Quality Assurance Regulations: Section N

Section N: External examiners for taught provision

 

External examiners are appointed to ensure fairness and equity in assessment, to safeguard academic standards, and to confirm that assessments are conducted in accordance with approved regulations.

 

N1.   The appointment of external examiners

All external examiner appointments must be approved by UTLC.

Course teams should normally submit nominations at least six months before the first assessments to which the proposed external examiner will be linked.

New external examiners should take up post three months before the retirement of their predecessor and remain in role for three months after the final assessments to support any reviews and mentor the incoming external examiner.

Appointments normally run from the September preceding the first assessments to the December following the last assessments. The standard term allows assessment of four successive cohorts and mentoring of the incoming external examiner. This typically equates to four years and three months but may be extended in exceptional circumstances.

External examiners should not normally hold more than the equivalent of two external examiner appointments at the same time.

In approving appointments, the University will ensure that external examiners are appropriately qualified, experienced, and independent.

All new external examiners must complete the University and School induction process.

 

N2.   Criteria for appointment of external examiners

These criteria reflect university policy and is based on guidance issued by the QAA in relation to the appointment of external examiners.

External examiners should:

• Normally hold a PhD (or equivalent).
• Be fluent in English.
• Be willing and able to work with electronic assessment materials.
• Have appropriate current standing, expertise, and experience to maintain sector-wide standards.

 

Evidence may include current or recent employment, ongoing engagement with higher education or professional practice, research or scholarly activity, curriculum awareness, assessment expertise (designing and operating a variety of assessment tasks appropriate to the subject and operating assessment regulations), and knowledge of UK academic standards, quality assurance and enhancement frameworks. Competence and experience relating to the enhancement of the student learning experience.

Where a proposed external examiner is drawn from outside higher education, UTLC may approve an exception where professional expertise is demonstrably equivalent.

External examiners should normally have recent examining or comparable experience at an appropriate level. Where none exists, applications must be supported by relevant alternative experience, and the individual must be appointed as part of an experienced examining team.

Exceptionally, an external examiner may have retired from full or part-time employment but must demonstrate continuing relevant involvement in higher education or the professions.

The external examining team should collectively provide appropriate breadth, balance, and professional or academic expertise, including practitioner representation where professional accreditation requires it.

 

N3.   Conflicts of interest

External examiners must be independent and impartial. The following arrangements are not permitted:

• More than one external examiner from the same institution within the team.
• Reciprocal external examining arrangements.
• Replacement from the same institution.
• Repeated sourcing from the same institution within five years.
• Sole practice-based external examiners on a course.
• More than six external examiners from the same institution within a School.

Within the previous five years, external examiners must not have had close personal, professional, or institutional links that could compromise objectivity, for example, being an external examiner for PGR provision within the institution.

Recognised conflicts of interest include sponsorship of students, assessing colleagues, being in a position to influence student employment, significant collaborative research links, close relationships with staff or students, or involvement in student placements within the external examiner’s organisation.

 

N4.   External examiner terms of office

External examiners are appointed for up to four years and three months. In exceptional circumstances, UTLC may approve a single extension of up to nine months, to a maximum of five years. With the exception of instances where a course being examined is terminated, further extensions are not permitted.

Exceptional circumstances include unplanned vacancies, highly specialised subjects, pressing operational or academic need, or limited course delivery during the term of office.

 

N5.   Termination of an external examiner’s contract

Premature termination may occur only in exceptional circumstances and must be approved by the PVC (T&L) following a written request from the Dean. Grounds are limited to failure to fulfil duties, serious deviation from university regulations, or irresolvable conflicts of interest. RSO will notify the external examiner of the decision.

 

N6.   Rights and responsibilities of external examiners (courses and modules)

The role of the external examiner(s) is to advise on the standards, fairness and academic integrity of assessment at both course and module level and, where appropriate, to consider student outcomes in accordance with the University’s Regulations for Awards.

 

General responsibilities

In order to carry out their responsibilities, the external examiner(s) will:

• Offer advice impartially, without being influenced by previous association with the course, staff or any students.
• Compare assessment standards and student achievement with those of similar modules and courses in higher education elsewhere.
• Scrutinise all new and significantly amended examinations and assessment briefs before they are released to students.
• Maintain the confidentiality of all course materials and student results.
• Complete the external examiner’s report in full within four weeks of the main course assessment meeting.
• Report to the chair of UTLC on any matters of serious concern arising from assessment which put at risk academic standards or the standard of the award.
• Make reference to relevant academic and professional benchmark standards in the evaluation of student performance.
• Make at least one visit to campus per year (in addition to the induction).

To carry out their responsibilities, the external examiner(s) will be:

• Expert in the relevant field(s) of study.
• Competent in assessing students’ knowledge and skills at higher education level.
• Impartial in judgement.
• Fully briefed on their role in line with the University’s regulations, having completed the University’s external examiner induction programme.

 

Module-level responsibilities

In relation to modules, the external examiner(s) will:

• Comment on the set of assessment activities for each module, ensuring that students are assessed fairly in line with the module specification(s).
• Be provided, where necessary, with the outcomes of module assessment meetings.
• Have the right to inspect all forms of assessed work.
• In line with the Regulations for Awards and University guidance for the moderation of marks, review the work of all students proposed for failure and samples of work for each other grade to ensure fairness across the cohort.
• Make recommendations regarding the moderation of marks or grades awarded by internal examiners.
• Comment on the conduct of assessments and contribute to developmental discussions with module teams where appropriate.

 

Course-level responsibilities

In relation to courses, the external examiner(s) will:

• Consider individual student results in the context of the Regulations for Awards.
• Be consulted on, and respond to, proposed changes to approved course assessment regulations that directly affect current students.
• Offer advice on progression and awards based on agreed module grades.
• Participate, as required, in reviews of decisions relating to individual students’ results during their period of office.
• Act as external examiner for a group of modules contributing to the course.

All progression and award decisions must be signed off by the external examiner prior to the release of results to students.

 

N8.   Courses which lie outside the CATS framework

Where Senate approves courses outside the CATS framework, external examiners will be appointed and responsibilities discharged through a board of examiners.

 

N9.   External examiner reports

Reports must be submitted to RSO within four weeks of the main course assessment meeting using the approved template. Reports address assessment conduct, student performance, academic standards, and areas for enhancement.

External examiners may report serious concerns directly to the chair of Senate.

 

N10. Feedback and response to external examiner reports

Course teams must respond to reports using the approved proforma, normally within one month. Responses include action plans, replies to specific concerns, and examples of good practice.

External examiners are required to approve the response. Reports and responses are considered through course committees, annual evaluation, and review processes, and must be completed within six months of receipt.

 

N11. External examiner induction

All new external examiners must complete the University and School induction process. These will include the provision of information on assessment meetings, course learning outcomes, module specifications, marking schemes, course and assessment regulations, and relevant University policies.

Upon appointment, the Reviews and Partnerships team in RSO will arrange inductions, including a face‑to‑face, school‑based induction between the course team and new external examiner(s).

As a minimum, course teams should share the following information with external examiner as part of the School‑level induction:

• Course handbook
• Course specification and module specifications
• Guidance on how marking and moderation operate for the course
• Details of collaborative provision associated with the course, where applicable
• Relevant QAA subject benchmark statement(s)
• An overview of PSRB requirements, where applicable
• Assessment schedule
• Student panel dates
• Course committee meeting dates
• Key contact details for the course team