Thanks everyone for you feedback. I still feel very hardly done by but that it life I guess.

The scenario was that I have programed before both as a student where I received distinctions in every programming assignment I have ever done both in a programming module at National Level and in a module called Implementation of IT systems at HNC level and at one time, a keen hobbyist programmer who has written programs of several thousand lines, one of which was used to keep the physiotherapy treatment appointments for Llandundo Hospital for about 10 years while my mother worked there.

This programming unit was something of a joke (not the teachers fault, he had 1 hour a week to try to teach programming) and it took 7 weeks for people to reach the ability to write this code using a repeat until loop (it turns out than no-one else within the group other than me was even aware of a for loop or a while loop). After getting bored for 3 weeks, I agreed with the teacher not to attend but cleared the requirements with him.

The assignment was a 1 hour time constrained one asking for a trace table, a data table, a flow diagram and "a pascal program which usesall the programming constructs".

The assessment criteria says:

Pass: "The solution should be completed in the time allowed. The trace table, data table should reflect the problem at hand. Minor inaccuracies may exist within the flow diagram. The program itself should reflect the design and show a level of programming competence.

Merit: As for pass. The trace table, data table and flow diagram should accurately reflect the problem. The programmed solution must show a reasonable level of programming competence.

Distinction: As for merit. The programmed solution should show a higher degree of programming competence. The solution must work and its design and build must have taken other potential users into account.

A completed in about 20 minutes (even though I've not been taught flow charts and trace diagrams - it was JSP before) and handed it in. The tutor, say "let me check", read through and say's "that's fine".

I come back the next week to find that what I still consider meets distinction criteria makes a merit, a tutor that says "that's life and won't discuss" and that he had given everone present the week before a pretty near duplicate model of what was expected.

Instead of me reflecting the fact that I am currently far more competent than any other member of the group, I get downgraded for a lack of a comment. I still think this is unfair.

Jon