#examinations — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #examinations, aggregated by home.social.
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Invigilator Training?
I saw the above cartoon in the latest Private Eye and, with Repeat Examinations rapdily approaching I thought I’d share it here without permission.
Years ago, academic staff had to invigilate their own examinations. I had to do this in my first teaching job at Queen Mary and, later, at Nottingham, but more recently the job has generally been done by support staff rather than academics. I moved from Nottingham to Cardiff in 2007 and don’t think I ever had to invigilate examinations there, so I haven’t done it for almost twenty years. Nowadays we are just expected to be “on call” to deal with any queries that arise in the Exam Hall by phone.
The cartoon reminded me of one of the funniest April Fool jokes I can recall. I think it was when I was at Queen Mary, but it’s so long ago I can’t remember who was responsible. Anyway, whichever colleague it was sent an email to all academic staff passing on what appeared to be a message from the University Management stating that all staff would be required to attend a compulsory day-long invigilator training workshop, including a “role play” session (the mind boggles). This message managed to trigger a significant number of staff members who made use of the “ReplyAll” on their email to vent their outrage at such a waste of time. It was a good April Fool, because the idea of it was quite plausible. Most April Fools are far too obvious.
Anyway, I’m not sorry that I no longer have to perform the task of exam invigilation, as it was always one of my least favourite jobs, and not only because I don’t enjoy seeing people under stress. Initially I thought supervising an examination might allow me time to do something useful, but there always seemed to be some interruption, such as students wanting an extra answer book, or asking about some issue with the examination paper, or wanting to leave to go to the toilet, etc.
The most dramatic interruption I can remember was when a student who suffered from epilepsy had a seizure in the examination hall. Fortunately we invigilators had been briefed as to what to do in such an eventuality, namely to move the furniture so the student didn’t hurt themselves but otherwise not to intervene until they went to sleep – which usually happens after a minute or two. This was done about 15 minutes before the exam started, not in a day-long training session. We were told that such an episode was unlikely as the student was taking medicine to prevent them occurring. It was quite when it actually happened, but happily the student recovered quickly and was perfectly OK afterwards. Apparently he had been so busy preparing for the examination that day he had forgotten to take his medication in the morning.
Having given up on the idea of doing some other work during an examination, I used to take a few crosswords to do. These are good for passing the time because you can solve a few clues then pause to look around the hall. Other things I used to do included walking around counting the number of right-handed and left-handed students, for example, though I never did any detailed statistical analysis of the results.
The primary purpose of invigilation is to prevent cheating or other misbehaviour, and I only ever saw a few examples of that – most of them involving calculators with, e.g., graph-plotting facilities which are not allowed.
Anyway, I’m glad I no longer have to invigilate examinations, and that makes me all the more grateful for the people who do. Here in Maynooth there are three examinations per day during the Examination Period, with a brief period between to put out the next set of papers, which means a long day for those who do this job. Hats off to the staff of the Exams Office at Maynooth who carry out this thankless task three times a year!
#Examinations #Invigilation #MaynoothUniversity #PrivateEye #RepeatExaminations -
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/12/video-visually-impaired-palestinian-boy-gaza-ayoub-junaid-crying-broken-glasses. "A #video of a seven-year-old #Palestinian #boy in #Gaza who suffers from a #severe #visual #impairment crying over his shattered #glasses has drawn widespread #attention across #social & #international #media. The footage of Ayoub Junaid has shone a light on the plight of the many #visually #impaired #children in Gaza who... have been unable to access #eye #examinations, #corrective #lenses or #specialist #ophthalmic #surgery."
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That Scottish Higher Maths Paper 1…
Talking of Examinations, I saw an article on the BBC website about a recent Higher Maths paper in Scotland which has generated complaints and a petition because it was allegedly unfair. The introduction to the petition states:
This is not a complaint that the paper was too hard. Students expect to be challenged. The problem is that the 2026 Higher Maths Paper 1 used language and phrasing that was confusing, ambiguous, and inconsistent with every past paper students had revised from. Questions were not simply difficult — they were worded in ways that made it genuinely unclear what was being asked.
