Best Practice. Administration in. Higher & Further Education Institutions. First Edition August for Examination

Transcription

1 Best Practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions First Edition August 2008 Published by: The Examination Administrators Forum

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3 iindex Preface 2 The concept of best practice 2 Approach and focus 3 Acknowledgement 4 Definition of Terminology 5 1. Focus Area 1: Organisation and policies Organisation fit, structure and responsibilities Staffing Designations and career path Profile: Knowledge & Skills Accountability and responsibilities: Examination administration & faculties Institutional policies and regulations Compilation and publication Institutional policies and regulations for students Checklist Institutional policies and regulations for staff Checklist Focus Area 2: Planning and Preceding Processes Inputs to the institution s academic calendar Planning of the examination operational processes Examination timetable Planning of the logistics Communication Recording of full period / continuous assessment (ca) marks Appointment of Examiners and Moderators Setting, submission and administration of examination papers Post-graduate procedure Focus Area 3: The Examination Process Copying of papers and security Invigilators and their role in an examination session Examination fraud Admission to examinations Communication during the examination process Distribution of scripts Focus Area 4: The Results Process & Study Records Administration Submission of marked scripts and examination marks External examination and moderation Final approval of marks Publication of marks Supplementary and special examinations Role of the Examination Administration Department at Graduation 33 First Edition August 2008

4 Preface pa first workshop was held in Pretoria on 29 and 30 June 2006 with the objective to define best practice for examination administration in Higher and Further Education Institutions. Integrated Tertiary Software (Pty) Ltd (ITS) presented the workshop, which was attended by 86 delegates representing 19 higher and further education institutions from Southern Africa. The result of this workshop was a draft document that reflected the best practice processes for examination administration in Higher and Further Education Institutions as defined in the workshop. As there were a number of issues that could not be finalized in the first workshop, a follow-up workshop was held near the OR Tambo International Airport on 11 October 2007 to indentify and address these issues and to formulate a consensual view of best practice for examination administration. This follow-up workshop was also presented by ITS and was attended by 50 delegates representing 17 Higher Education Institutions from Southern Africa. All the institutions represented in the two abovementioned workshops are acknowledged in the list below. At the end of the 2007 workshop, the delegates decided to establish a permanent forum for examination administrators in Higher and Further Education Institutions. This forum would then oversee the publication of the best practice document and would also be responsible for the review of this document from time to time to keep it aligned with the latest developments in examination administration. The concept of best practice is defined as: The formulation of key process steps and or events (strategies and tactics) and sub-steps in an organized, structured and chronological order as they take place in practice. The description of the events is clear and simple to understand by all levels of staff working in the particular function. Defined and formulated best practice should: set benchmarks which institutions strive to accomplish; implement practices that work, rather than theoretical models and prescribed text; be the leading practice that works best for a particular individual process, rather than an overall performance at one institution; be dynamic; and be reviewed from time to time to incorporate the latest implemented best practices 2 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

5 Approach and focus It was decided during the two workshops that this best practice would focus on the processes of the administration of the assessments of students, examinations conducted and marks obtained. The intention was never to address the format and the educational or pedagogic merits of assessments and examinations. These are best left to the education specialists. However, the keynote speaker at the 2006 workshop, Dr. Rinelle Evans from the School of Teacher Training, Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria, pointed out that many institutions should review their traditional and sometimes outdated methods of assessing students and align them with new approaches of assessment and learning outcomes. It is therefore important that supporting examination administration procedures are sufficiently flexible to accommodate these new formats. An example that she mentioned was the assessment process where the student is required to build up a portfolio of work during the course of the study period, and that this portfolio is assessed by the lecturer to establish whether the student meets the required learning outcomes or has acquired the required level of competency. Emphasis is increasingly moving towards a final assessment in the form of a practical illustration by the student of the competencies acquired, rather than the traditional method of writing a 3-hour examination. Other challenges faced by examination administrators were also discussed and debated during the workshop. Some of the more important challenges were: The ever increasing student numbers at Higher Education Institutions presents the examination administrator with a complicated scheduling process that needs to provide examiners and markers, as well as moderators, sufficient time for marking papers to meet the deadlines set by the institution for the submission and publication of marks. During the study period, lecturers assess students continuously in various formats, including events such as class or semester tests. These continuous assessments and the marks obtained contribute, on average, a weight of 50% towards the final mark. This process takes place within faculties and largely under the control of the lecturer, and there are no stringent procedures of security controls that apply. Yet, when it comes to the final examination, there are the strictest centralized controls and security measures over the submission and safeguarding of examination papers, invigilation and distribution of scripts. In fact the First Edition August

6 institutional audits performed by the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of the Council on Higher Education (CHE) in South Africa emphasize the security measures during examinations to ensure the authentication of the process. The right of a student to write an examination and the subsequent right to be informed of the mark obtained, versus the right of an institution to either block the student from writing the examination or releasing the results, due to unpaid study fees. This point will probably be an ongoing debate until tested in a legal proceeding. Acknowledgement The following institutions, which were represented at the workshops by staff members from the Academic and Examination Administration functions, are recognised for their contribution to the compilation of this document: Cape Peninsula University of Technology Durban University of Technology Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Northlink College for FET North-West University Polytechnic of Namibia Rhodes University University of Botswana University of Fort Hare University of the Free State University of Johannesburg University of Kwazulu-Natal University of Limpopo University of Namibia University of Pretoria University of Swaziland University of the Western Cape University of Venda University of Zululand Vaal University of Technology Walter Sisulu University Integrated Tertiary Software (Pty) Ltd for initiating and presenting the workshops and Mr Peet du Plessis from ITS who compiled the first draft of the best practice document and who revised it for final publication after the second workshop. 4 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

7 Definition of terminology The following definitions of terms used in this document were compiled from submissions by institutions represented at the workshop, but it was evident from the workshop sessions that institutions differ in the use and interpretation of the terminology used in the examination administration function. The following glossary of terms is therefore not presented as a comprehensive list of terminologies used worldwide in institutions of higher learning, but rather an attempt to describe the general terms used in the compilation of this best practice document. Aegrotat examination: Ancillary examination: Assessment: Assessor: Bona fide student: Credits: An examination granted by the dean to a candidate who was prohibited from writing the main examination through illness, death in the family or similar special circumstances. After an examination, the examiner may summon a student/ learner for an ancillary examination on particular aspects of the work in a module, with a view to awarding a final examination mark. Evaluation of a learner/student s achievement of the learning outcomes of a module, whereas such assessment can be in the form of practical work, assignments, on-line, written or oral examinations. The person who has been accredited to assess or evaluate the learning outcomes resulting from an assessment of a student for a specific module or field of learning. A student who has met the general entrance requirements of the University and specific entrance requirements for the qualification that s/he has registered for full-time or part-time, whereas such registration is approved and recorded by the institution, and such student actively partakes in the academic activities required of the qualification. For the purpose of this document the terms student and learner are deemed synonymous. The relative value of modules, where each credit represents a quantified measure, (e.g. x number of notional hours spent by a learner/student) towards completing a module, course or qualification. Continuous assessment mark: The mark that a student obtains for course work, assignments, tests and other forms of assessment during the period of study for a particular module, whereas this mark carries a certain weight towards the full period mark Course: A programme of study or training in a particular field that leads to a qualification. First Edition August

