The aim of this video is to support teacher/examiners in conducting the Cambridge International AS Level language speaking tests.
We will cover:
the structure of the test
and what to do before, during and after the test
and we will look at a demonstration of the test itself.
Let’s start by looking at the structure of the speaking test.
The speaking test lasts for approximately 16 minutes.
To start the test, there is a short greeting
of up to 30 seconds in the target language.
You should greet the candidate using the prompts provided.
This part is not assessed.
After this short greeting, the Presentation can start.
The Presentation should last for
two minutes.
Candidates deliver the Presentation on a topic of their choice in which they have a personal interest. It could reflect an aspect of life in a community or culture in which the target language is spoken. They should have carried out their
own research on the topic.
Candidates may prepare a single ‘cue card’ in the target language to bring into the examination room. This should be no larger than a postcard (approximately 10cm by 15cm) and should contain a maximum of five
headings of no more than five words each.
The next part of the test is the Follow-up discussion, which should last between four and five minutes.
The teacher/examiner asks questions about the candidate’s Presentation to encourage
full responses, giving candidates the opportunity to explain and justify their opinions.
The candidates must not know in advance the questions they will be asked.
For this part of the test, candidates must be prepared to give additional
factual information where appropriate, and to express and defend a point of view.
The final part of the test is the Conversation task card, which lasts for nine minutes, including the five minutes of preparation time.
The teacher/examiner
selects one Conversation task card for each candidate using the randomisation instructions in the
Instructions for Teachers/Examiners. Teacher/examiners must not share the Conversation task cards with candidates before the test. Each
card introduces a topic for discussion with prompts for the development of the conversation.
Candidates have five minutes to read and prepare their responses to the Conversation task card. Candidates are allowed to make notes on a
separate piece of paper; however, they must not write a monologue or script that they then read aloud.
Teacher/examiners must not stop the recording during this preparation time.
Candidates have a four-minute conversation with
the teacher/examiner covering the prompts on the Conversation task card.
The teacher/examiner should encourage full responses by asking questions which give candidates the opportunity to explain and justify their opinions.
Let’s
now look at what to do before the speaking test.
The teacher/examiner must:
Allow sufficient time to familiarise themselves with the materials and procedures.
Read the guidance in the
Cambridge Handbook about the
conduct of non-coursework speaking tests.
Read and study the
Instructions for Teachers/Examiners booklet, including the mark schemes.
Download copies of the
Working Mark Sheet (from the
Cambridge samples database at
www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples).
Check the timetable at
www.cambridgeinternational.org/timetables for the test date window.
Centres will receive the materials for the test before the
test date window.
The teacher/examiner is responsible for setting up the examination room correctly.
The room for the speaking test must have two chairs with a table or a desk in between them.
The room must be quiet and
free from disturbances.
There should be no prompts, posters or display material in the target language on the walls in the room.
The candidates must be supervised and must not be able to communicate with each other at any point during
the test, or whilst entering or leaving the examination room.
Examination conditions must be in place at all times.
Here is a list of what is needed in the examination room:
the
Instructions for Teachers/Examiners booklet
a stopwatch or timer
recording equipment with spare batteries or a charger
a black or blue pen for marking
the speaking assessment criteria grids
the
Working Mark Sheet a list of the candidate
names and numbers
the Conversation task cards
blank paper to write notes about the candidates’ presentations
and blank paper and a pen for the candidates to use during their preparation time.
Check that you have good-quality recording
equipment, for example, a digital voice recorder with a separate microphone.
The test may be recorded on a mobile phone, as long as it does not belong to the candidate. The mobile phone should have notifications disabled, to avoid interrupting the recording.
Before the test, check the stopwatch or timer,
and check the equipment for the quality of the recording in the room where the tests are being held.
It is important that the candidate can be heard clearly throughout the test.
And check that there is sufficient space on the device
for the recordings.
During the test the candidate should have:
an optional ‘cue card’
one Conversation task card (after the Presentation and Follow-up discussion)
and a paper and pen.
Dictionaries and candidates’
mobile phones are not allowed in the examination room.
Candidates must be examined on their own and the speaking test must be conducted entirely in the target language.
This demonstration of the speaking test is in English as
an example of how to conduct the test and it does not aim to provide model candidate answers. It does not show how the candidates should answer the questions or achieve marks, and it does not focus on the marking and moderation of the test.
At the start of each test, press ‘record’ on the recording equipment. Do not stop or pause the recording equipment at any point during the test, including the preparation time.
Say your centre name, your centre number, the syllabus
and component, the date, your name, the candidate number, the candidate’s name, and the Conversation task card number.
Start the timer and make a note of the start time of the test. You should monitor the timing for each part of the test.
You may want to reset the timer for each part.
Greet the candidate using the prompts provided. This greeting should be up to 30 seconds long. It is recorded but not assessed.
