FAE Board
Author:
Ronan O'Loughlin
The FAE Board is charged with the governance of the administration of the FAE. Its remit includes the maintenance of the syllabus, the appointment of Examiners, Moderators and Assistant Examiners (markers), approval of the draft papers, and adjudication of the results.
Examiners and moderators
As and when vacancies for Assistant Examiners arise, the CVs of various applicants are considered and a selection and appointment is made by the Board. Vacancies for Examiners and Moderators are usually filled from the ranks of the Assistant Examiners.
Syllabus
In the Spring of each year, the Board convenes a Liaison Meeting in each paper attended by the Examiner/ Moderator and the Educators.
These meetings give by all concerned an opportunity to discuss the syllabus for the coming year, and consider areas of the syllabus and any other matters requiring clarification.
The syllabus is revised in the light of the comments at the Liaison Meeting and is then presented to the FAE Board for its approval.
Development of papers
In mid November, the Board commissions the Examiners to develop the next set of papers. The Examiner begins by developing an outline scenario which is then reviewed by the Board in late December, and approved subject to the Board's comments.
The Examiner then develops the 1st draft of his paper, solution and marking plan, together with his objectives for the paper. This material is reviewed and commented on by the Board in February and the Board will usually approve a revised 2nd draft a short time later.
The draft paper, as approved, is then sat by the Moderator in March, under simulated examination conditions. After sitting the paper the Moderator compares the Examiner's solutions with his own. He then writes up a Moderation Report covering issues such as length of paper, compliance with syllabus, clarity of requirements etc. The Examiner and Board member consider the Moderator's Report in advance of the moderation weekend.
Moderation
On a week-end in April the Board meets with the Examiner and Moderator and reviews the outcome of the 1st Moderation. If appropriate, the draft paper, solution and marking plan is amended in response to the outcome of the 1st Moderation. The revised paper is then sat by a 2nd Moderator.
After the paper has been sat by the 2nd Moderator he will also compare the Examiner's solution with his own, and write up a Moderation Report. The Board member, Examiner, 1st Moderator and 2nd Moderator then reconvene to consider the outcome of the 2nd moderation. If appropriate, the paper, solution and marking plan are amended further in response to the outcome of the 2nd moderation.
The paper is then settled and approved by the Board in May.
Marking
After the FAE has been sat, the marking team in each paper, comprising the Examiner, Moderator and Assistant Examiners, mark a sample of 15 scripts. The results are reported back to the Examiner by each team member and are compiled by the Examiner.
The marking team in each paper (joined by the Board member) assembles on the first week-end of the FAE marking. The team begins by considering the feedback on the paper from ACASSI, CAS and individual students. The team will go on to discuss the outcome of the sample marking and may decide to amend the marking plan/solution in the light of the information available.
At that point, the group is joined by the CAS Educators in a Marking Conference.
The Examiner reports to the Conference on the original solution/marking plan and any amendments made already. The Educators will comment on the paper and on the solution/marking plan, from their own, and from the students' perspective. The Marking Conference may result in further amendments to the solution/marking plan if they are deemed appropriate.
The final agreed marking plan is now in place and the team begins live marking. Live marking continues on a full-time basis in a central location over three week-ends.
Throughout the marking, the Examiner and Moderator in each paper re-mark samples of marked scripts to ensure that each Assistant Examiner is marking faithfully to the agreed marking plan and that there is a convergence within specific parameters, in terms of average mark and pass rate, between all the Assistant Examiners, the Examiner and the Moderator. Any indication of divergence is investigated and appropriate remedial action taken.
At the conclusion of live marking the Moderator compiles report in which he comments on the compliance of the Examiner and his team during live marking with all of the procedures laid down by the Board. The Moderator also reports on the marked scripts re-assessed by him and particularly on any deviations in marking.
The Examiner compiles an Examiner's Report at the conclusion of live marking. In this he will comment on his expectations in setting the paper and the outcome in terms of students' performance on the paper generally, and on each question/requirement.
At the end of September the marks in each paper are submitted by the Examiners to the Executive which compiles a schedule of draft results showing the mark per paper, the aggregate mark and the result for each candidate.
The Board meets in mid-October, considers the draft results and identifies the cohort of borderline candidates whose scripts will be subjected to double marking.
Double marking
In each paper, the team re-assembles for a fourth marking weekend in late October during which double marking is carried out.
For the double marking of each script, the Assistant Examiner will be different to the Assistant Examiner who undertook the first marking on the script concerned. As each script is double marked, the Examiner will compare the first mark and the double mark. Where the two marks converge within set parameters, the higher of the two marks is awarded to the student as the final mark. If a divergence outside the parameters occurs, the Examiner undertakes an arbitration marking, and the arbitration mark becomes then the final mark.
Adjudication
In early November, a 2nd adjudication meeting of the Board is convened to which the results schedule updated for double marking is presented. The results are then adjudicated by the Board for each individual candidate, and includes consideration of medical or other extenuating circumstances for effected candidates.
The results, as approved by FAEB, are then published with an individual result letter being issued to each candidate. The letter shows the actual marks awarded per paper. The pass list with the result statistics is posted on the Institute's website.
Following the publication of results, additional information on their performance is available to unsuccessful candidates as is a facility for them to appeal their result.
Ronan O'Loughlin is Director of Education at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland