Chairs of Boards of Examiners and Examination Committees:

Regulatory Requirements and Good Practice

Quality Assurance Services

Content of the Session• Part A: Overview of BoE/ Committee process

and your role in it• Part B: What’s new this year?• Part C: The regulatory requirements

Faculty feedback Discussion points/ Case Studies

Questions/ issues

PART A – Process Overview

• Assessment Cycle• Types of Meetings• Chairs Role• Other Roles

Discussion PointsApproval of assessment by ex/exs

Absence of examiners

Process Overview Assessment Cycle• Assessment design and approval prior to delivery• Coursework and examinations (mitigation @POA)• Marking and internal/ external moderation• Faculty Mitigation Panels and University Unfair Practice

Procedures• Examination Committees• Boards of Examiners (including pre-Board)• Publication of results (within 5 working days)• Appeals• Re-assessment• Reconvened Board of Examiners• Appeals

Process Overview Meetings

3 types • Examination Committee• Board of Examiners• Joint Board and Committee

Process Overview Examination Committee• Has authority to confirm module marks - ex/ex input

required @ Levels 5, 6 and 7• Has authority to progress students at Level 4 • Will note any cases of cheating, plagiarism or unfair

practice • Authority to award “stand alone” credit • Can implement FMP outcomes relating to Level 4

progression/ credit

Process Overview Board of Examiners• Determine student progression & award outcomes• Make recommendations on the conferment of awards• Apply outcomes to students’ individual extenuating

circumstances with due regard for FMP report• Apply outcomes to cases of unfair practice as defined

by UPB• Determine the outcomes of re-assessment

Process Overview Role of the Chair1. Hold a pre-meeting with the scheme or course leader and advise on any issues that might arise at the Board or Committee 2. Chair the meeting and ensure that the principles governing the Board or Committee are carried out with respect to standards, equity and fairness 3. Ensure attendance at the meeting is appropriate

4. Ensure that the all the items on the agenda are considered and that the decisions made are clear and framed by correct progression and award requirements 5. Advise the Board or Committee on regulatory issues which arise

Process Overview Role of the Chair6. Ensure that the decisions of the Board or Committee are subject to appropriate discussion

7. Sign the Board/ Committee marks sheet and ensure that these are also signed by external examiners 8. Check and sign the results lists

9. Take any Chair’s Actions identified by the Board, at the time, and notify the scheme or course leader 10. Check the unconfirmed minutes to ensure that the process of decision making is reflected appropriately – then confirm within 2 weeks

Process Overview

Role of Course Leader• Provides accurate and timely information to the board or committee• Attends both board & pre-board and briefs the chair on key matters • Presents specified agenda items including:

– Matters arising from external examiner reports– Exceptional matters affecting the cohort– Determination of outcomes

Process Overview

Role of Module Leader• Provides moderated marks to the CL in a timely fashion• Brings to the Chairs attention:

- any matters affecting module assessment- any errors on the marks spreadsheet

• Partakes in meeting decisions• Works with the CL to counsel students appropriately relative to outcomes

Process Overview Discussion PointsApproval of assessment by ex/ex• C5.9.3 External Examiners

Scheme/Course Leaders (or equivalent) will ensure that external examiners approve the form and content of proposed examination papers, coursework and other assessments which count towards an award above the level of CrtHE or towards the CrtHE if target award.

Process Overview Discussion PointsAbsence of examiners 1• Externals are required to attend both committee (C12.1.9/ 3.14) and Board (C12.1.10)

C12.3.13 Committee Membership• the Chair of the Board (or nominee)• Subject Group Leader• the Scheme/Course Leader (or equivalent)• all staff making a significant contribution to the modules under consideration

C12.2.13 Membership of Boards of Examiners• the Chair• the Scheme/Course Leader (or equivalent)• all internal examiners with significant responsibilities• at least one external examiner

Process Overview Discussion PointsAbsence of examiners 2C13.12.5 Absence of Internal ExaminersUnavoidable absences should be covered by:• written comments• a substitute when the absent person is representing a team of tutors.