8 Curriculum: Examination: Examination mark: Examiner: External examiner: Final mark: Full period mark: Head of Department: Internal examiner: Main examination: Marking memorandum: The collective aggregation of all those modules/courses in the various subjects, which together are required to be completed as prescribed in the rules in order to comply with the requirements of the qualification. The act of examining a candidate s knowledge by means of written, on-line, oral or practical assessments at the end of the prescribed study period, including any ensuing supplementary or special examination. The mark obtained by a student and awarded by the examiner in a particular examination. The person who is appointed by the institution, usually from the full-time lecturing staff, to set an examination paper for a specific module and compile a marking memorandum for such a paper, and to mark all the scripts of the candidates who sat the examination. A person of high academic standing who could be a fulltime academic employee of the institution, or from another institution, who is appointed to evaluate the academic level of examination and to audit the marking process and check the fairness of marks awarded by the examiner. S/he is normally required to mark a particular sample of scripts. The mark obtained at the end of each completed module, the composition and computation of which is determined by the rules for that particular programme. The general rule is that the final mark is a combination of the semester/year mark, also referred to as the full period mark, and the examination mark. The mark that a student obtains for various continuous assessment interventions (see definition for continuous assessment mark) during the period of study, which carries a particular weight towards the final mark. A person who heads an academic department at the institution, abbreviated in this document as HoD. Similar to examiner, and will normally be the person who lectures at the institution in the subject for which s/he is appointed as examiner. The examination that is scheduled at the end of the prescribed study period, normally each semester, which gives a student his/her first opportunity to be examined in a module that was offered in the preceding study period or semester. A detailed written explanation of the solutions to the questions in the paper and the proposed allocation of marks to each question 6 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

9 Moderator: Module: On-line examination: Programme: Programme leader: Proof of participation: Qualification: Re-calculation: or section thereof. In essay type questions the memorandum can take the form of an assessment guide. A person of high academic standing, whether on the permanent staff of the institution (internal) or not (external), who has not been involved in the teaching of the module concerned, and who has not given any guidance to a post-graduate student on the module concerned, and who is responsible for establishing the extent to which the required outcomes have been achieved, and further to evaluate the academic standard of the assessment. In general the moderator does not have any examining responsibility. A coherent, self-contained unit of learning, which is designed to achieve a set of specific learning outcomes that are assessed within that unit and allocated period of learning and which is the smallest unit for which a final mark is entered in the study record. An examination that is taken by a student through the medium of an ed examination where a computerised programme requires selection of answers by the candidate, and once completed, the mark obtained is ed back to the institution. A structured set of learning outcomes, which usually comprises a combination of modules to be completed within a course of study to fulfil the requirements for a specific qualification. In this document the term qualification is synonymous to programme. A staff member from the academic personnel who is appointed to take responsibility for a particular programme regarding its content, curriculum, presentation and assessment. A student may be exempted from writing an examination in a particular module provided that s/he has met certain specified participation requirements, e.g. assignments, practical sessions, etc. in order to be awarded a pass mark for the module. The end product after all the modules/courses in the particular curriculum of the degree or diploma have been passed. In this document the term qualification is synonymous to programme. A student may, in terms of the general rules of the particular institution, apply for the re-calculation of the mark awarded for an examination, which merely requires an arithmetical check of the correctness of the calculation of the mark awarded in the script by the examiner. First Edition August

10 Re-mark: SAQA: Semester mark : Senate: Special examinations: Supplementary assessment: Supplementary examinations: Year mark: A student may, in terms of the general rules of the particular institution, apply for a re-mark of his/her examination script, which requires from the examiner (or the external examiner) to re-evaluate the entire script and, if applicable, award a revised mark. The South African Qualifications Authority, the body responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of the National Qualifications Framework, established in terms of the SAQA Act no. 58 of The mark obtained by a candidate during a semester (or year mark if the course spans an academic year) in a particular module in respect of assignments, class tests, class performance, practical work or other forms of formative assessments for the module. It is the same as full period mark, where the period has the duration of a semester. The highest academic structure of decision making of a university, and also includes any unit or person to whom the authority and/or powers in a specified area have been delegated by Senate. Note that in the case of FET Colleges, the equivalent body of authority should be referred to. Examination opportunities that are granted to a student under special circumstances according to the stipulations of each individual institution s regulations, e.g. a student who requires only a limited number of modules to complete his/her degree. Common examples are the Chancellor s examination, Dean s examination, or other extraordinary circumstances. An extension of the initial work or examination, which is normally granted to a borderline student who only needs a pass mark in the particular module to complete the qualification. Examinations that are scheduled after the results of the main examination have been published. Candidates who obtained a predetermined sub-minimum mark, but did not obtain a pass mark for the module, may then be admitted to write a supplementary examination. The mark obtained by a candidate during a year in a particular module in respect of assignments, class tests, class performance, practical work or other forms of formative assessments for the module. It is the same as full period mark, where the period has the duration of a year. 8 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

11 1Focus area 1: Organisation and Policies 1.1 Organisation fit, structure and responsibilities The overall function of examination administration needs to be centrally coordinated to ensure a uniform standard of administration and application of institutional examination policies, procedures and regulations. Best practice is therefore that the overall responsibility of examination administration remains within the centralised academic administration function of the institution. Note: Although the vast majority of institutions represented at the workshop follow the above-mentioned centralised structure, the University of Pretoria (UP) has a decentralised structure, where each faculty administers and conducts its examinations within the faculty, with limited centralised responsibilities. Although this model presents certain advantages and therefore also certain best practices, UP was the only institution at the workshop where this model is followed, and in terms of the best practice concept, it is about the leading practice that works best for a particular individual process, rather than an overall performance at one institution. It was also agreed that the implementation of such a decentralised structure at UP required major buy-in from the academic staff. The size of the faculty with its administrative support is also a determining factor when decentralising examination administration Based on the centralised structure referred to in par , the following diagram represents an example of such a structure with the specific reporting lines: Vice-Chancellor / Rector /Principal Vice-Principal / Registrar / Director: Academic Administration Head: Examination Administration First Edition August

