Policies

Contents

  • Quality Assurance.
  • Candidate Malpractice.
  • Assessment and Grades.
  • Appeals.
  • Complaints.
  • Privacy.

Quality Assurance

IBA strives to continuously ensure that it operates at the highest possible levels of quality. This is particularly important with regard to the assessment protocols and the protection of learners personal information.

Below are listed the policies which are deemed to protect this position and offer assurance to external stakeholders about the action, process and integrity of IBA.

Candidate Malpractice

IBA takes candidate malpractice during assessment very seriously and disciplinary action will be taken. Examples of malpractice include, but are not limited to:-

  • A candidate arranging for someone else to take their place in an assessment
  • A candidate being in possession of materials not permitted during the assessment. This constitutes malpractice even if they are not used
  • Copying from another candidate or allowing a candidate to copy from you
  • Damaging another candidates work
  • Disruptive behaviour during an assessment
  • Entering offensive or inappropriate work for an assessment
  • Having a mobile device with you during an assessment, unless specifically told otherwise, even if you don’t use it
  • Communicating with another student during an assessment where it is prohibited

Where a candidate is suspected of malpractice, an official will warn the student that their actions could be construed as malpractice, and that this will be reported to IBA. However, the candidate will be allowed to finish the assessment. At the completion of the assessment the candidate will be asked to make a signed statement, this can be written by the candidate or the official, but will require a signature by both. If the candidate does not wish to give a statement before leaving, this will be noted by the official.

The official will complete a candidate malpractice report and submit this to IBA.

If IBA consider further investigation is required, the candidates results will be withheld until a full investigation can take place. On completion of the investigation, we will provide a report outlining the findings which will be forwarded to the Academic Advisory Board for review. The AAB will decide whether the incident constitutes malpractice and will advise an appropriate course of action. Possible sanctions imposed may include:-

  • Disqualification of the candidate from the assessment
  • Disqualification of the candidate from any future assessments with IBA
  • Removal from the current programme which the candidate is registered from

The AAB does NOT have the right to take away previously achieved awards.

Assessment and Grades

IBA is committed to the effective use of assessment and grading as the barometer of achieve and standards. To uphold this commitment IBA aims to be responsive to a variety of stakeholder needs.

All assessment, grading and moderation practices take into the nature, level and type of programme which is being undertaken by its students.

Higher education providers are expected to operate equitable, valid and reliable processes of assessment which enable every learner to demonstrate that they have achieved the learning outcomes for the qualification being sought. (QAA Chapter B6, Expectations)

All assessments are prepared by subject experts on the given area These people act as module Examiners and are engaged on a three year basis. Assessments are externally moderated to ensure that they are both at the correct level, and designed to reflect the module learning outcomes.

All assessment which contribute to final grades must be subject to internal and external moderation processes. Under no circumstances should internally unmoderated grades be given to learners.

Internal Moderation:

  1. Standardisation
  2. First marking
  3. Second marking
  4. Internal moderation of process and grades

External Moderation:

  1. External examiner scrutiny

This process will be followed for each cohort of students to ensure that maximum assurance that the correct grades are presented to learners at the earliest opportunities. This is the process to be followed regardless of the type of assessment.

This is designed to ensure that learners can place reliance on the grades which they are received. This protects both the learners interests and also the reputation of IBA.

Appeals

IBA ensures assessments are marked to the highest standard, that each question is marked, and the total marks awarded are recorded on the front of each assessment. Any assessment which is a marginal fail are automatically reviewed by the module Examiner as part of the marking process. These will also be second marked as part of our Quality Assurance processes.

Initial Enquiries

If you have received an assessment grade which is a fail, we would initially direct you to our quality assurance procedures. This is the process which has been followed in order to arrive at your grade. If you have any questions about this process then please contact us through the website.

Making an Appeal

If you wish to launch an appeal about a grade which you have been awarded then you should do this in writing through the website. This should state which assessment the appeal is for and why you feel an appeal is appropriate. This must be received within 28 days of the release of the grades. Any appeals received after this period of time will not be heard. When receiving an appeal, we will track the date of receipt, not the date placed in the letter.

There is an appeal fee of £20 per assessment.

Appeals Procedure

You will receive confirmation of the receipt of your appeal once your letter and fee has been received. We will then check that the quality assurance procedure has been followed, then the assessment will be submitted to an independent marker. You will be notified of the outcome of your appeal by letter within four weeks of the start of the appeal.

The outcome may be that the original decision is upheld, or that a mark is amended. If the amended mark changes your status from pass to fail, then you will be refunded the appeal fee. You do not have the right to view an assessment after it has been submitted.

If you are dissatisfied with the appeals process then you can request that an appeal is re-opened for independent review. This request must be received by the AAB within two weeks of the date of the original appeal decision.

If an appeal is re-opened then the new appeal is not concerned with the students work, but with the appeal process itself. An assessment will be made as to whether the appeals process has been adhered to and reached the decision in the correct manner. If it is found that the appeal process has not been correctly applied then the appeal fee will be refunded.

Complaints

Should there be an issue arising with an assessment, or conditions in an assessment, or the protocol applied. Then you can make a complaint upon completion. At this point you can access the assessment complaint form from the IBA website. For a complaint to be considered the completed form must be received by IBA within five days of the assessment date. The form may be submitted by mail or email. The form must include your student number, the title of the assessment and the centre at which the assessment took place.

IBA will conduct an investigation into all complaints received within the requisite time, before submitting the report and the findings to the AAB. We will aim to complete the investigation and the submit the findings to the AAB within 12 weeks.

You will be advised of the AAB’s decision by email and letter.

Privacy

Personal information collected by IBA will be stored on our secure servers. However, we do work with third party contractors, some of whom host and operate functions on our behalf. By submitting personal information you agree to this transfer and storing. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.

Personal information provided to IBA will not be sold to third parties and will only ever be used for the purpose for which is was submitted and collected. It will not be provided to direct marketing companies or other such organisations. Personal information collected and/or processed by IBA is held in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.