External Examiners’
Workshop
The University’s examination and assessment
regulations
Hilary Gilbert
Registry
h.gilbert@brighton.ac.uk
01273 643907
Regulations
•
General Examination and Assessment Regulations for
taught courses (GEAR)
 assessment,
progression, award regulations
(sections B,C,D)
http://staffcentral.brighton.ac.uk/documents/gear.shtm
•
Course handbooks
 course-specific
regulations
Common Academic Framework
•
•
alignment with FHEQ and HE credit framework
modules
 multiples
of 10 credits
 mandatory,
•
•
•
•
compulsory, optional
f/t ug programme 120 credits per academic year
f/t pg programme 180 credits per year
stages of study
maximum registration period
Marks and grades
•
•
•
numerical marking 0-100% (some pass/fail)
•
pass mark
•
undergraduate: common mark/grade scale (A-F)
postgraduate: 0-49% fail, 50-59% pass, 60-69% merit,
70%+ distinction

40% undergraduate module (threshold for each
assessment component 30%)

50% postgraduate module (threshold for each
assessment component 40%)
university level grading descriptors (from 2012)
Assessment requirements
•
0% for non-submission, non-attendance at exam,
late submission (feedback provided)
•
•
student can apply for an extension to deadline
students can submit mitigating circumstances to the
examination board
Reassessment
•
referral - tied to original take of module, student must
complete additional work (module mark capped)
•
repeat – take module again, normally with attendance
(module mark capped)
•
deferral – reassessment as if for first time due to
upheld mitigating circumstances (mark not capped)
•
maximum number of attempts to pass a module – 3
 first
attempt, referral, repeat
 first
attempt, repeat, referral
Referral and repeat
•
•
•
at discretion of exam board
permitted at all levels
referral
 no
minimum mark - where only one task in module,
student must have made an attempt
 permitted
•
in up to 50% of total credit studied in stage
repeat
 same
 as
stage
part of the next stage of study, up to 20 credits
can be trailed where 120 credits are studied in the
stage
Examination boards
•
•
two-tier system

Area Examination Board (AEB)

Course Examination Board (CEB)
boards can be combined
Area Examination Board
•
confirm marks and consider results of individual
modules
•
•
module results – pass, refer, fail
•
•
moderate marks for whole group, if necessary
determine the nature of any referral and submission
deadline
mitigating circumstances - not considered for
individual students
Course Examination Board
•
•
•
consider results of individual students
may not change AEB marks
mitigating circumstances
 claims
reviewed and recommendations on
acceptance - pre-board meeting
•

deferral opportunity for failed module

note acceptance where module passed
academic misconduct
 recommendation
of penalty from investigating panel
Course Examination Board
•
Progression
 progress
 endorse
recommended referrals, progression
decision deferred to next meeting of board
 accept
mitigating circumstances, permit deferral(s),
progression decision deferred to next meeting of
board
 do
•
•
not progress - repeat failed modules (in p/t mode)
Fail and exclude from course on academic grounds
Receive an award (borderlines)
Compensation
•
•
at discretion of exam board
credit awarded to enable student to progress to next
stage or achieve award when not all modules passed
•
•
•
•
•
any level
maximum 20 credits per 120 credit stage
no change to mark for failed module(s)
not for mandatory modules
no minimum mark/stage average – student must have
made a serious attempt at the failed module/attempted
all assessment tasks in module
Awards
Award
Algorithm/classification
Borderline
Bachelor’s
degrees with
honours
L5 and L6 marks
Ratio 25:75
Classification: 1/2i/2ii/3
Yes
2% of boundary
Criteria in GEAR
Foundation
degree
L5 marks
Classification: pass/merit/distinction
Merit: credit-weighted mean mark 60.00-69.99
Distinction: credit-weighted mean mark 70.00+
Yes
2% of boundary
Criteria in GEAR
Postgraduate
Certificate/
Postgraduate
Diploma
Marks for award credit
Classification: pass/merit/distinction
Merit: credit-weighted mean mark 60.00-69.99
Distinction: credit-weighted mean mark 70.00+
No
Masters
Marks for award credit
Classification: pass/merit/distinction
Merit: credit-weighted mean mark of at least
60.00 and at least 60 in final element
Distinction: credit-weighted mean mark of at
least 70.00 and at least 70 in final element
No
Integrated
Masters
Subject-specific classification - either
undergraduate honours (L6:L7 50:50) or
postgraduate pass/merit/distinction with L7
marks only
As per
classification
External Examiners’
Workshop
External examiner – administration
Debbie Neale
Registry
d.m.neale@brighton.ac.uk
01273 642619
Information
•
external examiners’ homepage on:

http://staffcentral.brighton.ac.uk/quality
 GEAR,
external examiners’ handbook (contact
details), annual report template, fees and expenses
form
•
school (or faculty)
 course
material, exam board arrangements, booking
hotel accommodation, students’ work, assessment
details
Annual report and claims
•
email annual report to:
externalexaminers@brighton.ac.uk
•
send claims for fees and expenses to Schools or
Faculties (see handbook)
•
•
•
fees only paid on receipt of annual report
expenses can be claimed at any time with receipts
for queries about a claim, contact:
 Sue
Nye (s.k.nye@brighton.ac.uk or 01273 644785)