Examination Boards and Visiting Examiners

All Examination Boards/Sub-Boards have documented terms of reference. They are required to have at least one appointed Visiting Examiner on the Board. The appointment of the Visiting Examiner is regulated by Registry.

Visiting Examiners

Visiting Examiners are nominated and must be approved by Medical Studies Committee. The College is concerned to ensure that Visiting Examiners are able to act impartially and free of undue pressure. The Visiting Examiners are, therefore, asked to advise Registry of any connections they may have with any candidate on the MBBS/BSc course that would make it desirable for their appointment to be reconsidered. Once the appointment has been confirmed, Visiting Examiners are provided with information from Registry (see (i) - (iv) below) and the appropriate Examination Board/Sub-Board Chair will contact the Visiting Examiner and provide any additional information requested. From 2003/4 the College has introduced training for new Visiting Examiners. From 2004/5 the Faculty of Medicine will be introducing more detailed written guidance for Visiting Examiners to supplement that provided by Registry.

(i) Academic Regulations 

(ii) Requirements for the Award of Degrees of MBBS/BSc in the School of Medicine and Requirements for the Award of the Intercalated BSc

(iii) Requirements for the Course in Clinical Studies and Related Sciences

(iv) Instructions for the Examination of BSc, MSci, BEng, MEng and MBBS Degrees: Appointment of Examiners and Conduct of Examinations and Special Instructions for Conduct of the MBBS Parts IV, V, VI, VII, VIII Examinations

(v) Extract from the College publication ‘Undergraduate Syllabuses’ setting out relevant course syllabuses

(vi) Statement outlining the role and function of Visiting Examiners as seen from a College perspective

The Examination Boards/Sub-Boards are convened following the examination to set thresholds, and boundaries, and approve results. They are provided with detailed examination information and statistical data, alongside details of any student's extenuating circumstances and supporting documentation. Students submitting extenuating circumstances will have given permission for their names and circumstances to be made available to the Examination Board/Sub-Board. Visiting Examiners are involved in the discussion and decision on whether the circumstances should affect the examination result.

Following on from the Examination Board/Sub-Board meeting Visiting Examiners are required to sign off the examination results to indicate they are satisfied. They are also required to submit a written report to the Rector of the College regarding the course and assessment arrangements, including observations on teaching, course structure, course content and the examinations process. These reports are submitted to the Medical Studies Committee in the Annual Monitoring Report and course leaders are required to submit responses to Visiting Examiners reports annually.

Page last updated 8th December 2004