An External Quality Assurer, also known as an External Moderator or Verifier, is vital to ensure the quality and consistency of assessments carried out by centres. Their responsibilities revolve around maintaining the standards set by awarding bodies and regulatory bodies such as Ofqual. They act as independent and impartial experts who ensure that policies, procedures, and legislation are implemented consistently and fairly. For example, regarding equality, health, safety, and privacy, bodies such as Ofqual and individual centres.
External Quality practitioners are responsible for reviewing and evaluating assessment procedures, ensuring they align with the requirements set by awarding bodies and regulatory authorities. This includes checking assessment materials, marking schemes, and grading criteria to ensure fairness, validity, reliability, and consistency in the assessment process. Their job is to ensure that all policies and procedures are up-to-date and fit for purpose.
External Quality practitioners also conduct moderation activities to verify that assessments have been marked accurately and consistently across different centres. They may sample a range of learner work from various centres to ensure that grading decisions are fair and consistent. They also provide guidance and support to assessors within centres, ensuring they understand the requirements for valid assessment practices. This may involve delivering training sessions or giving feedback on assessor performance.
External Quality practitioners are also responsible for the integrity of qualifications awarded by awarding bodies. Working closely with Ofqual and other regulatory bodies, they help uphold high standards within the education system while ensuring fair opportunities for learners.
External Quality practitioners, in brief, are responsible for:
- Quality Assurance: They review assessment materials, including examination papers, coursework assignments, and marking schemes, to ensure they meet the standards set by awarding bodies.
- Standardisation: They work closely with assessors to ensure consistent interpretation and application of assessment criteria across different centres. This helps maintain fairness and equity in grading decisions.
- Sampling: External quality assurers select samples of student work for moderation purposes. By reviewing these samples, they can verify that assessments have been carried out accurately and consistently across different centres.
- Feedback and Support: They provide constructive feedback on their performance to assessors to help them improve their understanding of assessment requirements. Additionally, they offer guidance and support to centres on best practices for assessment delivery.
- Reporting: External quality assurers report their findings to awarding bodies like Ofqual to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. Their reports may include recommendations for improvement or commendations for good practices observed during the quality assurance process.