Ordinance 5

5	The Conduct of Examinations
5.1	Every examination for a degree, diploma, certificate or other award of the University of Exeter shall be considered and approved by the relevant Programme/Discipline and College Assessment, Progression and Awarding (APAC) Committees. The Committees shall be jointly responsible for the setting and marking of papers. Detailed responsibilities and powers of the Committees are found in the Handbook for Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes (updated annually).
5.2	Every Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committee shall include at least one member of the academic staff of the University and all relevant External Examiners. In the cases of programmes of study delivered wholly or partly elsewhere at institutions associated with the University, the Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committees may include members of the associated institution in addition to members of the University academic staff and the External Examiner or Examiners.
5.3	External Examiners shall be appointed by the Education Board or Postgraduate Research Board concerned on behalf of the Senate. Appointment shall normally be for four years. Only under exceptional circumstances shall an External Examiner be appointed for a fifth year.
5.4	Internal Examiners shall be appointed annually by the Education Board and Postgraduate Research Board on behalf of the Senate from among the Professors, Associate Professors, Readers, Senior Teaching Fellows, Teaching Fellows, Associate Teaching Fellows, Occasional Lecturers, Senior Research Fellows, Research Fellows and Associate Research Fellows of the University on the recommendation of the Education Board or Postgraduate Research Board.
5.5	The Chair of the Programme/Discipline Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committees shall be the Head of Discipline or the Director of Education.
5.6	No candidate who has failed to comply with the conditions laid down in the relevant Ordinances and Regulations shall be admitted to a University examination.
5.7	No candidate against whom an order of suspension or exclusion is in force shall be admitted to a University examination.
5.8	Each Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committees shall draw up an alphabetical list of the names of those candidates who have passed, showing, where appropriate, the class or category of award and any distinctions in individual subjects. This list shall be approved by the Chair and the External Examiner(s).
5.9	The Education Board and Postgraduate Research Board shall, after considering reports of the Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committees, submit to the Senate its recommendations for the award of degrees, diplomas, certificates and other awards.
5.10	Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committees hold the responsibility for determining the pass lists and, where appropriate, the classification of degrees and awards of merit or distinction. Save where expressly provided for in the regulations governing research degrees, the College or other academic unit delivering the programme holds the responsibility for making recommendations relating to the consequences of failure.
5.11	Faculty Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committees are responsible for ensuring that academic regulations are applied consistently and equitably across disciplines. To exercise this responsibility Faculty Committees monitor the performance of the Programme/Discipline Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committees and ensures the consistent application of the Academic Regulations as set out in Section 7.7 of the Assessment Handbook.
5.12	The Faculty Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committee should be chaired by the Dean of Taught Students or, with approval from the Dean of Taught Students an appropriate nominee.
5.13	Each Programme/Discipline Committee must be represented at the Faculty Assessment Progression and Awarding Committee by at least one member.
5.14	As decisions relating to standards of awards (ie confirmation of marks and appropriate application of threshold and classification standards) are the responsibility of Programme/Discipline Committees. External Examiners are not expected to attend Faculty Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committees.