Past SQA Higher Maths papers have followed a recognisable style: clear command words, standard notation, and questions that test understanding rather than the ability to decode unusual phrasing. The 2026 Paper 1 departed from this in ways that penalised well-prepared students simply because the wording did not match the conventions they had been taught to expect.
Numerous other news outlets have covered the story too. It is frustrating that most of the pieces focus on what people said about the paper but don’t actually include a link to the paper itself, making it impossible to make your own mind up.
So you can make your own mind up here is a scan of the actual paper (obtained from here):
2026_Higher_Maths_Paper_1_ScanDownloadBear in mind that the Scottish examination system is not the same as in England & Wales – the “Highers” are not as advanced as A-levels and are more similar to the Irish Leaving Certificate.
My opinion, for what it’s worth having neither taught nor studied in the Scottish system, is that there is nothing out of the ordinary with this paper. There is a lot to do in just 75 minutes – for 12 questions that’s just over 6 minutes a question. I don’t like examinations that are speed tests.
That said, the questions look well structured and the “command words” are without exception on the list here. Some questions are easy and others harder: I think Question 12 is the most difficult, but I think that’s intentional – to stretch the stronger students. The only thing I would quibble with is the wording of 11(a) (ii):
The second sentence is redundant. How can one possibly “explain why” without giving “a reason”? The reason is basically that the quadratic remaining after you have taken out the factor (x+2) does not factorize.
I looked at the 2025 Paper 1 and it seems a similar level, though the questions are phrased in a terser fashion. Here it is for reference:
NH_Mathematics_Paper1-Non-calculator_2025DownloadThere may well be context that I’m missing, however, so I’d welcome comments on the diffculty and/or fairness through the box below.
#Examinations #HigherMathematics #mathematics #ScottishHighers -
Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer.
-- Charles Caleb Colton⬆ #Wisdom #Quotes #CharlesCalebColton #Examinations
⬇ #Photography #Panorama #Panopainting #Flowers #Junkyard #Minnesota
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The subjects that were dearest to the examiners were almost invariably those I fancied least... I should have liked to be asked to say what I knew. They always tried to ask what I did not know. When I would have willingly displayed my knowledge, they sought to expose my ignorance. This sort of treatment had only one result: I did not to well in examinations.
-- Winston Churchill⬆ #Wisdom #Quotes #WinstonChurchill #Education #Examinations
⬇ #Photography #Panorama #CoyoteButtesNorth #TheWave #VermilionCliffs #Utah
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The subjects that were dearest to the examiners were almost invariably those I fancied least... I should have liked to be asked to say what I knew. They always tried to ask what I did not know. When I would have willingly displayed my knowledge, they sought to expose my ignorance. This sort of treatment had only one result: I did not to well in examinations.
-- Winston Churchill⬆ #Wisdom #Quotes #WinstonChurchill #Education #Examinations
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The 2025 Leaving Certificate Physics papers
As I have already mentioned on this blog, examinations for the 2025 school Leaving Certificate are under way. One of the interesting things about the Irish system is that the examination papers are put up online immediately after the examinations so it’s very easy to share the content. I have already posted the two Mathematics papers for 2025. This year’s Physics examinations (at Ordinary and Higher level) took place this morning, so I thought I’d share the papers here. In particular, readers in the UK might be interested to compare the standard of these papers with that of current A-levels in Physics.
One thing I should mention is that Leaving Certificate Physics is not a prerequisite for entry into any of our Physics programmes at Maynooth University. Some do have it, but many don’t. We teach the first-year material from scratch for all students. Anyway, here are this years papers, Ordinary and Higher respectively. As usual comments are welcome, through the box below:
LC021GLP000EVDownload LC021ALP000EVDownload -
The Leaving
Today is not only a significant date for me (in more ways than one), but it’s important for many young people in Ireland because the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate examinations both start today, so the first thing I need to do is wish everyone starting their examinations the very best of luck!
Among other things, the results of the leaving certificate examinations are important for September’s university admissions. This year the grade inflation that occurred during the pandemic years will be reduced, though it is not yet clear how. Whatever happens is likely to have a big impact on student recruitment to third-level institutions.
