Purpose and Scope 

This policy outlines the principles, processes, and responsibilities governing assessment within the College to ensure fairness, consistency, transparency, and compliance with awarding-body, regulatory, and statutory requirements. 

This policy applies to: 

  • All learners enrolled on programmes delivered by the College (full-time, part-time, blended, and distance learning). 
  • All staff involved in teaching, assessing, verifying, or managing assessments. 
  • All qualifications and non-accredited learning programmes. 

Definitions 

Assessment: The measurement of learner knowledge, skills, and competencies.
Formative Assessment: Ongoing checks intended to support learning.
Summative Assessment: Formal assessment determining achievement against learning outcomes or criteria.
Internal Verification (IV): Quality assurance ensuring assessment decisions are fair, valid, and consistent.
External Quality Assurance (EQA): Awarding-body checks, external moderation or inspection.
Reasonable Adjustments: Changes to assessment conditions to remove barriers for learners with disabilities or additional learning needs.
Special Consideration: Post-assessment adjustments due to unforeseen circumstances. 

Policy Principles 

  1. Fairness and Inclusivity 
  • Assessments must be accessible, unbiased, and designed to accommodate diverse learning needs. 
  • Reasonable adjustments must be offered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. 
  1. Validity and Reliability 
  • Assessment methods must accurately measure intended learning outcomes. 
  • Decisions must be consistent across assessors and over time. 
  1. Transparency 
  • Learners must receive clear assessment briefs, deadlines, grading criteria, and submission procedures. 
  1. Academic Integrity 
  • The College maintains a strict stance against plagiarism, collusion, contract cheating, impersonation, and misuse of AI. 
  1. Quality Assurance 
  • All assessments are subject to internal verification and external quality assurance as required by awarding organisations. 

Assessment Procedures 

Assessment Planning 

  • Course teams must produce an annual assessment plan indicating assessment types, deadlines, and verification points. 
  • Assessment instruments (assignments, exams, practical tasks) must be approved through internal verification before use. 

Assessment Briefs 

Each brief must include: 

  • Unit/module title and learning outcomes 
  • Assessment tasks and instructions 
  • Assessment criteria / grade descriptors 
  • Submission method and deadline 
  • Academic integrity statement 
  • Referencing requirements 

5Submission of Work 

  • Work must be submitted via the designated platform (e.g., VLE) unless otherwise specified. 
  • Late submissions follow the College’s Late Submission Procedure; penalties or restrictions may apply unless evidence of mitigation is provided. 

Marking and Feedback 

  • Assessors must mark work against published criteria only. 
  • Feedback must be: 
  • Constructive and developmental 
  • Written or recorded, as appropriate 
  • Returned within 5 working days  

Reassessment and Resubmissions 

  • Learners may be granted one resubmission or referred attempt, following awarding-body rules. 
  • Resubmission briefs must not compromise assessment integrity or exceed permitted support levels. 

Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration 

Reasonable Adjustments 

  • Provided for learners with declared disabilities or learning needs. 
  • Must not alter the competence standard being assessed. 
  • Examples: extra time, assistive technology, modified materials. 

Special Consideration 

  • Applied after assessment for learners affected by unexpected circumstances (illness, bereavement, technical failure). 
  • Requests must be evidence-based and submitted promptly. 

Academic Integrity 

The College prohibits: 

  • Plagiarism 
  • Collusion 
  • Fabrication or falsification of evidence 
  • Contract cheating or unauthorised use of AI-generated work 
  • Use of prohibited materials during exams 
  • Impersonation 

Penalties range from resubmission requirements to dismissal, depending on severity. 

Internal Verification (IV) and Quality Assurance 

Internal Verification 

  • All assessment briefs and samples of learner work must be internally verified. 
  • IV records must be stored securely and made available for audit. 

External Quality Assurance 

  • The College will cooperate fully with external verifiers, moderators, regulators, and inspectors. 
  • Recommendations must be actioned within agreed timelines. 

Record-Keeping 

  • Assessment decisions, feedback, verification documents, and learner submissions must be stored securely in line with GDPR. 
  • Retention periods follow awarding-body and legal requirements (typically minimum 3–5 years). 

Appeals and Complaints 

1 Assessment Appeals 

Learners may appeal if they believe: 

  • Procedures were not followed 
  • Assessment criteria were misapplied 
  • Reasonable adjustments were not provided 
  • Bias or discrimination occurred 

Appeals are made using the appropriate form on the BSMI website. 

2 Complaints 

General dissatisfaction with provision should follow the College’s Complaints Policy. 

Monitoring and Review 

  • The academic board (or equivalent) will review this policy annually. 
  • Feedback from learners, staff, external examiners/moderators, and awarding organisations informs updates.