External examiner guidance note

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External examiner guidance note

• External examining at the University of
  Westminster
• Assessment Structure at the University modules,
  courses and Boards.
• Role of external examiners on Subject Boards
• Attendance at Boards
• Subject Boards what you should see
• Role of external examiners on Conferment Boards
• The external examiners Annual report
• Fees and expenses

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1 External examining at the University of
Westminster

• The University has about 350 external examiners.
  Most are from other HE institutions but a large
  number are practitioners.
• The main purposes of external examining are
• to verify that standards are appropriate for the
  award or award elements which the external
  examiner has been appointed to examine
• to assist in the comparison of academic standards
  across higher education awards and award elements
• to ensure that assessment processes are fair and
  are fairly operated and are in line with the
  Regulations.

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2 Formal structure of Assessment framework and
assessment calendar

• Courses conform to a common modular framework.
  There are two semesters each academic year.
  Boards take place mainly in June/July but they
  are also held in the autumn for postgraduate
  students and undergraduate students granted
  deferred resits.
• Full details of the University's modular
  frameworks (postgraduate and undergraduate) are
  published in the Handbook of Academic Regulations
• External examiners are required to advise on all
  assessments for work at undergraduate Credit
  Levels 5 and 6 and postgraduate Credit Level 7.
  However, external examiners are appointed to
  Credit Levels 3 and 4 programmes for discrete
  programmes e.g. Foundation Courses.

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3 Process of nomination

• The nomination of external examiners to a Subject
  and/or Conferment Board is the responsibility of
  the Dean of School which hosts the Board.
• All such appointments require the approval of the
  member of the Vice-Chancellors Executive Group
  with responsibility for Academic Quality.
• Normally a team of external examiners is
  identified by subject, with responsibility for a
  group of modules, or a course scheme.
• Continuity between teams of external examiners is
  planned to avoid simultaneous reappointment of
  the whole team.

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4 Induction

• With the appointment letter issued by the
  Academic Registrars Department a new external
  examiner is provided with a copy of the proforma
  for their annual report and a copy of the
  Universitys Handbook of Academic Regulations.
• The Course Leader or main contact in the School
  which hosts the subject/course provides the
  up-to-date Course Handbook and arranges a visit
  to the School to meet the teaching team, and
  agree the arrangements for the external
  examiners involvement in the assessment process.

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5 Particular Guidance

• A member of staff from the School which hosts the
  Board to which the external examiner has been
  appointed will provide full briefing on awards
  within the remit of the board.
• External examiners will receive definitive course
  documents and course specific regulations for
  each.
• External examiners may be invited to attend an
  Assessment Board as an observer prior to formal
  involvement in assessment at the University
  and/or a more informal meeting.

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6 Formal structure of Assessment two types of
Board

• There is a two stage arrangement for Assessment
  Boards module results for all modules grouped in
  a subject area are considered at a Subject Board
• The accumulated module results of individual
  students are forwarded to a Conferment Board
  which makes awards and considers progression and
  exclusion issues.
• In many cases dates of Subject and Conferment
  Boards are separated by a week or more in order
  that results from a number of Subject Boards can
  be collated for submission to one Conferment
  Board. However, where all students on a
  postgraduate course take modules in just one
  subject area, the Subject and Conferment Board
  may be combined.

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7 Subject Board External Examiners

• External examiners are nominated for appointment
  to specific named Subject Boards and given
  responsibility for specified modules, or
  subjects.
• The role of Subject Board external examiners is
  to judge whether students, as a group, have been
  fairly assessed in relation to the objectives and
  syllabus of modules and have reached the required
  standard.
• These judgements are made in the context of
  knowledge of standards applied in comparable
  courses elsewhere and levels of student
  attainment in previous years.
• External examiners also attest that assessment
  regulations have been fairly applied ensuring
  parity of judgement for all students taking a
  module and comment on the assessment process and
  procedures.

