Standing Order 14 (IV)

Modular Validated Initial Degrees :

Examination and Assessment

OCTOBER 2003

Standing Order 14 IV

Modular Validated Initial Degrees : Examination and Assessment

General

This Standing Order is to be read in conjunction with the University of Wales Regulations for Modular Initial Degrees.

External Examiners

Procedures regarding external examiners are described in a separate booklet entitled Code of Practice for External Examiners, available from the University of Wales Validation Unit.

Unfair Practice

Details of the procedure to be operated in cases of alleged unfair practice are given in a separate booklet entitled Unfair Practice Procedure, which is also available from the Validation Unit.

Definitions

The following definitions shall apply in respect of this Standing Order (and of the corresponding University Regulations):

University examination/assessment	:	An examination/assessment which contributes to the award of a University qualification
External candidate	:	A candidate who has failed part or the whole of an assessment and who has been permitted by the Examining Board to re-register for assessment purposes only
Absence with good cause	:	A candidate who is absent from an examination because of documented illness, accident, close bereavement or on closely related compassionate grounds

Examining Boards

Constitution

1	Each Institution shall establish a final Examining Board or Boards to consider results and make recommendations on candidates pursuing schemes leading to the award of undergraduate qualifications.

2	For each final Examining Board there shall be:

(i)	A Chairperson appointed by the Institution who shall be a senior member of the full-time academic staff.

(ii)	An external examiner (or examiners) appointed by the University on the recommendation of the Institution.

(iii)	An internal examiner (or examiners) and/or representative(s) of relevant modules appointed by the Institution.

(iv)	The Chairperson of an Examining Board may invite appropriate persons to attend a meeting of an Examining Board in an advisory capacity. Such persons shall possess no voting rights.

The moderator(s) appointed by the University who shall attend in an advisory capacity.

3	Each Institution shall inform the Secretary General by 15 November of the names of the Chairperson whom it has appointed for each Examining Board.

Operation

4	Each Examining Board shall normally meet at the Institution concerned as and when required to consider students' performance and to make decisions on termination of study, progression and recommendations on award of degrees or intermediate awards as appropriate.

5	Where an Examining Board meets to consider the results of modular units of study only the following shall be required to be in attendance: the Chairperson, the relevant internal examiner(s) and the external examiner(s) (where the Examining Board is meeting after the main summer examining period, at the end of the session, or to award degrees, diplomas or certificates). The moderator shall attend in an advisory capacity.

6	During Semester One, the external examiner(s) shall perform all the tasks normally associated with examining such as the approval of examination papers. The external examiner(s) will not be required to attend Examining Board meetings (unless degrees, diplomas or certificates are to be awarded at such meetings) but may do so if he or she wishes. Consultation shall take place by correspondence or other appropriate means. The external examiner(s) shall attend Examining Board meetings and perform all functions normally associated with examining in Semester Two.

7	In the unexplained absence of any examiner from a meeting, the Chairperson shall take such steps as he/she thinks fit for the due performance of the business of the meeting, and may adjourn it for that purpose. If the Chairperson is absent, the Examining Board shall appoint one of its members to the Chair.

Information to be Supplied to Candidates

8	All candidates shall be informed in writing by the Institution concerned at the beginning of the relevant session of the following:

(i)	methods of assessment to be used in their schemes including the weighting given to the assessment components of each unit;

(ii)	information concerning the University's Verification and Appeals Procedures and Unfair Practice Procedures;

(iii)	that any exceptional personal circumstances which may have adversely affected their academic performance must be reported to the appropriate Examining Board(s) prior to the meetings of Examining Boards.

Presentation of Candidates

9	Each Institution shall inform the Secretary General by 1 March of those candidates who are eligible for a final University award and whose Examining Board meets prior to 1 June. Information regarding those candidates who are eligible for a final University award and whose Examining Board meets after 1 June must be received by 15 April.

10	In the case of final Examining Boards held outside this period, Institutions shall inform the Secretary General of eligible candidates at least one month prior to the Board meeting.

