External Examiners

***The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) launched the new UK Quality Code for Higher Education on 29 November 2018, including a new chapter on External Expertise which relates to the role of External Examiners. ***

External examining is an integral part of the College's quality assurance and enhancement processes. It ensures effective and appropriate assessment and assures the standard of the RVC's degrees and our processes and procedures are closely aligned with the precepts of the UK Quality Code for Higher Education

The College's Procedure for External Examiners sets out information on nomination, appointment, induction, reporting processes and roles and responsibilities of External Examiners. It is consistent with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) current guidelines and is managed by the Academic Quality Office. The team also maintains a register of all External Examiners, coordinates the annual reports from External Examiners and pays their fees and expenses upon the fulfillment of their contract.

For all Examiners – see the Examiners & Assessment section of the Academic Quality, Regulations and Procedures

Lists of Examiners

Click below for 2018/19 lists of :

2019/20 Exam Board Memberships for:

The Distance Learning Board of Examiners - MSc Livestock Health and Production & MSc Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health

Inset Day on Assessment

Please note that the Inset Day on Assessment is now organised by Learning and Wellbeing. For further information, please contact Head of Educational Development (email address to follow)

External Examiner Reports

Submitting External Examiner Reports

External Examiners are asked to submit their annual reports to the Royal Veterinary College via the College’s online system.

Instructions for External Examiners:

During your exam board meeting, please confirm with your exams officer:

whether you will submit a collaborative or individual report?
for collaborative reports, who will act as ‘lead examiner’ to submit the final report and ‘collaborating examiner(s)’ to approve the final report?
if you already know who will be the lead and collaborating examiners, please let your Exam Officer know so if you wish to begin to write the report during your meeting you will be able to do so. Whilst at the College we would ask that you use an RVC laptop or PC. Your Exam Officer will be happy to arrange this for you.

After your exam board meeting, emails will give you access to the online system and guide you through the process. Once you have submitted your final report you will receive an email with the fees and expenses claim forms attached. Please note that the College is unable to accept credit card receipts as part of your claim.

A final report must be submitted:

as an online document ·
Individual report must be submitted within 2 weeks from exam board meeting ·
Collaborating report must be submitted within 1 week by lead examiner, and approved within 1 week by collaborating examiner.

If one or more collaborating examiners have not approved the report, the lead examiner will have an opportunity to amend and re-submit the final report for approval by collaborating examiners. The system will allow amending the report once only. Thereafter the collaborating examiners can choose to withdraw from the collaborative report and submit their individual examiner report.

A brief guide for External Examiners to the online system can be found here . For further information please contact Ana Filipovic afilipovic@rvc.ac.uk 01707 666 938 or your exams officer.

External Examiner reports are responded to via the following process .

Responding to External Examiner Reports
Here is a guide for Course Directors and Year Leaders to respond to External Examiners.

External Examiner Reports with the College Responses

As approved by the Teaching Quality Committee & subject to approval by the Academic Board

External Examiner reports with College responses for 2017-18:

External Examiner reports with College responses for 2016-17:

External Examiner reports with College responses for 2015-16:

Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice Ms Carole Clarke
Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice Professor Mike Herttage
BVetMed Year 1
BVetMed Year 2
BVetMed Year 3
BVetMed Year 4
Final BVetMed
FdSc BSc Veterinary Nursing
Grad Dip
UG Biological Sciences
Gateway
Graduate Year
MSc Veterinary Education
MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
MSc One Health
MSc WAB WAH
MVetMed
MSc ILHP
MSc LHP VEPH (DL)

External Examiner reports with College responses for 2014-15:

Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice Ms Carole Clarke
Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice Professor Mike Herttage
BVetMed Year 1
BVetMed Year 2
BVetMed Year 3
BVetMed Year 4
Final BVetMed
Gateway
Graduate Year
FdSc BSc Veterinary Nursing
Grad Dip
UG Biological Sciences
BSc Comparative Pathology
MSc Veterinary Education
MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
MSc One Health
MSc WAB WAH
MVetMed
MSc ILHP
MSc PgDip Livestock Health and Production/Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health DL

External Examiner reports with College responses for 2013-14:

The College responses to External Examiner reports for 2012-13:

Fees and Expenses

External Examiner Fee Claim Form

External Examiner Expense Claim Form

Useful links and contacts

RVC Information:

RVC Learn - external examiners have access to RVC Learn for obtaining specific details about the course(s) they examine. Log-in details are available from the Academic Quality Officer 'Standards', Ana Filipovic (afilipovic@rvc.ac.uk)
RVC Strategic Plan 2014-2019
RVC Learning, Teaching and Assessment Enhancement Strategy 2014-2019
RVC Undergraduate Prospectus
RVC Postgraduate Studies

RVC Staff and Teams:

Exams Office (exams@rvc.ac.uk)

Academic Quality Officer ‘Standards’, Ana Filipovic (afilipovic@rvc.ac.uk)

Academic Quality Manager, Cheryl Jackson (cjackson@rvc.ac.uk)

External Agencies:

Higher Education Academy (HEA) - a handbook for external examining

Quality Assurance Agency (QAA):

QAA UK Quality Code for Higher Education

Quality Code - Part A: Setting and maintaining academic standards

Quality Code - Chapter B7: External Examining available here

QAA Subject benchmark statements

QAA's Concerns Guidance

If an External Examiner has a serious concern relating to systemic failings with the academic standards of a programme(s) and has exhausted all published applicable internal procedures, including the submission of a confidential report to the head of the institution, the Principal (principal@rvc.ac.uk), he/she may invoke the processes of Notifications and Complaints which allow students, staff or others with a direct interest in the College, to raise issues with the Office for Students. It will investigate serious or systemic issues about academic standards or the student academic experience.