> the professor said he'd never do it again because 30 minutes * 30ish students was too much work. So he prefers spending that time grading written exams? Or d

> the professor said he'd never do it again because 30 minutes * 30ish students was too much work. So he prefers spending that time grading written exams? Or does he just dump the burden on a platoon of grad students? (And if you're going to do that, why not have the grad students administer the oral exam?) Oral exams combine administration and grading, so it can actually be less time consuming and less effort to give them. You can also vary questions based on whether previous answers already answer later questions, probing as you go along. The point of exams isn't supposed to be a bureaucratic checking off of boxes. It's supposed to be an assessment of familiarity with the taught material.