A new report from OCR, The future for examining, explores what motivates teachers to get involved in examining. It offers solutions to ensure the supply of examiners at a time when teacher workload is increasing and more examiners are required at one point of the year.

Recommendations from the report include:

• Working with the College of Teaching to include examining as part of a ‘subject expert’ pathway
• More differentiated examiner training and activity based on experience
• Promoting progression routes within examining.

In the foreword to The future for examining, Brian Lightman, General Secretary of ASCL, welcomed the report’s “innovative and practical” suggestions for overcoming some of the pressures in the system. “It points the way ahead to ensuring that everybody can have confidence in the capacity of the system to produce the timely and accurate assessments which are essential to the futures of millions of young people.”

The report will contribute to the work of a cross-industry working group which includes the major exam boards, as well as interested parties such as ASCL, HMC and NAHT.

Launched at an event in the Houses of Parliament, the report is based on independent research. Nearly 1000 teachers were surveyed for the report which also incorporates feedback from OCR examiners, head teachers and stakeholder debates.

Download the report:

• The future for examining (PDF, 2MB)