When I was a first-year master's student, I volunteered for undergraduate exam proctoring. I was asked to write a report on my experience.


            The exam of Advanced Multilingual Translation course, taught by Professor Berjaoui, was held for semester five students on December 12, 2015. It took place between 10:00 am and 12:30 pm. A team of six master's students, including me, volunteered for exam proctoring, which was supervised by Professor Berjaoui.

            We met at 9:30 am in the office of the English Department, as requested by Professor Berjaoui, who was very kind and welcoming in offering the proctors light breakfast meals during the meeting. In this pre-proctoring meeting, we discussed issues related to student-proctor relationship and received relevant instructions from our professor. At 9:50 am, we headed for the exam room. As soon as the students took their seats, Professor Berjaoui introduced us to the examinees and we greeted each other. Then we distributed the exam papers, and the examinees immersed themselves in the task.

Despite the large number of examinees, about two hundred, and the big size of the room, the six-member team of proctors, with the help and supervision of Professor Berjaoui, scattered throughout the room not only to ensure the integrity of the exam but also to offer immediate help to the examinees, such as handing them correction pens and extra sheets and/or clearing any confusion. When the first hour was over, the first group of examinees left and the second entered. At 12:30 pm, the exam finished. For the first and second group alike, the overwhelming majority of examinees were serious, friendly and helpful. The event was not without very few funny incidents such as one examinee trying to seek assistance in answering the exam from one of the proctors only to receive the suggestion of asking the professor for help, which he or she refused with a smile and went back to the task.

            When the exam ended, the professor and the proctors went back to the department office where they first met. During this brief, post-proctoring meeting, we discussed the proctoring experience with the professor. We were glad to know that he was satisfied about our performance. As to my case, this experience was memorable and life-changing. It was the first time I step out of the world of studentship and into the world of professorship. Besides the great experience of proctoring tens of students in an amphitheater, throughout the event and especially during the two meetings, Professor Berjaoui gave the proctors invaluable advice on the world of university teaching. In brief, thanks to Professor Berjaoui’s expertise and professionalism, the proctors’ work and the examinees’ maturity, the event was a success and, as a volunteer, I had a life-changing experience.