Adding observers to the exam

The observer role can be used exclusively in OSCEs run using the browser application (the functionality is not available on iPad). Observers can join stations to watch interactions between the candidate and examiner. They can optionally communicate with both but remain unseen. Additionally, Observers can freely move between stations to monitor any ongoing interactions within the circuit.

This can be used to fulfil various practical functions and applications. For example, an external examiner may join the exam to evaluate whether standards are being correctly applied in the stations. Alternatively, the feature has also been used to carry out admin tasks like candidate ID checking, troubleshooting technical issues within the exam and to carry out a limited proctoring function.

To set up Observer accounts, the Observer role is assigned when creating examiner records. Essentially, an Observer is an examiner with an additional role, similar to the Marshal role. Observers are added to the exam during the examiner allocation process.

An important distinction when allocating Observers is that, unlike the Marshal role (who is assigned to a session but not specific rooms), Observers must be individually assigned to each room they need access to. If they need access to all rooms in a cycle, a separate allocation row must be added for each room. You will need to upload a spreadsheet to allocate Observers to the exam.

A snippet of a typical observer allocation might look something like the below:

Once the exam is published, the observers can log into the exam via the browser and navigate the rooms as appropriate. The browser functionality from the observer perspective is described in the observer view article.