Conducting an exam
As an experienced telc licensed partner you are already familiar with our Examination Regulations and with the Guidelines for conducting a written and oral examination. In real-life situations there are often further questions. Here are answers to those most frequently asked.
FAQ Examination Security
Tip: Why should I always have my mobile phone with me in the exam?
It is always possible that something unexpected happens. For instance, you may have to leave the room or a candidate is taken ill suddenly. If you have your mobile phone and the office telephone number of the person responsible for the exam, you can quickly obtain help without having to break off the exam. Naturally the ringing tone has to be turned off.
- How many days are allowed to pass between the written and oral exams?
- Can a registered examination be postponed due to unforeseen events, such as a broken water pipe?
- What seat spacing must be maintained during the Covid 19 pandemic, 1.50m or 2.00m on all sides?
- Are invigilators or examiners allowed to be in close social contact with employees of the examination centre (e.g. be married to an employee) or to examine their spouses or children?
- Can a teacher be the examination centre coordinator if he/she has previously taught the candidates?
- Can the examination centre coordinator also be an examiner?
Tip: What help is allowed?
You may only assist with questions about handling the exam documentation, e.g. when a candidate cannot find the tasks or is not able to enter their personal data without help. After the exam booklet has been opened and the actual exam has begun there should be no need to answer any questions. It is therefore recommended that the candidates have taken a mock examination under exam conditions so that they know what to expect in the exam. This point about taking a mock examination should be specially emphasised elsewhere – see new point under Mock Exams in “Übungsmaterial”.
- What, other than the examination materials, can candidates have on their desks during the written examination?
- How do you deal with candidates not wanting to leave their valuables in the cloakroom?
- Do candidates have to be accompanied by an invigilator when going to use the toilet? Where should these visits be noted down?
- What are the consequences if an examiner leaves the exam room (e.g. toilet, nausea)?
- A candidate has fainted during the written examination. How should the examination centre coordinator deal with this case?
- A candidate complains that he cannot concentrate because another candidate has coughed or sneezed. Should I note this in the examination record in case of a potential complaint?
- Are invigilators and examiners allowed to have a cell phone in the exam room?
- Are invigilators allowed to be present in the exam room during an oral exam?
- Can the examination centre carry out the general instruction of examination formalities with the candidates so that the invigilator can already deal with writing up the words "Beginning" and "End" and the examination parts?
- How does the written examination begin? With the instruction or with the distribution of the examination materials?
- Is the examination coordinator also considered to be available if he or she is not in the examination centre?
Tip: How can I guarantee fairness?
If you are supervising an exam, then you have a big responsibility. You ensure that the conditions for all candidates are equal and so make sure that all the candidates have the same chance.
- You constantly observe the candidates. You do not do any other work or read during the exam.
- You organise maximum distance between the candidates (at least 1.5 m around the chair, considerably more space is preferable.) The crucial point is that the exam documents cannot be seen by anyone.
- How do I deal with mobile phones during the test?
- For the identify check, must an identity card be presented, even if all candidates are known to the invigilators from having participated in a language course at the centre?
- Should the identity of the candidates be checked again before the oral examination?
- How do I ensure the security of the oral examination if the candidates are scheduled with a time delay?
- Are there guidelines for candidates with disabilities, including those with reading and spelling difficulties, and what documentation must the candidate provide?
- Do electronic medical devices count as unauthorised aids in the examination?
- Are candidates allowed to leave the building between the written and oral exams and if so, what happens to their mobile phones?
- Are siblings or spouses allowed to take the oral examination together?
- If the language course was supervised by a socio-educational counsellor, can this person act as an oral examiner?
- Who may sit in on the written and oral exams?
- Is it possible to prevent a candidate from sitting the examination if they are ill just before the examination begins?
- May a telc inspector appear unannounced at the exam?
Tip: How do I react if someone tries to cheat?
If you notice someone cheating, please react immediately and expel/disqualify the involved parties from the exam. This is also valid for candidates who allow their work to be copied. Explain to the candidates that you are bound to act in this way according to § 16 of the examination regulations. Note down the attempt to cheat in your report and confiscate any prohibited aids. The involved parties should leave the building immediately. With this course of action you protect the honest candidates from being suspected of cheating and you ensure that your examination centre enjoys an excellent reputation.
- If exam regulations are violated, does a candidate first receive a warning or are they immediately excluded, e.g. for speaking too loudly or refusing to hand in the answer sheet at the end of the exam?
- What must an invigilator do if examination regulations are violated?
- Should the identity of the candidates be checked again before the oral examination?
- What should be done if there is a suspicion of attempted cheating with false identity papers?
- If an attempt at cheating is detected or prevented at the outset, does this lead to exclusion?
- What happens if a candidate brings a switched off mobile phone into the examination room?
- What happens if a candidate’s mobile phone rings during the oral examination?
- If a candidate is excluded from the exam, he or she may cause a disturbance. Can the examination continue and any lost time be added to the end? Who pays for the costs if an exam is cancelled?
- What can be done if the candidate refuses to leave the exam room after being excluded from the exam?
- Is the supervisor allowed to physically search candidates if there is a suspicion that they may have brought aids with them?
- If cheating is detected during the oral examination, will the candidate be excluded from the written examination afterwards?
Tip: When should the task booklets be collected at the end of the exam?
The task booklets are strictly confidential and not available for publication. Make absolutely sure that nobody takes their task booklet with them or copies it in any way. Any kind of copy or any usage outside the examination will lead to criminal prosecution.
Thank you for your support and co-operation in ensuring that the high quality of telc examinations is maintained.
- When should the CD be checked? What happens to the CD after the examination?
- How much time is allowed to elapse between the examination and the handover of the examination documents to the examination coordinator?
- What is the procedure if it is determined shortly before the exam that too few test booklets were sent out by telc?
- Are examination centres permitted to complete the front page of the answer sheets for weak candidates?
- If the office of the examination coordinator is also used by 3 teachers, but the coordinator is always present, can the examination materials be stored in a locked cabinet in the room?
- Examination papers can only be sent by parcel post. Dispatch by registered mail is no longer possible because the packages are too large. (Statement DHL and Post Modern) What is the procedure in this case?
- Does the examination coordinator have to sign the certificates or result notifications?
- If a written exam was registered to start at 09:00 a.m. but does not start until 10 minutes later due to organisational delays, does this have to be specially noted in the examination record?
Tip: Please read the examination regulations and general terms and conditions in detail and familiarise yourself with our instructions for conducting the written and oral examinations.
- Can former employees of the examination centre be used as external examiners?
- Does telc offer a template for formulating the contract outlining candidates' obligation in line with telc’s General Terms and Conditions / Examination Regulations?
- How is the remuneration for examiners, raters and invigilators regulated?
- If the examiners are permanently employed teachers in the organisation, is a separate contract required with the employees for the work they carry out as examiners / raters?
- Should the signed contracts of candidates, examiners and invigilators be sent to telc?
- Do telc’s examination regulations apply to all telc foreign language examinations?
- Does a license expire?