LC Written Examiners, 2022

spurious

Do you have a Teaching Council number (or would the qualification you have entitle you to be registered with them)?

From their site:

Qualifications

• Registered with the Teaching Council as a teacher of the subject concerned, or holding qualification sufficient for such registration.
• Further qualifications (in the subject or in education).

Applicants with the necessary qualification in the subject but not yet qualified as teachers will be considered only if vacancies remain after all suitable and fully qualified applicants have been offered appointment.

Numbersman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119174776#Comment_119174776

No. Seems like I answered my own question but I thought did take on grads before maybe I’m wrong.

spurious

After I posted, I double checked (and edited my post). If your degree is one that would allow you to register with the TC, you might get somewhere. Worth an email anyway.

Numbersman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119174818#Comment_119174818

Thanks a million for the help, degree shouldn’t be a bother as past graduates have gone on to be teachers with the same degree as me. I’ll email anyway and sure no harm so, is there a specific one or a general enquiry email?

Random sample

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119174853#Comment_119174853

I’d go with examiners@examinations.ie

I offered to mark a second subject this year that doesn’t conflict with my dates and they told me they won’t allow it. They obviously aren’t that short!

happyoutscan

I wouldn't mind correcting, but a it states you are required for Virtual Conference from 22/06/22-23/06/22 (paid) which is fine.

Then, it states that 'Your work as an examiner will require your full time attention from the date of the conference outlined above until 19-07-22, or 26 days approximately.' (This taken from letter a friend received).

Looking at the calendar, this leaves absolutely zero days off during this time, or am I missing anything? I'd like to do it, but I need some flexibility what with kids, etc.

Also, from what I hear the taxman destroys you by the time you get paid in November.

I don't know what to do (I'd be correcting JC if I was to do so).

Random sample

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119207134#Comment_119207134

The conference days are full on. You will get all the material to be discussed in the post beforehand, and you need to be fully engaged with it to get a full understanding of the marking scheme.

After that, you need to get a sample 20 done in two days. They are intense enough days too. Then you will be given a timetable to get the scripts marked, with deadlines for each 100. It’s usually about a week for the first 100, then less for subsequent 100s as you get quicker.

Ive always managed to take afternoons off, and rarely do much on a Sunday, maybe a couple of hours Sunday evening to set me up for the following week. It is flexible so long as you are putting the hours in. I could work 6-10 in the morning and go back from 2-6 in the afternoon. I’d get more done that way than if I kept at and got tired.

If you are disciplined, it is fine. I can do 8 hour days 5 days and still be done well ahead of schedule. Where it might get stressful is if there’s a delay between sample 20 and getting clearance to go ahead with other scripts.

The lowest I’ve heard of anyone come out with is €1800, but it will depend on how many scripts you get, and don’t forget there’s the extra €3 per script this year. I don’t think about the gross, I cut everything in half in my head before I add it up and I’m happy enough with whatever I get then.

The sec have been quite efficient with payments this year, and have promised all payment within 6 weeks of getting your form.

happyoutscan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119207397#Comment_119207397

Wow, thank you for such a brilliant post. I appreciate it very much!

Finally, do I have any say in the number of scripts they would be giving me? I would be marking JC History and it is ridiculously straight forward with little to no long answer questions in it.

Wonder if this would impact the additional € per script?

Thank you again for the info!

spurious

You would probably get 350 - 400 scripts for JC History. Maybe a bit less. It depends how many examiners they have.

There's never anything straightforward. There may be re-marking going on. You will be given guidance and your marking will be checked to make sure everyone is doing the same thing.

Random sample

You don’t have a say in how many you get, but really, unless you are getting over the norm it doesn’t change the workload in the early days, the deadlines are the same for everyone.

In an ideal world, remarking would only happen after the random sample, so you’d only have 20 to remark (and 4 of them will have been checked by your advisor). Your advisor will check 4 from each 100 you do too, and this may lead to remarks of individual questions.

happyoutscan

Some really good advice, thank you both.

spurious

The whole experience of examining it is absolutely worthwhile in terms of how you prepare the children for exams and if reports are to be believed, maybe even money-wise this year, depending on your tax arrangements.

It's pretty full on for the first 100 maybe 200, then you get quicker at it. Depending on your domestic arrangements you can arrange your days to suit you. I am an early riser so I would often be at it at 6am, break for breakfast about 9 and finish for the day before 1.

gaiscioch

Why does it take so long between the actual LC exam and the conference day? There are a full 18 days between both in my subject. That really drags out the summer.

