14:42 Jun 19, 2011 

Thank you everybody for the discussion. It was very helpful!!

19:06 Jun 14, 2011 

I suppose it means that the mark can be compensated for... At least it's better than "compensable fail", which is found now and then (seriously!).

18:51 Jun 14, 2011 

Thank you, Charles.
My dictionary only has the verb to compensate, the noun compensation and the adjective compensatory. So I was puzzling where this word "compensatable" fits in. It should be like "useable", able to be used. Compensatable = "able to be compensated" ? This does not work because the PERSON is compensated FOR the damage done. Surely the mark cannot be compensated for anything?

17:54 Jun 14, 2011 

Here is an explanation:
"If you receive a Compensatable Fail – Module overall grade E4 at level one or level two you are advised to wait until you receive your results for the year before deciding whether to resit a module for which you get an E grade. If you obtain 90 credits at the level at which you are studying you will be compensated for this marginal failure in modules worth 30 credits. If you have fewer than 90 credits you will have to resit some of the modules you have marginally failed with E grades."
http://www.wlv.ac.uk/PDF/aca_ugregs_faqs.pdf
This still doesn't spell out exactly what "compensation" means, but it is clear that you can be credited in certain circumstances for modules you have narrowly failed without having to resit them.

15:20 Jun 14, 2011 

What does "compensatable" mean? That the mark can be improved on?
And is P Pass?

13:15 Jun 14, 2011 

Some of the links I cannot get to but by what you describe it is different from a Withdraw (you start the class and then decide not to finish it) no grade is entered but depending on the time of withdrawal it stays in your record. Thanks again!

13:13 Jun 14, 2011 

Have looked more on the internet, the impression I get is that a W notation in the US is if a student voluntarily drops out/withdraws from a module. So it's not really the same as a CF which is a grade given.

13:08 Jun 14, 2011 

I'm not sure of the significance of a withdraw in the US system and can't find any references about it, but a CF in the UK system implies you've just scraped through a module and may or may not be required to resit it. See notes I've added below.

12:57 Jun 14, 2011 

Thank you. This is something we do not have in the American System. What does it imply? Is the student free from taking the class again or would it be the equivalent to a withdraw? How does a future employer looks on this?