Is becoming an examiner worth it?
Becoming an examiner is a rewarding experience for many, and whether it’s right for you depends on what you’re hoping to gain and how it fits with your existing commitments.
For example, examining offers valuable professional development, which can directly improve your teaching and help you support students more effectively. It can also strengthen your CV and support career progression, as examining experience is highly respected in education.
Many teachers also value the additional income and the opportunity to work flexibly, often from home, during exam periods.
It’s also helpful to think about what the role involves. Examining requires dedicated time over a concentrated period, and you’ll be working to clear deadlines while keeping your marking consistent and accurate. Many examiner markers find that with good organisation and support from their exam board, this becomes very manageable.
Ultimately, becoming an examiner is often very much worth it if you’re looking to develop your professional skills, gain assessment insight, and earn extra income, and you’re comfortable managing the workload.
In this blog, we look at these benefits in a little more detail (to both you and your centre), and also the potential challenges that might come with the role to determine if it’s the right path for you.
But first things first…
What does an examiner do?
At its core, an examiner’s role is to carefully assess the answers students provide and assign marks according to the relevant marking scheme.
Exam markers follow the educational institution or exam board's guidelines to maintain consistency in their evaluations.
The benefits of becoming an examiner
By becoming an examiner, you will benefit from a wide range of opportunities as we touched on above, including:
• Additional income - Examining provides a valuable opportunity to earn additional income alongside your main role, with clear expectations and transparent payment structures. Keep reading to discover how much exam markers can typically earn in the UK.
• Flexible work patterns - Examining is designed to fit around your existing commitments, with much of the work completed remotely and within a set timeframe.
• Personal and professional support - As an examiner, you’ll receive structured training and ongoing support before and during the marking period. This includes clear guidance on mark schemes, standardisation processes, and access to experienced team leaders who are there to support you.
• Extra insight into the assessment of your subject - You’ll gain a unique, behind-the-scenes understanding of how assessments are designed and marked. This insight helps you better understand what examiners are looking for and how students can achieve higher marks.
There are also benefits to your centre…
If you’re a headteacher, encouraging your staff to become examiners can have a powerful, long-term impact across your whole centre. These benefits include:
• A positive impact on teaching and learning - Teachers who work as examiners gain a much sharper understanding of how marks are awarded in real exam situations. This insight naturally feeds back into the classroom which can lead to improved student performance.
• More reliable internal data - Because examiner-trained teachers understand grade boundaries and marking criteria in depth, they are better equipped to make accurate predictions about student performance.
• Higher quality feedback to pupils - One of the most immediate benefits is the improvement in the quality of feedback given to students. Examiners know exactly what examiners are looking for - because they are one - and this helps students understand not just what to improve, but how to improve it in an exam context.
• Encourages collaboration between departments - Having examiner-trained staff across different subjects creates valuable opportunities for cross-department collaboration.
Are there any challenges to being an examiner?
While becoming an examiner comes with many rewards, it’s also important to be aware of a few key aspects of the role.
For example, the role requires a strong time commitment, particularly during peak marking periods, as you’ll need to balance examining alongside your regular teaching responsibilities.
Working to strict deadlines can also add pressure, especially for new examiners, and maintaining accuracy and consistency across a large number of scripts demands focus and attention to detail.
That said, with good organisation and experience, these challenges are manageable and often outweighed by the professional and financial benefits.
How much do examiners typically get paid in the UK?
In the UK, examiner pay varies depending on the exam board, subject, and the amount of marking required, but most examiners are paid per script or per marking allocation rather than a fixed salary.
Typically, examiners can expect to earn around £240 to £1,500 for a full marking allocation, depending on the paper and subject complexity.
More senior roles, such as team leaders or principal examiners, can earn more due to additional responsibilities, sometimes reaching £1,000 to £2,000+ per exam series.
Some specialist examining roles may also be paid on a daily basis, depending on the organisation and type of assessment.
In short, examining is usually considered a supplementary income, with earnings varying based on how much work you take on and the role you hold.
Examine with WJEC
We recruit for examiners throughout the year, and you can view the full list of subjects we are currently recruiting for on our website. You can also read our comprehensive guide explaining the process for applying to be an examiner, here.
If you wish to speak with our Appointees team about any questions you may have, please contact us on 029 2026 5457 or email Appointees@wjec.co.uk.