4.4.2 Limitations of the assessment process

There are limitations, arising out of the conditions under which external examiners work, that create constraints on the rigour with which the external assessment of students is conducted. The poor remuneration, the fact that external examiners carry out these activities as a part-time occupation, and the high turnover rate mean that it is somewhat difficult to get enough persons who have the necessary competence to carry out the marking exercise efficiently

At times, the measures necessary to ensure the rigour of the exercise are not carefully observed. For example, examination papers may be handed in too late to permit scrutiny of the papers in order to ensure that the examinations are of a high quality. Also, some external examiners may not go through the necessary process of collaborating with lecturers and students before setting the examination, or may not sit with the lecturers for the entire five-six days over which the marking of final examination scripts is conducted, so as to ensure that the marking process is effectively standardised and moderated.

The absence of a General Supervisor of examination scripts has meant, on occasion, that there have been allegations that some irregularities may exist in the distribution of the scripts. As a result, it is possible that student anonymity may not always be preserved, and lecturers from one college may be marking the scripts of students from that same college with whom they may be familiar.