12 In this example, the structure clearly depicts a direct line of reporting for the Head: Examination Administration to the Vice-Principal/Registrar/Director: Academic Administration. There are usually various other academic administration function heads who also report to the Registrar/Director: Academic Administration The responsibilities of the Head: Examination Administration include the following: i) Initiating and maintaining institutional policies that regulate the examination administration function. (see par. 1.6 below). ii) Compiling and maintaining the general examination regulations and rules in line with institutional policies, as approved by Senate and published in the institution s yearbook/calendar. iii) Ensuring that faculty specific or programme specific regulations and rules that are published in faculty brochures, do not contradict the institutional policies and overall examination regulations and rules. iv) Compilation and publishing of the central examination timetable, based on data collected from the information system and inputs from faculties. v) Provision and reservation of appropriate examination venues aligned to the examination timetable and the assigning of invigilators accordingly. vi) Overseeing the process of submission, security and flow of examination papers. vii) Acquisition and provision of all examination materials required, as well as the production/ printing of the examination papers. viii) Overseeing the flow of examination scripts after an examination, i.e. distribution to examiners, external examiners, etc. until the storage of scripts for access purposes. ix) Taking custodianship of the completeness and accuracy of all marks data recorded on the study record of the student. x) Overseeing the process of publication and release of final marks, and dealing with administrative queries from students regarding their released marks. xi) Providing information to faculties to identify students who have completed their qualification, and to verify this information before the student is included on the list of graduates. xii) Responsible for all the underlying administrative processes, as well as the organisational aspects of the graduation ceremonies, which could include the finalisation of the graduates list, list of all invitees, guest list, ceremony programme, venue, seating allocation, recording of graduation certificates issued, etc. 1.2 Staffing Due to the cyclic nature of the examination administration function, the resource capacity needs to be carefully planned. The planning is affected by a certain fixed element of work to be performed, and a number of variables, e.g. student numbers, number of qualifications/ programmes offered and examinations to be scheduled, number of administrative 10 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

13 queries handled after release of marks, extent of involvement of the lecturing staff in processes such as electronic submission of examination papers and marking memoranda, invigilation, etc. and the extent of centralisation or decentralisation. Best practice is deemed to work according to a quantifiable formula based on the abovementioned fixed and variable elements of work to determine the resource capacity for the Examination Administration Department The number of levels of posts in the Examination Administration Department will be aligned to the number of posts. It is best practice that there is a position of Head: Examination Administration and that this person takes responsibility for the operational management of this department. It is also sound management practice that there is a staff member identified in this department who can take over the responsibility of managing the department in the absence of the Head: Examination Administration. The latest in management best practice is to limit the number of post levels in an organisation -- ideally there should not be more than three to four levels in the department (refer par. 1.3). 1.3 Designations and career path The following are the most generally used designations for the various promotional post levels in the function of examination administration. It is best practice that a promotion from one post level to the next is accompanied by an enrichment of the post and increased responsibilities, as well as a required higher level of skills and experience. Head: Examination Administration Senior Examination Administrative Officer Examination Administrative Officer Administrative Assistant: Examination Administration 1.4 Profile: Knowledge & skills For each post level in examination administration, the knowledge, skills and qualification requirements will obviously be different. However, the following general requirements of staff in the examination administration function are in accordance with best practice: A good working knowledge of the following is required: The higher and further education environment First Edition August

14 Legislation that pertains to higher education Institutional policies, regulations and procedures Department of Education policies, regulations and requirements SAQA and the NQF Institutional governance Academic calendar and timetabling Management information system The following skills are required: Interpersonal Spoken and written communication Organisational Computer literacy Ability to work against deadlines Accuracy 1.5 Accountability and responsibilities: Examination administration & faculties Due to the close involvement between the Examination Administration Department and the faculties, it is best practice to ensure that these responsibilities and accountability are clearly defined. In line with the responsibilities assigned to the Head: Examination Administration in par above, the following is identified: Faculties are accountable and responsible for the academic process of setting examination papers and memoranda and to submit them according to the pre-determined dates to the Examination Administration Department This department is accountable and responsible for all the administrative and logistical processes of the examinations It is also accountable for accurate and complete information on students study records and for supplying this information to the faculties Faculties remain accountable for the degrees, diplomas and certificates that are issued in the name of the institution, and should therefore ensure that a student has indeed met the requirements of the qualification to be conferred at the graduation ceremony, before informing the Examination Administration Department accordingly The Examination Administration Department is responsible for the administrative processes to verify the study records and to produce the hard copy certificate of the qualification Due to the contractual relationship between the institution and the student, there is a dual responsibility by both the faculty and the Examination Administration Department to conform to the stipulations of this contract. This entails that: 12 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

15 i) The graduation ceremony is a statutory meeting of the institution s congregation as stipulated by statute, and as such the institution and its faculties may not refuse the participation at this ceremony to a student who has successfully met all the requirements of the qualification to be conferred to him/her. ii) The Examination Administration Department may refuse entry to an examination and/or withhold the results that a student obtained in a final examination, due to outstanding tuition fees, until outstanding tuition fees are paid or if the candidate has made acceptable arrangements with the institution s student fees section. iii) Candidates must sign the examination rules and regulations of the institution as published in the yearbook, before the commencement of an examination session. As these points above could have legal implications for an institution, it is best practice that the Examination Administration Department obtains legal advice where necessary to ensure that the institution is protected against possible legal action. It is therefore also best practice that the Examination Administration Department ensures that the institution s policies and procedures, as published in the institution s yearbook, are formulated in such a way that they will be able to stand as valid stipulation of the contractual agreement with the student in a court of law. Note: It is standard practice at many institutions that the signatures on the registration form of a student, or his/her legal guardian in the case of a minor, and an authorised representative of the institution, constitutes the contractual agreement between the institution and the student. On the registration form a stipulation must be included that the student has read, and accepts the policies, rules and regulations as published in the institution s yearbook/calendar. It will therefore be deemed as constituting part of the contractual agreement, provided that the institution has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that all students registering at the institution have had free access to the published rules and regulations. 1.6 Institutional policies and regulations Compilation and publication There are a number of policies and regulations that govern the institution s examination process. Although the approval of these policies and regulations remain with the institution s Senate or Council, it is the Examination Administration Department s responsibility to make the necessary inputs in the formulation of such policies and regulations and to maintain them in order to remain in line with national and international best practices The Examination Administration Department also acts as a watchdog to ensure that these policies and regulations are communicated and adhered to throughout the First Edition August

