External examiners (taught programmes)

The role of the external examiner is to assure the academic standards set for, and achieved, by students and to assure the University that the assessment processes are sound and fairly operated by: 

• Providing the University with impartial and independent advice and informed comment on the institution’s academic standards and student achievement in relation to these standards, through oversight of the assessment process at the module and programme/award level.
• Scrutinising the marking and moderation procedures of the University, in order to ensure high academic standards, which are comparable with other universities in the sector.
• Moderating the assessment process through reviewing assessed work and marks awarded by internal examiners.
• Meeting with students and staff (as agreed between the School and the external examiner).
• Reviewing the form and content of draft examination papers and coursework assessments.
• Attending Board of Examiners meetings and scrutinising and endorsing outcomes.
• Contributing to the enhancement of the student learning experience.
• Providing an annual written report to the University on the above. 

Further information on the role can be found in the Guidance for external examiners (PDF - 575KB).

Legislation are cohort specific; therefore, external examiners should view the Regulation and Code of Practice specific to the year the students started their studies.

Cohort specific legislation page

External examiners should be familiar with the following documents, which are particularly relevant to their role. Here is the most current legislation for 2023-24: 

University of Birmingham Codes of Practice and Regulations

• Code of Practice on External Examining (Taught Provision) (PDF - 280KB)
• Code of Practice on Taught Programme and Module Assessment and Feedback (PDF - 483KB).
• Regulation Section 6: Programmes of Study (PDF - 205KB)
• Regulation Section 7: Assessment, Progression and Award (PDF - 430KB) 
• Regulation Section 7 key points (PDF - 182KB)
• Regulation Section 8: Student Conduct (PDF - 154KB)

External examiners may also find it useful to review the following Codes of Practice

• Code of Practice on Academic Integrity (PDF - 241KB)
• Code of Practice on Misconduct and Fitness to Practise Committees (PDF - 230KB)
• Code of Practice on Extenuating Circumstances (PDF - 160KB)
• Code of Practice on Academic Appeals Procedure (PDF - 182KB)
• Code of Practice on Student Attendance / Engagement and Reasonable Diligence (PDF - 119KB)

Arrangements for graduating and continuing students in 2022-23

This letter (PDF - 286Kb) provides information for external examiners regarding the University’s arrangements for progresisng and awarding students in 2022-23 academic session.

Once your appointment has been confirmed, your School should send you the materials you will need for your role. These include:

• programme handbooks (to include programme specifications) and specific modular information
• student handbooks
• marking and assessment criteria, guidance on marking and moderation practices, and draft assessments
• key dates for the year (e.g. Board of Examiners meetings)
• relevant QAA subject benchmark statements, including how equality, diversity, and inclusion aspects within the benchmark are incorporated into the curriculum, assessment, and course material
• details of Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements where appropriate
• details of distance learning provision (if applicable)
• details of Apprenticeship programmes where appropriate (this includes the Apprenticeship Standard, Apprenticeship Assessment Plan, and the knowledge, skills and behaviours)
• details of programmes delivered on the University’s Dubai campus where appropriate
• details of microcredentials where appropriate

You may also be invited by the School to visit the University to help familiarise yourself with the programme(s) you have been asked to examine, or to attend days where students work is on display (e.g. Poster Days).

External examiner recommendations will take the form of a report, which is submitted via an online form. A unique link to your online form would normally be emailed to you at least six weeks before the report is due. Reports relating to undergraduate provision should normally be submitted by 10th July, and to postgraduate taught provision, by 9 November. External Examiner Report Questions (MS Word 60KB) may be useful to those who would like to see the questions in advance of completing the online form (however, please note that only submissions received via the online form will be accepted). Any issues raised will be responded to by the School and considered by the University's Quality Assurance Committee. 

This web page provides more detailed information for external examiners about submitting a report and how we respond.

The University encourages external examiners to meet with representative groups of students in order to discuss the students’ experiences of the programme of study, and feed this back to the School. The School should offer you this opportunity. If you believe the opportunity has not been offered, please let the School know.

Only external examiner(s) and students are to be present at the meeting to discuss student views. These meetings; 

• are usually held in relatively informal circumstances, such as over lunch
• may be incorporated into another visit (e.g., may be combined with a lab visit or project day visit). 
• can be held virtually or in-person to suit the circumstances and arrangements of the programmes, students, and external examiner. Meetings via Skype, for example, are permitted.
• can take place at any point in the academic session

University of Birmingham Dubai Campus

A number of programmes run on the University of Birmingham Dubai Campus. External examiners responsible for the Birmingham-based programme will be asked to scrutinise the equivalent Dubai-based programme. The School will provide you with details of programmes delivered on the University’s Dubai campus to enable scrutiny of the Dubai provision and comparability with Edgbaston equivalents

It is not envisaged that there will be any need for external examiners to travel to Dubai. Schools will provide all local information for external examiners involved with Dubai provision. 

Degree apprenticeships

The University offers a range of Degree Apprenticeships across several subject disciplines. Degree Apprenticeships combine academic study with practical, work-based learning, and lead to apprentices being occupationally competent in line with industry needs.  Degree Apprenticeships can be integrated (where the University embeds the End Point Assessment (EPA) into the degree programme) or non-integrated (where an external independent EPA Organisation is appointed to facilitate the final assessment).

In addition to reviewing Degree Apprenticeship programmes in line with standard University programmes, external examiners will also be required to have an understanding of the apprenticeship standard and work-based learning requirements. The School will provide you with details of Apprenticeship programmes, and this includes the Apprenticeship Standard, Apprenticeship Assessment Plan, and the knowledge, skills and behaviours to be demonstrated by students. 

The School concerned will agree an appropriate fee with the external examiner and will reimburse reasonable expenses incurred in performing the duties of the role. This web page provides information about the payment of external examiner fees and expenses.

The AdvanceHE Professional Development Course for External Examiners (self-paced online and Zoom) is available for all interested Birmingham staff with an interest in external examining (admin/QAA, aspiring, new or experienced External Examines) as well as current and incoming External Examiners to Birmingham programmes.

The course will:

• provide an understanding of the role of the external examiner as articulated in the UK Quality Code for Higher Education, 
• consolidate understanding of the nature of academic standards and professional judgement, and explore the implications for external examining
• develop an ability in using evidence-informed approaches to contribute to impartial, transparent judgements on academic standards and enhancing student learning.

For more details and to book onto the next course please register.

(NB – if you are unable to register via the link, or need further information, please contact the Higher Education Futures Institute (HEFi) hefi@contacts.bham.ac.uk )

Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) links:

• UK Quality Code Advice and Guidance: External Expertise
• UK Quality Code for Higher Education

Higher Education Academy (HEA) documents:

• A handbook for external examining

For questions about their appointment, fee or the programme they are examining, external examiners should contact the School concerned in the first instance.

If the School is unable to help, external examiners can contact Registry (policy and quality) at externalexaminers@contacts.bham.ac.uk

The University of Birmingham will process data relating to your appointment including your name, your current post, the Higher Education institute (or other place of work) that employs you, and the correspondence address, telephone and email address for your place of work. The University of Birmingham will keep a record of this data for a maximum period of five years from the end date of your appointment. Information collected will be used to ensure the University’s external examiner system operates in accordance with QAA requirements. Please note that external examiner annual reports will be retained indefinitely. To find out how the University uses personal data, please read our privacy statements.