Oral Exams

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Does anyone else have this problem? No matter how hard I try I fail every time. I can take a written task and even perform exceptional in the work environment but cannot pass one of these orals for the life of me.

I know my material and am excited to take the exam because I do so well in every other aspect. Then I write my thoughts down on it prior but when I get in there I get distracted and cannot seem to solve the most basic of questions.

I just took one today. By the end of it they said I looked tired and not with it. I was all over the place and seemed to talk about the wrong information. However, when I turned in what I had jotted down they were confused because it had all the right answers.

This is really starting to bother me. I had this happen during my PhD candidacy resulting in my reluctant acceptance of only a Masters. Now I'm back and thought I circumvented the whole orals in a different degree but was wrong. I don't know but I'm currently under evaluation for more than ADD and figure it has something to do with it.

Afterward, I was told I need to stop moving my hands back and forth otherwise people are going to think its odd.

I hated taking oral tests in school, for that same reason. I had a science teacher give my Grade 8 class an oral exam, and I've failed it, miserably. My mum and I were talking about it, at the end of that week, and we were laughing about it, because she knew that I wasn't good at oral tests.

I have similar problems sometimes. I need to write down all what I plan to say - at least to use my notes as an argument. Most teachers can understand, that you have problems with telling right answers even if you know all, if you will say them.
I know this problem also from another side - this year I helped on of my teachers to take exam and ask students. So I can say, teacher usually see, do you really know answer and don't know how to tell it, or you don't know anything at all.
And one more note: if you answer is not very good, but you speak loud and clear, as you are sure, you have more chances)

It's got to be possible to ask to write an essay test instead--it's not too much different from oral. That sounds like a very reasonable request to me, especially since it's meant to let you show what you know, rather than give you some kind of advantage.

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Oral tests vs Written tests - For some the difference can be a big thing.

ADHD - Auditory Processing

Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD)
http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-5/auditory.htm
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/adhd/adhd.htm

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/apraxia/apraxia.htm

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/auditory.html

http://www.speechville.com/
http://www.asha.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech_disorder

You may have good written skills but imperfect speaking skills/imperfect voice control.

Many persons cannot understand a large, involuntary discrepancy between written expression and understanding and oral understanding and expression.

Some can completely misjudge what's going on.

Some persons can process written material at the A level but oral material at a C or D level.

Some persons can instantly understand written material but take several days to comprehend aspects of simple oral conversations.

In some cases there are terms used like Gifted and Learning Disabled at the same time which hints at the idea of skill in one area but lack of skill (imperfection) in another area.

In my view, many persons in higher education either are unaware of this or tend to misview it as being intentional when it is not.

Higher education sometimes tries to look for perfect students (in all areas) and has a very low tolerance for a discrepancy in skills.

What's behind some of these speech challenges can vary a lot from subtle brain injuries, concussions, subtle forms of epilepsy, and so on.

http://www.sportsconcussions.org/

Whatever the actual cause, oral exams for some persons can be difficult and very real.

Persons will ask themselves similar questions as you have asked.

Sometimes persons can look at their experiences and see why, in high school, they were only mediocre in debating or speech classes or struggled, here and there, in basic music classes and small band classes - areas which involve hearing and speech.