ABSTRACT
What is an External Examining System? At its core, the external examining system in the United Kingdom presents itself as the chief means by which standards of UK awards are ensured and protected. In order to achieve this remarkable claim, individuals must be appointed who are sufficiently senior and experienced in their subject area to have a sense of the ‘standards’ they so assiduously maintain, yet who have sufficient ‘distance’ from the appointing institution to maintain a balanced perspective on the application of those standards, ensuring that they are not influenced by ‘fear or favour’ in making their judgements. External examiners in the United Kingdom should be able to establish a national standard through their use of national reference points, such as the Quality Assurance Agency’s Framework for Higher Education Qualifications and subject benchmark statements (which describe expected content for particular subjects).
