External Examiner Guidelines

Frequently Asked Questions for External Examiners 

• 1. Where do I obtain a claim form from?

  PGR claim forms are sent by the Thesis Department along with the Viva Reports. Alternatively, they can be downloaded here. 

  
  UGT/PGT Expenses claim forms and Fee claim forms can be obtained from the School or alternatively, downloaded here: Expenses Claim Form and Fee Claim form. 

• 2. How and when am I paid?
  • Payment is by cheque for non-UK bank account holders which will be posted to the address provided on your claim form.

  • For UK bank account holders, payment is by bank transfer. Please complete an NSP2 form that will be provided to you by the School Office and return this to the School Office. Please do not send the NSP2 form to the External Examiner Office.

  • Payment of PGR fees and expenses is normally at the end of the following month of receipt of the claim form and appropriate receipts. Fees and expenses will only be processed if the examiner’s report has been received by the Thesis Department.

  • Payment of UGT/PGT expenses is normally at the end of the following month of receipt of the claim form. Expenses will only be processed if signed by the Chair of the Board of Examiners.

  • Payment of UGT/PGT fees is normally 4-8 weeks after the submission deadline (FAQ 4c). Fees will only be processed if signed by the Chair of the Board of Examiners and the examiner’s report has been received by Academic Affairs.
• 3. Where do I obtain a bank transfer form (NSP2 form) for payment of fees and expenses?
  • Bank transfer forms (NSP2 forms) can be obtained from the School Office and returned to the School Office.
  •  Please note: bank transfer is for UK bank accounts only
• 4. When do I submit my claim form?

  PGR claim forms should be submitted no later than eight weeks after the date of the Viva.

  UGT/PGT expenses claim forms should be submitted no later than eight weeks after the date of expenditure.

  UGT/PGT Fee claim forms should be submitted once per year, covering the previous academic year. The deadlines for submission are:
  i. UGT – no later than 31st July
  ii. PGT – no later than 31st November

  * Any UGT/PGT claim forms received during the academic year will not be processed until after the deadlines outlined above.

• 5. Where do I send my claim form to?

  PGR claim forms should be emailed to extexamexpenses@qub.ac.uk  

  UGT/PGT claim forms and receipts must be sent to the School in the first instance to be signed by the Chair of the Board of Examiners. The School will then email the completed form and receipts to the External Examiners Expenses Department. If your claim form is already signed by the Chair of the Board Examiners, please email it along with receipts to extexamexpenses@qub.ac.uk  

Frequently Asked Questions for Schools 

• 1. Generating an External Examiner's NSP number

  Schools are responsible for adding the both PGR and UGT/PGT external examiners onto the NSP system. This is incorporated into the ‘Right to Work’ check undertaken by the School at the time of examiner appointment. 

  An examiner cannot be paid without a valid NSP number.  An NSP2 form must then be emailed to the Salaries Office for UK bank account holders to ensure that the examiner is paid by bank transfer.  For non-UK bank holders, payment is by cheque.

• 2. Expenses that are covered by Student Services and Systems
  1. Travel (return flights, boat, train, taxis and bus) – £250 for all travel for one external examiner visit. If total travel exceeds £250 a journal voucher will be issued to the School to cover the excess.
  2. Expenses will be reimbursed for attendance at an Exam Board only. Expenses will be reimbursed for a maximum of two visits in the first year of UGT/PGT Examiner appointment, and one visit per year thereafter.
  3. Hotel – maximum of £100 per night for a maximum of two nights
  4. Mileage – 40p per mile for first 100 miles. 25p per mile thereafter
  5. Subsistence – up to £15 for Lunch including coffee/tea/soft drinks and up to £25 for dinner including coffee/tea/soft drinks. No alcohol will be reimbursed.
• 3. How to arrange travel/hotel

  We do not reimburse any other external institutions or companies who have paid for the examiner’s travel/accommodation on their behalf.

  School:-
  When the School is arranging the flight/boat and hotel for the examiner, these must be booked through Selective Travel only. We no longer accept bookings made directly with hotels. When confirming a quote with Selective for the examiner, please copy in extexamexpenses@qub.ac.uk  detailing the purpose for the examiner’s visit and we will arrange for the payment with Selective.

• 4. Claiming back from the Exams Office for expenses covered by the School

  In the event that the School has covered expenses on behalf of the examiner. Those expenses can be claimed back by journal voucher.

  The School may send a brief summary, receipts and project code/account number to extexamexpenses@qub.ac.uk  and a journal voucher will be submitted on behalf of the School.

  Alternatively, if the School submits a journal voucher directly onto P2P, please ensure that a brief summary for the expenses is included, along with the corresponding receipts.

  Please note the following: 

  • When claiming back for taxis or other travel, please check with the External Examiner Expenses Office if the £250 travel budget has already been reached. Any travel in excess of this budget will be covered by the School.

  • When claiming back for lunch/dinner, please be aware that the amount paid for the examiner only should be claimed. If the lunch is less than £15 or the dinner less than £25, the lesser amount should be claimed and not the full amount of £15 or £25. For example: lunch attended by 5 people including the examiner, lunch bill paid was £45 total. Amount then to be claimed by journal voucher is £45 divided by 5 people = £9
• 5. How to process a claim form

  PGR claim forms are sent by the Thesis Department along with the Viva Reports directly to the examiner. Alternatively, they can be downloaded here.

  PGR claim forms and receipts are emailed by the Examiner to extexamexpenses@qub.ac.uk  

  UGT expenses claim forms are provided by the School directly to the examiner or alternatively can be downloaded: Expenses Claim form 

  Fee Claim Form

  UGT/PGT claim forms and receipts must be sent to the School in the first instance to be signed by the Chair of the Board of Examiners. The School will then email the completed form and receipts to extexamexpenses@qub.ac.uk 

   

• 6. Claim form submission dates

  PGR claim forms should be submitted no later than eight weeks after the date of the Viva.

  UGT/PGT expenses claim forms should be submitted no later than eight weeks after the date of expenditure.

  UGT/PGT Fee claim forms should be submitted once per year, covering the previous academic year. The deadlines for submission are:
  i. UGT – no later than 31st July
  ii. PGT – no later than 31st November

  *Any UGT/PGT claim forms received during the academic year will not be processed until after the deadlines outlined above.

• 7. How and when are Examiners paid?
  • Payment is by cheque for non-UK bank account holders which will be posted to the address provided on your claim form.

  • For UK bank account holders, payment is by bank transfer. Please ensure that the examiner has completed an NSP2 form and you have sent this to Salaries.

  •  Payment of PGR fees and expenses is normally at the end of the following month of receipt of the claim form. Fees and expenses will only be processed if the examiner’s report has been received by the Thesis Department.

  • Payment of UGT/PGT expenses is normally at the end of the following month of receipt of the claim form. Expenses will only be processed if signed by the Chair of the Board of Examiners.

  • Payment of UGT/PGT fees is normally 4-8 weeks after the submission deadline (FAQ 6c). Fees will only be processed if signed by the Chair of the Board of Examiners and the examiner’s report has been received by Academic Affairs.
• 8. Where do I obtain a bank transfer form (NSP2 form) for payment of fees and expenses?

  Bank transfer forms (NSP2 forms) can be downloaded from Salaries.

  *Please note: bank transfer is for UK bank accounts only

• 9. Queries regarding Payroll

   Any queries regarding payroll, missing cheques, tax and non-UK bank accounts should be directed to the Salaries office.