To become an examination supervisor, it's best to contact the exam team at the specific school in which you're interested in working. This way, you can get the exact details about the qualifications needed as well as how and when to apply. That said, there are also more general ways to prepare to work in exam supervision. This includes developing your skills such as organizational ability, punctuality, accuracy in following directions and communicating instructions clearly.
Clear communication is essential in exam supervision, as disruptions in the classroom during tests, such as students asking for clarification of the instructions, must be kept to a minimum. Too much discussion can interrupt students trying to concentrate on answering test questions. Many schools have rules that the instructions may only be discussed before the exam officially starts, so you'll need to be able to deal with any confusion or questions quickly. To become an examination supervisor, you'll usually be required to check student identification and attendance as well as give test instructions effectively right before the exam starts.
You'll need to be accurate in following directions, because without this skill, you aren't likely to be able to communicate the correct instructions to students taking exams. Of course, punctuality is also key for an exam supervisor, as tests must be timed and typically given with a clear start and end time. Organizing different parts of an exam that you may need to hand out to students as well as having your life organized to adapt to school testing periods is important.
For instance, you're likely to have work flexible hours as an examination supervisor. Evening and weekend examinations are common. You may need to be prepared to work on short notice to fill in for a scheduled exam supervisor who is off sick. A good way to prepare to become an examination supervisor is to find out the time and other requirements of each academic institution in which you'd like to work.
Basic information about becoming involved in exam supervision may be included in a college calendar. You could contact the person listed in this information to mention that you would like to become an examination supervisor for this school. He or she may send you a manual of job expectations and training opportunities as well as information about applying to become part of the school's exam team. If your application is accepted, you are likely to be required to participate in a training program before being permitted to work in the school as an examination supervisor.
