1. External Examiner Induction
Jennifer Zandbeek, Head of Academic Quality

2. Role of the External Examiner
Key role in QA&E mechanisms: independence and objectivity
Maintenance of threshold standards
Ensuring rigour and fairness of assessment
Comparability of standards and student achievements
Identification of good practice and innovations
Opportunities to enhance student experience

3. External Examiner: Appointment
Mentorship: Where a nominated External Examiner does not have previous or has limited external examination experience, arrangements are made to ensure that they are assigned a mentor for the first 12 months of their contract Handover: Appointments are normally made for four years, running from September in year one to December in year four. This provides overlap of appointments at the end of each term of office to ensure consistency and appropriate handover. It is expected that course teams provide incoming External Examiners with a copy of the previous year’s annual evaluation report, which contains the outgoing External Examiner’s report and course response.

4. You should receive:
Course teams (typically the Course Leader) are responsible for providing examiners with course specific information, including relevant course handbooks, programme and module specifications and, where appropriate, details of professional, statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) information including that related to continuing PSRB accreditation (e.g. fitness to practice requirements). The Course Leader is also responsible for providing their External Examiner with a schedule of key dates for the moderation of student assessments, and for ensuring that the dates of examination boards are communicated with adequate notice.

5. Role of the External Examiner: Moderation of marked work
The University Assessment Policy sets out the requirements for moderation of assessments and marking. Each Institute and/or course is required to formulate policies on internal and external moderation.
External moderation
through the year/in advance of exam board meetings
15% of each element of assessment across all grade bands
at least 6 pieces of work; not normally more than 25
module outline, examination papers and/or assessment briefs and assessment and grade criteria
provisional statistical profile of marks for the modules/sites of delivery
moderation and endorsement not arbitration

6. Role of the External Examiner
Review samples of student work (and practice)
Review module grade profiles
Review assessment tasks
Comment on course and /or module amendments
Meet with course team, and students
Right to provide confidential report to VC and to access QAA concerns scheme

7. Role of the External Examiner: Attendance at Examination Board
Attendance at the meetings of Boards of Examiners at which the results of assessments are agreed (usually referred to as Subject Assessment Boards). Where it is not possible for External Examiners to attend Boards physically, virtual attendance via Skype or other appropriate means will be considered. Where no form of attendance is possible, External Examiners will, exceptionally and as a maximum for an individual year, provide written comments to the Chair of the Board regarding satisfaction with marks

8. External Examiner Report
External Examiners’ reports form an essential aspect of the quality assurance and enhancement processes operated by the University. Discussions of External Examiner reports are incorporated specifically within the processes of annual evaluation and periodic review, and also through Course Management Committees where they are formally discussed with student representatives.

9. External Examiner Report
Template provided
Due 3 weeks after final exam board
Initial response within 8 weeks from course leader to issues raised
Feeds into annual evaluation process and action plan
Shared with students
University Executive considers any resource issues; ASQEC institutional issues raised
Formal response to institutional issues raised Jan/Feb
Overview report to Academic Board

10. Collaborative Provision
The general external examining arrangements and regulations for courses delivered in collaboration with the University’s partner organisations are the same as those for the University’s other provision. However, as an External Examiner for a collaborative programme, the University expects that External Examiners would normally meet with the partner course team and/or students at least once every two years (twice during a period of tenure). This is in addition to attendance at the Board of Examiners.

11. Collaborative Provision
In cases where External Examiners have been appointed to act as an External Examiner for a programme/course which is delivered either by multiple partner organisations and/or on multiple sites, the External Examiner should expect to see clearly identified samples for external scrutiny and statistical profiles from each partner organisation/site of delivery in order to ensure equivalence of standards. For programmes delivered by multiple partners, a further internal moderation activity should have taken place prior to external moderation to enable representatives from all partners to ensure consistency in the application of assessment criteria and complete internal moderation across all partners (sometimes referred to as ‘standardisation’).

