Oral assessment in mathematics: implementation and outcomes

In this article, we report the planning and implementation of an oral assessment component in a first-year pure mathematics module of a degree course in mathematics. Our aim was to examine potential barriers to using oral assessments, explore the advantages and disadvantages compared to existing common assessment methods and document the outcomes in terms of student views and performance. Our findings suggest that concerns about staff workload, students’ anxiety and fairness were only partially realized and that oral assessments may have a role to play in enriching the current assessment diet in mathematics.