Revised Exam Scrutiny Process
Information on exam scrutiny process.
Alan Smaill, 11 April, 2017
The following gives the School policy on exam scrutiny, as discussed in Teaching Committee on 15th March 2017.
1 Roles
For each course:
- the setter(s) set the exam paper, ensuring that the mark allocation/rubric describes the alignment with the University Extended Common Marking Scheme;
- the reviewer will do detailed checking of the paper. The reviewer should be someone with technical knowledge of the area concerned, and not teaching on the course in question. Staff involved in teaching are expected to review a maximum of two exam papers checking that the mark allocation/rubric is clearly described in the context of the University Extended Common Marking Scheme.
Extended Common Marking Scheme
For each year:
- the year vetting committee consists of two or three people who look at all the exams associated with exam boards for a given year, to ensure overall consistency and appropriateness of the material, look for multiple assessment of the same material, issues in layout, etc. (but not technical content).
2 Responsibilities
- The course lecturer is responsible for finding a reviewer at the start of the academic year, and informing the ITO of who will take up the role.
- The Convenor of Board of Examiners in association with the year organiser is reponsible for arranging the year vetting committee of 2 or 3 people.
- The ITO is responsible for the overall timetable.
3 The process
The process will be recorded on a form associated with the exam (a paper form in the first instance). The comments and responses at each stage are noted, and made available to external examiners. When the exam has been set, it should be entered on the ITO exam machines. The reviewer will then make comments on the content, and the setter make any appropriate changes; the two should agree on a version to go forward, and update on exam machines. The year vetting committee then monitors the set of exams, also noting any issues. Comments are made available to the setter. It is not envisaged that this would result in substantial further changes; this is for longer term consideration.
The document for recording this process is below:
Policy Approved by: Teaching Committee, 12/04/2017.
Last Reviewed: 12/04/2017.