Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Exam invigilator interview

4 replies

PetraDelphiki · 05/11/2019 22:41

Any invigilators out there? Any ideas what I might be asked in an interview? Any tips on what I should know about the job? And what do I wear? Last interview was 12 years ago and I’ve lived in jeans and leggings since then!!

OP posts:
Longdistance · 05/11/2019 22:45

Hi, I don’t know about the interview process but my mil is an invigilator and covers mainly GCSE exams/resits. Mil enjoys it as it’s flexible working.

Best of luck Flowers

Mylittlerainbow · 05/11/2019 23:09

I'm not an invigilator as such but invigilating exams is a part of my job so I know a lot of the rules and regs. Some of the big rules about invigilating are making sure that appropriate signs are up. If more than 1 person sitting exam, they need to be 1.5m apart (I believe - I normally invigilate 1 person at a time). A new rule a lot of exam boards have brought in is no watches at all as too hard to distinguish between normal watches and smart watches nowadays. Obviously no phones / notes etc. You as the invigilator also can't do anything but watch the students sitting the exam, you can't check your phone / do any paperwork etc.

As for dressing, I'm pretty sure it depends on the setting but I would go fairly smart, business wear but not a full suit. I normally wear leggings, smart boots and a nice jumper to work.

It depends on the setting you are applying for as to what questions they might ask. I imagine things like 'what would you do if someone asked to go to the toilet mid exam' or 'what if the fire alarm went off?' 'What would you do if you caught someone cheating?' Etc.

If you have any other questions then I'll be happy to answer if I can Smile

PetraDelphiki · 05/11/2019 23:16

Presumably there are multiple invigilators to handle the taking to toilet, if alarm goes off ensure they leave all papers on desk, escort them out and don’t let them out of sight, and cheating would be inform your superior immediately!

What haven’t I thought of? Do you need to check toilet cubicles first for hidden notes/phones?

Also presume this would be covered by training as they are recruiting people who’ve not done it before???

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

MitziK · 06/11/2019 00:07

Some schools are a bit pickier about dress codes than others - for an interview, I'd still suggest smart dress (with tights), smart shoes and if you have one, a jacket or at least a new cardigan. They expect men to turn up wearing suits, so it's only fair - even though some women will turn up on the day wearing leggings and trainers, it doesn't fill staff or kids with confidence (male invigilators usually wear smart trousers and shirt/jacket without a tie). Not clip-cloppy shoes, though. Never clip-cloppy or squeaky shoes.

No barking commands at kids. They really don't like it at the best of times, least of all when they are stressed.

There will be kids who have additional access arrangements, such as extra time, taking the exam in a different room, having somebody act as a reader or scribe, using a laptop (which is then subject to absolute rules on it not getting left unattended). For listening exams, you might need to play an audio track, so would need to know how to use a music player such as VLC or operate a CD player/play a CD in a computer connected to a PA system.

Take your ID documents in case they want to do a DBS check straight away - passport, driving licence, council tax bill, water bill, that kind of thing.

You'll be working fairly independently/in small numbers - teachers aren't allowed in the halls (and they do try frequently) or to get the attention of kids - so they want to know you're comfortable being responsible/adapting to changing situations.

They might (if they're feeling particularly mean) ask you things like what you would do if you discover somebody cheating (hint: you don't yell and drag them out of their seat) or they are late and try to get into the hall after the exam has started. But largely, they want somebody who is happy to do any type of exam and can be calm, quiet and authoritative without ever needing to raise their voice.

Training isn't very common. You'll probably get a huge bundle of papers to read beforehand, but you'll learn on the job, most likely paired with a Senior Invigilator.

It's an important job, it has to be done right - but if you can come across as calm and unflappable - and capable of remaining silent for 3 hours without tapping, fidgeting and generally being annoying to stressed candidates, you'll nail it.

Good luck!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page