16 institution. All policies and related regulations pertaining to students (see par. 1.7) must be in writing and published in the institution s yearbook/calendar, which in turn must be made available to all students and staff of the institution, and to prospective students and the general public on request. Although it is also good practice to publish policies and regulations on the institution s web site, it should not be the only means of publication There are internal policies and regulations that apply to the institution s employees (both full-time and part-time) and their responsibilities in respect of the examination process (see par. 1.8). These employees should have an employment contract with the institution which stipulates that the employee must adhere to the institutional policies and regulations that govern examinations, and which also specifies his/her duties, as for example, examiner or external examiner. These specific policies and regulations are not published in the institution s yearbook/calendar as it is not necessary for students and/or the public to have insight thereto Faculty and/or course specific regulations must also be published in the faculty or course brochures, which must be made available to all students and staff. The Examination Administration Department must ensure that faculty and/or course specific regulations do not contradict the institutional policies and general regulations for examinations. 1.7 Institutional policies and regulations for students Checklist The following institutional policies and related regulations were identified at the workshop as a generally comprehensive, though not exhaustive, list that applies to the examination function. It is deemed as best practice that an institution should use this list as a checklist to evaluate its own policies and regulations Examinations/Assessment policy for graduate studies This policy should address aspects such as: i) Assessment formats, e.g. written examinations, oral examinations, tests, essays, portfolios of work, assignments, practical/laboratory sessions, etc. ii) Examination entry requirements, e.g. minimum full period or continuous assessment (ca) mark, minimum lecture/laboratory session attendance, etc. iii) Minimum (sub-minimum) examination mark required. iv) Pass requirements for a subject/module/programme, e.g. final mark of at least 50%. v) Distinction mark, e.g. final mark of at least 75% Supplementary examinations policy This policy should address aspects such as: i) When a student qualifies for a supplementary examination, e.g. a final mark of between 40% and 49% has been obtained. ii) Pass requirements for supplementary examinations. iii) When the supplementary examinations will take place. 14 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

17 1.7.3 Special/ancillary/aegrotat examinations policy This policy should address aspects such as: i) Stating when a student will be granted such an examination and when it will take place. ii) Informing the student of what s/he needs to submit, e.g. sick note, etc. iii) Applying this policy as a measure to assist a final year student who may only need a few percentage points in one or two modules to complete his/her qualification. Note: Only a few institutions have implemented a system of two examination events or examination opportunities for every module/subject, whereby a student, who for whatever reason, misses the first opportunity may then take the second opportunity. The second opportunity is scheduled in the same way as for supplementary examinations, i.e. after the first official examination timetable has been completed. Some of the advantages for such a system are: The Examination Administration Department is not burdened with dealing with large numbers of falsified sick notes and various student excuses on why they could not write the scheduled examination session. This system does away with any supplementary examinations, as a student who feels that s/he might have failed the first attempt, may then choose to take the second opportunity. Normally in this case, the mark of the second examination opportunity will be recorded as the examination mark. It therefore eliminates a major amount of control work to establish which students qualified for a supplementary examination during the first official examination. The Examination Administration Department will usually also have very little time, from when the marks of the first official examination are available, to arrange the supplementary examination s logistics and to inform students that they have qualified for a supplementary examination. Some of the disadvantages of such a system are: It presents logistical problems to provide for venues, seating and invigilation if the Examination Administration Department does not know how many students to expect in two opportunity sessions. Students may abuse the system by using the first opportunity only to try and spot for the second opportunity. Although this system of two opportunities carries a lot of merit, it cannot be deemed as best practice due to the very few institutions that have implemented it, and as it has also not been in implementation at these institutions that long, it still needs to be proven as an alternative system. First Edition August

18 1.7.4 Examinations policy for post-graduate studies This policy should address aspects such as: i) Format of assessments, e.g. written examination, master s dissertation, doctoral thesis, etc., and the procedure of conducting these assessments. ii) Examining procedures and appointment of supervisors and/or study leaders. iii) Awarding requirements/marks to be obtained for post-graduate qualifications Policy on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) This policy will normally not be formulated by the Examination Administration Department, as it requires specialised knowledge. However, the Examination Administration Department will be involved with the application of the policy and the underlying procedures of exemption from examination/assessment granted for specific modules/subjects or parts thereof based on the RPL evaluation that was done on an applicant Examination session policy This policy should address aspects such as: i) Invigilation and duties of the invigilator. This is not for publication to students, but for invigilation staff. The Examination Administration Department should have a duty description sheet that must be available to all staff involved with invigilation. ii) Invigilation duties of lecturing staff (not for publication to students). iii) Control over access of students to the session, identification and eligibility to participate in the particular examination session. iv) Communication of the rules of conduct to candidates, application of the rules during the session, and measures that will be taken in the case of transgression of the rules. The student disciplinary code must include irregularities during examination sessions. v) Special needs for students with disabilities during examination sessions, e.g. extra time allowed for pre-approved cases. vi) Attendance control and control over the submission of scripts by students, and distribution of examination scripts to examiners Policy on publishing of results This policy should address aspects such as: i) Where and when students will be able to access their results. The current best practice is that results are released on the institution s web site as soon as the marks are finalised by a faculty. Students can then access the web site under certain access control procedures, to obtain their marks. SMS technology is also increasingly used to inform students about their marks as soon as a mark becomes available. (Refer to focus area 4 on the actual processes and procedures). ii) Final dates for the publishing of all results after an examination period. State the policy on fairness to students that the results will be released to them well in time 16 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

19 to enable them to participate in any scheduled supplementary examinations, or to plan their studies for the next academic year. iii) Distribution of hard copy reports of results that a student obtained. iv) Protection of the rights of an individual student s results information. v) Feedback to students regarding the framework used by examiners during the marking of the scripts. vi) Appeals against results -- how and where students should lodge such appeals. vii) Application for a re-mark -- how and where students should apply and the applicable fee, as well as the rules that apply for a re-mark, e.g. between 45% and 49%, or between 70% and 74%. viii) Application by a student for insight into his/her marked script, under which circumstances this will be allowed, the fixed period when this will be allowed, the supervision required and the applicable fee, if any. Strict rules should apply to prevent debates between students and examiners regarding a mark awarded for a particular question in a paper. ix) Period of retention of marked scripts after the examination. Note: Examination scripts remain the property of the institution. 1.8 Institutional policies and regulations for staff Checklist The following institutional policies and regulations were identified during the workshop as a generally comprehensive, but not exhaustive list to be used by institutions as a best practice checklist. These policies and regulations cover the internal operational aspects according to which academic staff and examiners, as well as the Examination Administration Department, should execute their responsibilities, and therefore should not necessarily be published in the yearbook/calendar of the institution. They must, however, still be in writing and accessible for all staff Examiner policy This policy should address aspects such as: i) Responsibilities of examiners. A standard duty sheet for examiners should be handed to all examiners. ii) Appointments and approvals of appointments of examiners, external examiners and moderators. It is best practice that Senate delegates the authority for these approvals to the faculty boards. The administration and remuneration should be the responsibility of the Human Resources section and the Payroll office. iii) Pre-determined dates and locality for the submission of examination papers. iv) Marking turn-around time. v) Measures that will be instituted against examiners who do not keep to deadline First Edition August

