1. Responsibilities and engagement of an external examiner
Office for Quality, Standards & Partnerships

2. Quality Assurance Agency
The QAA Quality Code sets out the following expectations about external examining, which Higher Education institutions are required to meet:
Higher Education providers make scrupulous use of External Examiners
Chapter B7 gives more detail

3. QAA Institutional Review 2012
1.2. Scrupulous use is made of External Examiners. The University of Lincoln has produced a full definition of the role of External Examiners and operates robust processes with clear criteria for their nomination, appointment and induction.

4. The Strategic Role of External Examiners
Ensure University is fit for purpose in terms of its strategic educational function – internationally, nationally and locally.
Growing importance with annual return to HEFCE – reassures Governors.

5. The Strategic Role of External Examiners
The University (and its Colleges and Schools) depend on External Examiner input and reports, in order to check that:
National and/or professional standards are being maintained.
Standards of student performance are comparable with similar programmes in the UK.
Students are being treated fairly and equitably.
Subjects are responsive to External Examiner comments, as expected by the QAA Quality Code.

6. Responsibilities of External Examiners
The HEA’s brief summary of the practicalities is that:
Acting as an External Examiner generally involves the review of a selection of exam scripts, assignments and dissertations followed by informal engagement with staff to discuss the assessed work; and then the formal meeting of the examination board.
But there is more to it than that…

7. Responsibilities of External Examiners
Confirm the maintenance of threshold academic standards.
Confirm the assessment of process measures student achievement rigorously and fairly.
Confirm that academic standards and student achievement are comparable with other UK Higher Education institutions.
Provide informative comment on good practice and opportunities for enhancing the student experience.
Essential component of University quality assurance and enhancement process.
All needed for annual monitoring

8. Practically this means…
Approval of modifications to modules or programmes.
Approval of assessment tasks and examination papers.
Reviewing samples of student work.
Endorsement of student marks.
Attendance at Boards of Examiners.
Confirming programmes are in line with sector norms and expectations – Quality Code.
Submission of an Annual Report.
Liaison with programme teams.

9. External Examiners are NOT responsible for:
The assessment of individual students.
Encouragement to raise or lower marks for individual students.
Individual cases relating to mitigating circumstances of academic integrity.
Acting as final arbiter for the award of marks/grades.
Communicating directly with individual students.

10. Summary The External Examiner system:
Is central to quality assurance and enhancement.
Provides a checking system.
Must help to ensure the whole University is educationally fit for purpose.