Topic 6

• In the role play, candidates do not always concentrate on communicating the information requested as succinctly as possible using the correct verb tenses and forms. Candidates should listen carefully and take their time. A short response, if it communicates the information requested, is perfectly acceptable. Candidates do not need to respond at length to be awarded two marks.
• In the topic conversations candidates do not always supply sufficient detail. To attain the higher marks, candidates should be prepared to provide three or four additional pieces of information whenever possible. 
• Candidates do not always introduce different tenses. ‘Describe un programa que viste recientemente’ was an invitation for candidates to develop their response not only by naming the programme and explaining why they like it but also to provide information about the programme itself and possibly to include when they watched it, the day, the time, how often they watch it and where. 
• In topic conversation La televisión y el cine, some candidates did not understand ‘ventajas’ and in topic conversation Los teléfonos móviles, ‘tamaño’ was often misunderstood.
• Candidates are not always prepared to understand and respond to questions in different time frames. Candidates will be expected to show that they can use a variety of tenses. 
• Candidates should be, but are not always, familiar with common and irregular verbs in the preterite tense for example, recognising ‘viste’ as the verb ver and knowing the correct form to use in their response ‘vi’. Quality of Language is important. 
• Candidates are not always familiar with the way the teacher/examiner asks them to expand their responses, for example ¿Puedes decirme un algo más? , candidates should know that they may be asked up to two further questions.

For further details about how candidates performed in this particular examination series please refer to the Principal Examiner Report for Teachers.