If the marks that the student achieved have been approved to count towards the student’s

Exeter award, to ensure that SITS correctly calculates the student’s final award:

1. Add each individual module as its own record as opposed to creating one record worth 120

credits containing the average mark.

a. If a student’s overall mark for 120 credits (for example) is entered against one

record/PAL module code, that the student could be disadvantaged due to rounding

(e.g. if the overall average for 4 modules has to be rounded down as SITS only takes

whole numbers, the student MAY have had a higher overall average if the results

were input individually, which could potentially affect their final classification).

b. This method is also better from a preponderance point of view.

2. Do not enter the same module code twice, as SITS will ignore the extra records:

a. You could not enter PAL2018 three times if the student had 3 x modules at level 2

worth 18 credits.

b. Example: if you must add three x level 2 modules worth 18 credits, you would need

to create the following records (as you can’t use the same code twice):

PAL2018

PAL2018A

PAL2018B

If there is a module code missing (e.g. a 2nd or 3rd module with the same credit/level value), please

get in touch with your SITS contact via SID.

Module code Module title Level Credit value UG or PGT?

PAL1010 Prior Accredited Learning Level 1 1 10 UG










PAL2002A Prior Accredited Learning Level 2 2 2 UG






PAL2006B Prior Accredited Learning Level 2 2 6 UG

PAL2006C Prior Accredited Learning Level 2 2 6 UG

PAL2006D Prior Accredited Learning Level 2 2 6 UG

PAL2006E Prior Accredited Learning Level 2 2 6 UG

PAL2006F Prior Accredited Learning Level 2 2 6 UG

PAL2006G Prior Accredited Learning Level 2 2 6 UG










PAL2012H Prior Accredited Learning Level 2 2 12 UG

PAL2012I Prior Accredited Learning Level 2 2 12 UG

PAL2012J Prior Accredited Learning Level 2 2 12 UG

PAL2012K Prior Accredited Learning Level 2 2 12 UG

PAL2012L Prior Accredited Learning Level 2 2 12 UG





































PALM012 Prior Accredited Learning Level M M 12 PGT




PALM030A Prior Accredited Learning Level M M 30 PGT

PALM030B Prior Accredited Learning Level M M 30 PGT

PALM030C Prior Accredited Learning Level M M 30 PGT














4- How the student’s final transcript will look where SMC records exist

Student is a direct entry into year 2, completed level 1 at another institution (PAL

code used):

Student is using credits previously taken at Exeter for new degree:

Documents

Prior Accredited Learning (PAL) how to enter on SITS Contents · year). Create one record per module. 2 Sequence Represents the SMC record occurrence. Will populate automatically