20 dates as communicated. vi) Responsibilities of external examiners. A standard duty sheet for external examiners should be handed to all appointed external examiners. vii) Responsibilities of moderators. A standard duty sheet for moderators should be handed to all moderators. viii) Measures that will apply in the case of sickness or unavailability of an examiner during an examination. ix) Use of examination assistants Examination question paper policy This policy should address aspects such as: i) Formats of question papers and marking memoranda to be compiled by examiners. ii) Security of examination papers during the process flow. iii) Moderation of question papers. iv) Production, printing and safekeeping of question papers until the official examination session Marking policy This policy should address aspects such as: i) Process flow of scripts from examination venue to examiners and to external examiners or moderators, and back to the Examination Administration Department. ii) Retaining period of scripts and disposal thereof after a certain period. iii) Indication of remarks made by the examiner on specific answers in the script. iv) Submission of module and year marks or continuous assessment marks and dates. v) Submission of examination marks and dates, as well as the calculation of final marks. 18 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

21 2Focus area 2: Planning and Preceding Processes 2.1 Inputs to the institution s academic calendar The Examination Administration Department plays a crucial role in the planning of the academic calendar of the institution. It is therefore best practice that the Examination Administration Department makes the necessary inputs to the annual planning and compilation of the academic calendar to ensure that the published dates for examinations and supplementary examinations are in accordance with the institutional policies and as agreed with all faculties and approved at Senate level. 2.2 Planning of the examination operational processes In order to plan for the various processes that need to take place during the actual scheduled examinations as per the academic calendar, the following are best practice processes and procedures necessary for effective planning: Registration process The registration process has a major impact on the effectiveness of the examination process. i) It is best practice that the Examination Administration Department obtains all the relevant student registration statistics from the information system to plan the examination process. ii) Student information, e.g. number of students per subject, etc. on the system must be validated against the existing parameters by running all the available validation reports to ensure that the examination planning is based on accurate data. iii) It is best practice that the Examination Administration Department provides students at registration with proper guidelines and requirements for their examinations at the end of the study period, e.g. identification requirements for entry to the examination venue, minimum module/year mark requirements for examinations, etc It is best practice that the Examination Administration Department communicates to all students how important it is that they ensure that they are registered correctly. Institutions should for this purpose allow a window period after registration of approximately two to three weeks for students to evaluate the correctness of their registration information. After this period they should not be allowed to change their subject registration information, First Edition August

22 and especially should not be allowed to do so after the examination planning process and timetable have been finalised Due dates As an essential part of the planning process, the Examination Administration Department has to determine and communicate various due dates: i) Due dates must be set realistically for all parties involved. It may require that set dates allow for a limited contingency, but there must be an ultimate final date for all events. ii) It is best practice to agree on dates for the submission of examination papers and submission of marks with the academic staff bodies, such as faculty boards and Senate. iii) It is best practice for the Examination Administration Department to send out reminders to parties involved at regular intervals before a particular due date. iv) Due dates should be determined in such a way that they provide for flexibility and for staggering the workload. v) Meeting of due dates must be monitored by the Examination Administration Department and where necessary it should be enforced by the institution s senior management. A member of the executive management should be appointed as sponsor of the process and should also have final accountability for the examination function Venue planning It is best practice that the Examination Administration Department obtains comprehensive information on examination venues, which includes availability, location, capacity, seating, security arrangements, etc., to plan for the examinations Publication of results It is best practice that the Examination Administration Department, in accordance with planning, communicates to students how and when the results will be released and published. Student awareness of this process will eliminate a large amount of unnecessary enquiries. 2.3 Examination timetable The Examination Administration Department is responsible for planning and compiling the examination timetable It is best practice to ensure that the latest available software solution is used to optimise the timetable in terms of the spread of subjects, even spread of student numbers, avoidance of any clashes, use of examination venues, etc It is best practice to compile a provisional examination timetable before the registration of students for a specific study period. The purpose is to assist in the planning of the final examination timetable in that clashes are already flagged during registration. The provisional timetable can be based on changes in the academic structure, i.e. qualifications 20 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

23 and subjects, for the next academic period, and on the projections of student numbers from year to year It is best practice that a draft of the examination timetable be circulated to all faculties and lecturing staff members for comments and inputs, before the final examination timetable is published. In essence it must be through a process of collaboration and communication between the faculties and the Examination Administration Department that the examination timetable is finalised It is best practice to identify one staff member in the Examination Administration Department to take ownership of the centralised timetable, with an alternative that can deputise for him/her in his/her absence. Even if the institutional structure of examination administration is decentralised, central coordination and publication of the examination timetable is good practice The Examination Administration Department must ensure that the data that is used to schedule the timetable is accurate and complete, e.g. papers per subject, duration of each paper, type/format of assessment, available times for sessions, availability of venues (see par above), etc Invigilators must be assigned for each of the sessions scheduled in the timetable. It is best practice that once the allocation of invigilators is done, the Examination Administration Department distributes the invigilation roster to all members of staff involved, both fulltime and part-time In the final instance it is best practice that the examination timetable be accessible to all students and staff. The central point of communicating the timetable could be the yearbook/calendar, but due to the flexible nature of the examination timetable, it is best practice to keep an updated version on the intranet or web site of the institution. 2.4 Planning of the logistics Workflow planning i) It is best practice for the Examination Administration Department to compile a chronological step-by-step workflow document that can serve as a checklist during the examinations to ensure that all aspects for an examination are covered. ii) The workflow document should cover aspects such as the timetable, submission of examination papers and memoranda, printing of examination papers, provision of answer books and other special materials required, attendance slips, venue booking, invigilators assigned, duties specified, etc It is deemed best practice that there must be the necessary security measures in place in respect of the typing of the examination papers by the lecturer/examiner, proofreading of examination papers, the format of submission of the papers to the Examination Administration Department (electronically and/or hard copy) and the actual duplication/ copying of the papers. The measures must ensure that all reasonable precautions are taken in the process to prevent the leaking of a paper. First Edition August

