Guidelines for quality assurance of examinations and grading at NHH Executive

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Guidelines for quality assurance of examinations and grading at NHH Executive

Adopted on 24 November 2025 by the Director of NHHE

Background

Pursuant to sections 11-6 and 11-7 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges (Universities and University Colleges Act), NHH shall ensure that students’ knowledge and skills are tested and assessed in an impartial and academically sound manner. Assessments are also intended to safeguard the academic standard of the institution and the study programme in question. An external evaluation shall be carried out of the assessment or the assessment arrangements.

Purpose of the guidelines

The purpose of the guidelines is as follows:

  • to safeguard students’ due process in the assessment of their knowledge and skills;
  • to contribute to the quality assurance of the school’s study programmes;
  • to create a common framework for grading and the use of examiners at the school.

Reference is otherwise made to the Regulations for executive study programmes at NHH Norwegian School of Economics – NHH Executive (NHHE) and supplementary provisions thereto.

  • Guidelines for the preparation and quality assurance of examinations and assessments

    Guidelines for the preparation and quality assurance of examinations and assessments

    1. Quality assurance of the examination paper

    The examination paper shall be quality assured to ensure the candidates’ skills are tested in a satisfactory manner. Errors in the examination paper may affect the candidate’s examination performance and, in some cases, constitute formal errors under Section 11-9 of the Universities and University Colleges Act.

    The course coordinator is responsible for preparing and quality assuring the examination paper. To ensure the quality of the examination paper, it is important that several academic staff members have reviewed the text of the assignment.

    For assessments lasting up to 12 hours – typically school or home examinations – the course coordinator shall submit a completed and signed quality assurance form, together with the examination paper. The form confirms that at least two academic staff members have reviewed and approved the assignment. The academic staff members may be the course coordinator(s), in addition to another relevant professional appointed by the course coordinator(s).

    For assessments lasting longer than 12 hours, the requirement also entails that at least two academic staff members shall quality-assure and approve the assignment.

    It is important that the examination paper is finalised well in advance, and no later than one week prior to commencement of the examination, to ensure sufficient time for quality assurance, any translations of the text of the assignment, or adaptation for universal design.

    1.1 Written form of Norwegian

    If the examination paper is provided in Norwegian, it shall be available in both the Bokmål and Nynorsk written forms of Norwegian, in accordance with Section 5-1 of the Universities and University Colleges Regulations.

    The course coordinator is responsible for finalising and providing the examination paper in both Bokmål and Nynorsk.

    Exceptions may be made if it is evident that all candidates are requesting the same written form of Norwegian.

    Pursuant to Section 5-2 of the Universities and University Colleges Regulations, exceptions to the requirement of a Norwegian-language (Bokmål/Nynorsk) assignment text may be approved if there are special reasons for doing so.

    1.2 Permitted support material

    The course coordinator shall provide an overview of the permitted support material for supervised assessments. Such an overview shall be made available:

    • In Canvas (no later than two weeks before the examination date)
    • On the front cover of the examination paper

    Information about permitted support material shall be unambiguous and accessible to everyone.

    1.3 Accessibility during the examination

    During the examination, questions about the assignment may arise, as well as the need for clarification and correction of errors. Therefore, it is important that the course coordinator is available for contact during the examination. If the course coordinator is unavailable during the examination, information about the designated contact person for the relevant examination shall be stated on the form submitted with the examination paper.

    Errors discovered or additional information and clarifications given during the examination that may impact the results shall always be immediately reported to the examination coordinator at NHH Executive. The assessment of whether the information is relevant shall be made by the course coordinator or the person registered as the available academic staff member during the examination.

    • The course coordinator is responsible for informing the examination coordinator at NHH Executive of the additional information.
    • For assessments lasting more than 12 hours, the course coordinator is responsible for informing the candidates via Canvas.
    • For assessments lasting up to 12 hours, the examination coordinator at NHH Executive is responsible for informing the candidates. Students are notified both via Canvas and SMS text message.

    If corrections or clarifications are needed, the course coordinator shall send the revised examination paper and assessment guidelines to the examination coordinator at NHH Executive as soon as possible. It is important that these are accessible in connection with ordinary grading and appeals processing.

    1.4 Assessment guidelines

    Section 11-7(3) of the Universities and University Colleges Act stipulates that:

    “The institutions shall prepare written assessment guidelines for all examinations.”

    Examinations include all work in the form of tests, assignments and dissertations, oral examinations, presentations, etc., that are credited and entered on the transcript, or that form part of such examinations.

    The course coordinator is responsible for preparing the assessment guidelines and providing them together with the examination paper. Lack of access to assessment guidelines during grading may constitute a formal error that entitles the student to a new examination, cf. Section 11-9 of the Universities and University Colleges Act.

    Written assessment guidelines shall be prepared for all types of examinations, both written (project assignments, portfolios, reflection notes, etc.) and oral, etc. regardless of the assessment form, cf. Section 11-7.

