External Examiners’ Induction
2013/2014
Quality Standards, Review and Enhancement
Quality Assurance Directorate
External Examiners
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Welcome
Introduction
Administration
Roles and responsibilities of External
Examiners/Advisers
• The assessment cycle
• Remit of Boards and Committees
• Progression and Awards
Administration
Appointment
• Examiners are proposed by the Faculty, and
approved by the University External Examiners Sub
Committee
• After approval, a letter and appropriate documents
are sent from the Quality Assurance Frameworks and
Processes (QAFP) team
• Thereafter, the Faculty/College will communicate key
dates to the Examiner and liaise regarding specific
duties
Administration
Fees and Expenses
• A claim form should be submitted each year for all reasonable expenses
incurred
• Expenses can be claimed at any time during the year, but you must submit
your annual report before your examining fee will be paid – failure to
submit your annual report may result in your tenure being terminated
• Receipts are required for ALL expenses claimed
• Ensure that you sign and date the form and send it to the correct person
• For more information on expenses claims allowances, please refer to the
guidance on our website
Roles of External Examiners
The primary role is to confirm that the awards
made to students are comparable in standard with
awards in UK higher education generally
A second important role is to ensure fairness and
equity to students
The third role is to assist the University and the
course team to maintain and enhance the quality of
its courses
Roles of External Advisers &
Mentors
Subject advisers
Appointed for their subject expertise and primarily confirm that the
awards made to students are comparable in standard with awards in UK
higher education generally
Mentors
Appointed for one year to support an inexperienced external examiner
in ensuring that the proper processes of assessment take place
Rights & responsibilities of
External Examiners (1)
No recommendation for the conferment of an award above the level of
Certificate of Higher Education can be made without the written consent
of the external
The external examiner must:
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be able to judge each student impartially
confirm the standards for the awards are appropriate by referencing:
 relevant national subject benchmark statements
 framework for higher education qualifications
 university approval documentation
 any appropriate professional/statutory body requirements
compare the performance of students
Rights & responsibilities of
External Examiners (2)
The external examiner must:
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be consulted about and agree to any major proposed changes to the
approved assessment regulations
attend examiners meetings – have right of access to all assessed work
approve the form and content of proposed examination papers,
coursework and other assessment that count towards the award
see a sample of the work of all students proposed for the highest
available award and for failure
Be consulted following an appeal hearing where the decision of the
board of examiners is to be changed and an award made to the student
or a higher classification is to be awarded
Rights & responsibilities of
External Examiners (3)
The external examiner :
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has the right to moderate the marks awarded by internal examiners
has the right to conduct a viva voce examination of any candidate
must attend the meetings of the relevant examination committee /
board of examiners
report to the university on the effectiveness of the student assessment
Please see Regulations C11.3.3 - C13.1.5 - C13.6
Disagreements
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Matters of principle
Disagreements between external examiner(s) and Boards of Examiners
Disagreements between external examiners
External Examiners have the opportunity to raise serious matters of
concern directly with the Vice-Chancellor
Examiners may also contact the QAA directly via their “Concerns
Scheme” where they have serious concern relating to systemic failings
with the academic standards of a programme or programmes and have
exhausted all published applicable internal procedures
www.qaa.ac.uk/complaints/concerns/pages/default.aspx
External Examiners’ Reports (1)
Need to include:
• comments on the curriculum, learning/teaching methods &
resourcing
• the overall performance of the students in relation to their
peers
• the strengths and weaknesses of students
• the structure, organisation, design & marking of all
assessments
• the quality of teaching as indicated by student performance
External Examiners’ Reports (2)
Should directly address the issues listed on the report form
Must not identify individual students or members of staff
Should be submitted electronically
Can be rejected for being too short
Are read within faculties and within the Quality Assurance
Directorate
Form the basis for internal university reports
Will be anonymized and printed on our web pages
External Examiner Reports (3)
• Where you are examining a franchised or joint
collaborative delivery of an award you are
specifically asked to comment on that delivery
within the report template. We would expect
that you would elucidate which delivery of the
award you are referring to in your comments.
Response to External Examiner
Reports
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A written response is required from the course leader within 30 working days of
their receipt of you report.
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Where an examiner has put a no against any of the first three items on the report
summary page the report will be sent to the Deputy Vice-chancellor with
responsibility for Quality Assurance and Student Experience and the Dean of
Faculty for comment
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Where the examiner has raised particular issues of concern these will be
addressed within the response and a proposed action plan to address the issues
will be implemented or a reason given as to why the issues cannot or will not be
addressed.
