Teaching and Learning

Facilitating Oral Examinations: A Guide for Invigilators and Exam Staff

Run an oral exam that's fair to every candidate and stands up to scrutiny, from testing the microphone to handling a candidate who freezes.

  • 34 minutes
  • 6 modules
  • 0.5 CPD hours
  • Certificate

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14 days free, then £70 a year or £7 a month.

What you'll learn

  • Set up the room, seating and recording equipment for an oral assessment
  • Stay neutral throughout, with no nods, smiles or hints
  • Settle a nervous candidate within what the rules allow
  • Record and report irregularities, suspected malpractice and equipment failures
  • Store recordings and complete post-exam records securely

About this course

Oral exams don't come round as often as written ones, so the staff running them tend to get less preparation. Yet a nod or a smile at a good answer can count as unfair help, and a recording that cuts out halfway can put a candidate's mark at risk.

This exam invigilator training covers what's different about orals. You'll learn to set up the room so you're out of the candidate's eyeline and to test the recording in the actual room before anyone arrives. You'll also check which JCQ and awarding body rules apply. There's guidance on welcoming a nervous candidate without giving anything away. If something goes wrong, the answer is to note what happened and when and tell your exams officer, rather than improvise.

You'll also know how to label and store recordings and complete the records that protect you if a result is ever queried.

  • For early career teachers, governors and 7 other roles. All phases. England only.

6 modules

Open in order

  1. Understanding Your Role

    5 min
  2. Rules, Regulations and Compliance

    6 min
  3. Setting Up for Success

    9 min
  4. Supporting Candidates on the Day

    8 min
  5. When Things Go Wrong

    6 min
  6. After the Exam

    5 min