    The Universities and University Colleges Act does not specify more detailed requirements for the content of the assessment guidelines; however, they must safeguard the primary purpose of the guidelines, which is to ensure as consistent an assessment of the examination paper as possible.

    Assessment guidelines should include the following:

    • what the answers should include for them to be assessed as outstanding, good, adequate etc;
    • a proposed answer, where this is suitable;
    • an assessment matrix, where this is suitable;

    The assessment guidelines shall be published on Canvas at the same time as the grades are published. If the assessment guidelines are adjusted or corrected, the updated version shall be sent to the examination coordinator at NHH Executive. This ensures that the same guidelines are available to examiners in any appeals committee.

  • Guidelines for the implementation of grading

    Guidelines for the implementation of grading

    External examiners shall familiarise themselves with relevant parts of:

    • Regulations for executive study programmes at NHH Norwegian School of Economics – NHH Executive (NHHE);
    • supplementary provisions thereto;
    • the following guidelines for the implementation of grading

    2. Quality assurance of grading and the awarding of grades

    Grading and the awarding of grades shall be quality assured by informing the examiners of the curriculum, learning objectives, and assessment guidelines prior to the grading. It is NHH Executive’s responsibility to ensure that the examiner has access to this information.

    The examiners shall also have a common understanding of how the grading scale is to be applied (see section 2.1 on the determination of grades).

    Grade and appeal statistics for the previous semester are reviewed by the examination coordinator at NHH Executive.  These statistics form the basis for quality assurance and shall be included as a regular topic at academic director meetings for the various study programmes.

    2.1 Determination of grades

    For submissions assigned to a single examiner, the examiner independently determines the grade.

    When two examiners are tasked with conducting the grading, each shall conduct the assessment independently; however, the final grade shall be determined jointly. If the examiners are unable to agree on a grade, the examination coordinator at NHHE shall be contacted to resolve the matter.

    Once grades are available, they shall be registered in the digital examination system. If there are two examiners, the registration shall be conducted by both.

    It is not possible to alter the grades once the registration has been completed.

    2.2 Anonymisation of the candidates

    The candidates’ grades shall be based on academic merit alone. Candidates shall be anonymised, if possible, to fulfil the statutory requirement that the assessment be impartial and carried out in an academically sound manner.

    2.3 Duty of confidentiality

    The examiner is subject to a duty of confidentiality pursuant to Section 13 of the Public Administration Act.

    Assessments and discussions within a group of examiners are considered confidential, and examiners are not permitted to disclose their own or others’ assessments that differ from the final grade. If a student requests an explanation of the examination result, the explanation shall be given for the final grade the student has received.

    2.4 Suspicion of cheating

    If suspicion of cheating arises during the grading, the examiner is responsible for notifying the examination coordinator at NHH Executive. The notification must account for the reasons for the suspicion.

    Based on the examiner’s notification, the examination coordinator at NHH Executive shall assess whether there are grounds to initiate proceedings regarding cheating. The assessment is based on the examiner’s description of the suspicion; therefore, it is important that the suspicion be described in the utmost detail.

    If the examination coordinator at NHH Executive decides to proceed with the matter, the candidate shall be informed, given the opportunity to comment, and possibly be represented by a lawyer or other representative.

    It is the examination coordinator at NHH Executive who prepares a case for the Appeals Committee at NHH. As part of the proceedings, it may be necessary to obtain more information from the examiner – especially in matters where the suspicion is based on professional assessments.

    As soon as the suspicion is reported, grading is carried out as thoroughly as possible, regardless of the suspicion. The examiner registers the result together with the rest of the grades.

    In cases of suspected cheating, NHH Executive will withhold the result until the matter is resolved. If suspicion arises after the result has been published, the result will be blocked on Studentweb until the matter has been resolved.

    2.5 Grading deadline

    The grading deadline is 14 working days from the examination date, and the results are to be announced to students the following day. This is regulated by Section 11-7 of the Universities and University Colleges Act.

    The Board may grant a temporary exemption from the grading deadline. Exemption is regulated in the Interim regulations relating to grading deadlines at NHH.

    If there is an urgent need for an exemption from the grading deadline, NHH Executive shall apply to the Board of NHH, represented by its Chair. As soon as it becomes clear that the Board will grant such an exemption, NHH Executive shall be notified thereof.

    2.6 Explanation

    The right to an explanation of the grade is stipulated in Section 11-8 of the Universities and University Colleges Act.

    Communication between the examiner and the candidate regarding the explanation does not permit discussion or reassessment of the grade.

    2.7 Reassessment of examination grade

    A student may appeal a grade according to the rules in Section 11-10 of the Universities and University Colleges Act. Reassessment of an examination grade shall be carried out by two examiners, at least one of whom is external. The new board of examiners shall not be made aware of the grading decision in the ordinary grading, the examiner’s reasons for this, or the candidate’s reasons for the appeal.

