Examinations and assessment guidelines

Examination board guidelines and assessment procedures (UG and PG) spring-autumn 2024

Examination board guidelines and assessment procedures have been reviewed and updated for the operation of examination boards and publishing of assessment results, during spring and autumn 2024. Previous versions of these guidelines should be disregarded.

Guidance for students

Guidance for students has been developed which provides answers to key questions and guidance on, for example, completion, examinations and how decisions are made after Exam Boards.

• Academic Decision-Making: Guide for Students on Three-Stage Approach
• Academic Decision-Making: Guide for Students on What happens after Exams?

Guidance for examination boards

Please refer to the ‘Key points to highlight’ document for a summary of recent changes and introductions. All examination board guidelines and assessment procedures (UG and PGT) are listed below.

Examination board guidance

Document  Number	Document Title
A	Key Points to Highlight
B	Academic Decision-Making: Summary of Approach (for Staff)
C	Academic Decision-Making: Guidelines for Boards of Examiners in Maintaining Academic Standards (for Staff)
1	Undergraduate and Postgraduate Assessment Procedures
2	Decisions and Decision Codes
3	Policy on the Discretionary Award of Credits
4	Heriot-Watt University Assessment and Progression System (HAPS)
5	Guidelines on Complying with SCQF
6a	Policy for Undergraduate Degree-Classification Borderline Cases
6b	Policy for Postgraduate Taught Degree-Classification Borderline Cases
7	Managing Online Assessment due to VLE Access Holds and IT Services Access Holds
8	Policy on Mitigating Circumstances in Relation to Assessment
9	Appeals Against Examiner’s Recommendations of Award
10	Managing Suspended Examination Boards
11a	Briefings Chairs of Examination Boards; Deans' Representatives Briefings Chairs of Examination Boards; Deans' Representatives (pre-recorded session, PowerPoint and transcripts and recording of live session).
11b	Board of Examiners – Remote Meeting Guidance
12a	Guidelines for Deans, Associate Deans and Representatives
12b	Deans' Report Proforma
13	Examination Paper Format Guidelines