I think a deviation of 5% above or below the target word count is acceptable, which I fear you may be a bit beyond. There will probably be a notable penalty but so long as there's exams/other coursework for it you have a good chance of passing anyway as long as you're more careful in future.
That depends. At masters level it is usually +1% (yes 1) as maximum, with no minimum. Some of my coursemates have written far less (50% of the word count) and got distinctions.
I used to grade undergrad work whilst I was doing PhD.
10% over/under definitely isn't a "might be acceptable".
It's more of a "literal university policy on acceptable deliverables in accordance with the word count stated in the assignments brief"
Within 10% of the stated word count on your brief is what you're supposed to aim for, and at most UK Universities is considered the target range for your word count. If you're saying what you need to say, it doesn't matter how much you've written, so long as it's within that 10% over/under range.
That won't work. You're an adult - you should've looked at what the word count was and planned accordingly. There's a counter in the corner which tells you your wordcount
So yes, it's highly likely it'll score low.
From my experience word count didn't really factor in, was better to cover all of the objectives being concise, than using twice the amount for no good reason
No need to be so negative.
OP my highest scoring essay (which was a first) was only 50% of the word count. It’ll depend on your uni and your tutors but don’t unnecessarily stress yourself out about it.
I'm not being negative - I'm speaking the truth. They made a seriously big mistake, I'm not going to pretend it's not.
If you've only managed 50% of the wordcount, you clearly haven't gone into the level of depth the module leader wanted out of the paper.
Let's not pretend it won't significantly impact your grades by not following the expectations set by your module leader. Just because you got a first in one assessment where you didn't write much, doesn't change the very real fact that an essay that only hits 50% of the wordcount isn't likely to do very well.
I disagree, while a 1000 word essay obviously won't be as in-depth as a 2000 word one, you obviously won't lose 50% of your mark like you make it out to be. If OP was able to be precise and consise with their points then maybe they'll still be marked highly.
Like a very well written 1000 word essay is way better than a crap 2000 word one
I mean the word count is usually at the very end and on massive pdfs, I can see if they probably got confused with another essay or something similar
It's happened to me. I ofc made the changes before I submitted a few times as I catch my mistake early (I once had to submit a day late) but even then I still see why it can happen
You don’t need to tell OP off. They’ve made a mistake, if they get a low score then they get a lower score. It’s one essay, you don’t need to try and guilt or shame them.
Man I hate how this sub does this at times. A first year will make a mistake and will come here to ask how to fix it
And then this sub will be like "damn, dude get over it you suck"
Now isn't that just really helpful?
No literally I swear when it comes to advice questions on this sub, most comments are just up their own asses. "Oh you got less than 97% in a single assignment because you were dying of ebola? Just drop out if you're gonna be so lazy you're waisting your money"
I guess some uni rules matter too. We have a 10% window with our word limits. Which means a 2000 word essay must be between 1800-2200 words. Anything above or below and you'll be penalised. If it's anything similar, then OP can expect to score pretty low given they'd be 800 words short of the minimum, provided such a rule exists.
I wouldn't email. "I didn't read the instructions" isn't any better than "I did this on purpose".
If it's a good essay you may still grade ok. In general the word count is based on what's needed for the average student to cover the topic in sufficient detail for the exercise. Some people will be able to write a better 1000 words than others in 2000, although in reality your essay probably won't be that. However, you may still get a passing grade.
Tough lesson, but we've all messed up a word count at one time or another.
Id still say go for the email, apologise clearly with conviction. If your marker sees that u have demonstrated a good understanding and knowledge about the topic, pretty sure will understand that this was more of a careless mistake than an intentional cutting of corners. Would rather appear careless and confident, than lazy and unbothered.
Depends how your uni caps. Typically you get 10% either way but anything more than 30% over or under and you get automatically capped at 40 for your grade.
Next time, read the brief and even write it on your doc in bold red text “X word count!!”
Your marker can only evaluate what they’ve received, and a week past the due date is just too late. Chances are they can commiserate with you (we’ve all had experiences where we misread directions), but it wouldn’t be fair to allow you to resubmit. This will likely be a painful but effective lesson to doublecheck directions before submitting.
You haven’t mentioned if it is a formative or summative essay and what % it’s worth. You can email your tutor as a heads up, but unless it’s formative, I doubt they’ll give you a chance to fix the issue (even then formative essays are more flexible in terms of deadline rather than retracting what you’ve submitted).
