Exam Invigilating

I thought about it and I know the local schools would have bitten my hand off. However the rate of pay just wasn't enough for the time it would have taken out of my busy week. I haven't discounted it for the future though.

I have just been given my dates for the prelims. It is a good way to get out and about and also a chance to meet new people' There is the opportunity if you are unable to stand (or walk) for periods of time that you "can do one to one" invigilating.
i have always found the students (I can't really call the children any more) to be very polite and well behaved.
The rate of pay is £12 per hour (Scotlnd) and you always get paid a minimum of 3 hours per session.

I did it for some years when I worked in the Uni. They got existing staff to do it rather than hire outside invigilators. Its not difficult - just a rather boring 2/3 hours. Occasionally someone wanted to go to the loo (and you had to accompany them) or wanted spare paper etc.

We often had part of a room sectioned off where some students were allowed extra time. When the main batch finished they all wanted to exchange notes with their pals. So the challenge was to hustle the noisy chatty people out quickly so as not to disturb those writing.

There were always two of us. I used to just sit at the back and pace around the room at intervals. I never caught anyone cheating.

I did it for a few years locally. It was minimum pay. I was frequently in charge which was stressful when we were invigilating 90+. If a teenager needed the loo they had to be escorted so there was usually a steady stream. Sometimes I would be standing/walking for 3 hours. I was younger and fitter.

A lot depended on the subject eg German and there may only have been 20 sitting. Whereas the arts and there could easily be 120.

It was stressful at the end making sure that each teenager had written the basics such as their name.

I much preferred it when I did 1:1 invigilating and I could read my book.

Over the years I only saw blatant cheating once. I got a colleague to witness it and we each had to write a statement.

I did it for the SQA for many years, and also for the local council for the prelims in January. It was very enjoyable, and I felt that I was contributing something by helping to keep the exams running smoothly for the candidates, and making sure that those who needed a separate room or a reader/scribe were catered for. You need to be able to concentrate on getting the papers properly collected and packed up as well as ensuring that nobody is using a mobile phone (prohibited in the exam hall anyway) or looking at someone else's paper. We were able to sit in the hall and didn't walk up and down too much as it would have been distracting.

The pay was welcome, and a bit more when I ended up as Depute Chief Invigilator. Chief would have been a step too far for me, and anyway I stopped when DH was unwell.

Go for it, and enjoy it!

I’ve only ever done it when teaching EFL with the British Council abroad. I was invigilating one of my own classes in their exam when I couldn’t help seeing one of them very blatantly looking across the aisle at someone else’s answers.

The chap was a sort of minor VIP, in that he was an official at one of the local embassies, so I was a bit unsure of how to handle it - apart from saying his name fairly sharply - which he ignored - until a much more senior and experienced teacher came in. Of course I told him - he said, ‘I’ll sort him out’, - went and stood equally blatantly in the aisle between the desks!

🤞 you’d have no such issues here, faringdon59!

As a retired teacher I have an idea of what is involved. It’s very seasonal work. I’m sure you would be welcomed warmly in any school. You do need to stand for periods of time but otherwise it’s not strenuous work and some might find it repetitive. It’s a good occasional source of income for a retired person although I’ve no idea what the rate of pay is.