Examination boards - Academic Registry and Council Secretariat

Examination boards are the committees responsible for the management of assessment, progression and award decisions. Queen Mary has a two-tier examination board system; school, institute or discipline-based Subject Examination Boards (SEBs) set assessments, approve assessment results and progression outcomes, and make award recommendations to the award-based Degree Examination Boards (DEBs).

Subject Examination Boards are managed by staff in academic schools and institutes, while Degree Examination Boards are managed directly by the Academic Registry and Council Secretariat (ARCS). Subject Examination Boards are quality assured and attended by external examiners, while external members – Academic Registrars from other UK universities - fulfil the same role for the Degree Examination Boards.

These pages are designed for staff involved in the management of examination boards, and include key policy documents, document templates, details of current examination board chairs and officers, and examination board dates for the current academic year. For further information on examination boards, assessment processes or the Academic Regulations, please contact Simon Hayter.

Coronavirus: Assessment, Progression and Award Guidance

The impact of the coronavirus requires Queen Mary to think creatively in terms of assessing students and considering progression and award while protecting the value of our degrees by paying proper regard to issues of academic quality and standards. Queen Mary has agreed the Coronavirus - Assessment, Progression and Award [PDF 508KB]to accommodate this extraordinary situation affecting 2019/20 Teaching/assessment.

Education Quality and Standards Board (EQSB) agreed that all 2020/21 examinations (with the exception of clinical examinatons in SMD) will be conducted as online, open book assessments. The Assessment Guidance 2020-21 [PDF 208KB] outlines how assessment will be conducted in 2020/21.

The educationalists Sally Brown and Kay Sambell have written a Brown and Sambell alternative assessment [PDF 760KB]s including the possibilities and limitations of various formats, for use across the sector. Colleagues are encouraged to refer to this document when considering alternative arrangements.

Staff are also reminded of the FAQs provided via the Advisor Hub and those FAQs provided to students through the MyQMUL pages.

Appointing SEB Chairs/Deputy Chairs

When appointing a new SEB Chair or Deputy Chair, please contact Alice de Havillan with a short emailed nomination from the Head of School or Institute. Please also let us know if the Secretary to the board has changed, or if there are any other new contacts to add to the mailing lists. For other changes to SEBs, please contact Simon Hayter for advice.

Policy documents

Useful information & Links

Document templates

SEBs must use these approved templates in all cases.