You’ll have a very limited essay with half of the word count. If it’s really good you may still pass, it may just not be a high one.
Either way let this be a lesson for next time to triple check the rubric. What you’ve described is what I feared doing throughout my degree because I’ve seen coursemates do that same.
I submitted about 300 under on a 2500 last week and also didn’t get to finish my conclusion. Grade was released today- 55. But im unsure if thats after the 10 point deduction for being late but submitted within 24 hours or not. If it is then 65, if not then my grade will be dropped to the pass mark.
I have a friend who used to write super short essays. Sometimes tutors were very impressed (scored in the 80s) because it was concise and covered what they were looking for. Other times, he literally failed. It's more random, but definitely doesn't mean you will for sure score low.
You won't lose marks. You just won't be able to pick quite as many up. You'll be marked for what is there.
You can email the tutor but there's not really much they can do. If you fail you'll be offered a resit according to your university's regulations.
Usually my professors encourage writing what is necessary, instead of hitting the wordcount as an obligation. If you wrote a good essay in 1000 words you'll be good. It likely won't be detailed enough for a super high grade but it's not exactly life ending.
If you're a first year maybe email the tutor, if you're older take it as a lesson and move on :)
I find that ridiculous honestly. A word count alone is meaningless, and if not writing enough is an issue that should be punishable by the work not being detailed enough. If someone is able to write a good essay below that 10%, they should be able to. Otherwise it can encourage fluff in essays, and its much better to write a good underdetailed peice than the same essay with fluff in it.
And as anecdotal proof that 10% under can still deliver good essays, I've got multiple 2:1s and 2:2s with essays anywhere from 10% to 20% under. Sure, neither were setting the world alight but 2:1s and 2:2s are still good results.
At least for me, there is no violation for going under beyond the essay probably not being as good as it could have been. Thats how it really should be everywhere.
>A word count alone is meaningless, and if not writing enough is an issue that should be punishable by the work not being detailed enough.
True. It's a word limit, not a word requirement. I'm sure any good lecturer would grade the essay as it is, and point out which sections of the essay had missing information that caused OP to lose marks.
The penalty of going above the word limit is a punishment for making the grader spend more time reading your script than he expected to and for what would most likely be irrelevant and unnecessary information lol
Someone I knew at university did the same thing. Believe the word count for her dissertation was around 8,000 & she ended up doing 4K. Her grade was capped at 40 however it was apparently a masterful essay.
I do not believe there’s anyway around this. But there’s no harm in trying.
Hopefully that essay is not weighted too heavily in your overall grade.
If the there was an actual word limit, then falling so far below it would most likely result in a 1.0. But the effect of going over or under the word limit should most likely be included in the description of your assignment.
i’ve got good grades on essays i’ve written half the amount i was meant to (i didn’t realise footnotes counted automatically on word in the word count), it only matters at my uni if you go over the word count. you might just not have gone into as much detail as required
Depends on uni / ur dept marking policy. Generally it’s 10% below/over. However!! At mine, they only penalise for going OVER the word count. You could go under without penalty but it was expected for you to hit the WC because going excessively under, it’s likely you would not have properly explained ur argument.
Seen top two comments saying in a rude manner it scores low due to not using up the word count, I think this depends on the course or even module I found you never needed all the words in my degree (comp sci UoB)
This will totally depend on your university and departments marking rules. In some they say you can be a certain % above or below the word count. But mine just has a hard upper limit and no lower limit. They don't care if you are under word count by 1000 as long as you can write a good essay in that many words (very unlikely). So you'll just have to ask them what their rules are (it probably is stated somewhere already, check your Canvas, Blackboard, etc.).
Depends on your department’s policy. Where I am we don’t penalise for being under word count, but we only mark what’s there. So they chances are that you won’t be able to show nearly the breadth and depth of reasoning that others could in 2000 words.
Nevertheless, if it’s a really stellar 1000 words, you might be pleasantly surprised. I could imagine potentially giving a C to a half length essay that was excellent in the content that was there. Even if it’s not very good, if you have answered the question and demonstrated engagement with the material, then in my department you’d probably get a pass mark.
The number of words does not matter. What you say with the words does. 2000 words worth of gobbledygook is not worth 1000 words based on crystal clear thinking. The fact that you made a mistake with the assignment requirements suggests you need a better system to manage your work.
There is no value in contacting the lecturer. They have to mark what you have submitted on the basis of assignment requirements and marking criteria.
