Progression requirements for the Engineering Course are presented in the Statutes and Ordinance of the University. The text below summarizes the key elements of the regulation.

Honours result

An honours result (at class I, II.1, II.2 or III) in the exam at the end of Part IIA qualifies a student for the BA (Hons) degree. To qualify for the MEng degree, a student must be successful in the Part IIB exam at either pass, merit or distinction standard.

Standard for entry to Part IB

In order to be of standing to take Part IB Engineering, students will be required to have obtained honours in Part IA of the course.

Standard for entry to Part IIA

In order to be of standing to take Part IIA Engineering, students will be required to have obtained honours in Part IB of the course.

Case of Incomers to Part IIA

A student who wishes to be considered for transfer to Part IIA Engineering will normally be expected to have achieved a II.1 or better in his or her last honours examination.  The Faculty Board has agreed that the Director of Undergraduate Education must endorse all requests for transfers into the Engineering Tripos before it will consider the applications.  See the guidelines for transferring to Part IIA for further information.

Those who transfer into Part IIA of Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering from other courses may proceed to IIB of the Engineering Tripos (not IIB Manufacturing Engineering) if they meet the usual progression requirement. They will, however, be restricted to the "Engineering Science" area. This means that no matter the modules chosen only "Engineering Science" will appear on your transcript and this degree will not be recognised by the Professional Engineering Institutes who accredit the course.

Standard for entry to Part IIB

The Faculty Board, to whom decisions on progression to IIB is delegated by Regulation, requires that students must achieve at least a II.2 in either Part IB or Part IIA (and achieve Honours in Part IIA) of the Engineering course in order to be of standing to take Part IIB of either the Engineering or the Manufacturing Engineering Triposes.

In order to be of standing to take Part IIB of the Engineering Tripos, students must have taken Part IIA of the Engineering Tripos, and the same is true for Manufacturing Engineering. It is possible for those who have take IIA of the Manufacturing Engineering Tripos to transfer to Part IIB of the Engineering Tripos with Faculty Board permission

Students are warned that proceeding to the BA degree after completing Part IIA of either the Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering Triposes would preclude them from continuing with either Tripos and from being awarded the M.Eng. degree.

Students not permitted to proceed to IIB, as they have not met the standard set out above or whom the faculty board notifies that they have not met compensation and condonement requirements, may have their case for progression reviewed by a committe established by the Faculty Board for this purpose. They may request this by asking their Tutor to write to the Secretary of the Faculty Board setting out why the usual requirements should be disregarded. Students should, however, note that the Faculty Board has no discretion ito disregard standards imposed by external accreditation bodies. The decision of the Faculty Board progression committee in such cases may be referred by students to the Review of Decisions of University Bodies procedure.

Any student who does not plan to stay for Part IIB is asked to let the Teaching Office know.

 

Degree Accreditation and Compensation and Condonement Requirements

Students starting the course in Mich 2022 and later will also have to have met the Engineering Council compensation and condonement standards in every year to be permitted to proceed to IIB in an accredited Engineering Area. These standards require that either a pass mark is obtained in all examined modules, or that performance below the pass mark is compensated by a good overall performance.

As Cambridge does not operate modular courses or per paper pass marks in the manner envisaged in the Engineering Council's rules the Examiners interpret "every module" to mean :

• IA: A pass in each of the 4 papers and coursework overall
• IB: A pass in each of the main 7 papers, section A of paper 8 and coursework overall
• IIA: A pass in each module and coursework overall (from Easter 2025)
• IIB: A pass in each module and the IIB Project (from Easter 2026)

The pass mark for each element is determined by the examiners with regard to ensuring that learning the objectives have been met and is typically between 35-40%. A mark marginally below the pass level in no more than one element can be compensated by good performance elsewhere.

Where a candidate does not meet the Engineering Council compensation and condonement standard due to exam or progression allowances approved by EAMC, or where their College makes a case to the Faculty Board that extenuating circumstances apply, the department will arrange for them to be provided an oppourtunity to demonstrate that they have met these standards in the form of a Qualification Test.

Students who do not meet the compensation and condonement requirements, but otherwise meet the requirements for progression to part IIB of the Engineering Tripos will be restricted to the "Engineering Science" Engineering Area of the Engineering Tripos in Part IIB. This means that no matter the modules chose the only Engineering Area that will appear on their transcript for Part IIB will be "Engineering Science". This degree will not be recognised by the Professional Engineering Institutes who accredit the course.

The faculty board's notice on Engineering Science is here .