I am so so glad that the PhD thesis is not graded!

Can you imagine the pressure if it was graded?!

Well, is pass with no corrections/minor corrections/major corrections/revise and resubmit/MPhil not a kind of grading system?

But yes, I dread to think what my grade in my viva would have been if there were categories within minor corrections!

In a recent talk at my university, the trainer who specialises in training courses for PhD students and their supervisors, says that once you have passed that is that - no one ever asks or cares about whether it needed minor / major corrections.

People don't mention it, so I guess in that way it's not graded. Just street cred within your own department if you get no corrections!

The reason being, that the thesis is only presented at the viva, but is not awarded until any corrections (if any) are done. So the point is is that all PhD's examined are of different grades, but all those that are awarded, are the same grade.

The time spent on 'minor corrections' may be comparatively more than 'major corrections'.

For example, a professor may give comments that are over 10 pages long, and request 'minor corrections'.
On the other hand, another professor may give comments that are 2 pages long, and request 'major corrections'.

I think it's not awarded since there's no objective standard that the thesis could be judged against. I know that's arguable, but the fact it's based on original research means that the assessment is beyond that of a teaching exercise. I certainly think that fellow academics make an assessment of the merits of ones thesis.