Exam held in manor, always (4)
I believe the answer is:
oral
'exam' is the definition.
(spoken academic test)
'held in manor always' is the wordplay.
'held in' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'ORAL' can be found hidden inside 'manor always'.
(Other definitions for oral that I've seen before include "Vocal test" , "Like some tradition" , "Using speech rather than writing" , "Ant; tourist (dial.)" , "Unwritten examination" .)