External Examiners Staff Development October 2010 Quality Standards, Review and Enhancement Registrar and Secretary’s Office

External Examiners  Welcome  Introduction  Roles and responsibilities of External Examiners/Advisers  The assessment cycle  Remit of Boards and Committees  Progression and Awards

Roles of external examiners  The primary role is to confirm that the awards made to students are comparable in standard with awards in UK higher education generally  A second important role is to ensure fairness and equity to students  The third role is to assist the University and the course team to maintain and enhance the quality of its courses

Roles of external advisers & mentors Subject advisers  Appointed for their subject expertise and primarily confirm that the awards made to students are comparable in standard with awards in UK higher education generally Mentors  Appointed for one year to support an inexperienced external examiner in ensuring that the proper processes of assessment take place

Rights & responsibilities of external examiners (1) The external examiner must:  be able to judge each student impartially  confirm the standards for the awards are appropriate by referencing  relevant national subject benchmark statements  framework for higher education qualifications  university approval documentation  any appropriate professional/statutory body requirements  compare the performance of students

Rights & responsibilities of external examiners (2) The external examiner must:  be consulted about and agree to any major proposed changes to the approved assessment regulations  attend examiners meetings – have right of access to all assessed work  approve the form and content of proposed examination papers, coursework and other assessment that count towards the award  see a sample of the work of all students proposed for the highest available award and for failure

Rights & responsibilities of external examiners (3) The external examiner must:  have the right to moderate the marks awarded by internal examiners  have the right to conduct a viva voce examination of any candidate  attend the meetings of the relevant examination committee / board of examiners  report to the university on the effectiveness of the student assessment Please see Regulations C and C13.6

Powers of external examiners  No recommendation for the conferment of an award above the level of Certificate of Higher Education can be made without the written consent of the external.  Matters of principle.  Disagreements between external examiner(s) and Boards of Examiners.  Disagreements between external examiners.

External examiners’ reports (1) Need to include:  the overall performance of the students in relation to their peers;  the strengths and weaknesses of students;  the structure, organisation, design & marking of all assessments;  the quality of teaching as indicated by student performance;  comments on the curriculum, learning/teaching methods & resourcing.

External examiners’ reports (2) Should directly address the issues listed on the report form  … Must not identify individual students  … Should be submitted electronically  … Can be rejected for being too short  … Are read within faculties and within the Registrar and Secretary’s Office  … Form the basis for internal university reports  … Will be anonymized and printed on our web pages

Response to External Examiner Reports  Written response is required from the course leader within 60 working days.  The response is submitted to Faculty by course leader for distribution to the External Examiner and QSRE Team.

Administration Appointment  Examiners are proposed by the Faculty, and approved by the Univesrity External Examiners Sub Committee  After approval, a letter and appropriate documents are sent from the QSRE office  Thereafter, the Faculty/College will communicate key dates to the Examiner and liaise regarding specific duties

Administration Fees and Expenses  A claim form should be submitted for all expenses and your examining fee  Expenses can be claimed at any time during the year, but you must submit your annual report before claiming your examining fee  Receipts are required for ALL expenses claimed  For more information on expenses claims allowances, please refer to the guidance on our website

Administration  Please try to fill in all parts of the claim form  We will fill in the ‘Payroll No.’, ‘SBC’ and ‘Project Code’ sections of the form  Please ensure you sign the form, otherwise payment could be delayed

EXTERNAL EXAMINER FEES AND EXPENSES You will be sent from the QSRE team via after Easter  a report template, an expenses and fees claim form and a P46 to fill out when you have completed your duties  You may claim your reasonable expenses for visits to the university prior to claiming your examining fee  You are required to submit receipts for any expenses claims i.e taxi, train, plane, bus and subsistence  You are required to fill out a risk assessment and insurance declaration for EACH year of your tenure for any car journeys that you make during your duties

Contact Details Carol Blackall, QSRE, Or Louise Ward, QSRE,

The assessment cycle (1)  Assessments approved by External Examiner(s)  Coursework and deadlines - Late submission penalties, not Bank Hols or weekend - Full Time-5% per day, Part Time-5% per 2 days - 0% if more than 10 days late  Written examinations  Invigilators’ reports  Marking and Internal Moderation  Unfair Practice investigations and Panel  Mitigation Panel

Principles Assessment  Fairness and equity to all students  Comparability/consistency across the whole student body  Assurance of national standards (Role of external examiners)

The assessment cycle(2)  Examination Committee  Board of Examiners pre-meeting  Board of Examiners  Publication of results (5 working days)  Re-assessment  Reconvened board of examiners  Appeal panel of Academic Board

Unfair Practice Boards for Proven cases  Requirement to undertake the assessment again at the next available opportunity  Each case considered and on the basis of: - the gravity of the case - the circumstances of the case - the level at which the offence took place - whether the offence was a repeat offence  Penalties in practice  Full range of marks, 20%, 40%, Requirement to Withdraw