In the system operating in England and Wales the standard qualification for entry is the GCE A-level. Most students take A-levels in three subjects, which gives them a relatively narrow focus although the range of subjects to choose from is rather large. In Ireland the standard qualification is the Leaving Certificate, which comprises a minimum of six subjects, with many students taking more than this. This gives students a broader range of knowledge at the sacrifice (perhaps) of a certain amount of depth; it has been decreed for entry into this system that an Irish Leaving Certificate subject counts as about 2/3 of an A-level subject for admissions purposes, so Irish students do the equivalent of at least four A-levels, and many do more than this. It’s also worth noting that all students have to take Mathematics at Leaving Certificate level.
One can choose to do Leaving Certificate subjects at Ordinary or Higher level and there’s quite a big difference between the two, especially in Mathematics (of which more below).
Overall I prefer the Leaving Certificate over the UK system of A-levels, as the former gives the students a broader range of subjects than the latter (as does the International Baccalaureate). I would have liked to have been allowed to take at least one arts subject past O-level, for example.
For University admissions points are awarded for each paper according to the marks obtained and then aggregated into a total CAO points, CAO being the Central Applications Office, the equivalent of the UK’s UCAS. This means, for example, that our main Science pathway at Maynooth allows students to study Physics without having done it at Leaving Certificate level. This obviously means that the first year has to be taught at a fairly elementary level, but it has the enormous benefit of allowing us to recruit students whose schools do not offer Physics.
There is however a big problem with Mathematics. It was decided some years ago that students would get 25 extra CAO points if they got a mark of at least 40% in Higher Mathematics. This has led to more students taking the subject, which is good, but there are signs that this may have led to a decline in standards. Our Theoretical Physics & Mathematics course requires a good result in Higher Mathematics for entry. Will changes to the marking of Higher Mathematics this year make it harder for students to make the grade? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Moreover, since the pandemic struck, students have been able to choose to answer questions from a limited range of sections on the mathematics examination papers. That means that students can get very high grades despite knowing nothing about a big chunk of the syllabus. That matters most for subjects that require students to have certain skills and knowledge for entry into University, such as Physics. I taught part of our first year Mathematical Physics course in Maynooth for about 5 years. It was noticeable how the fraction that were comfortable with basic differentiation and integration was falling. Will this trend accelerate? Again, we’ll just have to wait and see…
#Examinations #LeavingCertificate #LeavingCertificate2025 #mathematics #MaynoothUniversity #Physics
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Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer.
-- Charles Caleb Colton -
Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer.
-- Charles Caleb Colton -
The subjects that were dearest to the examiners were almost invariably those I fancied least... I should have liked to be asked to say what I knew. They always tried to ask what I did not know. When I would have willingly displayed my knowledge, they sought to expose my ignorance. This sort of treatment had only one result: I did not to well in examinations.
-- Winston Churchill⬆ #Wisdom #Quotes #WinstonChurchill #Education #Examinations
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🔴 **The exam paradox**
The Oxford Scientist
_"The grass is not greener on any side, because no amount of A/A* grades can replace the raw, unfiltered experiences of growing up; we only have one childhood and often we must make sacrifices for our future self. The current job market is saturated with graduates—a degree on its own is no longer as valuable as it used to be—and you need more than good grades to stand out."_
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🔴 **Could you pass an English exam from 1913?**
Janine Machin
_"The exam comprised a series of papers on phonetics, grammar, and translation, which took 12 hours to complete."_
🔗 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cedn9pqg9jlo.
#History #Education #Learning #Examinations #Exams #English #Language
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To counter cheating and the rise of the use of AI models, the University of South Australia are reintroducing oral exams - what do you think? https://unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2024/out-with-exams-in-with-verbal-assessments/ #AI #cheating #exams #examinations #assessment #academia #univeristy
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Amid all the excitement last week, I forgot that it was the sixth teaching week of the Semester. That means that we’re now past the halfway point. Among other things that meant that examination papers were due in on Friday (8th November). That means two papers for each module I’m teaching, one to be sat in January and another for the repeat opportunity in August, so that’s four altogether.
I always find setting examination questions very difficult. In theoretical physics we want to stretch the stronger candidates at the same time as allowing the weaker ones to show what they can do. It’s a perennial problem how to make the questions neither too easy nor too difficult, but it is compounded this time by the fact that I’m teaching two modules for the very first time so judging the right level is tricky.
