Understanding assessment

8. How does assessment take place?

You will be invited to take part in assessment after your unit has been marked up as complete. Assessment takes place at one of three annual Assessment Events, where tutors act as assessors and moderators, overseen by a Programme Leader, and supported by other academic staff at OCA.

At Stage One (HE4), assessment is initially undertaken by a first assessor, who will look at your submission, provide written feedback and a provisional mark.

At Stages Two (HE5) and Stage Three (HE6), where marks count towards final degree classifications, assessment is undertaken by a first and second assessor, both of whom will look at your submission and agree a provisional mark. Your written feedback will normally be provided by the first assessor.

Once provisional marks are in place for all Stages, the marks will be moderated by the Programme Team. They will look at your work and the provisional marks to see if they align with other submissions, and make adjustments if necessary.

 At the end of the event, External Examiners are invited to check and comment on the process. External Examiners are senior academics and subject specialists from other HE institutions.