Three higher education providers are being investigated by the Office for Students over “sharp increases” in the number of first-class and upper second-class degrees they have awarded.
The OfS – which is not currently naming the institutions involved – said it has identified “potential concerns” that the three are not complying with its regulatory framework.
Under condition B4 of the framework, universities and colleges must assess students effectively, and award qualifications that are “credible compared to those granted previously”.
“Grades should not be inflated so that the same level of student achievement is rewarded with higher degree classifications,” the regulator said.
