Maintaining Standards in Examinations

Information for schools and examiners

Most teachers know that ISTD examiners are teachers with years of experience, carefully selected through an application process when we need to increase our examining board. They are trained in a long and intensive session, and then go through a further sitting-in process with senior examiners to get experience before final ratification by the Council of Management and being sent out on their first sessions.

Did you know as well though, that all examiners, however long they have been working for the ISTD, have to attend continuous professional development training every year? At that training, not only do they learn and discuss the latest work, but they also take part in mock examination sessions, marking candidates all together, so that the ISTD can check everyone’s judgments. After all, on the examination day, it is only the examiner with the candidates. Only they have the view at that moment in time, and teachers know that it is possible for any pupil to have bad day – so the ISTD needs to be certain that the judgement of all its examiners is consistent and fair.

Marking is the most important part of the examination – but we know that sometimes it’s the little things on the day that can make the difference between a happy group of children who have really enjoyed their day, and those who somehow have got less out of the day and probably not performed to their best. All examiners know how important it is to encourage the pupils and help them enjoy the experience so that they feel a sense of achievement and go on to do more. So to be certain that examiners are not only marking fairly and consistently, but also that the experience is a good one, the ISTD has a team of senior monitoring examiners in every faculty who sit in with examiners on real sessions to ensure that they are meeting our standards.

In the interest of ensuring that every school enjoys a level playing field as far as marking is concerned, examiners are monitored on a regular basis. Obviously this can only be carried out in a real situation, working within a school. It is therefore necessary, from time to time, to ask teachers if they would agree to a senior monitor attending their session in addition to the examiner. As this is a vital part of quality assurance and the maintenance of standards, the co-operation of the teachers would be most welcome. It must be stressed, that it is the examiner that is the subject of monitoring and not the school.

All this is done to make sure that we meet your needs for a fair examination with the marks that are justified by the performance on the day, and a happy experience. This is a vital part of our quality assurance, but please do not view this as a greater strain on you – we don’t want the examination session to be any different from normal. It certainly does not mean that the marking should be any different from what you would expect; Indeed it would defeat the object of the whole process if it was harsher or more generous than normal just because a monitor is attending.

It’s a good idea to tell the pupils that another person will be there, and please provide another chair and table, preferably to one side and away from the examiner, so that the candidates focus on just that one person. It is helpful if you can provide a lunch for examiners as well as tea and coffee, but that only needs to be sandwiches, not a large meal. At the end of the session, as well as during breaks in the day, the two examiners may want to discuss, so if it is possible for them to stay on for another half hour in the studio that would be helpful. If it’s a problem however, they will not mind.

We do recognise that examination days need careful organisation and this presents an extra pressure. We will tell you as soon in advance as possible if your session has been selected. Please understand as well that this is not a reflection on your school – sessions are chosen that include a range of different examinations, but also which suit the schedules of both the examiner and the senior monitor. We do not choose schools by any anticipated standards of work.

We appreciate that many teachers have already assisted the ISTD in allowing a senior monitor to attend examination sessions and we thank them for participating in this ongoing process. The ISTD is committed to maintaining its standards in all respects and this is an essential part of this work, for the good of all ISTD members.

Cynthia Pease
Head of Customer Services & Quality Assurance