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In UK higher education the external examiner is an independent and impartial adviser who helps to monitor the academic standards of academic taught programmes and to ensure that comparable standards across institutions are maintained.

The QAA Code of Practice for the Assurance of Academic Quality and Standards in Higher Education - Section 4: External Examining - provides guidance and sets out the requirements for external examiners.

The general principles stated in the Code are that the function of external examiners should be to help institutions to ensure that:

• ‘the academic standard of each award and its component parts is set and maintained by the awarding institution at the appropriate level, and that the standards of student performance are properly judged against this;
• the assessment process measures student achievement appropriately against the intended outcomes of the programme, and is rigorous, fairly operated and in line with the institution's policies and regulations;
• institutions are able to compare the standards of their awards with those of other higher education institutions (p.6).'

The scope of the external examiner role is defined by the awarding institution. In addition to the scrutiny of student work, assessment procedures and outcomes, external examiners may also be invited to become involved in other aspects of course provision, for example, course development or student achievement. A constructive and open relationship with an external examiner can be of considerable assistance to a course team in addition to the more traditional role of external scrutiny.

Universities UK together with Guild HE are currently conducting a review of external examining to ensure that it continues to support the assurance of quality and standards of UK higher education.

Further Information

HLST External Examiner Register
This can be used to search for an external examiner, or to register your interest in becoming an external examiner 

The QAA Code of Practice

Information on the review of external examining is available from the policy and research section of the Universities UK website.

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