SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS

INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXAMINERS

- A COMMENTARY ON MARKING EXAM PAPERS

This note is a second complementary guide to the document entitled "Instructions and Procedures". This time the emphasis is on marking issues.

Four sections (C, D, E, F) give instructions on marking. It is important that you read them. As an additional comment, it is useful (and sometimes important) that you are accessible when your exam is being sat. Candidates sometimes ask questions (e.g., about misprints) that cannot be answered by invigilators. If you are not going to be in your office, please let your secretary know where you will be. Wherever you are, it might be sensible to know where you can consult a copy of the paper.

Section C describes the fundamental responsibilities of examiners. Subsection C1 outlines the main responsibilities of examiners - you might wish to note the meeting of the Chairman of Examiners with the Heads of Department, where your marks will be scrutinised. Subsection C2 describes the mark scale. Subsection C3 deals with resits, but you might find some unexpected candidates turning up to your exams and some of these might be resitting students. Subsection C4 explains the roles of markers and checkers. Please ask for help if you need it.

Section D describes a number of procedures related to marking. Incidentally, script packets will be delivered to your pigeon holes. Subsection D1 is about anonymous marking (when you receive the scripts the top right hand corners will be stuck down, obscuring the candidates' names). The remaining subsections give detailed instructions on marking, checking, reporting marks and handling script packets. Please remember the importance of security (Section B).

Section E consists of module class descriptions. The more important of the lists is the one describing classification of modules. You will need this when scaling exams.

Section F gives detailed instructions on scaling. Subsection F1 describes the piecewise linear scaling that we use (in conjunction with the classification descriptions in Section E). Subsection F2 explains where reference statistics are used and how they are compiled.

OHK 6/12/2000