Putting the principles into practice: New QAA advice to support external examining

New advice developed by QAA aims to support higher education institutions to implement the External Examining Principles published earlier this year. The advice expands on these principles to give practical help to external examiners and the degree-awarding bodies that appoint them.

The advice is accompanied by a set of reflective questions based on the principles which examiners and institutions can use as a quick tool to evaluate their roles and approaches to external examining.

Speaking about the advice, QAA’s Director of Membership, Quality Enhancement and Standards, Dr Ailsa Crum said: ‘The external examining system is a key component of the arrangements for maintaining academic standards in UK higher education. This practical advice complements the External Examining Principles and supports the aim of protecting the value of UK degrees.’

This advice has been developed with, and for, the higher education sector. It links closely to the External Examiner Principles published as an addition to the UKSCQA Statement of Intent on degree classification, but, like those principles, it is not regulatory in any part of the UK.

The external examining advice is available via our public website. Its development has been funded by QAA Members and is made publicly available due to its role in supporting the Statement of Intent on degree classification.