Invigilation · preparation
Before the examination
- Know exactly when and where you are invigilating.
- Allow time for distribution and collection of examination materials.
- Allow for the five-minute reading time where applicable.
- Teachers of the subject being examined must not invigilate that examination.
- For calculator examinations, know the IB calculator rules and how to check examination mode.
- Ensure the room has a visible clock and displayed start/finish times.
- Ensure unauthorized teaching material is removed from the room.
- Ensure invigilators can contact someone outside the room in an emergency.
- Keep a copy of the Conduct of examinations booklet available in the room.
Invigilation · students entering
When students arrive
- Admit students at least 10 minutes before the examination starts.
- Students enter quietly and orderly.
- Only authorized materials may go to the desk.
- Personal belongings, including communication devices, media players and wristwatches, must be left outside or at the back of the room.
- Check student identity.
- Check pencil cases or containers if they are allowed.
- Be especially vigilant for unauthorized electronic devices.
- Students must not share stationery, dictionaries, calculators or other materials.
Invigilation · starting
Starting the examination
- Students must remain silent until they have left the examination room.
- Ensure students have the correct coversheet, paper and required stationery/materials.
- No rough/scratch paper is permitted.
- Open sealed examination packets in the presence of students.
- Make sure every student has the correct paper, subject, level and language.
- Write the exact start and finish times where all students can see them.
- Give the required five-minute reading time except for stand-alone multiple-choice papers.
- During reading time: no writing, dictionaries, highlighting or calculators.
Invigilation · during
During the examination
- Give your whole attention to supervising the examination.
- Do not read, mark work, use a laptop for other work, or do anything unrelated to invigilation.
- Conversations between invigilators must be brief, quiet and only about the examination.
- At least one invigilator must walk around the room at regular intervals.
- Do not stay in one place for long, but avoid distracting students.
- One invigilator should be seated at the back of the room.
- Never leave students unsupervised.
- Keep an accurate record of significant events during the examination.
Invigilation · questions and incidents
Questions, illness and misconduct
- If a student asks about the meaning of a question or thinks there is an error, tell them to follow the paper instructions and interpret the question for themselves.
- Do not explain the question, suggest an interpretation or tell a student to ignore an instruction.
- Record illness, temporary absence and suspected misconduct, including times.
- A student leaving temporarily must be supervised and must not access or take examination material.
- If misconduct is suspected, record the incident and normally allow the student to finish.
- Disruptive behaviour must be stopped immediately.
Invigilation · leaving the room
Temporary absence and early departure
- Students leaving temporarily must be supervised and may not communicate with anyone except the supervising person.
- They must not take material out, access material while away, or return with material.
- Students must not leave during the first hour or the last 15 minutes of an examination.
- If a student leaves early, they must remain supervised until the required end of the supervision period.
- If a student leaves before the scheduled finish time, they must not return to the examination.
Invigilation · ending
Ending the examination
- Give the required time warnings.
- At the end, tell students to stop writing immediately.
- Students must not add to or amend answers after the examination ends.
- Collect all examination papers, scripts, answer coversheets, MCQ sheets and unused materials before students leave.
- Ensure students have completed coversheets and attached materials correctly.
- Students leave quietly and may take only their personal belongings.
- No examination paper, data booklet, answer booklet or graph paper may leave the room with a student.
Invigilation · after students leave
After the examination
- Invigilators remain responsible for the secure handling of scripts until they are sealed.
- Arrange scripts in numerical student order by session number.
- Check that the correct coversheet, paper, answer booklet(s) and graph paper are present where required.
- Do not photocopy scripts or MCQ answer sheets.
- Secure examination papers and remaining stationery.
- For calculator examinations, clear calculator memories at the end of the examination.