If you’re still unsatisfied with your unit grade after having an informal consultation with your unit coordinator, then this is when we would recommend you consider seeking a review of your grade by your school. This is the first step of the formal grade review process and this is where we see students makes the most mistakes in their applications (we’ll get to that a bit later).
Step 1: Submit an RGS form
To initiate this step, you will need to submit an RGS form to HiQ within 10 working days of the release of final grades for the unit. This form can be found under ‘Student forms’ in your HiQ. Simply search for RGS form and it will automatically display itself. Whatever you do, make sure you do not miss this deadline. Every year, we see students who submit the application too late because they were spending so much time trying to initiate Step 1 or could not submit because of unexpected circumstances beyond their control.
Whatever you do, make sure you do not miss this deadline. Every year, we see students who submit the application too late because they were spending so much time trying to initiate an informal consultation or could not submit because of unexpected circumstances beyond their control.
If your Unit Coordinator hasn’t replied to your email about having a meeting with them and the deadline for the RGS form is fast approaching, our advice is to skip that step and jump to the school level formal review. If you know that you won’t be able to make the deadline on time because of some other extenuating circumstance, make sure you call HiQ and ask them if you are able to extend the deadline to apply.
Once the deadline has passed, it’s unfortunately gone for good. Another thing to be aware of is that the RGS form will cost you nothing if you received failing grades, but it will cost you $20 if you are reviewing a passing grade. This money is refunded to you if a higher grade is awarded as an outcome of this review.
Step 2: Provide a written statement
Now, for the most important part. Attached to your online form, you will need to provide a written statement justifying the need for a grade review. This is where we see the most mistakes.
A good personal statement will make a case to the Head of School that the assessment in the unit met the requirements for higher graded criteria according to the criteria sheet. It will link the assessment back to the criteria and will make good arguments as to why a higher grade should have been awarded. For example, if criteria 1 says you need to do ‘A, B and C for a grade of 6’ and you believe you did this but only received a grade of 4, you need to state an argument like this in your application: “I deserve a grade of 6 for this criteria because I did ‘A, B and C’ on page 4 second paragraph etc…”
A bad application will provide no – or very weak – justification as to why they deserve a higher mark. It will not explain that the assessment met the criteria for a higher grade, or it will do so very superficially. Worse still, those students may say one or more of the following things in their statements which QUT warn will result in immediate refusal of any review application: Please see here for more examples.
QUT is very particular about procedures which are outlined in the MOPP here If you feel a procedure hasn’t been followed we are here to help.