How does the University ensure marking is consistent and fair?
Internal moderation is a process whereby summative assessments are reviewed by a second Module Leader to check that the marking criteria have been applied consistently and the outcomes of the assessment are fair and reliable.
Internal moderation is used for all examinations and where your coursework contributes 50% or more of the overall module mark. A sample of work which includes examples from across the mark range and borderline cases will be selected for review by the second Module Leader.
Special marking and moderation arrangements apply to projects and dissertations. For these assessments, every piece of work is independently assessed by more than one Module Leader. Each marker keeps a record of all marks awarded, together with their rationale for awarding each mark, then the two markers confer to agree the marks.
In exceptional cases, marks may be scaled following internal moderation. Scaling is a process whereby marks are systematically adjusted to ensure they properly reflect the achievements of the students as defined by the marking criteria. It is not a mechanistic process and requires academic judgement to ensure marks fairly reflect student achievement.