External Examiners (UG and Taught PG): Information for Schools
New appointments
Registry notifies Heads of Schools in October of any External Examiner appointments which need to be renewed or replaced in that Session. Please see the nomination forms available for download. Appointments normally run for three years, beginning 1 October. External Examiner appointments may be renewed for a fourth year by submitting a renewal request form to Registry.
External examiner fees
Heads of Schools are responsible for determining the examining fee for Undergraduate External Examiners. The fee for Taught Postgraduate External Examiners is normally determined by means of a standard rate based on the number of students on the programme and thus the number of scripts and dissertations that would require to be sampled as part of the examination process. While the University recommends this formula, Heads of Schools are free to set an alternative fee if appropriate.
An expenses and fees claim form - - should be submitted by the External Examiner to the Head of School, detailing the expenses claimed for travel, accommodation and subsistence and accompanied by receipts. The Head of School should authorise the expenses claim and submit to Salaries, with a copy sent to Registry for payment of fees. Fees for Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate External Examiners are confirmed by Registry with Schools annually and are authorised by Registry upon receipt of the annual report. If the form and report are received by the first working day of the month, they will be paid in the same calendar month.
Annual reports
All External Examiners are required to complete an annual report (Undergraduate External Examiner's Annual Report Form (Word, 159 KB) and/or Taught Postgraduate External Examiner's Annual Report Form (Word, 159 KB)), commenting on the appropriateness of the standards of the assessments that they have examined. Registry officially requests that the External Examiner completes an annual report for submission by 30 June for undergraduate programmes and 31 October for taught postgraduate programmes.
In an External Examiner's final year of appointment, additional information is to be completed in relation to an overview of the provision over the period of appointment, the standards of awards and any wider issues to which the University should give consideration. This will be made available to the outgoing External Examiner's successor.
External Examiners' Fees: Taught Postgraduate
Based on credit load of 120 credits. To set a fee for a taught component other than 120 credits, calculate a proportion of the set fee using the actual credit weighting. eg a 40 credit module = £10 per student.
| Per Student, taught component (120 credits): | £30 |
| Per Student MLitt, MSc or M.Res dissertation: | £10 |