Using Oral Exams in Physics and Astronomy Courses

Abstract

Oral exams were common historically across academia, though their popularity has recently fallen. Many argue against them as an assessment technique because they are vulnerable to bias and subjectivity, difficult to administer, and impractical in large college classes. I present a method for administering oral examinations in upper-level courses that mitigates some of the disadvantages. This method creates a rigid question structure meant to assess student mastery of material, have a well-defined grading structure to standardize evaluation, and be administered a constrained time limit to reduce workload in larger seminars. I emphasize holistic verbal communication and evaluation that is meant to mirror the talks and interviews that are common throughout a scientist's career.