Preparation of Examination Papers

11	Draft papers shall be prepared by each Examining Board (and, where this has been agreed previously, in consultation with the moderator) be approved by the external examiners(s). Draft papers shall be submitted to the Validation Unit at least ten weeks before the commencement of the examination.

12	The following requirements shall be printed on the front covers of examination answer-books:

The answers of candidates must be legibly written. The examiners are authorised by the University either to ignore illegible script or to have it typed at the expense of the candidate.

Every book given to the candidate must be returned entire to the invigilator.

Assessment

Methods of Assessment

13	All amendments to methods of assessment made subsequent to the introduction of the scheme require the approval of the external examiner(s).

Examining Board Meetings and Notification of Results

14	In determining the award of qualifications to candidates, all Examining Boards shall follow conventions approved by the Institution and lodged with the University. These conventions may include procedures or mechanisms for the exercise of discretion by the Examining Board, and shall be in accordance with the following University scales for classification of awards:

Ordinary Degrees

The pass mark shall be 35%

General Degrees

Class I Honours	-	70% and over
Class II Honours	-	60 - 69%
Pass	-	35 - 59%

Honours Degrees

Class I	-	70% and over
Class II(i)	-	60 - 69%
Class II(ii)	-	50 - 59%
Class III	-	40 - 49%
Pass	-	35 - 39%

15	A record of the marks attained by candidates in all assessed work contributing to the final award shall be available at the Examining Board.

Scheme Examining Boards

16	The Validation Unit shall supply to each Chairperson an official notification of results form in respect of those candidates who have been presented for their final examinations. In accordance with instructions on the results form, the Examining Board shall indicate thereon the names of those candidates who pass the final examinations with or without classified Honours where appropriate. The Chairperson shall return the completed notification of results form to the Secretary General within one working day and shall simultaneously send a copy to the Registrar of the Institution concerned, using the pro-forma provided.

17	The notification of results form shall be signed by the Chairperson of the Examining Board, the internal examiner(s) and the external examiner(s). In respect of those external examiners not present, suitable arrangements shall be made for signature via correspondence or other suitable means.

18	Whenever a case of suspected unfair practice is the subject of investigation at the time when a pass-list is issued, the name of the candidate concerned shall be withheld from the pass-list and a supplementary form issued later as appropriate.

Other Examining Boards

19	In addition to scheme Examining Boards, Institutions may establish:

(i)	Joint/Composite Examining Boards

(ii)	Modular Unit Examining Boards

In the case of both types of Examining Board, marks shall be subject to ratification by the external examiner(s).

Publication of Pass/Results Lists

20	The Secretary General upon receiving a completed results form shall print and publish a University pass list showing those candidates who have qualified for University awards for distribution to the Registrars of the Institutions concerned.

21	If a case of suspected unfair practice arises after the publication of a pass list, and the allegation against a candidate is proved under the University's procedures, then the Examining Board(s) concerned shall review and re-determine the candidate's result in the light of any penalty which may have been imposed. In such circumstances, the Examining Board(s) shall, if necessary, cancel a result previously published and the Secretary General shall issue a supplementary pass list as appropriate.

22	The original copies of the signed notification of results forms received from Institutions shall be retained by the Secretary General and placed in the University records.

Determination of Results

Retrieval of Failures

23	Where a candidate is required to repeat the assessment for one or more modules prior to the start of the following academic year, the re-assessment shall, unless the Examining Board decides that this is not practicable, be of the same structure and be based upon the same syllabus as the assessment at the time of the initial failure.

24	Where a candidate is permitted to repeat one or more failed modules as an internal candidate, the repeat assessment shall be of the same structure and be based upon the syllabus taught to all internal candidates at the time of their re-assessment.

25	Where a candidate is resitting the assessment as an external candidate, the reassessment will normally be the same as for candidates sitting internally unless the Examining Board decides otherwise.

26	Where a candidate is resitting the assessment as an external candidate and the structure of the assessment is different from that at the time of the initial failure and/or the re-assessment is to be based upon a different syllabus, the Head of Department concerned shall inform the candidate in advance of changes in the structure of the assessment and syllabus content.