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8 Role of External Examiners on Subject Boards

• The subject specialist external examiners
  primary role is that of an arbiter of the
  assessment process and of standards set by
  internal examiners.
• The external examiner should not offer assessment
  judgements in individual cases or arbitrate in
  cases of difference of judgement between internal
  assessors.
• The role of the external examiner at Subject
  Boards is to provide an overview of the
  consistency and appropriateness of standards of
  assessment set by the internal markers.
• The external examiner has the right to receive
  and moderate the full range of marks awarded by
  internal examiners.
• Where an external examiner feels that, on the
  basis of the sample they have seen, work has been
  over or under-marked, they should advise that all
  the marks for that paper be adjusted by a given
  margin. So the whole group will be altered plus
  or minus X.
• Where an external examiner perceives that marking
  is inconsistent they should advise that the work
  of all students in the group be marked and
  moderated by a third internal marker.
• Although judgements are normally made on the
  basis of samples of work, subject specialist
  external examiners have the right to receive any
  piece of assessed module work within their remit.

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9 Attendance at Boards

• Subject Board external examiners are required to
• visit the University at least twice and no more
  than three times a year, either to attend Subject
  Board meetings and/or to view coursework
  assignments and meet staff and students
• attend Subject Board meetings and formally agree
  marks and decisions on reassessment opportunities
  in the case of failed modules. Pass lists cannot
  be released unless marks have been formally
  ratified and signed by the external examiners
• in the event of their unavoidably being prevented
  from attending any Board meeting, submit a
  written statement confirming agreement with, or
  explaining dissent from, assessment decisions
• agree the formal record of the Subject Board
  meetings.
• Subject Board external examiners will be given
  the opportunity to meet together at the
  University at least once a year to discuss
  assessment practices and standards in respect of
  the Subject Board to which they have been
  appointed as a group.

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Attendance at Boards 2

• External examiners have the right to attend any
  Subject Board of which they are a member.
• External examiners will be advised of scheduled
  Assessment Board dates well in advance, and in
  particular of days when attendance at the
  University will be required.
• Wherever possible provisional dates will be
  cross-checked before being finalised to avoid a
  clash of assessment boards or other engagements.
  Once notified to external examiners board dates
  will only be changed in exceptional
  circumstances.

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10 Subject Boards what external examiners
should see

• Prior to assessment external examiners will be
  asked to agree
• the form and content of all examination papers,
  and in-course assignments which contribute 30 or
  more to the module.
• the means by which coursework assessments shall
  be approved, in order to ensure that all students
  will be assessed fairly in relation to the module
  syllabus and regulations and in such a way that
  external examiners will be able to judge whether
  they have fulfilled the learning outcomes of the
  module and reached the required standard
• After the assessment, in order to ensure that
  marking is appropriate for the credit level of
  the assessment, external examiners will
  receive/view for comment a representative sample
  of internally marked work
• this sample would normally be between 10 and
  25 of the total and would include work of
  students with the highest marks in the module,
  failure and borderline failure marks and samples
  of work of students across the full range of
  marks.
• Papers sent should be accompanied by
• the module syllabus and the full schedule of
  assessment
• the tabulation of all marks for all students in
  each module
• a sample of oral examinations conducted by
  internal examiners.

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11 Conferment Board external examiners

• The role of Conferment Board external examiners
  is to ensure the fair and equitable application
  of the Universitys regulations on credit
  accumulation, and the course specific regulations
  for each award, in decisions on the award of
  qualifications to students.
• This includes decisions on the classification of
  awards and decisions on exclusions.
• External examiners take part in all work of
  Conferment Boards including the award of
  intermediate awards, and discrete Foundation
  Certificates.

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12 Conferment Boards the role

• This role requires Conferment Board external
  examiners to
• attend Conferment Boards for final awards and
  exclusions except for intermediate awards, where,
  with prior agreement, they may be involved by
  correspondence
• agree awards, and classifications of these
  awards, and participate in any decision to
  exclude a student from a programme of study on
  academic grounds
• contribute to the adjudication of difficult
  cases and judgements about whether candidates
  have fully complied with the course assessment
  requirements and qualifications
• agree the formal record of the Conferment Board
  meetings
• In the event of their unavoidably being
  prevented from attending any Assessment Board
  meeting, submit a written statement confirming
  agreement with, or explaining dissent from,
  assessment decisions
• External examiners may also be consulted on any
  significant proposed changes to course specific
  assessment regulations.

