Old examination of shepherds (8)
I believe the answer is:
pastoral
'of shepherds' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'old examination' is the wordplay.
'old' becomes 'past' (associated in meaning).
'examination' becomes 'oral' (oral examination is a kind of examination).
'past'+'oral'='PASTORAL'
(Other definitions for pastoral that I've seen before include "Idyllic" , "Of shepherds or spiritual guides" , "To do with shepherds, or concerned with spiritual guidance" , "Of shepherds; pupil-welfare (responsibility)" , "Country style" .)