> Another idea I've come across (this was in the UK) is that people sitting for oral exams, especially, are examined by professors from other schools. That way

> Another idea I've come across (this was in the UK) is that people sitting for oral exams, especially, are examined by professors from other schools. That way there's no pressure for the professors of that student to give an easy pass. This approach is used for PhD thesis defences, although in that case I believe there's an additional force at play: it's not just that they want an examiner who is external and independent, it's that they want the awarded degree to appear legitimate to the rest of the academic world.