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13 Annual meetings for external examiners

• The School which hosts the subject/course must
  ensure that all the external examiners as a team
  are provided with the opportunity to meet
  together as a group at least once a year. Schools
  are also encouraged to arrange an external
  examiners forum for all externals to meet with
  key members of the teaching team and
  administrators, to discuss common issues.

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14 The external examiners annual report

• All external examiners are required to submit an
  Annual Report at the end of each session
  normally June for undergraduate provision and
  October for postgraduate provision
• We prefer the report to be sent via the intranet
  using our webpage www.wmin.ac.uk/ee
• Conferment external examiners are required to
  submit an annual report commenting on
• the overall performance of candidates on each
  course
• the distribution of results across
  classifications
• the implications of results for the course
  design
• Conferment Board procedures
• issues arising from assessments of course
  schemes as a whole
• conduct of assessment boards.

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Annual report 2

• The University encourages examiners to provide
  candid comments and the annual report should be
  presented as fully and objectively as possible.
• The annual report should be submitted within six
  weeks of the meeting of the main board.
• The written text should address the areas
  indicated in the Report Guidance Note
  www.wmin.ac.uk/ee
• The short questionnaire is a numerical scoring
  system. It can be completed in hard copy or
  on-line at www.wmin.ac.uk/ee
• Annual Report 3 the short questionnaire
• This questionnaire is used as a thumbnail guide
  to all aspects of the provision.
• As a guide to the scale of values external
  examiners should be aware that where a score of
  1 poor is indicated, this matter will
  normally be drawn to the immediate attention of
  the University and where a score of 5
  excellent is indicated, this matter will be
  noted as an example of best practice.
• For these reasons external examiners are asked to
  use 1 or 5 only where it is strictly
  appropriate.

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Annual Report 3 the short questionnaire
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Annual Report 4 submission via the web
If you type your report as a word-processed
document you can send it to the University via
our website. To enter the website you will need
your external examiner i.d. a number printed on
correspondence from the Academic Registrars
Department. If you lose your i.d. send an email
to farra_at_wmin.ac.uk and we will send you a
reminder.
At the bottom of the page attach the file
containing your report by using the Browse button
and then choose the file then press submit.
That is all you need to do.
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19 The function of the Annual Report in quality
assurance

• All reports are acknowledged on receipt and
  subsequently a written response is made from the
  Dean of School, or nominee, addressing the
  substantive issues in each report and outlining
  actions to be taken as a result of the examiner's
  comments.
• Reports form part of the documentary input to
  three exercises
• the annual monitoring of all courses within
  each Campus to assess whether each is meeting its
  stated objectives and maintaining the standard of
  the award to which it leads
• the annual review at the University of
  Westminster of all reports from the previous
  academic session which seeks to identify common
  cross-institutional issues arising in assessment
• - the Campus Review Panel undertaken when
  each course or wider programme is considered for
  re-approval (this normally occurs every six
  years).

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20 Response to report

• The Dean of School with academic responsibility
  for an Assessment Board or course, is responsible
  for ensuring that a written reply is made to each
  report and that appropriate action is taken in
  response to the points raised by the external
  examiner. The task of writing responses may be
  delegated, eg to the Head of Department or the
  Course Leader.
• Responses are normally sent to external examiners
  no later than the end of the term following the
  Board meeting to which they relate.
• The Dean of School identifies any issues (e.g.
  resources) which are outside his/her control and
  refers the report to the appropriate office
• Reports are discussed during the relevant Campus
  Academic Standards Group auditing exercise and
  they are included by the Course Team in Course
  Review documents at periodic Review (every six
  years), with a commentary from the Course Team.
  External examiner reports are also used by
  external bodies, e.g., professional bodies and
  the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), in their
  review exercises.

