Examinations Services

WHO CAN BE A CAMBRIDGE ESOL ORAL EXAMINER?

A Cambridge ESOL Oral Examiner:

1. Has a suitably professional background, meeting the following minimum

requirements:

• education to first degree level (a university diploma in English for Romanian

applicants) or equivalent preferably in a TESOL-related subject*;

• at least three years' relevant, full-time and recent teaching experience; for YLE
experience in teaching young learners;

• a recognised TESOL teaching qualification (for native speakers)*;

• age over 25 and under national retirement age on appointment (in accordance with
local legislation).

*an applicant may be exempt from either, but not both, of these in the light of considerable teaching
experience supported by positive references.

2. Demonstrates the following English language competencies:

• overall language proficiency relevant to the examination level; for Romanian

applicants overall language proficiency certified by

- a certificate in CPE with grade A for FCE, CAE and BEC exams and CPE with
grade B for KET, PET and YLE exams

or

- IELTS Academic Module with minimum overall band score 8.0 and band score 9 in
speaking for FCE, CAE and BEC exams and IELTS minimum overall band score 7.5
and band score 8 in speaking) for KET, PET and YLE exams

and

- IELTS overall band score 8.0 minimum and band score 9 in speaking for CPE

• clear diction including intelligibility outside the region/country where examining takes
place;
 • linguistic accuracy;

• ability to judge the grammaticality, acceptability and appropriateness of spoken

English at the relevant examination level.

3. Has the necessary personal qualities and inter-personal skills such as:

• willingness to observe the need for confidentiality and security in all aspects of the
work;

• responsibility, conscientiousness, with attention to detail;

• ability to interact appropriately with the type of candidates for the examination(s) in
question;

• Cambridge ESOL Oral Examiners for the Young Learners English tests must also
have recent experience of dealing with children, either socially or professionally, and
be suitably responsible to examine children.

4. Exercises discretion in relation to:

• the security of the Speaking Test materials;

• the performance of candidates and colleagues in the examination room;

• the confidentiality of Cambridge ESOL training and other procedures; (hence

preference is normally given to applicants who are not employed by providers of other
examinations;

5. Has administrative skills such as:

• the aptitude to fulfil the administrative aspects of the Oral Examiner role, e.g.
dependability, attention to detail, flexibility, punctuality, availability, time management.

6. Has successfully completed the Cambridge ESOL induction process, showing a

knowledge and understanding of key aspects of oral examination such as:

• the Cambridge ESOL Common Scale for Speaking;

• Speaking Test formats and procedures;

• the roles of interlocutor and assessor;

• the use of an interlocutor frame;

• the importance of standardisation.

7. Has received specific training for the examination level(s) for which he/she is
conducting Speaking Tests and has shown evidence of competencies such as:

• the ability to conduct Speaking Tests according to the Cambridge ESOL guidelines;

• an understanding of the level of the examination in relation to the Cambridge ESOL

Common Scale for Speaking;

• the ability to assess appropriately and according to the Cambridge ESOL guidelines;

• the attention to detail necessary to complete the administrative aspects of the Oral
Examiner role;

• the inter-personal skills necessary for dealing with typical candidates.

NB: A trainee cannot be approved as an Oral Examiner unless he/she has been
accepted after the recruitment interview and has successfully completed the initial
induction and training programme. Subsequent training for additional exams/levels
follows the same rigorous procedures.

8. Attends an annual face-to-face co-ordination session which will provide:

• an update on any Cambridge ESOL examination developments, professional and/or

administrative; the new test materials as appropriate;

• the standardisation of assessment through assessing candidates on the latest

Cambridge ESOL standardisation video(s);

• practice in examining techniques through discussion, (video) exercises devised by

Cambridge ESOL or Team Leaders, etc.

9. Takes part in self-access activities such as online standardisation of assessment using

the standardisation areas of the Professional Support Network (PSN), as required for annual
Oral Examiners co-ordination, re-training, etc.

10. Is regularly monitored by a Team Leader when conducting live Speaking Tests to
ensure that the speaking tests are being conducted according to the Cambridge ESOL
Minimum Professional Requirements. The Oral Examiner must show that he/she fulfils the
professional and administrative requirements listed in the Oral Examiner monitoring checklist
presented as Appendix C in the Minimum Professional Requirements (MPR) document.

11. Is evaluated according to the Team Leader's completion of the Oral Examiner
monitoring checklist and is allowed to continue examining only if evidence is provided that
the Minimum Professional Requirements for the conduct of the Speaking Tests are met.

12. Accountability: is appointed by the Centre Exams Manager on the recommendation of

the Team Leader following the recruitment, induction and training procedures laid down in the
MPR document, and is answerable ultimately for his/her professional conduct to Cambridge
ESOL through the agency of Centre Exams Managers, Professional Support Leaders, Team
Leaders or other individuals with a supervisory role.

The specific examining responsibilities of an Oral Examiner can be found in details in each
relevant Instructions to Oral Examiners booklet.
Terms and Conditions of Service at British Council Romania:

1. An Oral Examiner is engaged by a Centre Exams Manager for a period of time

appropriate to local examination requirements.

2. An appointment will be renewed subject to satisfactory service as determined by

the Centre Exams Manager and Team Leader and the availability of work.

3. An Oral Examiner must be available to carry out enough examining to meet local
requirements.

4. Fees and expenses related to oral examining will be agreed and paid by the
Centre Exams Manager according to local circumstances.

5. The Oral Examiner will have to issue an invoice to the British Council in order to
be paid the fees related to oral examining (either as Persoana Fizica Autorizata,
Asociatie Familiala or SRL).

If you are interested and meet the above-listed requirements, please send a letter of intention
and your CV - for the attention of:
Monica Dobre-Laza (Examinations Services Manager) monica.dobre-laza@britishcouncil.ro
or
Consuela Popescu (Cambridge ESOL Centre Exams Manager)
consuela.popescu@britishcouncil.ro British Council, Calea Dorobantilor 14, 010572 Bucuresti
or by fax to 021-307 9601/02.

Updated Oct 2009