In response to online teaching and the emergence of generative AI, oral examination, the dominant assessment before the 18th century, is making a comeback. How do we implement this ancient assessment tool in the context of modern education? 

What is Oral Assessment?

More broadly, ‘Oral assessment’ is any evaluation in which students demonstrate their learning verbally, in whole or in part. They may take the form of an interview, a presentation, a debate, a role-play, a simulation, a thesis defense, etc.

This guide focuses on interactive oral assessments, which involve an unscripted conversation between an assessor and a student. They are usually conducted in the form of an interview/interrogation. They can stand alone or be combined with another assessment, such as an essay, project, or presentation, to allow the assessor to probe more deeply into the student’s understanding and application of concepts and to encourage reflection. They are often conducted between one student and one or more assessors, but they can also be done in pairs or groups.

Advantages of Oral Assessments

Oral assessments provide a unique set of benefits that written assessments often can’t match:

  • Assess Depth of Knowledge: They allow examiners to probe the depth of knowledge and skills, allowing for a more comprehensive view of students’ abilities, cognitive processes, and conceptual misunderstandings.

  • Interactive Opportunity: More interaction leads to a greater sense of connection for instructors and students, which is particularly valuable in a remote environment.

  • Authenticity: Students demonstrate real-world problem-solving and communication skills, using the language of their discipline.

  • Enhance Learning: Preparation for oral exams often encourages students to engage more thoroughly with the material.

  • Clarification: Any misunderstandings in questions or answers can be addressed immediately.

  • Academic Integrity: Follow-up questions can be asked to clarify students’ thinking and understanding.

Challenges of Oral Assessments
Despite all the benefits, there are a number of challenges that we need to consider when planning for oral assessments:

  • Time Consuming: They require more time to administer than written exams and are more challenging to conduct for larger classes.

  • Increased Stress: The unfamiliar format can amplify anxiety, affecting performance, particularly for students with mental health concerns.

  • Reliability and Fairness: Potential for issues with reliability and fairness if students are asked different questions.

  • Potential Bias: Potential for bias and subjective grading, as grading cannot be anonymous. Students’ articulateness, shyness, speed of thought, gender, ethnicity, language skills, accent, etc. can influence judgments about their knowledge and skills.

  • Academic Integrity Risks: Students can pass on questions to others who are taking the exam later.

Checklist for Designing and Implementing Oral Assessments

–  Identify which learning outcomes are suitable for oral assessment.

–  Plan how oral assessment will complement other evaluation forms for those outcomes.

–  Establish alternative assessment options for students who face challenges with oral assessment.

–  Develop specific questions tied to each learning outcome, geared towards probing depth.

–  Prepare potential follow-up questions and prompts for various answer types.

–  Standardize question number, difficulty, and time allocation.

–  Organize the sequence of questions, starting with an easier one.

–  Plan variations in questions or scenarios to maintain question security across different students.

–  Draft a rubric or scoring guide with clear criteria, weights, and model answers.

–  Decide on the impact of prompts on the final score (e.g., deduction of points).

–  Communicate details about content coverage, assessment process, allowed materials, and grading criteria to students.

–  Provide opportunities for practice, either informally in-class or through structured activities.

–  Provide a demonstration video of a typical oral assessment, with example questions and grading.

–  Decide on the use of single or multiple examiners for efficiency and grading consistency.

–  Employ strategies to support and encourage shy or nervous students without bias.

–  Consider recording the assessment (with students’ consents) for transparency, grade appeals, and as a feedback tool for students.

–  Offer immediate, constructive feedback after the oral exam, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement.

–  Analyze the recordings if necessary to confirm final grades.

–  Provide opportunities for students to ask questions and understand their performance.

–  Reflect on the process and note any adjustments needed for future oral exams.

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