Random sample

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119218550#Comment_119218550

I have read elsewhere that junior cycle subjects that were supposed to go online are now being marked on paper because of a backlog in the scanning office. I’d say that is slowing down the LC process too. You’d imagine reducing the numbers marked online or increasing staff in the scanning office would have sped things up.

smallgarden

It's possibly to allow for people doing superintending as well. I finish superintending and have conference about 2 days later.

Random sample

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119218713#Comment_119218713

Conferences are running into mid July. I haven’t seen that happen before. We used to be one of the last conferences on 6/7 July.

smorlaith

Anyone know generally how long the online marking conferences run to in the day? For JC Science (online) the letter says 28th-30th starting 09:30 but no rough finish time. Unsure if I'd need to cancel something I was meant to attend on the 28th in late afternoon.

Just qualified teaching and first time marking; looking forward to it, but I expect that novelty may run out quickly!

Thanking you kindly!

am_zarathustra

Usually finished by 3.30 or 4pm, the first day tends to be the longest, that's for LC though but I can't imagine it being less for JC from what I remember of correcting it a few years ago. Really nice advising examiners ect so let them know if there are any issues and definitely ask them once your advising examiner contacts you, I had a family emergency during my first year correcting JC science bad they were unbelievably kind and accommodating!

Numbersman

For anyone who got the letter for correcting this year could ye give a summary of the important stuff that should be known from it (like any forms to be filled back or information on about the conference, scripts or other material being sent out and all that) was told I would be correcting and I’d get a letter which was posted last week but still didn’t receive it. Thanks

spurious

You should ring the SEC and check it was sent.

Anyone giving you information about SEC procedures, please do it by PM, not on the public forum.

Random sample

Good advice from spurious.

Numbersman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119231354#Comment_119231354

Ohh sorry! Didn’t know, I had rang them earlier to say I didn’t get it and they’d said they’ll post it again and I thought I’d ask just in case I needed anything ready my side lesson learned!

spurious

If your Advising Examiner has been in touch, give them a ring. You don't really need to do anything in advance of your conference.

In general, follow your instructions and the marking scheme (whether you agree with it or not) and if you find yourself getting a bit out of your depth, or having issues meeting deadlines, tell your Advising Examiner asap so that they can help you. Don't leave it so late that you are beyond help and in a terrible mess. Ask any questions you have, no matter how foolish you think they are. Your AE is there to help you stay on track, not to find fault with you.

Numbersman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119231467#Comment_119231467

Thanks Spurious! Will definately take this advice on board

Canard

Just to add, I was an examiner for JC HL French the year before I did my teacher training, i.e. only on the basis of my degree. I even got a ton of extra scripts, so with the acute shortage this year, I'd imagine anyone who wants work will find it.

I would've liked to do it again, but I'm just too busy with lesson/material preparation for next year. And it's my first summer in teaching in Ireland, so it's nice to have time to unwind :)

Bluespecs

I'm correcting online this year for the first time. Haven't a clue how that works but will find out when the conference starts.

Meanwhile, the curiosity is getting to me as well as the desire to be as efficient as possible during the marking : would a smart tablet with touchscreen and smart pen be faster than the traditional mouse? Would the simultaneous use of 2 monitors rather than just one speed up the process in any way?

am_zarathustra

I've used a mouse and a stylus on my 2 in 1 laptop. Honestly, with the repitious movements, a real mouse is preferable, on a mouse pad ......you are mostly clicking and the mouse is a bit better for dragging the ticks......especially when they are near each other. A separate keyboard can help too! Sometimes a change is as good as a rest and an hour with the stylus can break the monotony though!!

Definitely make sure you have a stand for your laptop or a monitor at head height, looking down and focusing will destroy your neck. The second screen could be handy if you scanned the scheme or had the notes up on it.

Give yourself lots of breaks too, your eye will get very tired! But it is 100% better than paper corrections, much easier to pack away at the end of the day and get out of your sight and no daily trips to the post office!

spurious

You don't want to be going too fast online.

Bluespecs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260099#Comment_119260099

(As an examiner might say) could you expand on that a little bit? I want to do everything 100% right..... But as efficiently as possible.

Random sample

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260124#Comment_119260124

Your advisor can see how long you have been on line and probably how long you have spent on each paper.

It might be different for different subjects, but I could only download 20 at a time, and at certain stages then, I couldn’t download more until the advisor had given clearance.