Exam invigilation

savvymum1

Hi, 
I am looking at doing some work to bring in a bit of extra money I have a few health problems which are starting to get under control now so haven't been able to work for a number of years so my CV is pretty blank as at the height of my health issues I couldn't hold down a job. Anyway, I'm interested in trying out exam invigilation has anyone done this and what's it like please? I have children too so how does it fit in around that please? If kids are off sick etc? Does anyone do it most of the year? I'd like to see if I could earn around 4k a year is this possible? Any experience would be wonderful thank you! 

ElefantEd

I'm doing this for the first time this year in a local high school, in Scotland. There was a simple application form (done with the  national exams awarding body, the SQA). The main thing was that you need to get a PVG certificate (police check that you are ok to work with children/vulnerable people, CRB disclosure in England I think); I already had one so that wasn't an issue. You could state which schools you were prepared to work in. No particular skills or experience were asked for. The others were a random mix of mostly older people (50+ I would say, typically), but that's just because these are people with some availability at those times I suspect.

The exams have just started, though I haven't invigilated any yet. There was a training session for a couple of hours two weeks ago, but it wasn't formal training, just an explanation of what was involved and a walk round the school. There are about 30 invigilators for a medium size high school (about 100 kids in each year).

In Scotland there is a chief invigilator who constructs a timetable and assigns people to each exam, some in the main hall, others doing individuals with special arrangements. I'm doing 5 or 6 half days over the exam season. Others migth be doing a bit more, but we were able to specifiy when we could/couldn't work, how much we wanted to do and so on. All very flexible.You can't invigilate exams which your own child is taking but that's the only restriction.

We did discuss contingencies for invigilators being off at the last moment, and that is clearly a possibility in these situations. Basically there's a pool of extra people who can be drafted in.

It's not a year-long thing though - the exam season in schools here lasts just over a month. Pay is living wage (£9.90/hour) so you aren't going to get rich. Obviously there are re-takes and so on, and other places that do exams - colleges and so forth -  but I think you'd struggle to make as much as £4k as the work is mostly concentrated in a short period. But probably worth it to make a bit of cash - focus on this for a short time, then do something else the rest of the year.

Hope this helps! I'll be doing my first session next week, wish me luck!

43722

It's a boring job. I couldn't do it.

savvymum1

ElefantEd said:

I'm doing this for the first time this year in a local high school, in Scotland. There was a simple application form (done with the  national exams awarding body, the SQA). The main thing was that you need to get a PVG certificate (police check that you are ok to work with children/vulnerable people, CRB disclosure in England I think); I already had one so that wasn't an issue. You could state which schools you were prepared to work in. No particular skills or experience were asked for. The others were a random mix of mostly older people (50+ I would say, typically), but that's just because these are people with some availability at those times I suspect.

The exams have just started, though I haven't invigilated any yet. There was a training session for a couple of hours two weeks ago, but it wasn't formal training, just an explanation of what was involved and a walk round the school. There are about 30 invigilators for a medium size high school (about 100 kids in each year).

In Scotland there is a chief invigilator who constructs a timetable and assigns people to each exam, some in the main hall, others doing individuals with special arrangements. I'm doing 5 or 6 half days over the exam season. Others migth be doing a bit more, but we were able to specifiy when we could/couldn't work, how much we wanted to do and so on. All very flexible.You can't invigilate exams which your own child is taking but that's the only restriction.

We did discuss contingencies for invigilators being off at the last moment, and that is clearly a possibility in these situations. Basically there's a pool of extra people who can be drafted in.

It's not a year-long thing though - the exam season in schools here lasts just over a month. Pay is living wage (£9.90/hour) so you aren't going to get rich. Obviously there are re-takes and so on, and other places that do exams - colleges and so forth -  but I think you'd struggle to make as much as £4k as the work is mostly concentrated in a short period. But probably worth it to make a bit of cash - focus on this for a short time, then do something else the rest of the year.

Hope this helps! I'll be doing my first session next week, wish me luck!

Thank you so much that's really helpful! I think I will go for it. Good luck. I would love to hear how you get on! 

silvercar

A friend has done this for a few years. She says it’s easy money just for sitting around. They often give her students who are taking exams in a private room. So it’s 1-1 watching a student write their paper while she plays on her phone or reads a book.

There are busy times and times when there is no work. Also she gets paid sessionally, so for a whole morning even if the exam isn’t that long.

Zinger549

Have done this for a few years at a sixth form college. It can get quite boring at times as you're just standing around. Have to get there early to help set up. Put the name labels on desks. Put out all the exam/question papers and any other bits like reading material. Put up the notices on the wall. During the exam you just stand and watch the students. If someone puts there hand up go and assist them (equpiment, taking to toilet ect). Someone had to do the seating plan and another person did the register. Once exam is over you help clear away.

Have done a few 1-2-1 where it's just me and the person taking the exam. Did one for a Portuguese exam which was a listening one. He had to listen to a CD with headphones and it was about 2:30- 3h long. I think I got paid around £10-12ph. If you were the lead examiner then you got a bit more.

Chloe_G

You should do it - there's a shortage of invigilators and schools are desperate for them.  Not sure if you'll make that amount in a year though.  Schools use invigilators for both public and mock exams normally but they have a pool of them and have to share the rota out fairly.  The only downsides to the job is that it can be very boring or, on the flip side, you sometimes have very badly behaved students to deal with!

The other thing to add is that schools are normally looking for people who can start work at 8.30am ready for the exam to start at 9am and afternoon sessions normally start at 1 or 1.30pm.  Afternoon exams can run on so you can't always guarantee an end time.  Some students are entitled to 'rest breaks' which can extend the finishing time of the exam.  If you need to leave to pick your kids up at a certain time you need to make that clear to the school before they schedule you for afternoon sessions.

I believe you can also invigilator for driving tests and university exams (this was the case a few years ago as my nephew did it).

Go for it and good luck!  The main exam season starts on 16 May so you need to apply and get trained asap!

savvymum1

Thank you everyone. I'm definitely going to do it I'm going to wait till my youngest is a bit older and in the meantime volunteer so I can get some experience working again and have someone to use as a reference! Fingers crossed it works out!

mimi1234

I've always wanted to do this but due to poor health, I can't at the moment.

I used to work with someone and his wife did exam paper marking and earned a fair amount but I think you had to have certain qualifications or have taught recently to do it.

ElefantEd

Did my first session today. It went ok, I was invigilating a single student in separate accommodation. Apart from a small problem with some noise from people banging doors in the corridor (I had to shush them) it was smooth. And means I've been paid £30 for reading a book for a few hours! Obviosuly if you are in the main hall you have to be more attentive, but doing one person was easy enough.

Gers

My experience is that even with larger rooms, here it's a gym, the students are really well behaved.  All phones etc are put into a box, desks are numbered (Scotland), all have to be at least 1.5m apart and it all runs smoothly This year I've done three with three more sessions to go. I enjoy reading the exam papers (found English Higher especially interesting) and I can stick my earbuds in to listen to an audiobook.

It's never going to be a money-making job - £9.90 per hour plus travel if over 8 miles away from the centre which is then taxed. We are a small team of five or six invigilators and only meet once a year for the training session or in the local streets.  It was lovely to get back to the work after no exams being held in 2020 and 2021.