1. Their role within Schools and Colleges
External Examiners
Their role within Schools and Colleges
Nigel Horner
Head of School of Health and Social Care
College of Social Science
Member of the University External Examiners’ Committee 1

2. What Do Programmes Need From External Examiners?
Strong engagement with the teaching team
Approval of minor modifications to module or programme specifications
Approval of assessment tasks and examination papers
Review of samples of student work
Confirmation of student marks lists
Attendance at Boards of Examiners (subject
and/or College)
Submission of an Annual Report 2

3. Approval of Assessments
Coursework assignments (often incorporated in module handbooks) from across the year and end – of –year examination papers, where relevant.

4. Approval of Marks
All modules for Foundation Degrees, HND/Cs, Undergraduate and taught Postgraduate programmes
Work may be sent by post, be accessed via Blackboard (VLE) or reviewed at the university or in situ prior to the Subject Board of Examiners meeting
Comments sent to module co-ordinator
When marks are agreed, a printout of the marks is signed by the module co-ordinator and the external examiner

5. Review of Work You should receive original (or see):
A Module handbook (contains outline programme, reading lists, assessment criteria, learning outcomes)
A copy of the examination paper or assignment details and associated marking criteria
A proportionate sample of work across the range of marks
A provisional marks list
A Module Evaluation Report or the full programme Annual Monitoring Report from the previous year.

6. Subject Boards of Examiners
Invitations (with agenda and minutes) sent out by School Office
Student work seen by External Examiner and marks agreed prior to the meeting
Board ratifies module marks
Module co-ordinators provide reports for each module
Opportunity to review the year, to look at quality issues and discuss possible changes.
Verbal feedback given by External Examiners either on specific modules or in general terms regarding the whole programme

7. Role and Functions of the College Board of Examiners
Confirms progression of students
Confers awards and classification
Considers, and where appropriate, ensures a response to the opinions and advice of external examiners
Oversees maintenance of academic standards
Advises Chair of Academic Board on matters that have come to its attention, as appropriate

8. Value of External Examiners and their Reports (1)
External Examiners are first and foremost highly valued peer auditors of subject standards against national expectations
They contribute to the development of programmes
They help to engage with developments in the discipline and to appreciate professional, statutory and regulatory body expectations 8

9. Value of External Examiners and their Reports (2)
External examiners comment on the quality of Learning, Teaching and Assessment in terms of strengths, innovative features and areas for development
Finally, and most importantly, External Examiners have a crucial role in maintaining and improving the quality of the student experience whilst upholding academic and professional standards 9