Code of Practice on Setting and Moderating Exam Papers
Departments must ensure that they have effective procedures for setting and
moderating exam papers.
This requirement could be met in the following ways:
- Setting achievable deadlines at the beginning of the
exam paper setting process to ensure that members of academic
and administrative staff have enough time to thoroughly carry
out their duties and responsibilities. For example:
- Setting a realistic timetable for setting,
marking and scaling of examination papers;
- Beginning the exam paper setting process as
early as possible;
- Reminding staff of deadlines for setting and
moderating papers;
- Advising staff on study leave to prepare
exam papers before the deadline to allow
sufficient time for moderation;
- Ensuring that if a member of staff fails
to meet a deadline that procedures are in place
to make those responsible aware of the situation
and the potential repercussions.
- Ensuring that the paper setter is fully aware of how
they should set their exam papers, by when, and in what format
they should be submitted to the relevant administrator. For
example by:
- Providing the paper setter with clear and
timely information;
- Encouraging paper setters to compose a set
of guidelines as they write their exam
questions, to help to uncover potential
problems, particularly with mathematical
questions;
- Encouraging all non-native English speakers
to liaise with a native English speaker before
submitting their exam paper for moderation;
- Encouraging all new and/or probationary
staff to discuss their paper with a more
experienced colleague before submission;
- Submitting all exam papers electronically to
the relevant administrator using a USB memory
stick for example, or shared folder set up for
this purpose on a secure server to prevent paper
copies from being mislaid;
- Advising paper setters not to send any
material via e-mail or shared networks;
- Requesting that the paper setter provides a
marking scheme; answers to numerical questions,
indicative essay answers, and an outline of how
learning objectives have been examined, in
addition to the exam paper.
- Ensuring that arrangements are in place for the moderation
and scrutiny of exam papers, to consider the consistency of
standards, presentation and accuracy with which an exam paper
has been set. For example:
- Scrutinising exam papers at an internal
meeting by a group/panel of academics, that
ideally consists of four to six academics and an
administrator;
- Considering the consistency of academic
standards and presentation, and checking for
overlap between questions both within an exam
paper, between exam papers for different
modules, and between exam papers and coursework;
- Considering whether:
- the questions assess
the stated learning outcomes;
- the questions are
properly structured and clearly
expressed;
- the questions are
clear and not ambiguous;
- the paper makes it possible
to distinguish across the full
range of ability;
- questions are
appropriate in length and
difficulty, and given the marks
allocated to them;
- the marks/questions add up
correctly;
- the correct statement
for the year appears on the
rubric;
- Carrying out an internal review of their exam paper setting
process at the end of the summer examinations to help enhance
policies and procedures in light of current experience. This
requirement could be met in the following ways:
Once an exam paper has been moderated internally and externally, departments
must carry out a final check to ensure that the exam paper has been thoroughly
examined in terms of standards, presentation, factual and numerical accuracy.
- Carrying out a final proof reading exercise for all
exam papers. For example:
- Asking a member of the administrative staff
to read through each exam paper carefully to
ensure that the questions and page numbering are
correct and follow a cumulative sequence.
- Appointing a dedicated member of staff who is responsible
for checking that a department’s internal moderation procedure
has been carried out effectively, and that the exam paper has
been set and moderated accurately. For example:
- Appointing an Exam Co-ordinator, who checks
exam papers for errors, liaises with the paper
setter and attends all internal meetings;
- Appointing the Chair of the internal meeting
as the dedicated member of staff who is made
responsible for verifying that the requirements
of the meeting(s) have been carried out.
- Ensuring that the exam paper is signed off
by paper setter and/or Exam Co-ordinator.
- Asking each paper setter to sign a form of
consent, approval and agreement indicating that
exam papers are complete.
- During the examination period departments must ensure that
the paper setter, responsible for the relevant exam paper, is
available in the event that a query is raised on their paper. If
a member of staff is away on leave, a contingency procedure must
be put in place to ensure that incidents are resolved quickly
and easily. This requirement could be met in the following ways:
- Providing the Examinations Office with a
list of contact details for each paper,
including an alternative name and number for
each exam paper in the event that the paper
setter is unavailable;
- Asking the paper setter to be available by
phone at least fifteen minutes before the exam
and up to an hour after the exam for individual
needs;
- If the paper setter is only contactable via
the Departmental Administrator, the
Administrator should ensure that he/she is able
to contact the relevant member of academic
staff;
- Keeping all exam papers and model answers in
a folder that is kept secure, but accessible to
both administrative and academic staff for
consultation;
February 2008
Page last updated:
29 April 2013