12. Support and information
UW Handboook
QAA Quality Code
The Higher Education Academy, Guidance on External Examining
AQU: (Margaret Chaffey) for practical arrangements

13. External Examining at Worcester
We hope that our External Examiners will:
Be a Critical Friend
Offer independent assessment of our academic standards and quality
Ensure that our students are dealt with fairly in the assessment and classification process
Identify and share good practice

14. What our External Examiners can expect from us
We hope that our External Examiners will:
Feel supported by dedicated Central and Faculty resources
Understand what their role is from the outset
Receive all the information required in a timely manner to carry out their duties effectively
Feel confident to have open and frank discussion and to know that their comments have been considered

15. All our External Examiners are responsible for a group of Modules
All our External Examiners are responsible for a group of Modules. In addition, most of our External Examiners are also responsible for a Programme or group of Programmes.
An important element of the role is to ensure that the threshold academic standards across all Modules and Programmes are:
Being maintained
Comparable
In line with University regulations

16. Main Duties of External Examiners
EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Main Duties of External Examiners
Modules
This part of the role is to provide confirmation that the module assessments have been:
Appropriately designed in line with FHEQ levels and individual module learning outcomes
Marked in a fair and equitable manner
And that good quality feedback has been given to students in a timely way

17. Main Duties of External Examiners
EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Main Duties of External Examiners
Programmes
This part of the role, where applicable, is to ensure that Programmes are:
Aligned to National Subject benchmarks
In line with University regulations
Meet the Programme learning outcomes
And that the assessment process has been carried out in a fair and equitable manner.

18. Main Duties of External Examiners
EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Main Duties of External Examiners
Preparation
Handbooks, Regulations, FHEQ, Subject benchmark statements, ongoing dialogue with teams
Review
all assessment briefs – both examination and coursework titles
Sampling
representative sample of work
Confirmation
of marks and of awards made
Reporting
Annual report form, one per examiner
Preparation: Familiar with University regulations, FHEQ levels and National Subject benchmarks. Module and Programme handbooks should be available for review and ongoing dialogue with module/programme teams on all forms of assessment should be established to inform and enhance the process.
Review: All draft assessments, exam and other coursework, should be reviewed and approved and a schedule of work should be agreed with the Department including deadlines for work expected, meeting dates and return dates for comments
Sampling: a representative sample of work across the full range of marks should be available to view with all work available if required
Confirmation: should attend Assessment Committees if possible to confirm marks and meet staff/students as required. Programme EEs attend main Board to confirm progression and award in line with regulations
Reporting: Annual Report Form should be completed to confirm threshold academic standards, students are dealt with fairly and to identify strengths, weaknesses and good practice

19. Recognition of Prior Learning
EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Recognition of Prior Learning
All Recognition of Prior Learning is approved at an Assessment Committee/RPL meeting.
External Examiners are required to sample:
Mapping documents for recognition of prior certificated learning
Proposals for recognition of prior experiential learning
The process is outlined in the Guide to Recognition of Prior Learning and on the web at:

20. Working with Partner Institutions
EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Working with Partner Institutions
The University of Bradford assumes full responsibility for external examining at Partner Institutions:
Some External Examiners will have a role examining programmes and modules studied at Partner institutions in the UK and overseas
External Examiners have the same role for programmes and modules operating at Partner Institutions; this includes sampling work, confirming marks, progression and award and assuring the quality of the provision there
There is a specific section in the Annual Report to compare Partner programmes with the onsite programmes and to identify any specific strengths or weaknesses there.

