Appointing examiners

Examiners for the Diploma Programme are experienced and well-qualified educational practitioners appointed mainly, but not exclusively, from among the thousands of teachers in IB World Schools. Located in over 110 countries, many examiners are fluent in two or even all three of the IBO’s working languages: English, French and Spanish. For certain assessment components, such as theory of knowledge essays and for the moderation of internal assessment, it is vital that examiners have experience of the Diploma Programme and are familiar with the nature of the candidates’ work. Chief examiners not only have long experience as examiners, but they are also recognized and acclaimed experts in their subject.

In a May session about 4,000 examiners mark candidates’ work or moderate teachers’ marking, and about 500 examiners in a November session. The IBO allocates examiners to schools for particular subjects and assessment components. This is largely an automated process but deft organization by the IBO ensures that no examiners are allocated marking from schools with which they have a known personal, professional or geographical connection. Well before allocations begin for a session, examiners register their availability on Examnet and indicate any IB World Schools with which they have connections. This avoids any potential conflicts of interest.

The IBO is actively recruiting more examiners for the Diploma Programme. If you are interested in becoming an examiner, please refer to the employment opportunities page on the IBO’s public web site (http://www.ibo.org).