Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test the impact of a rule that affects tertiary students progressing from an introductory level finance course to intermediate level. The rule restricted students from progressing until they achieved a higher grade than just a "pass" mark. Design/methodology/approach Archival data were gathered from 11 semesters regarding student performance pre and post the rule being introduced. Findings Results show that the rule was associated with an increase in the chances of success at intermediate level for those students enrolled after the rule was introduced. Originality/value The setting for this paper is unique and could potentially be replicated elsewhere. In 1980, Schaffer and Calkins called for an evaluation of the pre-requisites necessary for finance education at the tertiary level, and this paper answer this call stating that pre-requisites can contribute to the academic success of finance students.