"Life is more fun if you play games." -Roald Dahl

Why do we play games and engage in recreational activities? Well, it's because, as humans, we like to have fun. We enjoy the thrill of spending time with others and participating with or against them. Games are here to stay since they make the darkest moments shine more brightly.

But, games during exams? Ask most students to describe in one word the experience of sitting exams and you'll hear 'boring" reiterated various times. That's because there’s not much fun to be had sitting in silence for an hour or two in a stuffy hall where the only sounds are the furious scribbling of nibs, the occasional cough and the booming tick-tock of the massive class clock. But, have you ever thought about how boring things must be for the teacher invigilating the exams? At least students have something to do: their exam!

Exam invigilators are necessary professionals who are employed to watch over the proceedings of exams but sometimes, they have little more to do than twiddle their thumbs. They are the ones who need games during exams! Therefore, without further delay, in today's article, we'll consider a list of ten bizarre, or sometimes, cruel games that invigilators play.

Want to give private lessons?

Join the Superprof community and share your knowledge with interested and motivated students.

Create an advert

What is an Exam Invigilator?

the boring aspects of a job
Exam proctors roam the classroom to monitor the activities of students taking exams. (Source: Unsplash)

Before I became one myself, I had never even heard of exam invigilating and whether or not it was a thing that people did. Nonetheless, I can tell you with 100% honesty that invigilating or supervising examinations are a rewarding job that protects students, examiners, and companies from the harsh realities of cheating.

So, let's first answer an important question at hand, what is an exam invigilator? Therefore, without further ado, the simplest definition of an exam invigilator is someone who invigilates, proctors, or supervises a group of individuals taking examinations that are necessary for work promotions and to receive end-of-degree diplomas.

In most situations, invigilators check students into the online or paper exam, that is after they've taken away all the prohibited items, and then they spend the next few hours frequently supervising the room to ensure that no cheating takes place.

Many companies and education entities only want their students to take examinations at centres that have trained proctors. Why's that? It's to guarantee excellence and to avoid the spread of classified information to other examinees that will soon have to take the same test.

If our description of exam invigilation peaked your interest, you'll be happy to know that there are many potential employment positions at exam centres across the United Kingdom.

But, how do exam invigilators chase away boredom when there are lulls during the day? Let's take a glance at the following subheading.

What are 10 Games Exam Invigilators Play?

entertaining games
Exam invigilators keep things fresh by playing games. (Source: Unsplash)

While checking in students for exams and making sure all prohibited items are put away at the beginning is sometimes stressful and busy, there are many occasions throughout the day when exam proctors do not have anything to do. That's when it becomes a good idea to read a book, check your emails, write out your grocery list, or sketch some neat illustrations.

Did you know that there are quite a few exam invigilators who like to play games? Without further ado, let's consider 10 made-up games that you might like to play if you ever work as a proctor.

Chicken

Every country around the world has a variation of the game chicken. For example, some in the UK might know the game "chicken" as a kids’ game that is played on bikes. But, how does this take place in an exam room? Well, an invigilator's version of chicken involves two teachers walking down the same aisle from opposite ends. To prevent yourself from becoming the chicken, you have to keep walking down the aisle confidently and hope that the other invigilator gives up before you collide with them. That's how you become the chicken!

The "chicken" game is only possible in an exam room where there are two or more proctors since you can't play alone!

Counting

If you're a student in an exam room, you might notice that there are those teachers who seem to be concentrating extremely hard on everything apart from the students! The chances are they’re counting; counting bricks in a wall, counting the number of coughs or sneezes a certain student makes, the number of shuttlecocks stuck in the lights of the gymnasium, the number of boys and girls, etc. Truthfully, the list of things to count is endless!

Artsy-Fartsy

I don't like the name at all, but, apparently, some invigilators take part in this game by making art projects during the quieter times of invigilating. Proctors can let their imaginations run wild and create a wide variety of art projects: figures out of blu-tack, creating structures out of stationary, sketching your favourite building, etc. The sky is the limit!

The only thing to remember is that invigilators shouldn't make too much noise when making art.

The Race

This can be a collaborative game with other invigilators to see who can pass out papers, answer questions, or walk around the exam hall in the quickest fashion. If you have prizes amongst each other, proctors will be even more inclined to participate.

Pacman

In an exam hall-based version of the popular video game, teachers, starting at opposite ends of the hall, take turns to take steps towards each other. To play the game correctly, one is the chaser, the other the chased. It's the chaser’s job to intercept the chase; this can be fun.

Clever Clogs

Some of the more cerebral teachers have been known to spend their time translating exam regulations into foreign languages, calculating the height of a column that could be made from all the bricks in the hall or calculating the number of wood planks on the floor. These "clever clogs" games can surely be fun and a great way to pass the time if you're not allowed to read books or be on your phone. 

board and desks
As soon as the students sit down, it's playtime for exam invigilators! (Source: Unsplash)

Man in the Mirror

In an adult version of "Simon Says", to play "The Man in the Mirror", one teacher is nominated before the exam to be at the front of the hall and the others take their places at the back and spend the exam copying their movements. 

Stand By Me

Another popular game is called "stand by"; a game where teachers challenge each other to stand by the tallest student, the shortest one, the one most likely to get married first, the one most likely to make the front page, the one most likely to make a million. You get the picture, there are loads of possible "most likely" students in the exam room. Just make sure not to be too obvious or offensive.

Battleships

Similar to the above except for stationery. The "Battleships" game starts when teachers are given a piece of paper with the positions of all the desks marked out in a grid. Other invigilators have to put crosses in the boxes to mark out the students with the best hair, best handwriting, and best cologne or perfume

Paperboy

A fiercely contested game whereby invigilators compete in battles to see who can dish out the most extra paper. Cannier than you think – good judgement is needed to place yourself in the right areas where hands are likely to spring up and ask for paper or additional stationery.

In conclusion, though many of the previously mentioned games are best played with other invigilators, we're sure that if you're alone in an exam room, you can still find enjoyment in a few of the activities we've discussed. So, next time you’re sitting an exam and you notice something fishy going on that looks like too much fun, it’s probably one of these games taking place. Who said those working in the education system can't have a little bit of fun once in and while?

Want to give private lessons?

Join the Superprof community and share your knowledge with interested and motivated students.

Create an advert

Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!

4.00 (4 rating(s))
Loading...

Brentyn

Avid movie-goer, reader, skier and language learner. Passionate about life, food and travelling.