C13.12.7 Absence of External Examiner: Advance Notice Given• written report from the external examiner is available to be tabled at the Board;• the Chair of the Board will attempt to arrange the attendance of another member of the external examiners

team/ another external examiner if no team

C13.12.8 Absence of External Examiners: No Notice Given• the Board of Examiners should still take place;• all decisions must be subject to the written consent of the external examiner;• consequently all initial decisions should be subject to “Chair’s Action

PART B – What’s New?• Refreshed agendas • Revised mitigation process (codes coming up)• 20 credit profiles now at Levels 4 and 5• Declining number of “level incomplete /old

progression regs” students

What’s New? Mitigation CodesE Extension Requested EG Extension Granted ED Extension Refused EE Extension Error AA Authorised Absence Requested AG Authorised Absence Granted AD Authorised Absence Refused AE Authorised Absence Error CE Capped Resit Error M Mitigation Requested MA Mitigation Granted Cat A MB Mitigation Granted Cat B MR Mitigation Refused MS Mitigation Spent ME Mitigation Error

PART C – PROGRESSION AND AWARD REGULATIONS

KEY MESSAGES:• Majority of progression decisions will now be based on a

single set of current requirements • Application of former and current methods relating to

classification remains a constant• A student’s “ADMIT TERM” remains critical

Discussion PointsContained awards

Outstanding mattersArticulation case study

RoundingRepeat Part Level

APR PROGRESSION: L4 to L5To proceed from L4 to L5, students must have:• Pursued a programme of study of 120cp minimum at L4

(including APL)• Submitted in all components• Achieved a minimum of 40% or more in modules equivalent

to 100cp at L4 or above• Achieved an average of 30% or more in each module • Achieved an overall level average of 40%

May be re-assessed in all modules @ component levelNo compensation

APR PROGRESSION: L5 to L6To proceed from L5 to L6, students must have:• Pursued a programme of study of 120cp minimum at L5

(including APL)• Submitted in all components• Achieved a minimum of 40% or more in modules equivalent

to 100cp at L5 or above• Achieved an average of 30% or more in each module studied• Achieved an overall level average of 40%

May be re-assessed in all modules @ component levelNo compensation

APR FINAL LEVEL ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARD (UG)REQUIREMENT REGULATORY POSITION

Credits studied (inc. APL) 120 @ Final Level

Submission All Components

Passed Credits Min. (@ 40% or more) 100cp

Overall Level Average - Across all modules 40% Min.

Min. Fail Mark 30

Re-assessment allowance Re-assessment in all modules

Re-assessment undertaken At component level

Compensation No compensation

APR HONS. DEGREE CLASSIFICATION• Group 1 Students: Admit term = 2011/12 or earlier• Group 2 Students: Admit term = 2012/13 or later

“Did the student start their current registration prior to August 2012 (is their ‘Admit Term’ 2011/12 or earlier)?”

YES = FORMER & CURRENT methods (Group 1)Best 105/ Profiling/ Weighted Average

NO = NEW method only (Group 2)Best 105

SEE CASE STUDIES

APR Masters AwardsMasters students will study modules worth 180 credit points minimum and will need to pass modules worth at least 160 credit points to achieve their award.

This means they:• must achieve modules equivalent to 160 credit points with a mark of 40%

or more• must achieve an average across the whole of the level of 40% or more• may fail 20 credits and still achieve the award but they must attain no less

than 30%

PGDips – 100 out of 120 creditsPGCrts – 60 out of 60 credits

APR DISCUSSION POINTSDoes this MA student get a PGDip contained award?

APR DISCUSSION POINTSRaised by Chairs in advance of these sessions:

• Can outstanding matters from other Boards be brought to Boards for “capping off”?

EG – Students who disengaged some years ago and are now seeking credit/ CA’s

• Rounding – how does it really work in the reports? Component marks – are always integers (i.e. - no-one receives a component mark of 42.6); Module Marks/ Level average – may include decimals but would display as integers/ “back office” arithmetic does not round Apply weighting of 25 or 75% - may include decimals but would display as integers/ “back office” arithmetic does not round Final outcome would be rounded up or down but would be presented as a full integer

• Repeat Part Level If a student achieves passes in 50% + of a level, BoE outcome is generally “repeat part level”. Regs allow students to repeat full level – how are they given the option?

Further Questions?

FURTHER INFORMATIONGuide to BOE and EChttps://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/partners/boards-of-examiners.htm

Quality Manualhttps://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/partners/quality-manual.htm

• QAS Faculty Links• Faculty QA&G Teams