2.1. Verification ensures that the form and content of assessment tasks and briefs are appropriate, fair and valid in terms of standards, will effectively assess the achievement of learning outcomes and present an appropriate level of challenge to students.

2.2. Marking involves the academic judgement of students' submitted assessments against predetermined criteria and the provision of a mark (percentage, grade band or pass/fail grade).

2.3. Standardisation activities are employed to ensure the consistency of marking in modules where there are multiple markers.

2.4. Moderation is employed to ensure that academic standards are appropriate, that marking is regulated within agreed norms or against predetermined marking criteria across a module/course. It also ensures that the assessment outcomes for students are fair and reliable. It is undertaken internally and externally. Moderation can be undertaken by reviewing a sample of student work, or by second marking. Second marking results in a single, agreed mark.

2.5. Moderation by reviewing a sample of student work - The role of the moderator is to check that first marking has been carried out correctly, that mark schemes have been properly applied, and that the total mark is arithmetically correct for a sample of student work.

2.6. Moderation 'Events' - In these events a group of assessors from the collaborative partner and the University will all independently mark a sample of pieces of student work. The work is then shared and markers will compare and discuss the outcomes in order to establish that all assessors (partner staff and University staff) have clarity regarding the University's expectations for what constitutes a 'good' piece of work and to ensure that all markers are applying the agreed criteria consistently. This type of activity can be used in addition to other types of standardisation / moderation.

2.7. Second marking is where a second mark is allocated to a piece of work by a second internal marker. This is a thorough second marking of student work and may be carried out blind (where the second marker does not have access to the marks and comments of the first marker) or sighted (where the second marker can view the marks and comments of the first marker). Second marking of the whole cohort is sometimes referred to as 'double marking'. Second marking results in a single, agreed mark.

2.8. External moderation is a check / audit of a sample of marked work by an appointed external examiner.