External Examining at Anglia Ruskin University: Frequently Asked Questions
(Paragraph/page references are taken from the Senate Code of Practice on External Examiners for Taught Courses, Tenth
Edition, September 2012)
1. Induction
Q. Is there an induction process for External Examiners?
A. All new External Examiners are invited to attend a University induction day and, in addition,
each faculty has its own more informal processes. Two University inductions are held each
year; one in May on the Cambridge campus and the other in November on the Chelmsford
campus. Both are whole day events and include a session with relevant staff from the
appropriate Department/Faculty. (Para 7.2, page 14)
2. Timing of and Attendance at Meetings
Q. When are Panel/Board meetings held?
A. Meetings are held throughout the year. Please see link for when Departmental Assessment
Panel (DAP) and Institutional Awards Board (IAB) meetings are held:
http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/academic/public/assessmeetings_2015_16.pdf. Departmental
administrators will provide these dates and send an invitation to relevant meetings.
Q. How many meetings am I expected to attend?
A. External Examiners are expected to attend a minimum of one meeting of the relevant DAP
and/or IAB each year but are strongly encouraged to attend them all. It should be noted that
no award of the University can be conferred without at least one External Examiner in
attendance at the relevant IAB. (Para 4.3.1, page 9)
3. Assessment
Q. Will I be responsible for approving the content of assessments/examinations?
A. DAP External Examiners are expected to approve the content of all assessment tasks (e.g.
examinations, coursework, presentations). (Para 4.1.4, page 7)
Q. What am I provided with in order to undertake the approval of assessment tasks?
A. External Examiners should be provided with the relevant module definition form, module
guide and the published assessment criteria. (Para 4.1.4, page 7)
Q. How many scripts will I be expected to moderate and how do I receive the work?
A. DAP External Examiners are expected to moderate a sample of marked work comprising a
minimum of eight items or 10% of the total (whichever is greater), to include examples from
all delivery locations. The work is posted to the contact address provided in advance of the
DAP, accompanied by a full schedule of all marks achieved by all students registered on the
relevant module(s) for all assessment methods and delivery locations. (Para 4.1.5, page 7)
Quality Assurance Unit, Academic Office
July 2015
Q. How is the sample of scripts arrived at?
A. The sample covers the full range of marks on the module; where failures and borderline cases
exist, these are included. The sample draws on all items of assessment contributing to the
module from all delivery locations and must include work that has been subject to internal
moderation. (Para 4.1.5, page 7)
Q. Can I change marks awarded?
A. External Examiners can propose the adjustment of all marks awarded by Anglia Ruskin
examiners for an element(s) within a module or the complete re-marking of all elements for a
module taken by the same cohort of students but not to propose an adjustment to the marks of
individual students for an element(s) within a module, unless all items of work for that
element(s) completed by the same cohort of students have been considered by the external
examiner. (Para 4.2.3, page 9)
4. Annual Report
Q. Is there a template for my report and when is it needed?
A. Separate standard annual report templates are provided for DAPs and ABs and, exceptionally,
for Non-modular Awards Boards, and are sent to External Examiners in June. They are also
available at http://anglia.ac.uk/externalexaminer. Reports may be submitted from June
onwards and the deadline for submission is by the middle of September. (Para 8.1, page 16)
Q. When will I receive a response to my report?
A. Reports are acknowledged on receipt by the Academic Office. A detailed response from the
relevant Faculty should be sent to you within two months of that acknowledgement. (Para 9.1&
10.2 page 19-20)
5. Fees and Expenses
Q. What is the standard fee for External Examiners and how is it claimed?
A. From the academic year 2014/15, the standard fee for External Examiners is £600 for each
contracted duty at Tier 1 and £425 for each contracted duty at Tier 2. It is payable on receipt
of an annual report (one is required for each separate duty) and the submission of an external
examiner claim form, which should also be used to claim any expenses incurred.
Q. What is the mileage rate for travel claims?
A. The mileage rate is 45p per mile. (Appx 4, page 33)
Quality Assurance Unit, Academic Office
July 2015