Navigating Your Assessments

At Central Film School (CFS), assessments are not just about testing what you know, they are an essential part of your professional development. Whether you are writing a screenplay, pitching a project, delivering a critical essay, or on-set of your final graduation film, our assessment process is designed to mimic real industry workflows while maintaining academic rigor.

Every module you take is built around clear learning outcomes. Your summative assessments (which can be split into multiple differently weighted elements) are your opportunity to demonstrate how well you have understood and applied these concepts.

Understanding Your Assessment Briefs 📋

At the beginning of each module, you will receive a Module Guide and an Assessment Brief via Google Classroom. Your Module Leader will discuss these with your cohort on day one. Think of the brief as your project map; it includes:

• The Task Description: Exactly what you need to create, write, or present.
• Learning Outcomes: The specific skills or knowledge you are being graded on.
• Marking Criteria: A breakdown of how grades are assigned.
• Submission Deadlines: The exact date and time your work is due. ⏰

How to Submit Your Work

Central Film School uses Google Classroom as our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). 💻

• Digital Submissions: Written assignments, scripts, and research portfolios must be uploaded directly to the designated assignment box before the specified deadline.
• Practical & Film Submissions: For on-set work, group panel presentations, or heavy film files, you may be assessed on-site or follow specific workflows provided by your tutors or the Resources Team.

Deadlines, Late Submissions, and Non-Submissions ⏱️

In the film industry, missing a deadline can cost a production thousands of pounds. At CFS, we uphold strict standards to prepare you for those professional expectations:

• On-Time Submissions: To achieve full marks, your work must be turned in by the exact date and time posted on Google Classroom.
• Late Submissions: If you miss the deadline for an initial attempt (first attempt), work handed in up to one week after the submission date will still be accepted. However, the mark for passing work will be strictly capped at 40% for undergraduate work and 50% for postgraduate work. ⚠️
  • Important Note: This late allowance does not apply to reassessed work or deferred work from approved mitigating circumstances. These must be submitted precisely by the published deadline.
• Non-Submissions: If you fail to submit an assessment piece at all, or submit after the one-week late window, you will receive a 0% (Non-Submission) for that element. While a non-submission can sometimes be compensated by other elements in the same module, it usually severely jeopardizes your completion of that module and forces you into a mandatory reassessment.

Understanding Credits (CATS) and Progression 📈

Your course progress is tracked using the Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (CATS), where 1 CATS credit represents roughly 10 hours of academic work, including independent study and project time.

• Earning Credits: A standard full-time academic year requires you to complete 120 credits. You earn the credits for a module by achieving a passing mark overall (a weighted average of 40% or above for undergraduate levels, and 50% or above for postgraduate levels).
• Academic Progression: To move forward into the next stage of your degree, you need to be in "Good Academic Standing".
• Trailing Credits: With the exception of the Integrated Foundation Year (Stage 0), if you have outstanding failed modules, you can still progress to the next stage provided you have a credit deficit of 60 CATS or less.
  • If your credit deficit exceeds 60 CATS at any point, you will not be allowed to attend classes or progress until you complete your reassessments and successfully bring that deficit down.
• The Foundation Year Exception: If you are on an Integrated Foundation course, you must successfully pass all foundation modules before you are allowed to progress to Level 4.

Marking, Moderation, and Feedback

To keep the marking process transparent, and fair, CFS strictly follows academic structures overseen by internal and external academics.

• The Review Process: Standard modules undergo first and second marking. Results are typically published 6 weeks after the end of the teaching term.
• Moderation: Samples of student then checked by an independent External Examiner to guarantee our grading matches national standards.
• Your Feedback: Constructive feedback is designed to sharpen your craft and is provided informally, during the module or meetings with your tutors, and formally via assessment reports.

What Happens If Things Do Not Go to Plan?

If a module does not go smoothly, there are clear academic frameworks designed to give you a fair path forward:

• Mitigating Circumstances: If an unexpected personal emergency, bereavement, or sudden medical issue affects your ability to hit a deadline, you may be eligible for mitigating circumstances. You can read more about this process here.
• Reassessments: If you fail an assessment element or module on your first attempt, you will be provided with one opportunity for reassessment on the specific elements you failed. The mark for any reassessment is strictly capped at 40% (undergraduate) or 50% (postgraduate).
• Module Retakes: If your work fails even after a reassessment attempt, you will be contacted after your grades are confirmed at an Exam Board regarding a retake opportunity. This will be subject to an additional fee and you are only permitted to retake a module once.
• Academic Appeals: If you believe a major administrative error occurred or that a material irregularity disrupted the conduct of your assessment, you have the right to lodge a formal appeal within 20 working days of the decision being communicated to you. You can find more information here.

Exit Awards 🎓

We structure our degrees to see you through to a full Bachelor's or Master's qualification. However, we understand that personal paths change and some students must exit their studies early. If you need to withdraw from your programme but have successfully accumulated a clean block of CATS credits, you will be automatically considered for a formal, recognized Exit Award to ensure your hard work is credited:

Academic Integrity

Authenticity is the bedrock of storytelling. All scripts, films, and essays submitted must be entirely your own original work.

Plagiarism, unauthorized collusion, or presenting generative AI material as your own unassisted creation goes strictly against the CFS Academic Integrity Policy and constitutes academic misconduct. Learning how to correctly cite your research, reference text, and clear copyrights for media elements is a core benchmark of your training as a professional filmmaker. More information can be found here.

Need Assistance? 🙋‍♂️

• For questions regarding a specific assignment or project workflow, speak with your Module Leader or Course Leader.
• For queries regarding official deadlines, mitigating circumstances, trailing credits, or transcripts, reach out directly to the Quality & Registry Team at qar@centralfilmschool.com