1. Introduction
In the unlikely event that you have a problem at any stage of the assessment process, there is a process that you must follow to ensure that your grievance is promptly and properly investigated.
The Directors have overall responsibility for the Appeals procedure.
2. Appealing against an Assessment
This procedure applies to all those programmes leading to an award or a qualification where an assessment of the candidate’s performance is made by the Assessor and the result of that assessment is considered in the determination of either a pass or fail.
Where an assessment is an element in the award of a qualification by an external validating or Awarding Organisation then the body concerned will be kept fully informed of any appeal. If necessary, representatives of the Organisation may be involved in any stage of the appeals procedure.
All Learners will be made aware of the appeals procedure during induction.
A written record of all appeals will be kept by NAC and will include the outcome of the appeal and the reasons for the outcome. A copy will be given to the candidate.
All appeals will include a review of the procedural criteria for assessment to take place and will consider whether these procedures were in conformity with the published requirements of the Awarding Organisation.
Procedure
Where a candidate disagrees with the assessment given, he/she must discuss this with the Assessor concerned as soon as possible. In all circumstances this should be done within 5 working days of receiving the assessment decision.
3. Stage One: Assessor and Candidate
The Assessor will consider the Learner appeal and provide a response through:
- Clear explanation/reiteration (as appropriate) of the assessment decision following re-evaluation of the evidence.
- Amendment of the candidate’s assessment record, if appropriate.
Feedback will be given to Learner within one week of receiving the appeal. The candidate will then have access to:
- Any correspondence between the centre and the Awarding Organisation relating to their internally assessed work
- Information, if available at the time of appeal as to whether their work was sampled by the Awarding Organisation
- Relevant Awarding Organisation procedures for the conduct of internal assessment
If the candidate agrees with the decision provided, then the appeal need not proceed further.
Where the candidate is unhappy with the decision reached, the Candidate Appeal Form (Annex A) should be completed and the appeal should proceed on to Stage 2.
4. Stage Two – IQA (Internal Quality Assurer)
The Assessor concerned must forward:
- The original assessment record and the candidate evidence – where appropriate
- The Candidate Appeal Form to the nominated IQA within 5 working days of the appeal being logged.
The IQA must reconsider the assessment decision and this will normally involve an evaluation of:
- The Learner evidence and associated records
- The Assessors rationale for the decision
- The opinion of the candidate
In doing so, the IQA must complete the relevant section of the Candidate Appeal Form and provide the reconsidered decision within 5 working days of receiving the appeal.
Where the candidate remains unhappy with the reconsidered assessment decision, the appeal must proceed to Stage 3.
5. Stage Three – Quality Manager in conjunction with Lead IQA
A process will be followed through management who will consider and validate the candidate’s appeal.
Copies of the candidate’s work and the Assessor’s decision should be presented.
A decision will be returned to the IQA who presented the appeal within 3 weeks.
The IQA will then inform the candidate and Assessor of the decision – which is final.
The candidate appeals form should then be held with programme documentation. The result of the appeal will be held on record.
If the candidate still disagrees with the outcome they may appeal, in writing, to the Awarding Organisation when the AO’s policies and procedures will be followed.
6. External Examination re-marks
Any candidate wishing to have an examination paper re-marked should make a request to the Examination Officer and the Quality Manager as soon as possible after the publication of the results. Learner should not contact the examination board direct.
The regulations of the appropriate Awarding Organisation/Examination Board will be followed.
Learner will be required to pay the appropriate fee, which may be refunded by the Awarding Organisation/Examination Board if improvement is made, subject to the regulations of the appropriate Awarding Organisation/Examination Board.
Learner’s should understand that, where an enquiry into a mark is requested, their unit score and their overall grade may go down as well as up.
