General Board Guidance on the arrangements for external examiners

<strong>Guidance</strong> for External Examiners
3. <strong>Guidance</strong> for External Examiners on their role and responsibilities
Introduction
You should be informed on appointment whether you are a “Moderating External Examiner”
or an “External Examiner”; the main distinction between these is that External Examiners are
appointed for a single element of the examination (e.g. to mark the scripts of a single paper
or conduct performance or practical tests). The following guidance applies equally to both
appointments.
You should be contacted by a Chair of Examiners for your examination and should liaise
with him or her in most matters. On completion of your duties, you are requested to submit a
written report to the Vice-Chancellor 3 along with a report coversheet 4 , who will arrange for it
to be considered by both the Faculty or Department responsible for the examination and by
the <strong>General</strong> <strong>Board</strong> (see Appendix C or the Educational and Student Policy website 5 for
further details).
As a Moderating External Examiner or as an External Examiner, you are appointed as an
equal member of a <strong>Board</strong> of Examiners, who are appointed as a body to propose and settle
the examination requirements and draw up a list of successful candidates, within the
regulations for the examination concerned. All decisions are made as a consensus of the
<strong>Board</strong> as a whole. Where voting takes place, you have an equal vote to other members of
the <strong>Board</strong> of Examiners. The Chair of Examiners is expected to make clear to you your role.
Duties and responsibilities
The <strong>General</strong> <strong>Board</strong> are aware that there is some variability in the roles of Moderating
External Examiners and/or External Examiners across the University due to the complexity
and breadth of the courses and their underlying philosophies. Nevertheless, it considers that
all Moderating External Examiners and External Examiners shall undertake certain duties.
The following guidance outlines the expectations of the <strong>General</strong> <strong>Board</strong>, the body which will
consider your report and the response from the relevant Faculty or Department. The
responsibilities outlined in Appendix A are considered to be the standard responsibilities of a
Moderating External Examiner or an External Examiner. A Faculty <strong>Board</strong> or comparable
authority may choose to enhance the role with other duties and responsibilities: the Chair of
Examiners will explain these to you.
Documentation
On appointment, you will receive from Educational and Student Policy:
• a letter of appointment;
• this guidance document, including the three appendices;
• information on fees and expenses;
• a report coversheet, to be returned with a written report.
3 This can be submitted by email at vcexternalexaminers@admin.cam.ac.uk
4 The report coversheet is available electronically at
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/education/examiners/external.html
5 http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/education/examiners/index.html
Last reviewed: 29/08/2013 Page 8 of 17 SD