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21 Academic Standards Officers annual report to
Academic Council

• The Academic Standards Officer in the University
  Academic Registrars Department conducts an
  independent audit of all external examiner
  reports along with the responses to them. A
  critical read is undertaken to identify any
  general points, particularly on assessment
  procedures, issues of concern and to draw out
  aspects of good practice worth disseminating.
• The conclusions may lead to recommendations to
  Academic Council for changes to policy or
  guidelines on external examining.

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22 External examiners fees and expenses

• The annual fee for involvement and attendance
  at Subject Boards is 360. This may be
  supplemented if the external examiner is required
  to make additional visits to the University
  beyond the standard three visits per annum for
  attendance at a Conferment Board or a Resit
  Board. The supplementary fee is 75 per annum.
• Expenses are paid upon receipt of a claim form
  along with supporting receipts.
• The fee is paid upon receipt of the
  appropriate fee claim form in one single annual
  sum, normally in the period after the main summer
  Board. The fee is payable only upon receipt of
  the annual report and assumes at least one visit
  per year to the University.
• Budgetary requirements specify that the
  external examiners annual fee must be claimed
  within twelve months of the end of the session
  for which the fee is due.
• The University prefers to pay fees directly
  into the external examiners bank account and
  external examiners are requested to provide the
  relevant details on the claim form. However, this
  facility is not available for external examiners
  who live overseas where payment will be made by
  cheque.
• There are separate forms for fees for external
  examiners involved in the assessment of higher
  degrees FIN015 and for undergraduate modules,
  and for expenses. Forms should be available at
  all Assessment Boards attended and may also be
  obtained from the Academic Registrars Department
  farra_at_wmin.ac.uk

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23 Financial Information For External Examiners

• Tax and National Insurance Deductions
• The Inland Revenue (PAYE and National Insurance
  Contributions Offices) requires the University to
  deduct tax under PAYE and also National Insurance
  from fees paid to external examiners who are
  appointed to undergraduate modules, whilst those
  appointed to higher degree modules are paid a
  gross fee.
• External Examiners who are assessed under
  Schedule D should ask their own tax office to
  give authority to the University of Westminster's
  tax office for fees to be paid without the
  deduction of PAYE.
• External examiners who pay the maximum National
  Insurance in their main employment should obtain
  Form CA2700 from the Inland Revenue NI
  Contributions Office for the deferment from
  National Insurance contributions. Your National
  Insurance number should always be quoted when
  corresponding with the following departments.

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24 Financial Information For External Examiners 2

• The address of the University's Tax Office is
• Inland Revenue
• Bradford Beckside
• Centenary Court
• 1 St Blaise Way
• BRADFORD
• West Yorkshire
• BD1 4YD
• Please quote reference 073/P1111A
• Telephone [phone]
•  
• The address of the Inland Revenue NI
  Contributions Office is
• Services
• Linisfarne House
• Longbenton
• NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
• NE98 1ZZ

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Expenses

• The University will contribute to expenses
  incurred by external examiners when involved in
  the assessment of its students as follows
• Travel
• The standard reimbursement level for travel costs
  is based on the appropriate second class National
  Rail train fare. However, it may be more
  convenient and economical for an examiner to
  travel by car from less accessible locations or
  by plane when travelling especially long
  distances. For travel by car, the current
  mileage allowance will be paid by the Academic
  Registrars Dept (please contact this Dept for
  details). For travel by plane, please contact
  the Academic Registrars Dept to secure approval
  for economy rate air tickets.
• Meals
• Reasonable allowances towards the cost of meals
  will be paid.

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Expensescont.

• Receipts
• The University of Westminster has been advised by
  its auditors that expenses can only be reimbursed
  on the submission of all relevant receipts.
• Accommodation
• When the assessment covers more than one day, or
  an examiner has to travel considerable distances,
  overnight accommodation may be necessary. The
  Academic Registrars Dept holds accounts with two
  central London Hotels, and also two hotels at
  Harrow. If accommodation is required, please
  advise the University as early as possible. You
  should contact the School Office, or the Academic
  Registrars Dept and a reservation will be made
  for you.
• May 2007