27	A candidate who passes a module in which he/she has previously failed shall be credited with the minimum pass mark only.

28	In the event of a candidate failing to complete the required amount of assessed work by the required date, an Examining Board shall apply such penalty as is determined by an Institution's regulations or as it may consider appropriate in the circumstances. Penalties may include inter alia the lowering of a mark, the award of a fail grade or failing the candidate in that particular unit. However, where there are extenuating circumstances such as illness or accident which have prevented a candidate from completing assessed work by the required date, the Examining Board may allow an extension of the period for the submission of the assessed work, provided that there is sufficient time for adequate and proper assessment of the work prior to the meeting of the Examining Board. Appropriate medical or other evidence shall be submitted to the Chairperson or his/her nominee in support of the illness or accident.

Absence from Examinations and Assessments

29	The Examining Board concerned shall have discretion to decide whether, on the basis of the evidence received, a candidate has been absent with good cause.

30	A candidate who, without good cause, has been absent from any University examination or failed to complete other forms of assessment by the required date, shall be awarded a zero mark for the examination concerned. This zero mark shall be treated as any other mark in an Examining Board's procedure for arriving at the degree result. If the Examining Board's procedure involves an averaging exercise, the zero mark must be included as a mark. Examining Boards must not arrive at a mark for the missed examination by averaging the candidate's other marks or by arriving at a mark derived from the candidate's performance during the session. Where the missed examination is only a component of the overall assessment for a unit, the mark gained in the other assessment component shall be counted, pro-rata, in arriving at degree results.

31	If a candidate completes a module but is absent from the examination/assessment concerned due to good cause, the Examining Board may permit the candidate:

(i)	to sit a supplementary examination or a special oral examination, before the meeting of the Examining Board; or

(ii)	to sit the examination or submit the assessed work, as a first attempt on the next occasion on which the examination/assessment is scheduled to take place.

32	If an Examining Board is satisfied that a candidate is absent with good cause from a final examination/assessment following his/her presentation to the University, provided that the Examining Board is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds, it may:

(i)	permit the candidate to sit a supplementary examination or a special oral examination, before the meeting of the Examining Board; or

(ii)	award the qualification without further examination/assessment provided that at least two thirds of the modules have been completed which count towards the final award; or

(iii)	recommend that the candidate receives an aegrotat award.

The provisions described at (ii) and (iii) above may be made only if (i) the external examiner(s) agrees that the supporting evidence is satisfactory, (ii) if the candidate's performance in other examinations or assessed work justifies such action and (iii) if the authorisation of the Senior Vice-Chancellor has been obtained.

33	Examining Boards shall have discretion to apply the provisions of paragraph 32 to candidates who attend examinations/assessments but produce evidence of illness, accident, close bereavement or other closely associated compassionate grounds.

34	If an Examining Board offers a candidate an aegrotat award and the candidate declines such an award, the Examining Board may permit the candidate to be re-presented for the examination/assessment on a future occasion, within the time-limits prescribed by the scheme regulations concerned.

The Superintendent of Examinations

35	Each Institution shall nominate a Superintendent of Examinations for appointment by the University who shall be responsible for:

(i)	the conduct of all examinations at the institution;

(ii)	the operation of provisions of paragraph 36 below concerning the custody of examination papers;

(iii)	examination rooms and the seating therein for examinations;

(iv)	nomination of invigilators and arrangements for invigilation of examinations so that normally one invigilator acts for each group of fifty candidates or fewer;

(v)	the delivery of examination question papers (immediately before each examination) to the invigilator(s) who shall then distribute them;

(vi)	the delivery of all the examination papers for practical examinations in any subject to the relevant Head of Department (see paragraph 38 below) who shall thereafter be responsible for their custody and distribution to the candidates;

(vii)	ensuring that answer-books, mathematical tables (see Directions to Candidates below) and other necessary materials are available for each examination;

(viii)making appropriate arrangements for dealing with absentees from examinations in accordance with the provisions of these Standing Orders, including notification of cases to Chairpersons of Examining Boards and the recording and reporting of such cases.

