As a student you may hear your lecturer refer to ‘the external examiner’ and you may be wondering who they are exactly and what their role is. It is a requirement for all university courses to have at least one external examiner.
The external examiner is an academic from another university however they may also be an industry expert. Their main role is to ensure students are treated fairly and to ensure equal standards are applied throughout the course. External examiners receive payment for their role and are appointed usually for 3-4 years.
The external examiner’s name and place of work are usually made available to students. You can find this information in your course handbook, university website or by asking your lecturer. However, students are not permitted to contact the external examiner. This is because they cannot offer help to students and are usually unable to change grades. If you contact the external examiner they are unlikely to respond.
What does the external examiner do?
- Evaluate the course’s examination and assessment methods
- Offer advice about the course/module
- Comment on or make suggestions about the course’s content, delivery, structure and assessments
- Evaluate proposed exam papers or assignment briefs
- Moderate samples of student’s work including examinations and coursework
- They may also be involved in investigations relating to cheating or plagiarism
They usually produce a yearly report about the course which, depending on your university, may be made available to students by request.
History of the role
The role of external examiner originated in 1832 after the opening of the University of Durham, the third university in England after the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The University of Durham appointed external examiners from Oxford and Cambridge to prove that teaching and assessment was consistent with the learning at Oxford and Cambridge.