Another issue is that I’m once again in a situation in which I have to set examination papers without having taught all the material. At least I’ve covered the first half of the content so I have some idea of what the students found difficult, but that’s not the case for the second half. It should be a bit easier next year once I’ve experience of covering the whole syllabus. Assuming, of course, that I’m teaching the same modules again next year, which is by no means guaranteed…
I’m teaching a module on Differential Equations and Complex Analysis for 4th year students and just about ready to switch to the part that comes after the and. I taught a bit of Complex Analysis when I was at Sussex and I’m quite looking forward to it, although it does pose a particular challenge. Some of the class are doing a Double Major in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics, and have done quite a lot of Complex Analysis before, while others are doing a Single Major in Theoretical Physics and haven’t really done any. I have to somehow find a way to satisfy these two different groups. The only way I can think of to do that is to teach the subject as a physicist rather than a pure mathematician, with an emphasis on examples and real-world applications rather than in the abstract. We’ll see how this works out over the next few weeks.
P.S. On the subject of Complex Analysis, I just remembered this post from a few years ago.
https://telescoper.blog/2024/11/11/midpoint/
#ComplexAnalysis #education #ExaminationQuestions #Examinations #mathematics
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Spent the day wading though the translation of written exams to digital format for #unimelb - some observations:
Commercial OCR is cactus
Handwriting is a dead art form
Scans are unreliable and vary hugely in colour
Anything that relies on a choice of answers should be done exclusively online -
This is unrealistic, of course (is it?) - but it seems to me that the solution to the #AI -assisted #cheating in #Academia would be a return to emphasis on oral #examinations and #tests.
This would require smaller students-to-professor ratio and consequently means that a lot more #instructors would have to be employed.
#showerthoughts -
About testing for my General Class Ticket
So, the other day when I was crowing about how easy this was going to be, it turns out I had been practicing testing over a single module, of a dozen or so.
Those other dozen modules, quite frankly, have been kicking my lilly ass.
It's ok, though, I've got it down to where I'm failing consistently at 2 of 35 questions.
The only problem is, I've been practicing almost a week now *and I'm still seeing new questions* LMAO
It's all good though!
I can't test until the 15th of next month, because of scheduling conflicts -- so I should have five or six weeks to study.
I tell ya what, if I'm acing it every time next week, I'm moving right on into advanced study and going for the advanced class exam instead.
#amateurradio #radeiooperations
#hamradio #arrl #examinations -
"Originality, creativity, and subjectivity were thus key concepts in the critical appraisal of the eight–legged essay throughout imperial Chinese history."
Great essay on the history of Chinese Civil Examinations by @hildedeweerdt
https://inference-review.com/article/the-chinese-civil-examinations
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🇹🇷 Les opérateurs Karakurt revendiquent des attaques informatiques à l'encontre de Özel Gözakademi Hastanesi (
gozakademi.com.tr) & Medilife Sağlık Grubu (medilife.com.tr) #turkey #medical #ransomware #karakurt #estetik #citizens #medikal #cyber #surgeries #health #hospital #patients #medicine #databreach #clinical #threats #births #examinations #healthcare #nurses #services #doctors #careers #turquie #informatique -
Smashing Security podcast #203: Testing times, naming names, and the bald truth about AI https://grahamcluley.com/smashing-security-podcast-203/ #artificialintelligence #SmashingSecurity #Securitythreats #Vulnerability #vulnerability #examinations #RaspberryPi #football #students #Podcast #Privacy #spyware #Doom #cve #AI
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Singapore to proceed with National year-end exams with safe distancing and other measures in place.
#Singapore #COVID19 #Students #Education #Schools #Examinations
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This is terrible. :-(
"At least 23 teenagers in the southern Indian state of Telangana have killed themselves since their school-leaving exam results were announced in April."
#India #Examinations #Suicides #Culture #Society #Children #Education
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Oh no, not again. "32 O-level additional mathematics Paper 2 scripts from Singapore lost in Britain".
Last year, "A-level chemistry answer scripts from 238 Singapore students was stolen from a courier van".
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From next year, all assessments and exams for Singapore Primary 1 and 2 pupils will be removed. These and other Primary and Secondary educational changes in the MOE press release
#Singapore #Education #PrimarySchool #SecondarySchool #Examinations