Board of Examiners Staff Development Sessions

Faculty / Quality Assurance Services

Aims of the Session

• Provide a brief overview of EC and BOE process

• Provide details of the current regulations and how they should be applied

• Provide the opportunity to rehearse the BOE process

PART A

General Overview Examination Committees

Board of Examiners

Examination Committees &Board of Examiners

Examination Committee (Module Outcomes) – The Board can delegate some of its powers to an Examination Committee. A Committee will consider outcomes at module level, confirm credit and may determine progression at level 4.

Board of Examiners (Progression and Awards) – Each scheme or course has only one Board of Examiners, which is responsible for all levels. No other body has the power to confer an award or to amend a decision of the Board (except an Appeal Panel).

Assessment Cycle• Assessment design and approval (by external examiners)• Coursework and examinations (including requests for

extensions)• Marking and internal and external moderation• Faculty Mitigation Panels and University Unfair Practice

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

Key Points to Remember:Examination Committees

• Determine standard of module outcomes• Consider the amendment of cohort marks as

appropriate• Record credit (where no BOE - progression or award)• Note cases of Cheating, Plagiarism or Other Unfair

Practice• Progression from L4 to L5• All external examiners expected to attend

Key Points to Remember:Boards of Examiners

• Only body with power to determine Progression and Awards

• Receive Faculty Mitigation Panel recommendations • Receive and implement UPB decisions as

appropriate• Confirming entitlement to Contained Awards• Publish Results Online (within 5 Working Days)• One or all external examiner(s) must attend

Board of Examiners - RolesThere are various roles at a Board of Examiners:Chair:Conduct the meeting; advise on regulations; sign the marks sheet and results list; checking minutes; chair’s actionsScheme / Course Leader:Ensuring moderation has occurred; timely marks to BOE; advising students post-outcomesModule Leader:Ensuring modules have been moderated; raising of any issues affecting cohort performance; advising students post-outcomes

Board of Examiners – Roles (cont.)

External Examiner:Assuring standards / consistency of outcomes; signing marks sheet; provide annual report

Secretary:Organising the meeting; preparing marks sheets; minuting outcomes; entering outcomes and releasing results

PART B

Progression and Award Requirements

RequirementsProgression L4 to L5

To proceed from Level 4 to Level 5, students must have:• Pursued a programme of study of 120C at L4 (including any

accreditation of prior learning)• Submitted in all components• Achieved a minimum of 40% or more in modules equivalent

to 100C at level 4 or above• Achieved an average of 30% or more in each module studied• Achieved an overall average of 40% or more across the level• May be re-assessed in all modules

Requirements Progression L5 to L6

To proceed from Level 5 to Level 6, students must have:• Pursued a programme of study of 120C at L5 (including any

accreditation of prior learning)• Submitted in all components• Achieved a minimum of 40% or more in modules equivalent

to 100C at level 5 or above• Achieved an average of 30% or more in each module studied• Achieved an overall average of 40% or more across the level• May be re-assessed in all modules

Final Level Requirements (UG)(Eligibility for an Award)

Requirement Current Regulations

Credits studied per level (inc. APL) 120 @ Final Level

Submission in… All Components

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

Overall Level Average - Across all modules 40% Min.

Min. Fail Mark 30

Re-assessment allowance Re-assessment in all modules

Re-assessment undertaken at... At component level

Compensation No compensation

Re-Assessment

Required where the student has…• Not submitted in ALL components of a module

- AND / OR -• Less than 40% OVERALL module score (after 1st sit)

How it works…• Re-assessed in components ‘NS’ or less than 40% ONLY• Re-assessed COMPONENTS capped at 40% (not module)

• Overall module score marked with ‘R’ (e.g. ‘45R’)

Repeating a Level

• Decided after Re-assessment• Permitted once only• ‘Fail Withdraw’ – Non-Submissions

(confirming entitlement to any contained awards)

Repeating (Cont.)

