jobfacts

Exam invigilators

SOC 2020 9233

Exam invigilators set up, run and invigilate exams to ensure exams are conducted in line with the relevant regulations.

Also calledInvigilatorExam invigilatorExamination invigilatorExaminations invigilatorExams invigilator
People in the job37,000across the UK
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month394↓ 1.2%on last year · 281st of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
Typical pay by regionUK median —
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
Show as table
UK median, —
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 394 jobs for exam invigilators are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (4 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026118
Jul 2026128
Jun 2026Not published
May 2026204
Apr 2026430
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026617
Jan 2026567
Dec 2025210
Nov 2025462
Oct 2025577
Sept 2025624
Aug 2025104
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025236
Apr 2025403
Mar 2025789
Feb 2025688
Jan 2025607
Dec 2024229
Nov 2024446
Oct 2024625
Sept 2024519
Aug 2024125
Jul 2024136
Jun 2024168
May 2024269
Apr 2024633
Mar 2024833
Feb 2024706
Jan 2024703
Dec 2023488
Nov 2023366
Oct 2023359
Sept 2023313
Aug 2023173
Jul 2023142
Jun 2023179
May 2023400
Apr 2023671
Mar 2023999
Feb 2023775
Jan 2023792
Dec 2022375
Nov 2022572
Oct 2022657
Sept 2022445
Aug 202299
Jul 2022145
Jun 2022193
May 2022475
Apr 2022784
Mar 20221,077
Feb 2022675
Jan 2022708
Dec 2021348
Nov 2021575
Oct 2021531
Sept 2021429
Aug 202179
Jul 2021113
Jun 202188
May 2021116
Apr 202192
Mar 2021111
Feb 202130
Jan 202188
Dec 2020190
Nov 2020236
Oct 2020268
Sept 2020160
Aug 202062
Jul 202035
Jun 202015
May 202029
Apr 2020105
Mar 2020405
Feb 2020631
Jan 2020579
Dec 2019223
Nov 2019324
Oct 2019344
Sept 2019184
Aug 201996
Jul 201994
Jun 2019198
May 2019422
Apr 2019292
Mar 2019464
Feb 2019360
Jan 2019288
Dec 2018170
Nov 2018251
Oct 2018227
Sept 2018110
Aug 201846
Jul 201859
Jun 201884
May 2018226
Apr 2018273
Mar 2018399
Feb 2018284
Jan 2018315
Dec 201793
Nov 2017175
Oct 2017145
Sept 2017126
Aug 201732
Jul 201723
Jun 201781
May 2017129
Apr 2017234
Mar 2017371
Feb 2017225
Jan 2017218
Is there a shortage of exam invigilators?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was not high.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthWell above usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: change in hourly wage, visa density.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
6.5%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for elementary security occupations, which includes exam invigilators. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London163
Birmingham23
Somerset23
Bristol, City of22
Sheffield17
Bath and North East Somerset15
Coventry14
North Yorkshire14
Nottingham14
Leeds13
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where exam invigilators are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of exam invigilators
n/p
n/p
n/p
8.3%!
32%!
56%
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–44Not published
45–548.3% (small sample)
55–6432% (small sample)
65+56%
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent47%
Higher education below degree!21%
A levels or equivalent!14%
GCSEs or equivalent!18%
Other qualifications–
Not published
No qualifications!4.6%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent47%
Higher education below degree21% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent14% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent18% (small sample)
Other qualificationsNot published
No qualifications4.6% (small sample)

Main employers: general secondary education (75%), tertiary education (12%), primary education (5.1%), other education nec (3.5%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
47%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • sets up venue, lays out desks, exam papers, stationery and other equipment necessary for the exam
  • directs candidates to their seats, checks attendance, and informs candidates of the exam conditions they will work under
  • supervises during exams, responds to any problems or questions from candidates and deals with any violations of the exam conditions
  • escorts people from the venue following the exam and collects completed papers

Skills

  • assess the development of youth
  • assist students in their learning
  • assist students with equipment
  • encourage students to acknowledge their achievements
  • give constructive feedback
  • guarantee students' safety
  • manage children's problems
  • observe student's progress
  • perform playground surveillance
  • provide lesson materials
  • provide teacher support
  • support children's wellbeing
  • support the positiveness of youths
  • escort students on a field trip

Knowledge

  • learning difficulties
  • curriculum objectives
  • workplace sanitation
  • common children's diseases
  • first aid
  • teamwork principles
  • children's physical development
  • kindergarten school procedures

Suits people who like

  • Helping and caring for people
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for elementary administration and service occupations, a group of 26 jobs that includes exam invigilators.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 1.5%about 48,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 20351.5 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.