In this blog post, Michaela Pittom from Kingston University discusses their experience with exam boards
The delivery of exam boards is under increasing pressure; exam boards are making more decisions than ever before due to increased student numbers, timescales for decision-making are shrinking as institutions try to ensure reassessment happens early in the summer and the decision-making process is particularly complex when new provision is introduced, such as partnerships or professional body requirements. This often leads to quick decisions needing to be made, resulting in variable practice across institutions – with little practitioner guidance or practice-sharing available.
This project will develop an evidence base of exam board practice in the UK higher education sector, proposing enhancements to exam board delivery and creating a community of knowledge-sharing.
By considering how institutions are introducing new approaches and streamlining exam board delivery, the project aims to support institutions in freeing up staff time to focus on enhancements that benefit the student experience.
Planned outputs
- Practice-sharing and problem-solving workshops on the future of exam boards
- A report summarising existing and evolving practice in exam boards
- A framework for defining exam board activity in the UK, sharing good practice
- Reflective case studies outlining opportunities and challenges experienced in exam board practice and examples from those who have delivered institution-wide change in exam board models.
Project outputs
Project workshops and practice-sharing
This project has been designed as a collaborative venture, with a steering group drawn from across the sector and an informal partnership with the Academic Registrar's Council (ARC). A core aim has been to provide a space for practice-sharing in the management of exam boards.
Here, you can find outputs from the workshops and practice-sharing updates the project facilitated:
Presented and discussed at the ARC Annual Conference, November 2024; and ARC Assessment Practitioners Group online meeting, November 2024
Workshop – what should the future of exam boards be? Held at the ARC Annual Conference, November 2024. This workshop format could be replicated to explore exam boards within an institution, attended by 25-30 people.
Future of Exam Boards Workshop and Outputs - ARC Annual Conference November 2024.pdf Workshop – how can we better use our systems to support exam boards? Held at the SROC Annual Conference, April 2025, attended by 25-30 people.
Presented and discussed at the ARC Assessment Practitioners Group online meeting, May 2025
Held for representatives of Academic Registrars, in-person, on 16 October 2025. Representatives from over 50 institutions attended.
Held for representatives of Academic Registrars, in-person, on 3 November 2025, attended by 25-30 people.
Understanding current exam board practice
The project ran a sector–wide survey via the Academic Registrar’s Council, receiving responses from 67 higher education institutions, with the diversity of the sector represented in the survey responses.
Change and innovation in exam board practice
Institutional Examples
As part of the project, we invited institutions who have been delivering changes to their exam board practices to share their experiences at an in-person event on 16 October 2025. Below, you can access the slides from these institutions:
Reactive changes to wider institutional factors
Early movers in a proactive change process
Recent, rapid and radical proactive change process
Practical steps for institutions
Our project has shown that context is critical for determining what the relevant practical next steps might be for an institution wanting to review its exam board practices.
A key insight from the project is that reviewing exam board practice needs to be more holistic than considering ‘exam board structures’ - instead, exam boards need to be situated as only one element of a broader process that confirms student outcomes. Framed in this way, institutions should consider how their policies, regulations, technology and people, contribute to each stage of the process.
Complete a self-assessment of your approach to confirming student outcomes.
Drawing on the data from the project, we have developed a framework to be used as a ‘self-assessment’ tool, for institutions to consider what their current exam board practices look like, how they may want these to evolve in future, and identify steps to get there.
Using the self-assessment guide
Step 1: For each element, identify which level best represents your current approach to confirming student outcomes
Step 2: For each element, discuss which level best represents your desired future approach.
Step 3: Consider what would be needed in your context from move from your current state to your future state, and consider:
> Are there small incremental changes/quick wins you could make?
> Does the change represent a re-think of the whole approach?
> What opportunities are there from institutional change initiatives already underway?
> Do you think there is a broader desire for change in some areas more than others?
Lead institution: University of Bristol
Partner institution: Kingston University
To find out more about how to get involved with the project, you can contact, Charlotte Verney at the University of Bristol or Michaela Pittom at Kingston University.
Other Collaborative Enhancement Projects
QAA supports a number of projects every year, covering a range of topics and interest areas. Each is led by a QAA Member, working in collaboration with other members institutions. You can find more information on all projects, and access resources and outputs, on our website.