What to do when you get NN or PA

“If I get an NN (fail) or PA (pass), is it the end of the world?” Many students, especially newbies, ask this when results don’t go as planned. More often, bad marks reflect a gap between effort and strategy, expectations and execution, or pressure and capacity. The grade matters, but what matters more is understanding why it happened and what you do next.

What do low marks actually say?

In RMIT’s grading system, results are divided into different bands, with two that students often worry about the most being PA and NN.

PA (Pass): 50–59

NN (Fail): 0–49

What

You have only met the minimum requirements. A PA means you passed, but with a limited margin.

You have not yet met the required standard. Unlike a PA, an NN usually has more direct consequences.

What it can affect:

Your GPA may not remain competitive if PA grades repeat frequently

It becomes harder to lift your overall academic standing over time

You will need to retake the course, which can affect both your time and tuition costs, and may even delay your graduation

Your GPA will drop significantly

Repeated NN results may lead to academic warnings, or worse, being expelled

A bad mark can make you question whether you’re doing “well enough,” especially when university learning feels very different from high school. It can lead to self-doubt or a drop in motivation. Getting a PA or NN doesn’t mean it’s over; its importance is how you respond to it.

Does a low GPA really matter for your career?

Sometimes, especially when applying for:

Competitive graduate programs like management trainee,...
Scholarships or honours pathways
Postgraduate study
Employers with strict GPA requirements

Consistently poor grades across many courses may also raise concerns about discipline, reliability, or academic readiness. However, outside of those situations, GPA is rarely the only thing employers evaluate; they often care more about:

Your portfolio
Clubs, internship, or freelance experience
Practical and communication skills
Problem-solving and collaboration

Why low grades happen (and why it’s rarely random)

Students often assume poor results come from laziness or lack of intelligence. In reality, low grades are usually caused by a mismatch between effort and approach.

1. Academic skill gaps

Sometimes students work extremely hard, but in a direction that the assignment was never asking for in the first place. One of the biggest differences between high school and university is that effort alone is no longer enough. At university level, students are expected to interpret requirements independently, think critically, and understand what the assessment is actually measuring, not just complete tasks mechanically.

Common problems include:

Misunderstanding the assignment brief or rubric
Writing descriptively instead of analytically
Building weak arguments without clear evidence
Using limited research or incorrect referencing
Going off-topic without realising it
Plagiarism or academic integrity issues

A student may spend hours researching, yet still lose marks because the discussion remains descriptive rather than analytical, meaning they explain what happened but not why it matters, how concepts connect, or what deeper insight can be drawn.

Seek support from SAS

Academic integrity issues are also sometimes caused by panic rather than intentional cheating. Students under pressure may copy sources improperly, rely too heavily on AI-generated content, or collaborate beyond permitted boundaries without fully understanding the consequences.

Sometimes the issue is structural, meaning the student’s overall situation has become unsustainable long before the grades collapse.

Students may:

Enter advanced subjects without strong foundational knowledge
Work long hours while studying full-time
Struggle with financial, family, or personal pressures alongside university
Realise too late that their current workload is unrealistic

2. Time and workflow problems

Many students do not fail because they are incapable of doing the work. More often, they struggle because their workflow breaks down long before the deadline arrives.

Common patterns include:
Starting assignments too close to the deadline
Skipping drafts and revisions
Falling behind on lectures or tutorials
Trying to balance too many commitments at once

When this happens, students are forced into survival mode, rushing to complete tasks instead of having enough time to think critically, refine arguments, or improve the quality of their work. Last-minute intensity cannot replace consistent preparation.

The pressure becomes even riskier during submission. Many students underestimate how easily technical problems can affect their final result. Systems can crash, files may upload slowly, or formatting issues may appear unexpectedly. Submitting at 11:59 PM for a midnight deadline might feel manageable, but it leaves almost no room for error.

And while a late penalty may sound small on paper, especially when it is “only” 10%, the impact can be significant. If an assignment is already sitting around a low CR level, losing those marks can quickly pull the result down to a PA, or even an NN in some cases.

3. Mental and physical strain

Stress, exhaustion, avoidance, lack of sleep, and constant pressure can slowly reduce concentration and motivation. Some students become so overwhelmed that they stop checking Canvas or delay opening assignments altogether.

Burnout affects academic performance more than we often admit.

Submit an extension in urgent cases

If you have a mental or physical condition that affects your studies, it may be helpful to contact the Equitable Learning Accessibility and complete a registration form for support.

After registration, advisors will meet with you to better understand your situation and develop an Equitable Learning Plan (ELP). This plan can then be shared with your lecturers to help you navigate your studies with more appropriate support.

Read about ELA-registered students’ stories

So what should you do next?

1. Understand exactly where things went wrong

Start with the feedback and rubric. Compare and ask yourself:

Which criteria did I lose marks on?
Was the issue analysis, structure, research, or interpretation?
Did I answer the actual question?

If anything is unclear, speak to your lecturer early. Ask them to explain why you received that grade so you can better understand the expectations of both the course and the lecturer. Taking notes during these conversations can help you identify exactly where your work fell short and what needs to improve next time.

Actively seeking support also leaves a positive impression. It shows your lecturer that you are willing to learn, open to feedback, and genuinely trying to improve. As a result, when you ask questions, seek clarification, or contribute in class later on, lecturers are often more willing to engage and support you throughout the course.

If you genuinely believe a result is unfair after carefully reviewing the feedback and discussing it with your lecturer, you can consider submitting an appeal. If you want the University to formally review a decision or outcome that has directly affected your studies, the appeals process exists to support that.

2. Consult early and do assignment consistently

One of the most overlooked academic habits is asking for help before things start falling apart: consultation.

Many students only approach lecturers when deadlines are extremely close. By then, there is often little room left to meaningfully improve the work. You should check direction early, ask focused questions, and confirm whether your argument, structure, or research approach actually makes sense while there is still time to adjust.

Regular consultation is not just about “getting answers”, but also helps you better understand course expectations and how your lecturer evaluates strong work. Knowing a lecturer’s priorities and communication style can significantly improve how you approach assignments.

Different lecturers also have different consultation habits.

Some prefer detailed draft discussions, while others only answer highly specific questions. That is why it is important to ask how they prefer students to seek support. Most lecturers appreciate students who are proactive, engaged, and genuinely trying to improve. From there, you can start identifying what still lacks depth, clarity, or critical thinking. That often means learning how to:

Build clearer and more focused arguments
Use stronger and more relevant evidence
Analyse ideas instead of only describing them
Align more precisely with the rubric and assessment criteria

3. Do better next time

Do not let disappointment completely consume you, because emotions alone will not improve the situation. Feeling upset after receiving a PA or NN is normal, but staying stuck in guilt, embarrassment, or self-doubt can make it harder to move forward and fix the problem. Your actions shape what happens next.

Starting assignments at least one or two weeks early
Breaking work into stages: research → draft → refine → final
Prioritising quality instead of rushing multiple subjects at once
Using AI tools like Val to clarify expectations or organise ideas, rather than replace independent thinking

Most importantly, focus on building a clearer study plan moving forward. Identify what needs improvement, set realistic academic goals, and stay disciplined enough to follow through consistently. Small habits repeated over time often create bigger changes than short bursts of motivation.

Because in the end, growth at university is not just about getting better grades. It is about building the discipline, resilience, and self-awareness that will help you go further.

Story: Pham Thanh Thao, Professional Communication student. This article does not reflect the views of RMIT Vietnam as an institution.

25 May 2026

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