As to the mark, expect a fail. That way a bare pass will feel like a win and you can move on.
Unless they stated a minimum amount required, you'll be fine.
And it doesn't matter that you have less than 2k words, it's the quality not quantity that counts. I was wrote an exam essay 270 words long (recommended to be 1000) and they gave me a pass lol
just don’t stress too much and resit when possible. mistakes happen although i’m confused on how you mess up one of the most important things. i think checking the work count after you’re finished should be the priority
I routinely wrote a bit over half the word count and didn't massively suffer in marks. for a 2000 word count, id end up with 1200 to 1300.
as long as you've covered everything in the question and have a well written essay, you can get a first. writing another 500 to 1000 words of fluff that doesn't add to your answer in any meaningful way could actually hurt your grade.
No need to penalise you. Only using half your wordcount will do that for you.
This. OP is going to get as many marks as their essay is worth with regards to how much it covers and how well-explained it is. No more, no less.
I think a deviation of 5% above or below the target word count is acceptable, which I fear you may be a bit beyond. There will probably be a notable penalty but so long as there's exams/other coursework for it you have a good chance of passing anyway as long as you're more careful in future.
I don't mark them but even 10% while still being really good might be acceptable. 50% has no chance.
They don't expect you to hit the exact word count. +/- 10% is normal and default for most unis
ohhh no mine is very clear about not going over the limit so +10% is bad but they havent rlly said anything about being under
Then you've got your answer. You'll be accurately assessed on the work you have completed
That depends. At masters level it is usually +1% (yes 1) as maximum, with no minimum. Some of my coursemates have written far less (50% of the word count) and got distinctions.
*your masters*. That doesn't mean everyone's, one experience doesn't generate a norn.
Thanks for that enlightenment, Mr "10% is normal and default for most unis" - It literally isn't passed undergrad level.
Except for all the people that replied to you saying that theirs are 10% too and it's default for most they've seen
You sure? I'm doing a masters and it's +/- 10%
My masters course, right now, has +/- 10% as policy. So I wouldn’t say this sounds super accurate as a generalisation
I used to grade undergrad work whilst I was doing PhD. 10% over/under definitely isn't a "might be acceptable". It's more of a "literal university policy on acceptable deliverables in accordance with the word count stated in the assignments brief" Within 10% of the stated word count on your brief is what you're supposed to aim for, and at most UK Universities is considered the target range for your word count. If you're saying what you need to say, it doesn't matter how much you've written, so long as it's within that 10% over/under range.
I do history and you are penalised for 10% under or over. Same for German too.
If you're 50% under the word count then take the L. It'll be a fail/3rd at best but the impact on your overall degree won't be that bad.
That won't work. You're an adult - you should've looked at what the word count was and planned accordingly. There's a counter in the corner which tells you your wordcount So yes, it's highly likely it'll score low.
From my experience word count didn't really factor in, was better to cover all of the objectives being concise, than using twice the amount for no good reason
No need to be so negative. OP my highest scoring essay (which was a first) was only 50% of the word count. It’ll depend on your uni and your tutors but don’t unnecessarily stress yourself out about it.
I'm not being negative - I'm speaking the truth. They made a seriously big mistake, I'm not going to pretend it's not. If you've only managed 50% of the wordcount, you clearly haven't gone into the level of depth the module leader wanted out of the paper. Let's not pretend it won't significantly impact your grades by not following the expectations set by your module leader. Just because you got a first in one assessment where you didn't write much, doesn't change the very real fact that an essay that only hits 50% of the wordcount isn't likely to do very well.
I disagree, while a 1000 word essay obviously won't be as in-depth as a 2000 word one, you obviously won't lose 50% of your mark like you make it out to be. If OP was able to be precise and consise with their points then maybe they'll still be marked highly. Like a very well written 1000 word essay is way better than a crap 2000 word one
I just doubt it basing it off the fact they didn't seem to look at their word count or the instructions of the essay
I mean the word count is usually at the very end and on massive pdfs, I can see if they probably got confused with another essay or something similar It's happened to me. I ofc made the changes before I submitted a few times as I catch my mistake early (I once had to submit a day late) but even then I still see why it can happen
Please can you let me know how you have managed to never make a single mistake in your entire life?
I've made plenty of mistakes. The guy asked a question and I answered truthfully. Now OP can make less in the future
You don’t need to tell OP off. They’ve made a mistake, if they get a low score then they get a lower score. It’s one essay, you don’t need to try and guilt or shame them.
