External Examiners
External examining is an integral part of the College's quality assurance and enhancement processes. It ensures effective and appropriate assessment and assures the standard of the RVC's degrees and our processes and procedures are closely aligned with the precepts of the UK Quality Code for Higher Education.
The RVC's Procedure for External Examiners sets out information on nomination, appointment, training and support, reporting processes, duties of External Examiners. It is consistent with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) current guidelines and is managed by the Academic Quality Office. The team also maintains a register of all External Examiners, coordinates the annual reports from External Examiners and pays their fees and expenses upon the fulfillment of their contract.
ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS
External Examiners Nomination Form
External Examiners Fee Claim Form
External Examiners Expense Claim Form
External Examiners Fee Claim Form (Overseas)
External Examiner Online Report (sample, not to be used for submission; reports are submitted via External Examiner Online Report System)
External Experts Confidentiality Statement
ASSOCIATED SITES
External Examiner Online Induction (requires RVC Learn Log-in)
External Examiner Online Report System (requires RVC Account Log-in)
RVC VLE LEARN (requires RVC Learn Log-in)
If an External Examiner has a serious concern relating to systemic failings with the academic standards of a programme(s) and has exhausted all published applicable internal procedures, including the submission of a confidential report to the head of the institution, the President & Principal (principal@rvc.ac.uk), they may invoke the processes of Notifications and Complaints which allow students, staff or others with a direct interest in the College, to raise issues with the Office for Students. It will investigate serious or systemic issues about academic standards or the student academic experience.
External Examiners Annual Reports
External Examiner Reports with the College Responses for 2022-23:
As approved by the Teaching Quality Committee & subject to approval by the Academic Board
Gateway
BVetMed Year 1
BVetMed Year 2
Graduate Accelerated BVetMed
BVetMed Year 3
BVetMed Year 4
BVetMed Final Year
Cert AVN
FdSc & BSc Veterinary Nursing
Undergraduate Biological Science
PgDip Veterinary Clinical Practice
MVetMed
Cert AVP (March 2023)
Cert AVP (Oct 2023)
MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
MSc Veterinary Education
MSc One Health
MSc Wild Animal Biology /Wild Animal Health
Distance Learning VEPH LHP (UoL)
External Examiner Reports with the College Responses for 2021-22:
As approved by the Teaching Quality Committee & subject to approval by the Academic Board
- Gateway
- BVetMed Year 1
- BVetMed Year 2
- Graduate Accelerated BVetMed
- BVetMed Year 3
- BVetMed Year 4
- BVetMed Final Year
- Cert AVN
- Graduate Diploma Equine Locomotor Research (January 22)
- FdSc & BSc Veterinary Nursing
- Undergraduate Biological Science
- PgDip Veterinary Clinical Practice
- MVetMed
- Cert AVP (March 2022)
- Cert AVP (Oct 2022)
- MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
- MSc Veterinary Education
- MSc One Health
- MSc Wild Animal Biology /Wild Animal Health
- Distance Learning VEPH LHP (UoL)
External Examiner Reports with the College Responses for 2020-21:
As approved by the Teaching Quality Committee & subject to approval by the Academic Board
- Gateway
- BVetMed Year 1
- BVetMed Year 2
- Graduate Accelerated BVetMed
- BVetMed Year 3
- BVetMed Year 4
- BVetMed Final Year
- Grad Dip Veterinary Nursing & Cert AVN
- Graduate Diploma Equine Locomotor Research
- FdSc & BSc Veterinary Nursing
- Undergraduate Biological Science
- PgDip Veterinary Clinical Practice
- MVetMed
- Cert AVP (Feb 2021)
- Cert AVP (Oct 2021)
- MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
- MSc Veterinary Education
- MSc One Health
- MSc Wild Animal Biology /Wild Animal Health
- Distance Learning VEPH LHP (UoL)
External Examiner Reports with the College Responses for 2019-20:
As approved by the Teaching Quality Committee & subject to approval by the Academic Board