    The grading deadline is set by the examination coordinator at NHH Executive. It is of utmost importance that the grading deadline is adhered to. In certain instances, submissions shall be subject to a third round of grading if a grade discrepancy occurs. See also section 2.8.

    2.8 Grade discrepancies

    If there is a discrepancy of two or more grades between the ordinary grading and the reassessment of the grade, the institution shall, in accordance with Section 11-11(3), reassess the matter before the final grade is determined.

    At NHH, this is conducted by reconciling the internal examiners from the ordinary grading and the reassessment of the grade to reach a final grade. Prior to the assessment, they shall be given access to:

    • The answer paper
    • The examination paper
    • The assessment guidelines
    • The ordinary examining committee’s explanation for the grade
    • The appeals committee’s explanation for the grade

    If the internal examiner from the ordinary grading and the internal examiner from the reassessment of the grade do not agree, the academic director of the study programme may be involved to provide their assessment. In instances where the academic director participates in one of the committees, the Director of NHHE is involved in reaching an agreement.

  • Guidelines for the appointment of examiners

    Guidelines for the appointment of examiners

    3. Appointment of examiners

    3.1 Appointment of external examiners

    The Director of NHH Executive is responsible for the appointment, quality assurance and overview of external examiners for the various courses offered.

    The Director NHHE Executive shall request the appointment of external examiners and is delegated the authority to enter into letters of intent with approved examiners.

    3.2 Allocation of examiners

    The examination coordinator at NHH Executive is responsible for appointing examiners for ordinary grading and reassessment of grades. Information must be provided no later than two weeks before the examination date in the relevant courses.

    For the reassessment of grades, a different committee than the original one shall be used, in accordance with Section 11-11 of the Universities and University Colleges Act.

    3.3 Examiner qualifications

    Examiners in bachelor’s and master’s degree subjects must hold qualifications equivalent to at least a master’s degree in the subject area.

    3.4 Internal examiner

    Internal examiners are normally academic staff members at NHH. An internal examiner may, for example, be the course coordinator in the relevant course.

    3.5 External examiner

    External examiners are professionals who are not employees of NHH. A person’s connection and proximity to NHH and the academic environment responsible for teaching the course are crucial in determining whether they can serve as an external examiner. The choice of an external examiner must not lead to doubts about whether a student’s grades have been awarded on the correct basis. See also section 3.7.

    • PhD students at NHH are not permitted to serve as external examiners.
    • Employees in adjunct professor positions are not permitted to serve as external examiners.
    • Guest lecturers who lecture in a very limited capacity may serve as external examiners.
    • Employees in NHH’s affiliated entities, such as limited companies owned by NHH, may serve as external examiners unless they have been involved in the teaching of the course or are covered by the rules governing impartiality (see section 3.7).

    The Director of NHHE may make exceptions to the aforementioned guidelines.

    3.6 Requirements for the use of examiners

    3.6.1 Authorisation for the use of internal and external examiners

    According to Section 11-6 of the Universities and University Colleges Act, there shall either be an external examiner to grade the individual examination or an external evaluation of the examination and grading system.

    When assessing the candidates’ independent work at the second degree level, there shall be at least two examiners, at least one of whom is external. There shall be two examiners when grading bachelor’s theses or similar independent work at the first degree level, examinations that are not verifiable, and examinations that alone amount to 15 credits or more.

    In the event of a new assessment following an appeal against the awarded grade or on grounds of procedural errors in connection with examination, there must also be at least two examiners, at least one of whom is external.

    NHH Executive does not use external examiners beyond the provisions outlined in the aforementioned legislation.
    The Director of NHH Executive has the authority to make exceptions.

    3.7 Impartiality

    3.7.1 Assessment of impartiality

    Pursuant to Section 11-6(1) of the Universities and University Colleges Act, NHH shall ensure that the students’ knowledge and skills are tested and assessed in an impartial and academically sound manner. In addition, Section 6 of the Public Administration Act sets requirements for impartiality.

    According to Section 6 of the Public Administration Act, there are two categories of circumstances that may result in a professional being considered disqualified in relation to one or more students.

    • The first paragraph of the provision lists circumstances (relationships) that will unconditionally result in disqualification. If your relationship to a student falls into a category covered by one of the examples, such as close kinship, you are, without exception, disqualified.
    • The second paragraph of the provision concerns conditions or circumstances that may be apt to impair confidence in a person’s objectivity (impartiality). This is referred to as a ‘catch-all provision’, which requires an individual assessment of the professional’s impartiality.

    Disqualification applies to grading (‘making a decision’), correcting assignments that form the basis for course approval (‘making a decision’) and the preparation of examination papers (‘preparing the basis for a decision’).  

    The professional is obliged to notify the examination coordinator at NHH Executive if there is any doubt about their impartiality in relation to the student. The decision is made by the professional, individually, possibly in consultation with the examination coordinators at NHH Executive, cf. Section 8 of the Public Administration Act (Decision concerning the question of disqualification).