Introduction

• Registration

  All courses are conducted and evaluated in a continuous & internal manner by the faculty who teach the courses. The academic year is divided into two semesters, and a summer term, whenever offered. Students register for a certain number of courses each semester. Faculty members acting as registration advisors help students draw up a programme suitable to their pace and needs in accordance to the course-wise time-table of the Institute. This process also gives every student training in decision-making by helping them decide their own (i) Course load (ii) Selection of time-table according to individual preference (iii) Electives that meet a student’s individual aspirations. It is the responsibility of the student to attend classes regularly and to maintain a required level of scholastic standing.

• Assessment

  Assessments are done by teachers by means of continuous evaluation throughout the semester in the form of class work, periodical quizzes, tests (sometimes unannounced), tutorials, laboratory work, home work, project, etc. A comprehensive examination is also conducted at the end of the semester. The system encourages and rewards continuous and systematic study. It also provides a continuous feedback to students and thus encourage more holistic learning.

  
  

  Unusual methods of evaluation have been evolved in the Practice School courses to take account of certain traits which do not surface in a classroom education, like professional judgement, decision-making ability, interdisciplinary approach, initiative, leadership, sense of responsibility, etc.

• Grading

  At BITS Pilani, we reject the conventional emphasis on a single final examination and numerical marks as the only absolute indication of the quality of student's performance. At the end of the semester teachers of the course award letter grades based on the overall performance of the student relative to the performance of others taking the same course.

  We do not stipulate a minimum percentage of attendance before a student is permitted to appear in any test/examination. However every student is responsible for regularity of their attendance in classrooms and laboratories, and appearance in scheduled tests and examinations. The system has adequate resilience to accommodate unforeseen situations. In extreme cases when teachers unable to award any grade due to lack of attendance and initiative on the student’s part teachers are authorised to give a “Not Cleared” (NC) report.

  There are certain other minimum academic requirements from each student regarding the performance and progress for the Integrated First Degrees and Higher Degrees such as:

  •    A CGPA of at least 4.5 at the end of every semester for integrated first degree students and 5.5 for higher degree/Ph.D. students.

  •    Not more than one E grade in a semester for integrated first degree programmes and no E grade in the higher degree programmes.

  •    The pace of progress of a student should be such that at any stage of reckoning the student should not have spent more than 50% extra time than what is prescribed for them up to that stage in programme.

  Students who fail to meet the minimum academic requirements stipulated above are put under an appropriate committee which monitors their programmes and gives guidance so that they are properly rehabilitated at the earliest. In the case of Ph.D., this is done by the Doctoral Counseling Committee and in the case of higher degrees and integrated first degrees this is done by Academic Counseling Board (ACB). These Committees are appointed by the Senate and are given authority to take appropriate action including discontinuance of the student or transfer to other programme.