24 2.4.3 Documentation required The planning should include the following: i) Number of answer books ii) Attendance slips (to match student identification) iii) Invigilation instructions iv) Incident reports v) Invigilation reports vi) Special instructions vii) Examination rules and regulations (should also be printed in the answer books) Venues and seating (refer par above) i) Identify suitable examination venues and limit the venues as far as possible ii) The less venues used, the fewer invigilators required. Note: It is deemed best practice to have a pre-determined number of invigilators required per number of candidates, e.g. minimum of 2 invigilators, one male and one female, for the first 50 candidates, and one for every further 50 candidates iii) Ideally examination venues should have loose seating to enable invigilators to move between rows, and it is further recommended to use rooms without a sloped floor. When planning building projects, these requirements should be considered. iv) Where possible, seat numbers should be allocated to students for ease of reference where it is required to locate an individual student, but if this is not possible, at least rows should be allocated per subject/group Large groups In some instances there are large numbers of students who enrol for a particular subject. It is deemed best practice that these students are allocated to groups and assigned to more than one lecturer/examiner in order to alleviate the marking duties. It is then also easier to plan for the allocation of such groups to different examination venues Invigilation i) The Examination Administration Department is responsible for the appointment of part-time invigilators, both externally or post-graduate students. ii) The Examination Administration Department must ensure that all persons acting as invigilators meet the criteria to act in this capacity, that they are fully updated on their responsibilities and that they know the invigilator s manual. iii) Where more invigilators are required from the lecturing staff, the Examination Administration Department must request the faculties to nominate lecturers for invigilation duty. iv) Apart from the invigilation duties referred to in the previous point, it should be the policy, according to best practice, that the examiner (subject lecturer) is present together with the invigilators, for the first 30 minutes of the session where his/ her examination is conducted. The examiner should then remain available within reasonable reach to be contacted in case there is a substantial problem in the paper. 22 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

25 Note: In a decentralised structure, examinations are conducted within the faculties. The same arrangements that apply, for example during a semester test, will then also be followed for the examination, i.e. the faculty will take responsibility for proper invigilation during the examination of that subject, but the same rules regarding misconduct, timekeeping, paper security, etc., still apply. 2.5 Communication Effective communication by the Examination Administration Department with all parties involved is crucial It is best practice that the Examination Administration Department clearly defines the structure and method of all channels of communication that will be followed both with internal parties, e.g. staff and students, and external parties, e.g. external examiners Effective communication ensures effective management, and therefore it is best practice that the management of the Examination Administration Department is responsible and accountable for continuous effective communication with all parties concerned, including communicating to the executive management of the institution and to the faculties Communication can only be effective if it reaches its target audience, and it is therefore best practice that the Examination Administration Department exhausts all possible media of communication available, which include the institutional calendar/yearbook, faculty and course brochures, the publishing of information on notice boards, the student newspaper, postal service to reach individual students, etc. The power of electronic media as a means of communicating is, however, becoming essential and to a large extent it is also more cost-effective. The institutional web site, intranet, bulk ing, SMSmessaging, etc. should be used extensively. 2.6 Recording of full period/continuous assessment (ca) marks Preceding the formal examination, there are various assessment processes during the semester/ year that result in a full period mark awarded to a student, which carries a certain weight towards the final mark (refer list of terminologies) It is best practice that the ownership of full period marks that students obtain during the semester/ year for the various continuous assessment interventions vests with the subject lecturer, including the capturing of such marks on a central student administration information system. Capturing of full period marks on a central system, which eventually combines with an examination mark that is also captured on the system, reduces the chance of human error in the calculation of the final mark It is not only best practice, but also fair to students that they know what the full period mark is that they obtained before the examination of the module. It is therefore necessary First Edition August

26 that the Examination Administration Department sets timeframes approved by Senate for the capturing and release of full period marks (semester/year marks) before the examination Although the general practice is that full period marks are released at the faculties or academic departments, it should be centrally controlled and managed by the Examination Administration Department, as it has direct impact on the release of the final marks after the examination It is best practice that all queries from students relating to the full period marks are dealt with at the particular academic department. 2.7 Appointment of Examiners and Moderators (Refer par above regarding the Examiner policy ) The appointment of a lecturer for a particular module normally also entails that he/she will fulfil the duties of examiner for that module, unless otherwise stipulated in the job description. Where it is applicable in terms of the institutional policies to appoint external examiners and moderators, it is best practice that such persons are nominated by the Head of Department for approval by the Faculty Board. Senate should delegate this authority to Faculty Boards. It is a common stipulation in the policies of universities to appoint external examiners and moderators for the final year examination of an undergraduate subject, as well as at post-graduate level The Head of Department should review appointments of examiners and moderators annually It is best practice that persons appointed as examiners and moderators receive a document that clearly defines their duties and responsibilities, as well as timelines and process flow of examination papers and marked scripts Where the appointees mentioned in are remunerated for their services, it is best practice that such appointments, claims and payments are the responsibility of the Human Resources and Payroll sections in accordance with their procedures. 2.8 Setting, submission and administration of examination papers It is generally accepted practice that the examination paper is set by the examiner. It is furthermore best practice that the examiner also takes ownership for the academic standard, correctness (without typing errors), security thereof (preventing leaks to students), and the submission of the paper for copying to the Examination Administration Department on or before the set deadlines It is best practice that a paper receives a control form when the examiner submits it to the Examination Administration Department. Such a control form makes provision for information required, e.g. date of examination, venue, number of candidates, external examiner or moderator where applicable, etc. It furthermore contains a sequential 24 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

27 workflow providing for sign-off by every person who will be handling the paper before the examination, and the answer books/scripts after the examination The Examination Administration Department is responsible for the submission controls, copying/printing of the papers, security and safe-keeping, and delivery to the examination venue. Control over the submission entails that where an examination paper is not submitted on the due date there is a follow-up procedure in place. All such incidents should be escalated to a pre-determined person, e.g. the Dean of the Faculty. 2.9 Post-graduate procedure In general, institutions will have a separate policy and procedures that govern the assessments of post-graduate qualifications. These might even differentiate between qualifications and/or faculties It is, however, deemed best practice that the general procedures for the assessment and/or examination at post-graduate level should be clearly communicated to all parties concerned through the communication media already mentioned in par. 2.5 above The same best practice principles apply for both post-graduate and under-graduate examinations, with clearly assigned responsibilities, specified timelines, controls, etc. In the case of a masters dissertation or a doctoral thesis, the procedures should stipulate period of notice from the candidate before submission, and the process of assessment and approval of the award. At most universities there is a Post-graduate Committee of Senate that deals with the final decision For Master and Doctoral degrees, it is standard practice to appoint external supervisors and promoters, some of which could be international appointments. Once the appointments are approved by the said committee, it is best practice that the Examination Administration Department facilitates such appointments, and where remuneration is applicable, liaises with the Human Resources section in this regard. The Examination Administration Department should administer the flow of all documentation between a post-graduate candidate and his/her supervisor or promoter. Note: The Examination Administration Department has a very limited involvement in postgraduate examinations and assessments, and the processes are to a large extent dealt with by the faculties. First Edition August