- Gateway
- BVetMed Year 1
- BVetMed Year 2
- Graduate Year
- BVetMed Year 3
- BVetMed Year 4
- BVetMed Final Year
- Graduate Diploma Veterinary Nursing
- Graduate Diploma Equine Locomotor Research
- FdSc & BSc Veterinary Nursing
- Undergraduate Biological Science
- PgDip Veterinary Clinical Practice
- MVetMed
- Cert AVP (Oct 2020 and Feb 2020)
- MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
- MSc Veterinary Education
- MSc One Health
- MSc Wild Animal Biology /Wild Animal Health
- MSc ILHP (2018/19 & 2019/20)
- Distance Learning VEPH LHP (UoL)
External Examiner Reports with the College Responses for 2018-19:
As approved by the Teaching Quality Committee & subject to approval by the Academic Board
- Gateway
- BVetMed Year 1
- BVetMed Year 2
- Graduate Year
- BVetMed Year 3
- BVetMed Year 4
- BVetMed Final Year
- Graduate Diploma Veterinary Nursing
- Graduate Diploma Equine Locomotor Research
- FdSc & BSc Veterinary Nursing
- Undergraduate Biological Science
- PgDip Veterinary Clinical Practice
- MVetMed
- Cert AVP (Oct 2019)
- Cert AVP (Feb 2019)
- MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
- MSc Veterinary Education
- DL MSc VEPH LHP (UoL)
- MSc One Health
- MSc Wild Animal Biology /Wild Animal Health
- MSc ILHP (no exams in 2018/19)
External Examiner reports with College responses for 2017-18:
- Gateway
- BVetMed Year 1
- BVetMed Year 2
- Graduate Year
- BVetMed Year 3
- BVetMed Year 4
- BVetMed Final Year
- FdSc & BSc Veterinary Nursing
- Graduate Diploma Veterinary Nursing
- Undergraduate Biological Science
- PgDip Veterinary Clinical Practice
- MVetMed
- MSc ILHP
- Cert AVP (Oct 2018)
- MSc One Health
- MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
- MSc Wild Animal Biology /Wild Animal Health
- MSc Veterinary Education
- DL UoL MSc VEPH LHP
- Graduate Diploma Equine Locomotor Research
External Examiner reports with College responses for 2016-17:
- Gateway
- BVetMed Year 1
- BVetMed Year 2
- Graduate Year
- BVetMed Year 3
- BVetMed Year 4
- BVetMed Final Year
- FdSc & BSc Veterinary Nursing
- Graduate Diploma Veterinary Nursing
- Undergraduate Biological Science
- MSc Veterinary Education
- MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
- MSc One Health
- MSc WAB WAH
- MVetMed
- MSc ILHP
- Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice
- PgDip Veterinary Clinical Practice
- MSc LHP VEPH (DL)
External Examiner reports with College responses for 2015-16:
- Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice
Ms Carole Clarke - Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice Professor Mike
Herttage - BVetMed Year 1
- BVetMed Year 2
- BVetMed Year 3
- BVetMed Year 4
- Final BVetMed
- FdSc BSc Veterinary Nursing
- Grad Dip
- UG Biological Sciences
- Gateway
- Graduate Year
- MSc Veterinary Education
- MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
- MSc One Health
- MSc WAB WAH
- MVetMed
- MSc ILHP
- MSc LHP VEPH (DL)
External Examiner reports with College responses for 2014-15:
- Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice
Ms Carole Clarke - Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice Professor Mike
Herttage - BVetMed Year 1
- BVetMed Year 2
- BVetMed Year 3
- BVetMed Year 4
- Final BVetMed
- Gateway
- Graduate Year
- FdSc BSc Veterinary Nursing
- Grad Dip
- UG Biological Sciences
- BSc Comparative Pathology
- MSc Veterinary Education
- MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
- MSc One Health
- MSc WAB WAH
- MVetMed
- MSc ILHP
- MSc PgDip Livestock Health and Production/Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health DL
External Examiner reports with College responses for 2013-14:
- Gateway
- Accelerated BVetMed
- BVetMed 1
- BVetMed Year 2
- BVetMed Year 3
- BVetMed Year 4
- BVetMed Final Year
- BSc Biovet Sci
- BSc Comparative Pathology
- FdSc/BSc Veterinary Nursing Cohort 7&8
- FdSc/BSc Veterinary Nursing Cohort 9 &10
- Graduate Diploma in Professional and Clinical Veterinary Nursing - Core Modules
- Graduate Diploma in Professional and Clinical Veterinary Nursing - Elective Modules
- MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
- MSc Veterinary Education