Mitigation Panel: remit  Established at scheme, school or faculty level  Student claims and provides evidence  Considers the extenuating circumstances category to be presented to Boards of Examiners  Determines:  Assessments affected  Category of seriousness: –A:very serious, range of options open to Board –B: sufficient to warrant deferral –C:not sufficiently serious to warrant deferral

Examination committee: remit  Determine the standard of student module assessment outcomes –Consider amendment of cohort’s marks as appropriate (not individual students) –Record credit where the student is not presented for progression or award Part time, postgraduate etc. –Notes cases of cheating, plagiarism and unfair practice and mitigation (spent?) –Determine student progression (level 4 only) –Publication of results – 5 working days

Board of examiners: remit  Assess students in accordance with the regulations  Determine student progression  Determine student awards  Consider mitigation outcomes Category A only  Implement outcomes of Unfair Practice Boards  Determine the outcomes of re-assessment (where relevant)

Reassessment – failed modules  Student’s decision  Maximum of 50% of the credit points of a level  Opportunity given once only  Cannot be used to increase mark if 40% achieved in the module overall  Component reassessment possible  Maximum mark 40% for reassessment

Progression  Undergraduate - Levels 4 to 5 - Levels 5 to 6  Depends on - Level - Professional, statutory or regulatory body requirements (PSRB) - Prerequisites

Progression - Undergraduate From level 4 to level 5 At Level 4  Completed study of 120 credit points and submitted work for all assessments no non submissions (NS)  Achieved an average of 40% or more across all modules  Achieved 40% or more in 90 credit points  Achieved between 20% and 39% in no more than 30 credit points  Satisfied all pre-requisite requirements  Discretion to compensate up to 10% in 30 credits of reassessed modules From level 5 to level 6 At level 5  Completed study of 120 credit points and submitted work for all assessments no non submissions (NS)  Achieved an average of 40% or more across all modules  Achieved 40% or more in 105 credit points  Achieved between 20% and 39% in no more than 15 credit points  Satisfied all pre-requisite requirements  Discretion to compensate up to 10% in 15 credits of reassessed modules

Achievement of award at final level Foundation Degree – Level 5  Completed study of 120 credit points at level 5 and submitted work for all assessments no non submissions (NS)  Achieved an average of 40% or more across all modules  Achieved 40% or more in 105 credit points  Achieved between 20% and 39% in no more than 15 credit points  Satisfied all PSRB requirements if appropriate Honours Degree - Level 6  Achieved the requirements for level progression from level 5 to level 6 or has been admitted directly to level 6, i.e. via AP(E)L or Top-up  Completed study of 120 credit points at level 6 and submitted work for all assessments no non submissions (NS)  Achieved an average of 40% or more across all modules studied at this level  Achieved 40% or more in modules equivalent to 105 credit points at level 6  Achieved between 20% and 39% in no more than 15 credit points at level 6  Satisfied all PSRB requirements if appropriate

Foundation Degree – Merit, Distinction  Available dependant on particular course regulations  Merit – An average of level 5 module marks between 60% and 69%  Distinction – An average of level 5 module marks 70% or more

Determination of Classification of Honours Should take account of which is the better of:  a profile of achievement producing the relevant classification  the average performance in relation to numerical conventions Considering  100% of Level 5 work at 25% weighting  100% of Level 6 work at 75% weighting. Top Ups  consider 100% of Level 6 only

Classification Profiles  The profile is comprised 25% level 5 and 75% Level 6 –Level 5 modules count at 0.25 x the number of 15 credit modules in the classification –Level 6 modules at 0.75 x the number of 15 credit modules in the classification –Making a total of 8 overall  The profile is established where more than 50% of the credit points fall within one classification band.  The model is predicated on 16 x 15-credit modules, double modules count as the equivalent of two 15-credit modules.

More than 4 in the classification total column are required. The outcome from this example is a profile at 2:2 because less than 4 (less than 50%) of the classification total falls into the 2:1 or higher classification categories.

Success at Masters Level  Studied 180 credit points at Level M or above, or has been accredited with no more than 90 credit points on admission;  Achieved an average of 40% or more across all modules studied at this level and submitted work for all assessments  Achieved 40% or more in modules equivalent to 160 credit points at Level M or above  Achieved between 20% and 39% in no more than 20 credit points

Outcome of Board of Examiners  Decision codes –PA Pass Award –PP Pass Proceed –DE Deferred not allowed to proceed –DP Deferred – allowed to proceed –FW Fail withdraw (little evidence of engagement NS) –CP Components Pending – unable to progress to next level  To recover from failure –FR Fail Repeat (failed less than 50% of level - repeat failed modules only) –FL Fail Level (more than 50% of modules failed – repeat the level) –Final level only required to repeat failed modules  Credit given for failed modules if progressing but no change in marks

Contained Awards Undergraduate Certificate60 credits Level 4 Certificate of HE120 credits Level 4 Diploma120 credits Level credits level 5 Diploma of HE120 credits Level credits level 5 Bachelor Degree without honours60 credits at Level 6

Contained Awards Postgraduate Postgraduate Certificate60 credits at Level M Postgraduate Diploma120 credits at Level M

Questions??? QUESTIONS ???