Following the formal publication of the module assessment results, a student can use the following three stage process to query the results or request feedback on their performance in any assessment that has contributed to the overall mark or grade for the module:
- Stage 1 – Feedback & Viewing of a Completed Assessment Document (e.g., examination script, report, dissertation, and related marking rubric)
- Stage 2 – Recheck of Assessment Results and/or Remark of Assessment Material
- Stage 3 – Appeal of Assessment Result
Students should engage in the Stage 1 process prior to submitting a formal application for either a recheck or remark of assessment results. An unsuccessful recheck/remark is not a grounds for appeal.
All students should have the opportunity to receive timely feedback on completed assessments so that they can clearly identify aspects that have been completed satisfactorily and areas that require further work or development.
Students who wish to discuss the result of any assessment completed during the module may contact the relevant lecturer during the semester, after the marks are issued and/or the grade is determined to obtain feedback.
The Examinations Office will publish a calendar of dates for the publication of assessment results, and each school will publish dates for the viewing of completed assessments documents.
Completed assessment documents include examination scripts, submitted assignments (such as reports, essays, dissertations etc.,) and completed assessment rubrics for assessed work such as presentations, performances, artefacts, etc.
Viewing of completed assessment documents and provision of feedback should normally be scheduled within 4 working days of the publication of the results.
The Internal Examiner shall produce the assessed work and/or the assessment rubric and demonstrate to the student the basis on which the marks were lost or gained. If the Internal Examiner is unavailable, a nominee of the Head of School shall undertake this role.
The viewing of the assessment documents and the provision of feedback may be facilitated online. The Internal Examiner will decide whether to provide feedback in person or online. Online meetings shall not be recorded by either the examiner or student.
The purpose of feedback and viewing of assessed work is to:
- Give guidance to students to enhance future performance or repeat assessment.
- Discuss the student attempt and the marking with a view to explaining how solutions might have been structured.
Where the process gives rise to a change of mark, the lecturer will inform the Head of School, or nominee, who will notify the Examinations Office of the changed results, and appropriate amendments to the examination record submitted.
Recheck
Recheck is when examination and assessment material are reviewed to ensure the marks have been allocated and totaled correctly. Remark is a process whereby examination and assessment material are corrected (marked) again.
After completing the viewing of the assessment documents in Stage 1, a student may apply, submitting the Assessment Re-Check Application Form - Word Version or the Assessment Re-Check Application Form - PDF Version , with the requisite fee to the Examinations Office, to have the assessment rechecked and/or remarked
Applications for a recheck or a remark that do not follow the procedures below will be rejected.
The application fees are published annually on the University's Fees Schedule and are only refunded when a student’s application is successful. The recheck process determines if all attempted parts of the assessment were marked, and that no computational errors occurred during the marking or the recording of marks processes.
An application for a recheck should only be submitted after the completion of Stage 1. A candidate wishing to have an assessment rechecked should submit the Recheck Form, together with the requisite fee, to the Examinations Office within three working days of completing Stage 1 or or within 7 days of the publication of results.
The recheck process shall be carried out by the internal examiner under the direction of the Head of School and may result in one of the following outcomes:
- Mark is unchanged.
- Mark is increased.
- Mark is decreased.
Where the process gives rise to a change of mark, the lecturer will inform the Head of School, or nominee.
The Head of School, or nominee notifies the student of the outcome of the Recheck process.
If the re- check gives rise to a change of mark, the Head of School, or nominee will notify the examinations office will update the student record system and reissue transcripts and arrange for a refund of the Recheck fee.
Remark
A remark is a reassessment of the material submitted for assessment. The remark process does not apply in cases where the nature of the assessment is such that, to re-mark the work, a resubmission or repeat presentation/performance by the student must take place.
A candidate may seek a remark by submitting the Remark Application Form - word version or Remark Application Form - PDF Version, together with the requisite fee, to the Examinations Office within three working days of the date of viewing of the examination script or notification of the outcome from the recheck process or within or within 7 days of the publication of results.
The Head of School or nominee shall make the necessary arrangements for the re-marking of the assessment.
The remark may result in one of the following outcomes:
- Mark is unchanged.
- Mark is increased.
- Mark is decreased.
The Head of School, or nominee notifies the student of the outcome of the Remark process. If the remark gives rise to a change of mark, the Head of School, or nominee will notify the examinations office will update the student record system and reissue transcripts and arrange for a refund of the Remark fee.
Appeals Application
To appeal a decision of an Assessment Board, a student must submit the Assessment Appeal Application Form - Word Version or Assessment Appeal Application Form - PDF Version , with the requisite fee to the Examinations Office, within 5 working days of completing Stage 1, or within 7 days of the publication of results or within 3 days of notification of the outcome of Remark or Recheck application, stating the reasons for the appeal and providing any supporting documentation.
The only grounds on which an appeal can be made are:
- The Regulations of the University and/or any programme specific regulations have not been properly implemented;
- Circumstances exist which may not have been specifically covered by the current Regulations;
- There is new attested information that was not made available to the Assessment Board for justifiable reason, and therefore was not considered.