- MSc Wild Animal Biology/MSc Wild Animal Health
- Masters in Veterinary Medicine
- MSc Intensive Livestock Health and Production
- MSc One Health
- Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice
Ms Carole Clarke - Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice Professor Mike
Herttage - PGCert Risk Risk Analysis in Health and Food
- Distance Learning MSc Livestock Health and Production / MSc Vet Epi & Public Health
The College responses to External Examiner reports for 2012-13:
- Gateway Programme
- BVetMed Year 1
- BVetMed Year 2
- BVetMed Year 3
- Graduate Year
- BVetMed Year 4
- BVetMed Final Year
- BSc BioVet Science
- FdSc/BSc Veterinary Nursing Cohort 6 & 7
- FdSc/BSc Veterinary Nursing Cohort 8 & 9
- Graduate Diploma in Professional and Clinical Veterinary Nursing - Core Modules
- Graduate Diploma in Professional and Clinical Veterinary Nursing - Elective Modules
- BSc Veterinary Nursing Hong Kong PolyU
- MSc Veterinary Epidemiology
- MSc Veterinary Education
- MSc Wild Animal Biology/MSc Wild Animal Health
- MSc Control of Infectious Diseases in Animals
- Masters in Veterinary Medicine
- MSc Intensive Livestock Health and Production
- Distance Learning MSc Livestock Health and Production / MSc Vet Epi & Public Health
Instructions for submission of External Examiner Annual Reports
External Examiners are asked to submit their annual reports to the Royal Veterinary College via the College’s online system.
Instructions for External Examiners:
During your exam board meeting, please confirm with your exams officer:
- whether you will submit a collaborative or individual report?
- for collaborative reports, who will act as ‘lead examiner’ to submit the final report and ‘collaborating examiner(s)’ to approve the final report?
- if you already know who will be the lead and collaborating examiners, please let your Exam Officer know so if you wish to begin to write the report during your meeting you will be able to do so.
After your exam board meeting, emails will give you access to the online system and guide you through the process. Once you have submitted your final report you will receive an email with the fees and expenses claim forms attached.
A final report must be submitted:
- as an online document ·
- Individual report must be submitted within 2 weeks from exam board meeting ·
Collaborating report must be submitted within 1 week bylead examiner, and approved within 1 week by collaborating examiner.
A brief guide for External Examiners to the online system can be found here .
For further information please contact externalexamining@rvc.ac.uk or Ana Filipovic, Senior Academic Quality Officer 'Standards' afilipovic@rvc.ac.uk 01707 666 938.
External Examiner reports are responded to via the following process .
Responding to External Examiner Reports
Here is a guide for Course Directors and Year Leaders to respond to External Examiners.
Lists of Examiners
RVC Examiners Forum
We are excited to announce the date of the next RVC Examiners Forum - Thursday 8th February 2024. The content of this event is aimed at all members of the RVC Boards of Examiners: chairs, deputies, internal and assistant examiners, assessors, external examiners, exams team.
For those new in their role, this would be part of the induction and training; for others, an opportunity to discuss and share knowledge and experience with colleagues. Please note that the event will be in-person with a video conference between the two campuses.
For further info please contact ExternalExamining@rvc.ac.uk or Ana Filipovic, Senior Academic Quality Officer 'Standards' afilipovic@rvc.ac.uk
Useful links and contacts
RVC Information
RVC Academic Quality, Regulations and Procedures
RVC Postgraduate Studies Prospectus
RVC Staff and Teams:
For any queries please email externalexamining@rvc.ac.uk
For examination related queries please contact exams@rvc.ac.uk
External Agencies:
Higher Education Academy (HEA) a handbook for external examining
Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)
QAA UK Quality Code for Higher Education
Quality Code - Part A: Setting and maintaining academic standards
Quality Code - External Expertise