Introduction:
    The workshop leaders have successfully used oral examinations for the past four years. This includes three semesters of Advanced Inorganic Chemistry and a combined eight semesters of Physical Chemistry I and II. These courses are for upper-level  chemistry majors.  Class sizes ranged from 4 to 26. Interestingly, the oral exams have proven to be overwhelmingly popular with the students. The primary advantage of oral exams is the intense one-on-one time the professor has with the students. This offers a very clear measure of the students understanding of the course material. The heighten stress of the situation makes most students very receptive to learning and finally the exams proved valuable as practice for the students in dealing with similar situations they might encounter during a job interview or candidacy exam in graduate school.

The workshop is for:
· Those interested in employing oral exam methods into their courses
· Those who already use oral exams as a testing method

Objectives:
· To share our experiences and insights
· To provide time for discussion of how one might incorporate oral exams
· To specifically address the details of how the oral exam could be run in each of the participant’s courses

Overview:
    We will begin the workshop by reporting on the specifics of how we run oral exams and we shall present student feedback regarding the oral exams. Then we will describe, in a more general and qualitative sense, strategies, observations and other tips for administering a successful oral exam. The majority of the time for the workshop, however, will be devoted to helping the participants come up with a specific plan to implement this testing method. This includes small group discussion and practice with simulated oral exam scenarios.