External examining is a key feature of the UK higher education system. This course has been developed as part of the Degree Standards project on external examining that has ran from 2016 to 2021.
The overarching aim of the Personal Development for External Examiners course is to contribute to the maintenance of degree standards and their reasonable comparability across the UK higher education systems by providing training for external examiners. This is the only training course for external examiners in the UK. It has been developed in collaboration with a range of HE providers.
An excellent, informative and thought-provoking course that captured the essence of the external examining role while underlining the complexity and variation in applying standards equitably across institutions.”
Personal Development for External Examiners course participant
Video
In this video Kristine Pole, former Senior Advisor Learning and Teaching, Advance HE introduces the Personal Development for External Examiners course
Course aims
The aims of the course are to enable aspiring, new or experienced examiners to:
- understand the role of the external examiner as articulated in the UK Quality Code for Higher Education, and be confident to undertake it
- develop a deeper understanding of the nature of academic standards and professional judgement, and explore the implications for external examining
- use evidence-informed approaches to contribute to impartial, transparent judgements on academic standards and the enhancement of student learning.
Who should attend?
Any academic colleagues with an interest in external examining. The course is suitable for academic colleagues who are external examiners (whether new or experienced) and for those who would like to take up a role as an external examiner.
What participants receive
Upon completion, participants will receive:
- membership of the External Examiners’ Community of Practice on Connect.
- a certificate of completion and a digital badge of completion
- an entry on the searchable list of certificated External Examiners on the Advance HE website
Content of the course
- The roles and responsibilities of an external examiner
- Variation in academic standards
- Sources of variation
- Dilemmas faced by external examiners
- Social moderation and calibration of standards
Course dates
- 24th September 2026 and 1st October 2026(09:15-13:00 GMT) –please book here (book before 31 August 2026 for early booking discount)
- 14th and 21st October 2026(09:15-13:00 GMT) –please book here (book before 31 August 2026 for early booking discount)
- 17th and 24th November 2026(09:15-13:00 GMT) –please book here (book before 30 September 2026 for early booking discount)
- 21st and 28th January 2027(09:15-13:00 GMT) – Bookings not yet open
- 19th and 26th February 2027(09:15-13:00 GMT) – Bookings not yet open
- 16th and 23rd March 2027(09:15-13:00 GMT) – Bookings not yet open
- 14th and 21st April 2027(09:15-13:00 BST) – Bookings not yet open
- 19th and 26th May 2027(09:15-13:00 BST) – Bookings not yet open
Early booking ticket prices:
- Member Ticket: £240
- Non-Member Ticket: £325
Standard prices:
- Member Ticket: £255
- Non-Member Ticket: £340
Facilitators
Andy Lloyd
Senior Curriculum Design Advisor, Centre for Education Support and Innovation
Andy is Senior Curriculum Design Advisor at the Centre for Education Support and Innovation at Cardiff University, leading on assessment and feedback support across the institution. Andy has worked in a wide range of different roles across the University for over 25 years. Originally working as a librarian, he then moved to a research role in the School of Education, and then to lead the enhancement of a number of different areas in the assessment lifecycle University-wide, including support for and the training of external examiners.
Ian Sadler
Subject Head in the School of Sport and Exercise Science
Dr Ian Sadler is Subject Head in the School of Sport and Exercise Science with responsibility for learning and teaching. Ian teaches exercise physiology and nutrition and he is an accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist (BASES) and a Chartered Scientist (Science Council). His research focuses upon learning and teaching in higher education; specifically teacher development and assessment practice.
Professor Jenny Hill
Head of Learning and Teaching Innovation
Jenny has worked as an advisor to universities, examination boards, Advance HE and the Quality Assurance Agency. She is passionate about teaching, researching and developing curricula and practice across all disciplines and professional areas.
Professor Chris Rust
Emeritus Professor of Higher Education
Chris Rust is Emeritus Professor of Higher Education at Oxford Brookes where he worked for over 25 years. He was Head of the Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development, and Deputy Director of the Human Resource Directorate from 2001-2011. Between 2005-10 he was also Deputy Director for two Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning – ASKe (Assessment Standards Knowledge Exchange) and the Reinvention Centre for undergraduate research (led by Warwick University). For his last three years he was Associate Dean (Academic Policy).
Pam Parker
Deputy Director
Pam is the Interim Director of the Department for Learning Enhancement and Development and Professor of Educational Development.
Professor Pete Boyd
Professor Emeritus of Professional Learning
He is professor emeritus in professional learning at the University of Cumbria and focused on supporting the development of research-informed practice in education. He works as an education consultant, research mentor and doctoral research supervisor with academics, lecturers and teachers in universities, colleges, and schools.
Rachel Forsyth
Senior Educational Developer
Rachel Forsyth is a senior educational developer at Lund University, Sweden. Before she moved to Sweden she was Head of the University Teaching Academy at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her book, Confident Assessment in Higher Education (Sage, 2022), is a practical guide for anyone working in higher education to understand and improve assessment and another, co-authored with Sam Illingworth, Generative AI in Higher Education, was published by Bloomsbury in January 2026 and is open access. She currently researches how trust is built between teachers and students.
Delivering the course within an institution
The Personal Development for External Examiners course can be delivered to staff within an institution either by Advance HE staff or by institutional staff who have successfully completed the Institutional Development of External Examiners programme. The latter programme involves the following:
- Participants complete the Personal Development for External Examiners course
- Two or more facilitators complete the Institutional Development of External Examiners programme
- Institution is sub-licensed by Advance HE to deliver the Personal Development for External Examiners with the developers delivering the course
Find out more about the Institutional Development of External Examiners.
Courses such as this are an invaluable asset for external examiners. The ability to connect with peers and develop understanding, roles and responsibilities is extremely useful.”
Personal Development for External Examiners course Participant
Hear from previous participants
Making external examining fit for the future
Dr Lia Blaj-Ward, senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, points to ‘the emphasis on the importance of calibration across the sector’ as the highlight of Advance HE’s external examiner course.
What can early career researchers gain from External Examiner training?
Dr Melissa Jogie shares her experience as an Early Career Researcher (ECR) of attending External Examiner training.
