A summary and further guidance on the role of research degree examiners..
This guidance provides an overview of the examination process from an examiner’s perspective. It is underpinned by assessment area of the regulations and code of practice for research degrees.
The internal examiner (or the independent chair if there is no internal examiner) makes the practical arrangements for the oral exam. They decide on the time and date of the oral exam in discussion with the external examiner/s and with the student.
If the student is on sick leave or on short-term exceptional leave (eg they have an emergency domestic situation or an emergency caring responsibility) at the planned time, the oral exam must be postponed.
The relevant school covers appropriate costs for the oral exam, including the fee and appropriate expenses for external examiners.
The external examiner fee is £180 for a doctoral examination and £130 for a research master’s examination.
External examiners must send completed fee and expenses forms to the relevant administrator in the student’s school. The Academic Quality and Policy Office is not involved in paying fees and expenses.
After reading the dissertation, examiners complete individual preliminary reports and exchange them before they meet to prepare for the oral exam.
Examiners use the preliminary reports as the basis for formulating the questions they want to ask the student.
Examiners agree on an appropriate time to exchange their preliminary reports, which must be before they meet to plan for the oral exam.
If there is an independent chair, the examiners also send the chair their preliminary reports before they meet. The independent chair must oversee the discussions between examiners at the planning meeting.
Oral exams are usually held in person but can be held partly or fully online if needed. The student and the examiners must agree how the oral exam will be held.
An independent chair, if appointed, oversees the oral exam.
University of Bristol staff can find out more about video conferencing platforms in guidance from IT Services.
As soon as possible after the oral exam has finished, the internal examiner (or independent chair if there is no internal examiner) sends the examiners’ combined guidance on any required corrections or for a resubmission directly to the student. This allows the student to make a start on making those corrections or preparing for the resubmission.
After the oral exam, the examiners complete a joint final report. The report must include a recommendation and a rationale that comments on both the dissertation and on the student’s performance in the oral exam.
If there are corrections or a resubmission required from the student, the examiners must copy and paste the combined guidance they sent to the student into the joint final report.
The internal examiner (or independent chair if there is no internal examiner) sends the joint final report, the preliminary reports, and the independent chair report (if appointed) to the School PGR Director (in most schools this is via the School PGR team).
The School PGR Director reviews the reports, signs the declaration on the joint report, and sends all reports to the Academic Quality and Policy Office to arrive no later than two weeks after the oral exam.
The Academic Quality and Policy Office processes examiners’ reports for the Research Degrees Examination Board, which meets six times a year.
The exam board reviews examiners’ reports and decides whether to approve the examiners’ recommendation.
Following the Board’s decision, the student is informed of the outcome.
If the award is approved, the student receives an award letter and is eligible to attend graduation.
If the award is approved with outstanding minor errors, the internal examiner (or independent chair or another academic if there is no internal examiner) approves the corrections.
If the decision is for errors of substance or for a resubmission, all examiners review and approve the revised dissertation.
Please use the links below to see more detailed guidance on each stage of the process.
Preparations – the examining panel, practical arrangements for the oral exam, and the initial assessment of the dissertation.
Oral exam – before the oral exam goes ahead, during and after the oral exam, and guidance on corrections or a resubmission.
Recommendations and reports – examiners’ recommendation, the joint final report, and submitting reports.
Approval of results – the Research Degrees Examination Board and results.
Corrections and resubmissions – minor errors, errors of substance, and resubmissions.
Examiners can comment on any aspect of the research degree examination process in confidence to the Research Degrees Examination Board (via pgr-exams@bristol.ac.uk).