21. Student Information EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Student Information
The name, position and institution of External Examiners are included in handbooks for students
Students may not contact External Examiners directly and any such contact should be referred to Academic Quality & Partnerships Office in the first instance
External Examiner reports are published in their entirety on a secured part of the AQPO website for access by staff, students, partners and external examiners
Students have access to Annual Reports as members of University decision making committees

22. Reporting EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Reporting
All External Examiners are required to complete an Annual Report.
The Report is updated and ed each academic year in September and again in June to External Examiners for completion by the deadline:
31 July for Undergraduate programmes
30 November for Postgraduate programmes
Or four weeks after the last Board of Examiners

23. Reporting (2) EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Reporting (2)
The Annual Report is very important to the enhancement planning for the Programmes, Faculties and for the Quality Management of the University:
The report template is a Word document and should be completed electronically and ed to AQEO at or posted to AQEO for my attention
Show example of 14/15 report form
The report should be completed as fully as possible
There should be consistency of comments with those given informally to teams
The report should contain a frank appraisal of the programmes/modules with honest observations, comments and recommendations
The report should be completed and submitted by the deadline or as soon as possible after the Board of Examiners

24. Judging Standards EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Judging Standards
Appendix 6 of the Guide lists the main areas for comment but you might want to think about these questions as you go through the year:
Standards
What are the threshold standards?
Are the standards set at validation and as detailed on the programme specification being maintained?
Does the curriculum remain valid, current and coherent?
Is there comparability and consistency of standards across the Programmes/Modules?
Are assessment criteria, marking schemes etc. set at the appropriate levels?
Are threshold standards comparable with other HEIs in the same subject/at the same level that you are familiar with?

25. Judging Standards (2) EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION Process
4 October 2017
Judging Standards (2)
Process
Are the assessments appropriate, properly designed and applied fairly and equitably?
Is the marking at the right level?
Has RPL been mapped and assessed appropriately?
Has the marking scheme/grading criteria been properly applied?
Do students receive appropriate written feedback?
Is assessment being carried out in accordance with our own academic regulations?
Is the Board of Examiners/Assessment Committee operation appropriate?
Are the procedures governing extenuating circumstances and academic misconduct applied fairly?

26. Judging Standards (3) EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION Enhancement
4 October 2017
Judging Standards (3)
Enhancement
Is there good practice and innovation observed in relation to learning, teaching and assessment?
Are there any opportunities to enhance the quality of students’ learning?
Partnership provision
Did you have enough information about the partnership programme?
Are you able to compare the provision against onsite provision?
Are there are strengths or weaknesses specific to this provision?

27. University Response to Reports
EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
University Response to Reports
The University will write to you in response to your Annual Report form including:
University response to institutional issues raised by External Examiners
Action Plan detailing Faculty actions and responses to issues and recommendations made by you
The Action Plan will also form part of enhancement planning for the Faculty and quality management of the University
Appendix 7 – flowchart of reporting and feedback process

28. Causes for concern EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Causes for concern
Examiners may alert the Vice Chancellor directly to serious failings in standards or process where there is no satisfactory response from the department/Faculty, etc.
QAA’s Concerns Scheme and/or equivalent PSRB mechanisms may also be invoked

29. Fees and Expenses EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Fees and Expenses
The fee for external examining is paid normally on receipt of the Annual Report, which now includes the claim form, via the monthly payroll run
Expenses can be claimed in relation to attendance at meetings and other activities related to sampling of assessments
Full details are in the Guide at Appendix 3
The claim form can be downloaded from the website at
Show example of claim form

30. Resources: EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Resources:
University of Bradford Academic Quality & Enhancement Office
General Information; Board of Examiners meetings information pack; Regulations for award bearing taught courses of study; University Ordnances and Policies
Higher Education Academy External Examining Handbook

31. Resources: EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Resources:
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications and Subject Benchmarks: QAA UK Quality Code Chapter B7 – External Examining University of Bradford Regulations:

32. Academic Quality & Enhancement Office
EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Academic Quality & Enhancement Office
Academic Quality & Enhancement Business Partners: Faculty of Engineering & Informatics Riz Ahmed – Faculty of Health Studies Kavita Patel – Faculty of Life Sciences Carol Sealey – Faculty of Management and Law Kirstin Bell – Faculty of Social Sciences Sue Ledger –

33. EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Any questions?
Evaluation form
Department meetings this afternoon – Representatives to meet us for lunch and take you to your session in the Faculty

34. EXTERNAL EXAMINER INDUCTION
4 October 2017
Thank you