Appeals to Results Policy

Appeals to Results Policy

Hi-Tech Training Appeals Policy is to provide learners with a fair, transparent and structured suite of follow-up actions in the event of academic disagreement or notification of mitigating circumstances.

Learners must have legitimate grounds for appeal. Typical grounds for appeal may include:

• A learner feels that an error has been made in the tally of marks/assignment of grade.
• A learner feels that the marks awarded do not accurately reflect the merits of their answer or the proper application of the marking scheme
• A learner is dissatisfied with the outcome of the recheck and/or review

Appeals Procedure

The Appeals procedure varies depending on the nature of the request:

Recheck: ‘the administrative operation of checking (again) the recording and combination of component scores for a module or stage.’ (QQI Assessments and Standards, Revised 2013, 4.10.3))

Review: According to QQI, ‘Review means the re-consideration of the assessment decision, either by the original assessor or by other competent persons. Learners are required to state the grounds for the requested review. The grounds for review will normally be that the learner suspects that the assessment was erroneous in some respect.’.

Appeal: a formal request that another body (the Appeals Committee) re-examines the procedure or decision of decision-making committee. Disagreement with the decision in itself does not constitute grounds for appeal.

The following diagram illustrates the process for making an appeal

Recheck (Administrative recheck of results tallies, grade awarded etc.)

The Recheck Procedure is as follows: –

  1. If a learner wishes us to review their results the Learner must submit a Review Results Form within seven days of the initial grading being received by the learner.
  2. All reviews must be evidence based (i.e., there must be reasonable grounds for the request).
  3. The Review Results Form is available for download from the Hi-Tech Training website or directly from the Operations Manager admin@hitechtraining.ie. One form serves the purpose of recheck and review.
  4. A re-check fee of €20.00 is payable on submission of the Recheck Form. This fee will be refunded to the learner if the recheck is successful.
  5. Forms must be signed and dated by the learner and fully completed outlining their reason for the request of a review.
  6. The learner should submit any/all relevant information to aid the execution of the re-check.
  7. All re-check outcomes will be communicated in writing to the learner within 21 days.
  8. If learner is still dissatisfied with recheck outcome the option to request a Review is available to them.
  9. The outcome will be communicated to the Internal Verifier, External Authenticator, and Results Approval Panel for amendment (if applicable) and the QQI QBS system updated for submission to QQI.

Review (Review of conduct of assessment, marks awarded and associated grade, tallies etc.)

The Recheck Procedure is as follows:

  1. The Learner requests a Review Form from the QA Coordinator
  2. A review fee of €40.00 is payable on submission of the Review Form. This fee will be refunded to the learner if the review is successful.
  3. The learner submits the Review Form to the QA Co-Ordinator within 7 days of original result communicated to them. Forms must be signed and dated.
  4. The learner should submit any/all relevant information to aid the execution of the review.
  5. If a review is granted, then the relevant material may be re-examined by an assessor who did not undertake the initial assessment.
  6. The review will supersede the outcome of the original re-check.
  7. All review outcomes will be communicated in writing to the learner within 21 days.
  8. If learner is dissatisfied, they must follow the Appeal Procedure.
  9. The outcome will be communicated to the Internal Verifier, External Authenticator, and Results Approval Panel for amendment (if applicable) and the QQI QBS system updated for submission to QQI.

Appeal (Independent review by the Appeals Committee of the recheck/review concerns expressed by the learner)

The Appeal Procedure is as follows:

  1. The learner requests an Appeal Form from the QA Coordinator
  2. The learner submits the Appeal Form to the QA Co-Ordinator for the attention of the Appeals Committee Chairperson.
  3. The Appeal Form must be submitted within 7 days of learner receipt of the recheck/review decision.
  4. The Appeal Form must be signed and dated by the learner.
  5. The learner should submit all/any relevant information to aid the execution of the Appeal.
  6. The Appeal will supersede the outcome of the original review.
  7. If the Appeals Committee Chairperson deems the Appeal Request valid for further consideration the Appeal will be brought to the Appeals Committee for further investigation.
  8. The learner has the option to attend the Appeal hearing if they wish.
  9. An Appeal Fee of €60.00 is payable on submission of the Appeal Form. The fee will be refunded to the learner it the appeal is successful.
  10. The outcome will be communicated to the Internal Verifier, External Authenticator, and Results Approval Panel for amendment (if applicable) and the QQI QBS system updated for submission to QQI.
  11. The decision from this Appeals Committee is final.

Learner Appeals Form

An Appeals Form is available on request from admin@hitechtraining.ie and is also available for download