LC Written Examiners, 2022

The SEC have improved a lot with payments. As far as I know, they finish superintendents and then start examiners. I had mine in September.

Online is good - much faster but I miss the admin at the start and meeting people at conference. Everything you do is scruntized (which isn't a bad thing).

Yes, conference is online. I had three long days last year. Yes, you get samples and scheme sent to you before conference. Can't remember when they announced conferences. There should be a note stating price per script, if not, ring SEC. As for tax etc. I don't know.

No, thanks for uploading but frustratingly, it isn't. I can see that there's an increase, but it doesn't say what it's an increase on.

Our conference is 3 days online LCHL

I suspect the SEC are manufacturing the delay.... or else just not very adept at organising it properly. Don't get me wrong though, I found them very good during and after the exams with invigilation and marking... But before exams is just a mess.

There was another newspaper article on VFT about how the shortage of staff increased the need for teachers to correct their own students .

Many posts after it were from teachers who applied and never heard back. And teachers who hadn't applied but we're contacted. Every year they leave it to the last minute with appointments and then say they are at crisis.

Writing is on the wall.

JC was October in 2019 to allow for speedy delivery of appeals. Some of the sprioclá’s are 14/15. People will be expecting results by then.

only thing I can think is maybe there’s less admin on the online marking.

It possibly has an effect, but in reality with JC English, Maths (and I presume Irish) going to one paper, they only need half the number of examiners for the core subjects. I suspect it's more to do with examiners not marking for two years and they have enjoyed having July off and are managing without the money so haven't signed up again for 2022. Or some of them moved to LC and the main shortfall is now in JC.

I didn't hear back since then either but a colleague had so I emailed them to confirm and got an email back confirming they'd received my confirmation.

SEC not coming across as efficient as they normally do this year. Take a look at the Superintendent thread. Must be something in the water in Athlone.

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!

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.

Some really good advice, thank you both.

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