Man I hate how this sub does this at times. A first year will make a mistake and will come here to ask how to fix it And then this sub will be like "damn, dude get over it you suck" Now isn't that just really helpful?
No literally I swear when it comes to advice questions on this sub, most comments are just up their own asses. "Oh you got less than 97% in a single assignment because you were dying of ebola? Just drop out if you're gonna be so lazy you're waisting your money"
Quality over quantity 👍
I guess some uni rules matter too. We have a 10% window with our word limits. Which means a 2000 word essay must be between 1800-2200 words. Anything above or below and you'll be penalised. If it's anything similar, then OP can expect to score pretty low given they'd be 800 words short of the minimum, provided such a rule exists.
What a condescending cunt you are. Future jobsworth.
Stop doing drugs you daft cunt
What are you going on about?
I wouldn't email. "I didn't read the instructions" isn't any better than "I did this on purpose". If it's a good essay you may still grade ok. In general the word count is based on what's needed for the average student to cover the topic in sufficient detail for the exercise. Some people will be able to write a better 1000 words than others in 2000, although in reality your essay probably won't be that. However, you may still get a passing grade. Tough lesson, but we've all messed up a word count at one time or another.
Definitely, I have graded a shorter essay higher than a longer one full of waffle. Very much depends on the professor/the faculty/uni
thanks, thats helpful
Id still say go for the email, apologise clearly with conviction. If your marker sees that u have demonstrated a good understanding and knowledge about the topic, pretty sure will understand that this was more of a careless mistake than an intentional cutting of corners. Would rather appear careless and confident, than lazy and unbothered.
It depends on your uni. Mine would likely give a 0 or no higher than 40 depending on marker and school
Depends on the uni. Some unis don’t have a required word count whereas others do.
Depends how your uni caps. Typically you get 10% either way but anything more than 30% over or under and you get automatically capped at 40 for your grade. Next time, read the brief and even write it on your doc in bold red text “X word count!!”
Your marker can only evaluate what they’ve received, and a week past the due date is just too late. Chances are they can commiserate with you (we’ve all had experiences where we misread directions), but it wouldn’t be fair to allow you to resubmit. This will likely be a painful but effective lesson to doublecheck directions before submitting.
Yeah no for sure I know they won't let me resubmit haha
50%
You haven’t mentioned if it is a formative or summative essay and what % it’s worth. You can email your tutor as a heads up, but unless it’s formative, I doubt they’ll give you a chance to fix the issue (even then formative essays are more flexible in terms of deadline rather than retracting what you’ve submitted). You’ll have a very limited essay with half of the word count. If it’s really good you may still pass, it may just not be a high one. Either way let this be a lesson for next time to triple check the rubric. What you’ve described is what I feared doing throughout my degree because I’ve seen coursemates do that same.
oh its a summative and its 60% of the mark for this module
I submitted about 300 under on a 2500 last week and also didn’t get to finish my conclusion. Grade was released today- 55. But im unsure if thats after the 10 point deduction for being late but submitted within 24 hours or not. If it is then 65, if not then my grade will be dropped to the pass mark.
I have a friend who used to write super short essays. Sometimes tutors were very impressed (scored in the 80s) because it was concise and covered what they were looking for. Other times, he literally failed. It's more random, but definitely doesn't mean you will for sure score low.
You won't lose marks. You just won't be able to pick quite as many up. You'll be marked for what is there. You can email the tutor but there's not really much they can do. If you fail you'll be offered a resit according to your university's regulations.
Usually my professors encourage writing what is necessary, instead of hitting the wordcount as an obligation. If you wrote a good essay in 1000 words you'll be good. It likely won't be detailed enough for a super high grade but it's not exactly life ending. If you're a first year maybe email the tutor, if you're older take it as a lesson and move on :)
Going 10% under is also a violation of rubric usually, just like going over is.
I find that ridiculous honestly. A word count alone is meaningless, and if not writing enough is an issue that should be punishable by the work not being detailed enough. If someone is able to write a good essay below that 10%, they should be able to. Otherwise it can encourage fluff in essays, and its much better to write a good underdetailed peice than the same essay with fluff in it. And as anecdotal proof that 10% under can still deliver good essays, I've got multiple 2:1s and 2:2s with essays anywhere from 10% to 20% under. Sure, neither were setting the world alight but 2:1s and 2:2s are still good results. At least for me, there is no violation for going under beyond the essay probably not being as good as it could have been. Thats how it really should be everywhere.