28 3Focus area 3: The Examination Process Introduction The preceding focus area of planning, and processes that precede the actual examinations would have covered what is going to take place during the examinations to a large extent. The very sound management principle that applies here is that if the planning was done very thoroughly, the execution will run smoothly. The approach in compiling this document is therefore not to repeat best practice procedures that have already been addressed in the preceding two focus areas, but to rather refer to the applicable paragraphs. 3.1 Copying of papers and security (Refer par and 2.8) The copying of the examination papers should take place in a secured environment and should be done by staff with proper security clearance. Nothing should be taken for granted and special responsibilities should be clearly assigned to individuals It is best practice to limit the movement and handling of papers to the minimum. In certain institutions the copying of the papers takes place within the Examination Administration Department. Papers should be kept in a secure safe after copying The submission of examination papers to the Examination Administration Department by the examiners should be done electronically to limit movement of hard copies. It is, however, best practice that there is a system of password protection in place It is best practice for the institution to perform random audits of the security measures pertaining to the setting and copying of examination papers. Note: In a decentralised structure, the measures for printing and security must be adhered to consistently across faculties, and this responsibility then lies with the Deans. 3.2 Invigilators and their role in an examination session (Refer par and 2.4.6) Invigilators should be executing their duties as specified in the Invigilator s manual. The Examination Administration Department should keep a record of incidents that are linked to invigilators, and where it becomes necessary, conduct an investigation It is deemed best practice that the Examination Administration Department appoints 26 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

29 one of its staff members to make up a basket or trolley for each examination session according to a checklist to ensure that the correct papers, number of answer books, other examination material, session documentation, etc. are ready for collection by the chief invigilator The chief invigilator s duties should also include a pre-check of the venue before the candidates are allowed access. These should include aspects such as cleanliness of the venue, seating arrangements, security aspects, special arrangements for disabled candidates, etc The chief invigilator in charge of an examination session must complete an invigilator s report for the session that must be submitted to the Examination Administration Department for control purposes and follow-up where necessary. 3.3 Examination fraud (Refer par ) The rules and regulations for examinations are communicated to students through various channels (refer par. 2.5), but should also be published in the official examination answer book for candidates to acknowledge by their signature. (Refer. par iii) and par vii)) The widely published disciplinary code for students should contain the disciplinary steps to be followed and actions that can be taken against a candidate who transgresses the examination rules or who commits an act of examination fraud Where an invigilator encounters an incident of fraud or possible fraud, the steps to be followed must be clearly specified in the Invigilator s manual. It is recommended that a candidate who is involved in an incident should counter-sign the invigilator s report regarding the incident, before the candidate leaves the room at the end of the session It is best practice that invigilators are instructed that, where the evidence is clear that an incident of fraud or transgression of the rules has taken place, they then take immediate action. Delaying the action may exacerbate the situation The student disciplinary code should describe the step-by-step process that will be followed when the institution conducts a disciplinary hearing, for, in this case, examination fraud. It is always best practice that this process is in accordance with sound legal principles. 3.4 Admission to examinations (Refer par ) Rules for academic admission to allow a student to write a particular examination, are determined by the faculties and/or departments, and may differ from qualification to qualification, e.g. in a course where there is an extensive practical or laboratory component which is assessed during the study period, and for which the student must obtain a certain minimum full period mark to meet the competency level required, before First Edition August

30 s/he may sit the examination. It is best practice that these rules are accessible for all students, and communicated well to students at the commencement of a course In the case where there are general rules for the institution regarding the academic admission to an examination, the Examination Administration Department must ensure that they are communicated to all students according to the requirements in par. 2.5 above It is best practice that rules for academic admission to an examination, where these exist, are applied consistently and that no exceptions should be allowed It is best practice that the invigilators receive a list of candidates who are eligible to write a particular examination in a particular session and venue, for control purposes. Candidates referred to in point above, who have not met the academic admission, should not appear on the attendance list. In the case where a student does not appear on the examination attendance list, but arrives for the examination, resulting in a dispute regarding the academic admission, there must be a clear procedure on how the invigilator should deal with such a dispute in a swift and efficient manner. The principle should be that the student should always receive the benefit of the doubt, if the dispute cannot be resolved quickly, i.e. the student should be allowed to write the examination and resolve the dispute afterwards The physical entrance to the examination venue must be controlled. As stipulated in point above, candidates must be able to identify themselves with preferably their student identification card (alternatively personal identification card), and their attendance slips must be verified against the attendance list. Under no circumstances should a student be allowed entrance to the examination room without positive identification. Note: A student who has not obtained academic admission for a particular examination session, and who is aware of the fact that irrespective of what mark s/he obtains in the examination, the final mark for the module will be a fail mark, should be allowed the opportunity to sit the examination, provided that such a student informs the Examination Administration Department beforehand so that the necessary arrangements can be made. 3.5 Communication during the examination process The examination timetable (refer par. 2.3) is undoubtedly the most important instrument of communication on examinations to all parties concerned. In essence the timetable precedes the examination process, and if the timetable is accurate, contains sufficient detail and is accessible to all parties concerned, communication during the examination period will be limited. The points of communication during the examinations have largely been covered, but the following points need to be highlighted: All candidates must take note of and acknowledge the rules and regulations of the examination (refer par.3.3.1) in the examination session. 28 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

31 3.5.2 Invigilators must communicate the process that will be followed should there be a case of transgression of the rules or examination fraud (refer par. 3.3). 3.6 Distribution of scripts (Refer par ) It is best practice and probably also standard practice at most institutions, that the examination answer books or scripts are checked against the attendance slips to ensure that all candidates have indeed submitted their scripts before leaving the venue It is furthermore best practice that the scripts are sealed in some or other format, and linked to a control form that should indicate the distribution of the scripts to the examiner, and external examiner or moderator, where applicable. The control form must make provision for sign-off by the different parties involved with the handing out of the scripts to the examiner for marking, and further distribution where applicable. The approach must, however, be to distribute the scripts for marking to the examiner as soon as possible after the examination. At some institutions the arrangement is that the examiner may pick up the scripts and sign for them at the venue, immediately after the examination. The invigilator will then countersign the control form and submit it to the Examination Administration Department Where scripts are held at the Examination Administration Department, they should be stored in a safe or strong room, until the examiner collects them. First Edition August