Repeat PART Level(Progression)

Repeat FULL Level(Progression)

Repeating at the Final Level

Passed 50% or more of Credit for Level

Passed less than 50% of Credit for Level

Repeat whatever Failed

Keep Marks for Passed Modules

All previous marks are ‘wiped out’

Keep Marks for Passed Modules

Applicable Classification Methods – (Honours Degrees)

• 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 with our university prior to August 2012 (i.e. is their ‘Admit Term’ 2011/12 or earlier)?”YES = OLD and NEW methods / NO = NEW method only

Classification Methods (BAH / BSCH)

Group 1 Students (2011/12 and earlier):• ‘Best 100’• Profile• Weighted L5 & L6 average

Group 2 Students (2012/13 and later):• ‘Best 100’ Only

‘Best 100’ Method• Average of Best 100 / 105* credits – Level 5 (25%)+• Average of Best 100 / 105* credits – Level 6 (75%)

Meaning…• Worst 15 / 20* credit module at L5 is not counted in level average

(before weighting @ 25%)• Worst 15/ 20* credit module at L6 is not counted in level average

(before weighting @ 75%)

*The figures will be amended for courses with a 15 or 20 credit structure.

Weighted Average and Profile – Group 1 students only (11/12 or earlier)

Weighted Average:Level 5 average – across ALL modules (25% weighting)

plus Level 6 average – across ALL modules (75% weighting)

or Profiling:The attribution of a weighting to modules in each classification band (0.25 for level 5 and 0.75 for level 6). A student must score MORE THAN half of the total within a classification band to receive it.

APL - APCL / APEL

• To be referred to as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) from September 2014

• Do not carry ‘marks’ – just credit• APL does not count towards any calculations• APL credit is automatically ‘dropped’ in ‘Best

100’ method

Requirements – Masters AwardsTo succeed on a Masters Award, students must have:• Pursued a programme of study of 180C at L7 (including any

accreditation of prior learning)• Submitted in all components• Achieved a minimum of 40% or more in modules equivalent to

160C at level 7 or above• Achieved an average of 30% or more in each module studied• Achieved an overall average of 40% or more across all modules

studied at this level• May be re-assessed in all modules

Requirements – PG DiplomaTo succeed on a PG Diploma, students must have:• Pursued a programme of study of 120C at L7 (including any

accreditation of prior learning)• Submitted in all components• Achieved a minimum of 40% or more in modules equivalent to

100C at level 7 or above• Achieved an average of 30% or more in each module studied• Achieved an overall average of 40% or more across all modules

studied at this level• May be re-assessed in all modules

Requirements – PG CertTo succeed on a PG Cert, students must have:• Pursued a programme of study of 60C at L7 • Submitted in all components• Achieved a minimum of 40% in all modules• Achieved an average of 40% or more across all modules studied

at this level• May be re-assessed in all modules

Final Level Requirements (PG)Requirement Regulations

Credits studied per level (inc. APL) 180 @ MA / MSC120 @ PGDIP60 @ PGCERT (No APL allowed)

Submission in… All Components

Passed Credits Min. (40% or more) MA / MSC = 160PGDIP = 100PGCERT = 60

Overall Level Average Across All Modules 40% min.

Min. Fail Mark 30PGCERT – Must pass all modules

Re-assessment allowance Re-assessment in all modules

Re-assessment undertaken at… At component level

Compensation No compensation

Merit and Distinctions

• Option for all awards except (BAH / BSCH)• Must be written into the course documents

Awarded based on achievement of:

• Merit - 60% Average (across all modules)• Distinction – 70% Average (across all modules)

-OR- • ‘A defined profile of achievement’

PART C

Board of Examiners Exercise

Exercise

• Work with a partner• Review the profiles provided• Act as a BOE meeting and make decisions

Points to remember:• Students have submitted in all components• All re-assessment have been taken• Look at all the details provided• Confirm eligibility for an award first

Exercise – Answers and Discussion

• What should the decisions be for each student?

• Why was that decision made?

Key Points / Questions to Consider

• Hold a pre-board meeting:– Chair, Secretary and Course Leader(s) to attend

• Agenda:– Are there any students who started or re-started the level

before August 2011?– Did the student’s current registration start before 2012/13?– Have all Chair’s Actions been addressed?– Review marks sheets – Discuss category A mitigation– Does the External Examiner need to be briefed on key

matters

Any questions?

Further information:• Guide to BOE and EChttps://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/partners/boards-of-examiners.htm

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

• Faculty Quality Assurance & Governance Teams / Quality Assurance Services