Undergraduate Examinations
In undergraduate examinations, external examiners typically see, and have to approve, draft examination questions before the papers are set; and they will mark the work, or review the marks, of at least a sample of candidates. They are often asked to adjudicate when candidates are on borderlines or when internal examiners have disagreed about a candidate's marks. Externals are expected to make a report both to the department and also to the university authorities; they have wide licence to comment on all aspects of the degree programme, including its staffing and teaching, not just on the examination process. Where viva voce examinations are still held as part of the final degree assessment, it is common for external examiners to take part in them. Students may have the right to ask for their work to be considered by the external examiner. External examiners are typically appointed for a period of three or four years, and it is common to consult them about changes to the programme that are being introduced during their period of office. In the case of undergraduate examinations in broad disciplines, there are commonly several external examiners with different areas of expertise on a board of examiners.
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