1. External Examiners Induction 22 February 2017
Working with the School: what to expect and when to expect it!
Dr Sandra Frisby
Director of Undergraduate Assessment
School of Law

2. The Assessment Year Three (and a bit) assessment diets
January – February
May – June
August – September (the ‘resit/first sit’ period)
October (postgraduate dissertations)
The process and when you can expect to hear from the School
Approval/confirmation of assessment questions
Mid-November, mid-March/early April, mid-July
Moderation of assessments
During each of the assessment diets
And in relation to postgraduate dissertations, in late October
The Examinations Board
Generally, mid-June (undergraduate and postgraduate) and mid-November (postgraduate)

3. Vital Contacts!
The School’s Examinations secretary/administrator (aka the Oracle…)
Will usually send out assessment questions for approval
Online access may be provided
Will liaise with School markers to send out assessments for moderation
Will provide information on key dates (including Examiners Boards)
The School’s Examinations Officer/Director of Assessment/Chair of Examinations
May be split between undergraduate and postgraduate assessments
Will liaise with you regarding specific issues you raise in examiners’ reports
Will provide information on classification or progression regulations
Module Convenors
Can provide information on Modules allocated to you and supply materials if requested
Will offer an overview of student performance in a Module assessment and will draw attention to any issues requiring your attention

4. Approval of Assessment Questions
The process
Internal scrutiny meetings attended by staff involved in setting assessments
Consideration of clarity, conformity with internal protocols etc.
Sent for external approval
Checking for clarity and content
Liaison with examinations secretary/examinations officer or Module convenor in relation to queries or suggested amendments
Response to queries or suggested amendments

5. Moderation 1 You should generally receive…
Sample of assessments from a range of classifications
A copy of the assessment questions (examination paper or coursework questions), a copy of the marksheet for the Module, and a ‘flag’ towards any assessments requiring specific attention
Information on any specific issues relating to the conduct of the assessment
You might like to receive (and can request!)…
Further samples, or even all assessments
Any internally produced marking guidelines/criteria

6. Moderation 2 Internal Examiners will usually seek your views on:
Consistency of marking
Especially where a number of markers are involved in the assessment
With any marking guidelines/criteria provided
The appropriateness of the ‘level’ of marking
Have we been too stingy or overly generous?
Specific assessments
Usually where the mark awarded is on a borderline and there is an ‘unusual’ element involved
For example, the three question examination paper with two excellent answers and a somewhat less excellent third answer!
Tip of the day!
Keep a copy of your response! It will come in handy when writing your External Examiner’s Report!

7. The Examinations Board
We have a nice hotel here…
Matters likely to arise
Degree classification and the application of the regulations
You should have been provided in advance with classification regulations for the School
Regulations vary from institution to institution! You can always request clarification in advance
The impact of the new classification regulations
The impact of extenuating circumstances on degree classification or progression
Will usually have been screened at a pre-Board meeting of the internal examinations team
Your views on how similar cases might be dealt with at your own institution
Any unusual circumstances that effected the assessment procedure
Steps taken by the School in this regard (e.g., raising marks across the Module to take account of unforeseen events)

8. Making your task manageable
You should feel absolutely free to ask whatever you feel is necessary of the School