Where a student is appealing on one of the grounds above and believes that their assessed work was not marked correctly or the assessment rubric was not appropriately applied, they must first have completed the Remark process in Stage 2 and have been notified of the outcome prior to submitting the appeal application.
The Examinations Office will forward the Appeals Application to the relevant School to complete the School Response section. When complete, the School will forward the Application to Academic Affairs.
Academic Affairs will establish an Appeals Panel, from which an Appeals Board will be drawn to determine the eligibility of all Appeal Applications and to consider the Appeals.
Appeals Panel
An Appeals Panel shall be composed of not more than fifteen persons, including the Chairperson, two Vice Chairpersons, all of whom shall be members of academic staff and shall be appointed for two-year periods. The Registrar or nominee is an ex-officio member of the panel. To facilitate the simultaneous hearings of appeals, Appeals Board(s) may be constituted from the Panel comprising the Chairperson or a Vice-Chairperson who will act as Chairperson to the Board together with at least three other members of the Panel.
At the end of the initial two-year period, approximately half of the membership of the Panel shall stand down. Thereafter, approximately half of the membership shall stand down on an annual basis. A retiring member shall not be eligible for reappointment until a further two-year period has elapsed.
Any member of the Appeals Panel who was a member of the Assessment Board at which the appellant’s assessment results were determined or who was previously involved in any way at an earlier stage (e.g. Recheck, or Remark) of a particular appeal shall not participate in the hearing or adjudicate in the case, other than to present relevant information.
The Appeals Board(s) shall meet on the scheduled dates and shall hear the appeals presented to it for that occasion and make determinations. All necessary information shall be processed through Academic Affairs and presented in writing to the Board for each hearing.
Appeals Process
Stage 1 – Formal Application
On receipt of the formal application to appeal, the students will be advised that:
An appeal may not necessarily be successful and therefore upheld or result in the outcome that the student wishes. The Appeals Board cannot award extra marks where learning outcomes have not been met (i.e in order for marks to be awarded in an assessment, the student must demonstrate that they have met the learning outcomes that are being assessed)
Where an appeal relates to a failed assessment or examination and in the event that an appeal has not been fully processed when the next repeat opportunity arises, the student should complete the repeat assessment, and this shall not prejudice their appeal.
Where applicable, the student shall be entitled to apply for temporary attendance in the following year of the programme, pending the outcome of the appeals process. If the appeal is rejected the temporary registration shall be terminated.
Where the subject(s) of appeal do not prevent graduation in an award year, the student may choose to graduate per schedule for their programme, or they may choose to defer, pending the final outcome of the appeal process.
All Appeals lodged shall be promptly referred to the Head of School, who shall be responsible for initiating the preparation of a response report to be submitted on the appropriate form. The form together with the report from the Head of School and any other relevant documentation to accompany the appeal shall be referred to Academic Affairs within 8 working days, for forwarding to the Appeals Board.
The Appeals Board shall comprise at least four people including at least one of the Chairperson; Vice Chairperson or the Registrar’s nominee from the appeals panel.
Stage 2: Consideration of Appeals Eligibility
The Appeals Board shall initially convene to determine eligibility of the appeal, and may determine that:
- The appeal is eligible and should proceed to a full hearing.
- The appeal is ineligible and should be rejected. An appeal shall be deemed ineligible if there are no grounds for appeal, if the appeal form is incomplete, or if the appeal is found to be malicious, vexatious, or frivolous.
Stage 3: Appeals Board Hearing
Where the Appeals Board determines that an appeal should proceed to full hearing, it will notify the Head of School and schedule the hearing. The appeals hearing will normally be scheduled within 15 working days from this notification. The Appeals Board shall consider all evidence (oral and written) relevant to the appeal, and may, at its discretion, consult other parties where appropriate, including:
- The Appellant shall be invited to present the case in person to the Appeals Board and shall indicate on the form if they wish to appear and/or be represented by a third party, e.g., TU Dublin Students’ Union.
- The Head of School, or nominee, shall present at the meeting, the submitted written report to the Appeals Board and respond to any matters raised by the Board.
- Internal Examiners may be required to attend and give evidence to the Appeals Boards and prepare any reports requested.
The decisions of the Appeals Board meeting shall normally be formulated in a private session and by consensus. Where the Board does not reach a consensus, the outcome shall be decided by a majority decision.
The Appeals Board shall notify its decision to the Appellant, the Head of School, the Faculty Dean, The Appeals Panel, and the Head of Academic Affairs as soon as possible.
An Annual Report synopsising the decisions of the Appeals Board/Panel will be forwarded to the Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures Oversight Committee (ARPPOC) for noting. The decisions of the Appeals Board(s) shall be final and binding on the University and the Appellant. However, the approved decision may be subject to appeal through Office of the Ombudsman if the Appellant so wishes.
Annual Report
Academic Affairs will produce an annual report specifying by School the number of recheck and remark and review applications received, and the number upheld by Discipline. The purpose of this reporting will be to adjudge the efficacy of the process as part of the continuous monitoring of student experience, and possible insights to areas requiring attention in the overall assessment process.