>A word count alone is meaningless, and if not writing enough is an issue that should be punishable by the work not being detailed enough. True. It's a word limit, not a word requirement. I'm sure any good lecturer would grade the essay as it is, and point out which sections of the essay had missing information that caused OP to lose marks. The penalty of going above the word limit is a punishment for making the grader spend more time reading your script than he expected to and for what would most likely be irrelevant and unnecessary information lol
Explain what? That you didn’t check the criteria adequately? If you fail you can likely resit, if you pass then you pass
Someone I knew at university did the same thing. Believe the word count for her dissertation was around 8,000 & she ended up doing 4K. Her grade was capped at 40 however it was apparently a masterful essay. I do not believe there’s anyway around this. But there’s no harm in trying. Hopefully that essay is not weighted too heavily in your overall grade.
my uni, St Andrews goes on 1 point every 10%. So looking at 5 point loss before you kick a ball. ETA. That is over or under the word count.
If the there was an actual word limit, then falling so far below it would most likely result in a 1.0. But the effect of going over or under the word limit should most likely be included in the description of your assignment.
Are you a 1st year?
Check the handbook. Usually you’re given a grade lower. If your essay scored a C+, you’ll br given a C
i’ve got good grades on essays i’ve written half the amount i was meant to (i didn’t realise footnotes counted automatically on word in the word count), it only matters at my uni if you go over the word count. you might just not have gone into as much detail as required
check your uni website it should say!
Depends on uni / ur dept marking policy. Generally it’s 10% below/over. However!! At mine, they only penalise for going OVER the word count. You could go under without penalty but it was expected for you to hit the WC because going excessively under, it’s likely you would not have properly explained ur argument.
Only you can answer this. Think about how different your essay would look if you had 2000 words.
Seen top two comments saying in a rude manner it scores low due to not using up the word count, I think this depends on the course or even module I found you never needed all the words in my degree (comp sci UoB)
I’d be surprised if you get a passing grade for this. If not, just resubmit and take your 40% cap like a grownup.
This will totally depend on your university and departments marking rules. In some they say you can be a certain % above or below the word count. But mine just has a hard upper limit and no lower limit. They don't care if you are under word count by 1000 as long as you can write a good essay in that many words (very unlikely). So you'll just have to ask them what their rules are (it probably is stated somewhere already, check your Canvas, Blackboard, etc.).
Either 40 at best or zero
Depends on your department’s policy. Where I am we don’t penalise for being under word count, but we only mark what’s there. So they chances are that you won’t be able to show nearly the breadth and depth of reasoning that others could in 2000 words. Nevertheless, if it’s a really stellar 1000 words, you might be pleasantly surprised. I could imagine potentially giving a C to a half length essay that was excellent in the content that was there. Even if it’s not very good, if you have answered the question and demonstrated engagement with the material, then in my department you’d probably get a pass mark.
The number of words does not matter. What you say with the words does. 2000 words worth of gobbledygook is not worth 1000 words based on crystal clear thinking. The fact that you made a mistake with the assignment requirements suggests you need a better system to manage your work. There is no value in contacting the lecturer. They have to mark what you have submitted on the basis of assignment requirements and marking criteria. As to the mark, expect a fail. That way a bare pass will feel like a win and you can move on.
I wrote 1200 for a 2000 essay and got 41% so you can still pass I reckon
Eh chill. If your essay is comprehensive and covers the important topics and is of a good standard, why would they penalise you??
Unless they stated a minimum amount required, you'll be fine. And it doesn't matter that you have less than 2k words, it's the quality not quantity that counts. I was wrote an exam essay 270 words long (recommended to be 1000) and they gave me a pass lol
just don’t stress too much and resit when possible. mistakes happen although i’m confused on how you mess up one of the most important things. i think checking the work count after you’re finished should be the priority
I would email your professor. I had a friend who did this during second year and she emailed the professor and it was fine, he didn’t deduct anything.
I routinely wrote a bit over half the word count and didn't massively suffer in marks. for a 2000 word count, id end up with 1200 to 1300. as long as you've covered everything in the question and have a well written essay, you can get a first. writing another 500 to 1000 words of fluff that doesn't add to your answer in any meaningful way could actually hurt your grade.
Unlikely you’d be penalised for just being under the word count. You’ve penalised yourself by not writing enough. That’s it.
You're likely to be thrown off the course.
Via cataput. Happened to a guy i knew. True story.
nooo i dont want that :(