32 4Focus area 4: The Results Process & Study Records Administration 4.1 Submission of marked scripts and examination marks (Refer par and 1.8.3) Marked scripts must be held for the period as specified in the institutional policy in this regard (normally 3 years). The Examination Administration Department should be responsible for the control over marked scripts and the storage and traceable access system. In the case of a decentralised structure, the faculties will take on this responsibility Together with the scripts, the examiner must submit the marks list indicating the marks that candidates obtained in the examination to the Examination Administration Department. As the marks list was generated from the system, the examiner must report all cases of students who wrote the examination, but do not appear on the marks list, to either the faculty administration or central registration. This clearly indicates that the student has a problem with his/her registration The list should be double-checked against the mark on the script before capturing it on the system. It is best practice that the mark be captured on the student information system nearest to the point of generation, i.e. the examiner should have access to the student information system to capture the marks. The process can be made even easier for examiners if the student information system is linked to the institutional web site. Through password control access on the web site, examiners can capture the mark directly on the student s record It is best practice that the examiner (lecturer) takes ownership of the marks, and therefore also the capturing of the marks on the information system. The HoD is responsible for the control over the marks submitted by examiners from that department It is best practice that there is a second capture of the examination marks on the student information system, i.e. the marks are all captured again at either the faculty administration or the Examination Administration Department, and any difference between the first captured mark and the second captured mark is followed up to the origin, i.e. the script. 4.2 External examination and moderation (Refer to par ; 1.8.3; 2.7) Due to the extreme time pressures for external examiners and moderators to fulfil their duties after the examiner has marked the scripts, it is best practice to establish the 30 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

33 shortest and least time consuming routes for the marked scripts, and other applicable documentation, that must go to the external examiner and/or moderator As indicated before (refer par and 3.6.3), the control form that accompanies the scripts indicates the flow of the scripts from examiner to the external examiner and moderator, with due dates and provision for sign-off. It is therefore not essential that the examiner first return the marked scripts to the Examination Administration Department for further delivery to the external examiner or moderator, but, if for example, the moderator is in the same faculty as the examiner, the scripts can go directly from the examiner to the moderator It is best practice that any changes to marks by the external examiner or the moderator should not be captured by the examiner, but rather at the Examination Administration Department. It is, however, fair that the feedback report from the external examiner or moderator with the recommendations for changing the marks, must also be sent to the examiner and the particular HoD. 4.3 Final approval of marks The final approval of marks before releasing them to students or publication thereof remains an academic process exercised within the faculties through the mechanisms of the Faculty Boards and/or their Examination Committees. For final year marks there might be an Examinations Committee of Senate that approves final year marks, but it differs from institution to institution, depending also on the size of the institution It is best practice that the lists with marks that serve at the various Faculties Examination Committees are produced directly from the student information system by the faculty administration. Due to the time constraints in the finalisation of marks, it is not feasible for the Examination Administration Department to produce the lists and then distribute them to the faculties It is best practice that the Examination Administration Department puts the necessary blocks on the information system during the process of capturing of marks. The objective is to give, for example, examiners a cut-off date to capture their marks, and once these marks have been captured, it is blocked for further changes unless approved by a higher authority. The same should apply for marks that are approved by the Examination Committees, i.e. once approved, no more changes should be allowed. Without these access controls to change marks after capturing, the system could be subject to corruption. It is very important that these controls and cut-off dates are communicated to all personnel involved with the capturing of marks. 4.4 Publication of marks (Refer par ) Par states that the best practice is that institutions are increasingly moving away from the traditional pre-determined date of publishing results with marks lists being First Edition August

34 put up on the notice boards on campus. Instead, marks are released electronically on the institution s web site or intranet once finalised and students can then access the web site with password control to obtain their marks. This media enables institutions to release marks as and when they become available, i.e. all marks are not published on one particular pre-determined date Where institutions release the marks as and when they become available, there should still be a final date (agreed and approved by Senate) when all marks must be published. It is best practice and also fair practice to set and communicate such a date, giving students sufficient time to prepare for and participate in any supplementary or special examinations, and also to enable them to plan their studies for the next academic period Using the website as media to publish marks could eliminate mailing hard copy reports to students by post, provided that a student is able to print a hard copy of his/her marks report or study record from the web site. It is also much more cost-effective. The fact remains, however, that it is best practice to provide students with a hard copy of the study record and marks obtained, to enable them to apply for bursaries or employment It is best practice to ensure that students are fully informed about the policies and procedures regarding queries on marks, appeals against marks and application for a remark. Most importantly, however, students must know where to go to with a query. Appeals and/or applications for re-marks are administrative procedures according to published policy and are therefore dealt with by the Examination Administration Department It is best practice that the student must go to the faculty first to query a mark, provided that it is the arrangement that examination scripts are kept at the faculty for a specified period of time after the examination, as the script is the source document to be referred to if there is a query It is best practice that all published marks have a results code key to clearly indicate to the student the outcome of his/her effort, e.g. pass, fail, repeat, supplementary examination, etc. Abbreviated result codes must have an accompanying key on the study record or marks report For the procedure on the scrutiny of his/her script by a student, refer to par viii). 4.5 Supplementary and special examinations (Refer par and 1.7.3, as well as the subsequent note in this regard) In addition to what is formulated in the abovementioned policies, it is best practice to schedule all supplementary and special examinations to commence directly after the marks for the main examination have been released Due to extreme time pressures to release the marks obtained in supplementary and special examinations before the registration for the next academic period commences, it is necessary to fast track the processes pertaining to these examinations. The Examination Administration Department plays a very important role in exercising the necessary controls 32 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

35 and meeting pre-set deadlines in this regard. It therefore requires careful and thorough planning to schedule supplementary examinations and the subsequent moderation of scripts. 4.6 Role of the Examination Administration Department at Graduation The Examination Administration Department is the custodian of the marks and study records, whereas the examiners and the faculties take ownership for the correctness and accuracy of the data captured on the system It is therefore deemed best practice that there are mechanisms in place that indicate at the beginning of the study period to the Examination Administration Department and faculties when a student is in the final study year of the qualification, and a possible graduation candidate After the finalisation and release of marks, the Examination Administration Department generates a list of graduation candidates who have met the requirements for the qualification as specified in the student information system. This list is then subject to verification by the faculties, and if in agreement that these candidates should graduate, signing off the list This list is the source used to generate the graduation certificates and to compile the graduation programme. The Examination Administration Department plays an important role in the graduation process in terms of the finalisation of the graduates list, list of all invitees, guest list, ceremony programme, venue, seating allocation, issuing of the degree certificates, etc. Larger institutions have a separate graduation section or unit that takes responsibility for all the arrangements pertaining to the graduation ceremony It is best practice that the Examination Administration Department takes the responsibility for the printing of the graduation certificates on authenticated certificate forms, and records all certificates that are to be issued at the graduation in a central register in both electronic and hard copy format. First Edition August

36 Notes 34 Best practice for Examination Administration in Higher & Further Education Institutions

37 Notes First Edition August