The information and guidance on this page is intended for both current and prospective External Examiners at the University.
The UK Quality Code for Higher Education requires that 'Higher Education providers make scrupulous use of external examiners' and at the University of Winchester, External Examiners play a key role in assuring the University's academic standards and programme quality.
The University requires its External Examiners:
- To report to us on the appropriateness of the standards of its awards, by reference to published national subject benchmarks, the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, programme specifications and other relevant information
- To assist us in comparing academic standards across higher education awards and institutions
- To verify that standards are appropriate for the particular award for which the External Examiner takes responsibility
- to ensure that the assessment process, including the conduct of Exam Boards, is fair, equitable, rigorous and fairly operated in the marking, grading and classification of student performance
- To provide externality of opinion and objective advice on the processes involved in teaching and assessment
- To identify good practice worthy of commendation/wider dissemination
The formal means for external examiners to report to the University on these matters is through the Annual Report, following Exam Boards. Programmes are required to respond formally to these Annual Reports. This response, along with any actions, is contained in the Annual Programme Evaluation. Senate Academic Development Committee also has an overview of the Annual Reports through an annual summary that both disseminates good practice mapped to the University’s academic development themes and contains an action plan to address issues for institutional action.
Each year, newly appointed External Examiners are invited to an induction session, and the University takes care to ensure External Examiners are well briefed on their role and the reporting mechanism in place.
External Examiners can access the reporting website here.