ABSTRACT
The examination and award of a higher degree by thesis is properly seen as the climax of a lengthy, sustained and disciplined effort by the candidate. In British higher education the principal role and final decision in that examination is assigned to an expert assessor who is external to the institution. Recent concern about completion rates and the efficacy of supervision and indeed, about the value of the research degree itself, have prompted a great deal of discussion about the expectations and limitations of present arrangements. It is the job of the examiners to relate these general and admittedly idealistic standards to what is actually in front of them. Examiners, like research students, have a problem of bridging the gap between expectation and reality. Knowledge that such a provision exists for a lesser award is, yet another of the uncertainties confronting candidates but it is not much of a comfort to have it referred to as a fail-safe procedure.
