External Examiners’ Induction

2012/2013

Quality Standards, Review and EnhancementQuality Assurance Directorate

External Examiners• Welcome• Introduction• Administration• Roles and responsibilities of External

Examiners/Advisers • The assessment cycle• Remit of Boards and Committees• Progression and Awards

AdministrationAppointment• 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 QSRE office

• Thereafter, the Faculty/College will communicate key dates to the Examiner and liaise regarding specific duties

AdministrationFees 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

• 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 ExaminersThe 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 ofExternal 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:

• 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 ofExternal Examiners (2)

The external examiner must:

• 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 ofExternal Examiners (3)

The external examiner :

• 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• 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

• They may 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

Response to External Examiner Reports

• Written response is required from the course leader within 30 working days.

• 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 Student Experience and the Dean of Faculty for comment

• 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.

• The response is submitted to the Faculty by the course leader for distribution to the External Examiner and QSRE Team.

EXTERNAL EXAMINER FEES AND EXPENSES

You will be sent from the QSRE 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 may claim your reasonable expenses for visits to the university at any time during the year by filling in an expenses claim form

• 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, QSRE, 0113 8123919c.blackall@leedsmet.ac.uk

Orexternal-examiners-admin@leedsmet.ac.uk

The Assessment Cycle (1)• Assessment specifications to External Examiner(s) for consideration• 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 Board• 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

Marking and Internal Moderation

• Marking completed by module team– Clear how marks for each student arrived at

• Internal Moderation– Within module team or additional academic(s)– Explicit evidence should be available for sample• Use of standard Moderated Sample for External

Examiners form• Size of sample of no. of students but min 6, max 15• Range of grades in sample top, middle, bottom

Unfair Practice Boards : Remit for Proven Cases

• Requirement to undertake the assessment again at next available opportunity, normally a different piece of assessment

• 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

• Penalty imposed on the resubmission of assessment by UPB:• Full Range of marks, cap at 40%, cap at 30% or failed level and required to

withdraw, actioned by BOEs• Letters of advice, warning, final warning and requirement to withdraw issued

Mitigation Panel: Remit• 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 ExaminersB: sufficient to warrant deferralC: not sufficiently serious to warrant deferral

• Panel decides the extenuating circumstances category to be presented to Boards of Examiners and provides report for the Board

Examination Committee: RemitDetermine 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 awardFor 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 (modules mark of < 40%) can be

reassessed (old regs only 50% of modules 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

UG Refocus

• In 2011/12 university went through refocus of all UG provision resulting in:– changing modules from 15 credits to 20 credits

with max of 2 assessment points per module – Included graduate attributes of: enterprise, digital

literacy and global outlook• Level 4 currently on the refocused awards

Progression from Level 4 to 5

Students must: • study modules worth 120 credit points at level 4 (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% or more 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 (20 credit) module but must achieve no less than 30%

Progression and Achievement at Level 5 and 6

Students must: • study modules worth 120 credit points at the level (15 credit modules)• must submit work for every component of assessment• achieve an average across the whole level of 40% or more• pass (achieve 40% or more in) modules worth at least 105 credit points• meet any Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements • meet any determined prerequisites

Students may:• fail one (15 credit) 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 (non refocused awards)

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)• classification outcomes will also be calculated using both this and the

former methods of weighted average and profiling• 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.

Determination of Classification of Honours (refocused awards)

• Generally from 2014/15

• The average mark calculated from – the best 100 credit points at level 5 weighted at 25%and– the best 100 credit points at level 6 weighted at 75%

Achievement of MastersStudents 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 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• Main decision codes

– PA Pass Award– PP Pass Proceed– DE Deferred not allowed to proceed – FW Fail withdraw (little evidence of engagement largely due to non

submission)– CP Components Pending – unable to progress to next level– FR Failed Complete/Repeat (failed <= 50% repeat part or all of the

level, Final level to repeat only failed modules)– FL Failed Level (>50% of modules failed – repeat full level)– LI Level incomplete (not studied the full level so not ready to be

presented for progression or an award)• Credit given for failed modules if progressing but no change in marks

Contained AwardsUndergraduateCertificate 60 credits Level 4 Certificate of HE 120 credits Level 4Diploma 120 credits Level 4 + 60

credits level 5Diploma of HE 120 credits Level 4 + 120

credits level 5Bachelor Degree 60 credits at Level 6

PostgraduatePostgraduate Certificate 60 credits at Level MPostgraduate Diploma 120 credits at Level M

QUESTIONS ???