External examiners' reports

Reporting process

The University values and gives serious consideration to the reports submitted by its external examiners. The reporting process is fully described in the code of practice for external examining: taught programmes.

In accordance with QAA guidance, students have access to external examiners' reports. These are shared via SurreyLearn, where students can view the reports and response for their programme of study. Staff can access external examiners' reports via the SharePoint website, under the relevant faculty folder. 

View reporting process flowchart (PDF)

Submitting individual module comments

External examiners are full members of the Board of Examiners and, therefore, they are expected to attend and contribute to all Board meetings. External examiners should access samples of marked student work either via SurreyLearn or via alternative arrangements, as appropriate, and provide comments on individual modules prior to the Board of Examiners meetings via the module comments form (docx). Completed forms should be submitted before the Board of Examiners meeting to AcademicAdministration@surrey.ac.uk

Submitting the annual external examiner’s report

1. The personalised report template will be sent to all individual external examiners by email in June (for UG programmes) and in August (for PGT programmes). If you do not receive this template, please contact externalexaminers@surrey.ac.uk.
2. When you have completed the report, please submit it electronically to externalexaminers@surrey.ac.uk, together with your fees/expenses claim form (xlsx). Information regarding expenses is available in the notes of guidance (PDF).

Deadlines

Deadlines for submission of the annual reports:

• Undergraduate programmes: annual reports must be submitted within three weeks following the final (ie end of the academic year) Board of Examiners meeting, normally held at the end of June/beginning of July. There is no need to submit a report following the August reassessment Boards of Examiners unless there are significant issues that have arisen since your previous report. If you would like to submit a further report after the late summer Board of Examiners (held at the start of September) please confirm this in writing to externalexaminers@surrey.ac.uk
• Postgraduate taught programmes: annual reports must be submitted within three weeks following the final (ie end of the academic year) Board of Examiners meeting, normally held in October/November
• Practitioner Doctorate programmes (taught element only): Annual reports must be submitted within three weeks after the Board of Examiners meeting, normally held from September to November. For all doctoral-level viva voce examinations, including those for Practitioner Doctorate programmes, please use the relevant Examination Entry Form found on the research page.

The code of practice for external examining: taught programmes also describes the process for consideration of external examiners' reports within the University, summarised in a flowchart (PDF). The University requires that reports are considered by the Board of Studies (and reported in the Annual Programme Review and at Periodic Reviews). External examiners are advised of the outcome of the consideration of their reports and of specific actions that the first Board of Studies has taken place for undergraduate programmes by the end of November and for taught postgraduate programmes by the end of January.