36	The Superintendent of Examinations shall retain examination papers in his/her custody, but shall show the envelopes to the Chairperson of the Examining Board concerned who shall verify the nature and number of papers contained in each envelope and seal the envelopes.

37	At the close of the examinations the Superintendent of Examinations shall send to the Secretary General a report on the manner in which they have been conducted, specifying any difficulties which may have arisen, and incorporating any suggestions for improvement in the conduct of the examinations. This report shall also detail any special arrangements made in relation to cases of absence from examinations and in relation to examinations under approved conditions, at another comparable institution or place (see paragraph 40 below).

Practical Examinations

38	The Head of Department shall be responsible for the conduct of any practical examinations in his/her department including the provision of invigilators.

Special Examination Arrangements

39	A candidate who has submitted to the Superintendent of Examinations a medical certificate that he or she is unable through illness or accident to attend at the examination room but is fit to undergo examination may be examined in a special room if the Superintendent is able to make satisfactory arrangements for the examination.

40	Each candidate shall be examined at the Institution at which he or she has pursued the scheme or schemes; save that, in exceptional circumstances, a candidate may with the approval of the Senior Vice-Chancellor of the Institution concerned, sit for a written examination at another Institution or Associated Institution or, under approved conditions, at another comparable institution or place. Approval may be given provided that satisfactory arrangements can be made for the examination by the Superintendent of Examinations concerned that where the same paper is to be sat by other candidates the examination is taken at the same time as the paper in the Institution and that any expense incurred will be borne by the candidate.

41	A student requiring special provision for his/her assessments shall submit a written application, in the first instance, to the Head of Department, who shall consult the Superintendent of Examinations by a time-limit to be specified by the Institution. The application shall be supported by documentary evidence. The Head of Department or Chairperson of the Examining Board, in consultation with the Superintendent of Examinations, is permitted to disregard requests for special provision if not supported by appropriate supporting documentary evidence.

42	Candidates who are physically disabled from writing a script may answer papers by means of an amanuensis or by using a typewriter, a word processor or microwriter or other appropriate means. Any amanuensis or equipment shall be selected by the Superintendent of Examinations in consultation with the Head of Department. If a word processor or microwriter is to be used, a new disc should be issued at the start of each examination. The examination shall in any case be conducted in a separate room under the superintendence of a nominated invigilator.

43	If the Head of Department recommends that a student should receive special provision, he/she shall forward the application, supported by copies of documentary evidence, to the Superintendent by a time-limit to be specified by the Institution. In the case of candidates with dyslexia, a report which is dated within three years of the date of entry of the candidate to the scheme of study must be received from a qualified psychologist experienced in working with dyslexic adults or from someone with a qualification from a professional training course involving assessing adults with dyslexia.

44	The Superintendent of Examinations on receipt of a recommendation for special provision shall decide whether or not to approve the application for special provision and the provision which will be made available to the student. The decision of the Superintendent shall be final.

45	Candidates shall inform the Superintendent of Examinations of the Institution concerned within the first month of the academic session if they are unable, on religious grounds, to take examinations on certain days. The Superintendent of Examinations of the Institution shall, as far as possible, take account of this request during the compilation of the examinations time-table.

Invigilators

46	An invigilator shall not admit any candidate to the examination room without the authority of the Superintendent of Examinations.

47	During the whole examination, the invigilators shall maintain a constant supervision over the candidates and shall see that candidates are provided with the necessary materials referred to in paragraph 35 above. They shall inspect all materials brought into the examination room by candidates and shall see that every candidate complies with the "Directions to Candidates".

48	No candidates may enter the examination room thirty minutes or more after the commencement of an examination.

49	Candidates are not permitted to leave the examination room until forty five minutes have elapsed, nor may they leave in the last fifteen minutes of the examination. Any candidate who has left the room without the invigilators' authority shall not be allowed to re-enter it during the examination. Under special circumstances, the invigilator may act according to his/her discretion and the circumstances shall be reported to the Superintendent of Examinations.