EXTERNAL EXAMINER FEES AND
EXPENSES
You will be sent from the QAFP team via e-mail around Easter time a link
to our web pages where you will find:
• report templates and an expenses claim form to fill out when you have
completed your examining duties
• You are required to fill out a risk assessment and insurance declaration
for EACH year of your tenure for any car journeys that you make during
your duties if you fail to do so then your travel expenses will not be paid
to you
Contact Details
Carol Blackall, QAFP, 0113 8123919
c.blackall@leedsmet.ac.uk
Or
external-examiners-admin@leedsmet.ac.uk
The Assessment Cycle (1)
• Assessments approved by External Examiner(s)
• Coursework and deadlines
• Late submission penalties, (excludes Bank Hols / weekends or other days
when the university is considered closed)
• Full Time-5% per day, Part Time-5% per 2 days
• 0% if more than 10 days late
• Written examinations
• Invigilators’ reports
• Marking and Internal Moderation
• Unfair Practice Investigations Boards
• Mitigation Panels
The Assessment Cycle(2)
• Examination Committees (Ratify module marks)
• Board of Examiners pre-meeting (internal)
• Board of Examiners (determine progression and awards)
• Results-on-line (within 5 working days)
• Re-assessment (no Examination Committee required)
• Reconvened Board of Examiners
• Appeal panels
Unfair Practice Boards : Remit for Proven
Cases
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Requirement to undertake the assessment again at next available opportunity,
normally a different piece of assessment
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Each case considered and on the basis of:
• the gravity of the case
• the circumstances of the case
• the level at which the offence took place
• whether the offence was a repeat offence
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Penalty imposed by UPB:
• Full Range of marks, cap at 40%, cap at 30% or fail level and required to
withdraw
• Penalty implemented by BOE
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Letters of advice, warning, final warning and requirement to withdraw issued
Mitigation Panel: Remit
• From 13/14 University operates a fit to sit policy
• Established at school or faculty level
• Student requests mitigation and provides evidence
• Determines: Assessments affected and category of seriousness:
A: very serious, range of options open to Board of Examiners
B: sufficient to warrant deferral
or
Mitigation rejected
• Panel decides the extenuating circumstances category to be presented to
Boards of Examiners and provides report for the Board
Examination Committee: Remit
Determine the standard of student module assessment
outcomes
• Consider amendment of cohort’s marks as appropriate
(not individual students)
• Record credit where the student is not presented for
progression or award
For example part time, postgraduate etc.
• Notes cases of cheating, plagiarism and unfair practice
and mitigation (spent?)
• Determine student progression (level 4 only)
• Results-on-line – within 5 working days
Board of Examiners: Remit
• Assess students in accordance with the regulations
• Consider mitigation outcomes Category A only
• Implement outcomes of Unfair Practice Boards
• Determine the outcomes of re-assessment (where relevant)
• Determine student progression
• Determine student awards
Reassessment
• Opportunity for re-assessment is given once only
• Any failed module (mark of < 40%) can be
reassessed
• Each failed component within a failed module will
be reassessed
• Student’s decision whether to take re-assessment
opportunities unless a professional body
requirement
• Maximum mark 40% for reassessed component
Progression from Level 4 to 5
from Level and 5 to 6
Students must:
• study modules worth 120 credit points at the level (20 credit modules)
• must submit work for every component of assessment
• achieve an average across the whole level of 40% or more
• pass (achieve 40% in) modules worth at least 100 credit points
• meet any Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements
• meet any determined prerequisites
Students may:
• fail one module but must achieve no less than 30%
Foundation Degree – Merit,
Distinction
Available dependant on specific course
regulations
• Merit – An average of level 5 module marks
between 60% and 69%
• Distinction – An average of level 5 module
marks 70% or more
Determination of Classification of
Honours
The average mark calculated from
• the best 105 credit points at level 5 weighted at 25%
and
• the best 105 credit points at level 6 weighted at 75%
Students enrolled on to former regulations (2011/12 or before)
• any borderline classification outcomes will be calculated using both this
and the former methods
• whichever provides the better outcome for the student will be applied,
ensuring no continuing student will be disadvantaged.
The Former Method
Weighted Average:
All level 5 average (25% weighting)
plus
All level 6 average (75% weighting)
or
Profiling:
The attribution of a weighting to modules in each classification band (0.25 for
level 5 and 0.75 for level 6). A cumulative total of more than 4 in a given
classification band secures that classification.
Achievement of Masters
Students must:
• study modules worth 180 credit points
• must submit work for every component of assessment
• achieve an average across the whole level of 40% or more
• pass (achieve 40% in) modules worth at least 160 credit points
• meet any Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements
• meet any determined prerequisites
Students may:
• fail one 20 credit module but must achieve no less than 30%
• dependant on specific course regulations be awarded:
– Merit for average between 60% to 69%
– Distinction for average 70% or over
Outcome of Board of Examiners
• Decision codes
– PA Pass Award
– PP Pass Proceed
– DE Deferred not allowed to proceed
– DP Deferred – allowed to proceed (passed but may improve marks)
– FW Fail withdraw (little evidence of engagement largely due to NS)
– CP Components Pending – unable to progress to next level
– FR Fail Repeat (failed less than or = 50% of level - repeat failed
modules only)
– FL Fail Level (more than 50% of modules failed – repeat the level)
• Final level only required to repeat failed modules
Contained Awards
Undergraduate
Certificate
60 credits Level 4
Certificate of HE
120 credits Level 4
Diploma
120 credits Level 4 + 60 credits level 5
Diploma of HE
120 credits Level 4 + 120 credits level 5
Bachelor Degree
60 credits at Level 6
Postgraduate
Postgraduate Certificate 60 credits at Level M
Postgraduate Diploma
120 credits at Level M
QUESTIONS ???