Honours are grading-related (in Scotland at least) as well. After three years study if you pass but not very well you'll be able to graduate with, say, a "BSc".

Honours are grading-related (in Scotland at least) as well. After three years study if you pass but not very well you'll be able to graduate with, say, a "BSc". If you have good enough grades you can do a fourth year and shoot for a "BSc (Hons)". The qualification you get after the fourth year depends on your average grades, either: - honours of the first class (aka a "first") - honours of the second class (two levels: upper and middle, aka a "2:1" or a "2:2") - honours of the third class (aka a "third") - fail, in which case you get an "ordinary" degree So when this person is reporting that you needed "first class honours" to go directly to a PHd, they're saying you needed to sit that final fourth year and finish with an average grade of (I think) an "A"