50	During each examination the invigilator shall have power to exclude from the examination room all persons save officers of the University or the Institution and the candidates sitting the examination. The invigilator shall prevent any unauthorised communication on the part of the candidates amongst themselves or with any other person.

51	An invigilator who considers or suspects that a candidate is engaging in an unfair examination practice shall inform such a candidate, preferably in the presence of a witness, that the circumstances will be reported and that he/she may continue that, and any subsequent examinations without prejudice to any decision which may be taken, but failure to warn shall not prejudice subsequent proceedings. Where appropriate, the invigilator shall confiscate and retain evidence relating to any alleged unfair examination practice, so that it is available to any subsequent investigation. The invigilator shall as soon as possible report the circumstances in writing to the Chairperson of the relevant Examining Board and to the Superintendent of Examinations.

52	No candidate shall be allowed to take any copy of an examination paper from the examination room until at least forty-five minutes have elapsed from the start of the examination.

53	The invigilator shall collect the scripts and arrange for their transmission to the Superintendent of Examinations or his/her nominee(s) who shall then arrange for their transmission to appropriate examiners, together with the surplus copies of the examination paper or papers and a form giving the names of candidates who did not submit scripts. The invigilators shall make a report to the Superintendent of Examinations on the conduct of the examinations, drawing attention to any special circumstances. An institution form containing this information and a signed declaration that the examination has been conducted in accordance with this Standing Order shall be sent by the invigilator to the Superintendent of Examinations.

Provision of examination through the medium of Welsh

54	Any candidate who is following a scheme of study of the University of Wales may choose – regardless of whether the main language of assessment of the scheme in question is Welsh or English - to submit examination scripts or assessed work in either Welsh or English. A candidate who wishes to be assessed in a language (ie. either Welsh or English) which is not the main language of tuition/assessment for the scheme concerned is required to notify the Institution Registrar by the time-limit laid down by the Institution concerned. The Registrar of the Institution should then liaise with the Examinations Officer of the University of Wales regarding:

-	the provision of question papers through the medium of Welsh or English;

-	the necessary arrangements, which must be approved - at the request of the Chairperson or Convenor of the Examining Board - by the external examiner(s), for the translation and/or marking of scripts in time for the inclusion of candidates’ results on the official Notification of Results form;

-	the engagement of a suitable person or persons to act as advisory examiners or - at an approved fee - as translators.

Directions to be Issued to Candidates in Examinations for Initial Degrees

Time of Examination

55	The examinations will be held at times specified in the degree examination time-table.

56	Candidates must be in their seats punctually at the time fixed for the commencement of the examination. No candidates may enter the examination room thirty minutes or more after the commencement of an examination. Candidates are also not permitted to leave the examination room until at least forty-five minutes have elapsed since the start of the examination, nor may they leave in the last fifteen minutes of the examination.

Seating Arrangements

57	Candidates shall occupy the seats assigned to them by the invigilator.

Examination Materials/Equipment

58	Candidates may take into the examination room only such books, mathematical or other tables, printed documents, manuscripts, notes, formulae, electronic equipment or other source of information or assistance as have been approved by the Institution or the Examining Board. In appropriate cases, candidates will be provided by the Institution with such materials and/or equipment as the examiners consider necessary. Examining Boards shall prepare lists of material and/or equipment to be permitted in examination rooms and candidates shall be notified in advance, in writing of the contents of these lists and which, if any, of the permitted items will be provided by the Institution.

The material and/or equipment which candidates are permitted to bring into the examination room shall bear no marks or notes of any kind other than the name of the owner and anything which is regarded as normal in nature or construction of the item in question.

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES FOR VALIDATED SCHEMES

1	Examining Boards

University advisers or moderators, appointed by the Validation Board, shall attend meetings of Examining Boards in an advisory capacity.

2	Examining Board Meetings and Notification of Results

The General degree may be in use for certain validated schemes and should operate in accordance with the following University scales for classification of awards:

70 per cent and over	-	Class I Honours

60-69 per cent	-	Class II Honours

In the case of Semester One Examining Boards, see paragraph 6.

Standing Order 14 IV

Susan Taylor

2004-01-12T11:25:00