Universities are responsible for the standards of qualifications they award. However, every UUK university uses a common set of tools known as the QAA Academic Infrastructure to underpin their work. This sets out threshold standards for HE qualifications, including by subject at honours level. 

In addition, all UUK universities use external examiners to ensure outcomes are on a consistent and comparable basis. External Examiners are drawn from other institutions, or from areas of relevant professional practice. They report to the Vice-Chancellor of the university on whether the standards set are appropriate. The aim is to ensure that the threshold standards of student performance are comparable with those of students following similar courses in other UK universities.

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) checks that every university uses the Academic Infrastructure effectively, including that their external examining arrangements are robust. These reviews are published and have enormous implications for a university. The funding council have the right to remove funding should an institution fail an audit and fail to put in place satisfactory remedies.

Many other countries do not have agreed national reference points like an Academic Infrastructure, nor external examiners at undergraduate level.

But we are not complacent. The sector is committed to reviewing and regularly updating the quality assurance system. We are keen to ensure that we maintain the highest academic quality and standards. UUK has published the findings of a consultation, together with HEFCE  and GuildHE  (and with the QAA as expert advisers) on how the quality assurance system in England and Northern Ireland will be improved. We are also conducting a review of external examining arrangements.

For further information about how standards are maintained, please see the UUK policy statement on standards.