How to be an exam moderator

[richb14]

Does anyone know how to become an exam moderator for exams? Like when people take their GCSE's etc?

[Suzyboo]

You apply to the exam board

[Gef]

What do you mean? Are you a teacher?

[genthon]

Do you mean an Examination invigilator? This is a person who is employed on a casual basis to cover both external and internal exams. No qualifications are necessary and you are given training by the examination officer who is employed by the school to ensure all examinations are carried out according to the Joint Council for Qualifications giudelines. If this is what you are referring to then you need to get in touch with the examination officer at the appropriate school convenient for you. I have been acting as an invigilator at the Tech College near me for the last 12 months.

[derekpara]

Genthon has given the correct answer. I am invigilating mock GCSEs at the moment - at the school where I taught for thirty years until retirement ! You will have to be police (CRB) checked once you are appointed. This could take about three months to complete, so I should start applying immediately.

I am afraid the pay is peanuts in most cases.

[Suzyboo]

richb14 - did you mean to ask about invigilating instead of moderating? If so I apologise for answering the question as stated!

[clairey-s]

derekpara - do you enjoy this? im taking my mocks at the moment and I dont think i could do what you do!
By the way: its *e x t r e m e l y * annoying when an invigilator stands over your shoulder and reads what your writing. You probably dont do this, but, just a note!

x

[derekpara]

Hi, Clairy, being an experienced teacher who has done dozens of invigilations, if not 100s, I know all the tricks and don't have any bother. But most invigilators bought in by schools to relieve teachers of the task are fair game to the pupils - rather like supply teachers.

In the last few days they have had to call for assistance because pupil behaviour was so bad. I was covering 59 pupils in another exam hall, with another person, and had no trouble at all, and that's the way it's been all week.

The school ,by the way, is a large non-selective boy's school, so not an easy-peasy grammar ! I find it quite enjoyable and would never read a pupil's work. Standing beside or behind a pupil who is restless or on the point of disruption is perfectly acceptable, though, but not for too long. My time in the military and as a PE teacher helps, of course !

[derekpara]

Cont/

Being fair to the kids, I think ALL secondary school pupils are p...d off with exams and tests by the time they reach Year 10/11 and look upon mocks as an irrelevence. They are usually much better behaved in genuine GCSE exams.

[lizwiz]

Peanuts pay? I got �9 an hour! I suppose if you just do two hour exams then it doesn't add up to much, but if you get plenty of hours...

[bdol4886346]

Clairey and Derekpara take 100 lines for bad spelling, especially you Derek. Irrelevence! And that`s from a teacher, no wonder so many children are illiterate.

[derekpara]

OK, bdol. I stand corrected, but I suggest that even the best of spellers has a few words they either get wrong or have to think about. Actually, i rarely make a mistake and I would judge myself as being above average, even for a teacher ! But please don't blame me for for the young's illiteracy- I think parents have a lot to answer for, as well as an overcowded curriculum which does not allow sufficient time for the essential basics of education.

Oh, and by the way, you should have put a comma after 'Derekpara', and 'you'. Also, a full stop or semi-colon after 'teacher.'

A Happy New Year.

[oldhamfan]

'Overcrowded'

sp.

8/10 See me!

[derekpara]

Really, Oldie, you should be able to distinguish between a spelling error and a typing error and make allowances accordingly. That should bring my mark up to 9/10, I think.

[confusedpink]

What an interesting thread! However I find the moderating process a little disturbing since it affects me personally. I am taking exams like these at the moment and it seems like my future, which will be controlled by my grades, could be in the hands of anyone off the street! I think that exam moderators should have greater checks to ensure that schoolchildren are receiving the grade they deserve.

[Machecoul]

Invigilators - supervise the exams - need not be teachers.

Markers - mark the exams

Moderators - experienced teachers (etc) able to check a selection of papers to ensure that standards are the same (more or less)

[hingham]

If you want to be an examiner or moderator for GCSE / A level / GNVQ subjects have a look at www.ocr.org.uk. Then click on "Examiners and Moderators" in the left hand column and then on "recruitment" and you'll get all the info you need.