Clerical history exam (8)
I believe the answer is:
pastoral
'clerical' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'history exam' is the wordplay.
'history' becomes 'past' (I've seen this in another clue).
'exam' becomes 'oral' (spoken academic test).
'past'+'oral'='PASTORAL'
(Other definitions for pastoral that I've seen before include "Portraying romanticised country life" , "of minister's duties" , "Relating to personal care - in the countryside, perhaps" , "Well-known symphony" , "Country style" .)