Teacher/examiner: Teacher/examiner name Miss Alison
Smith, candidate number 0031, candidate name Lily Gaston, conversation task card number one, date 5th of March 2024. The test will consist of two parts #1 the Presentation and the conversation about the Presentation #2 the Conversation task
card.
You will have five minutes to read the prompts and prepare for the Conversation task card. You can take notes on a separate sheet of paper to help you if you wish. Do you have any questions? Candidate: No Teacher/examiner: Hello Lily. My name is Alison Smith. How are you?
Candidate: I'm good, thank you.
Teacher/examiner: Are you ready?
Candidate: Yeah. The teacher/examiner asks the candidate to state the topic of their Presentation. The candidate’s Presentation lasts for two minutes. And they may use their ‘cue card’.
The teacher/examiner
makes notes during the Presentation as a prompt for the Follow-up discussion.
Teacher/examiner: What is the topic of your Presentation?
Candidate: Global warming.
Teacher/examiner: Start your Presentation now, please.
Candidate: So global warming is the rapid increase in temperature in our on our planet and one of over the last thousand or so years, err, the temperature has only varied by about, oh, .5 of a degree, err, but ...
Carbon emissions, errr, from these factories, which then contribute to global warming…[Pause]
Teacher/examiner: OK. And what does that mean for everybody? The teacher/examiner interrupts as the candidate has difficulty continuing with their Presentation. You must only interrupt a candidate if the
Presentation shows no sign of finishing after two minutes, or to prompt a candidate who is in difficulty.
Candidate: Well, one of the biggest effects could be the glaciers melting in the Antarctic, and the Arctic, which are a huge habitat for animals and plants in the areas. And with their homes being destroyed, it means that they won't be able to live anymore. And so we could see the extinction of up to 100 species of animal.
Teacher/examiner: Okay, and and for everyday people, why is that a problem?
Candidate: Well, the sea levels could rise from the increase in water in the oceans, which means that in coastal areas the areas will be flooded, which means there won't be housing for many people. As well as in an increase in natural disasters like hurricanes and typhoons, which also will cause damage to infrastructure in the areas and keep people in danger basically, yeah. The teacher/examiner should thank the candidate and introduce the Follow-up discussion.
Teacher/examiner: Thank you for your Presentation. We will now have a discussion about your presentation topic. So, can you give me some more examples of the consequences of global warming on people? The
teacher/examiner asks questions about the Presentation and encourages detailed responses, giving the candidate the opportunity to explain and justify their opinions. For example: You could say
"Tell me more about..." , or
“What do you mean when you say …?”,
or
”What do you think about …?” etc.
Candidate: Yeah, so I mentioned about people's houses being destroyed, err, but also other buildings could be destroyed like hospitals or schools, which will lead to a lack of education in children when they can't access a place to learn. And in healthcare terms, people won't be able to receive the healthcare they need. So, then they'll end up suffering and a lot more people will be dying of illnesses and not just the damage that’s done to other areas that they live in.
Teacher/examiner: Great. Thank you. Um, so, what's, what are the solutions? It is important to explore the candidate's point of view and to give them the opportunity to express and justify their opinions.
Candidate: Well, obviously on an individual basis there's a lot less you can do as a lot of these companies are creating this, all of this carbon dioxide. But there is activism, and you can protest in order to prevent people like, well, MPs and the government from, err... erm, from putting laws in place that aid global warming and instead putting, for example, taxes on carbon emissions in order to stop people from producing too much. Erm, but you can also, erm… erm, do things on an individual level, such as going vegetarian or vegan, or maybe having a garden at home where you use compost, and buying less things in general in order to stop the overconsumption of goods.
Teacher/examiner: Okay. So, you mentioned activism. Do you think that's effective in your opinion?
Candidate: Yeah, I believe it can be effective because protests and demonstrations will then show governments exactly what the people are wanting, which are who they're supposed to be representing. So then, they can put laws in place in order to help these causes to succeed and to benefit.
Teacher/examiner: OK. And what do you think about these companies that you mentioned who are causing all these problems?
Candidate: I think it's a very it's very greedy thing to do in order to damage the earth, in order to make lots of money is very bad. So obviously putting these laws in place is vital, as, in my opinion, I think lots of people who are making a lot of money from these companies aren't going to be willing to sacrifice their money for the greater good of the Earth.
Teacher/examiner: Hmm, and so you mentioned becoming vegan. So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of that?
Candidate: Well, a lot of our…
..., so, a lot of people can't afford to get them installed on their house.
Teacher/examiner: Great. Thank you. When the Presentation and Follow-up discussion is complete, the teacher/examiner says that this part has finished, and that it is time to start to prepare for the conversation
task.
Teacher/examiner: OK. This is the end of the Presentation and Follow-up discussion. We will now move on to the Conversation task card. The Conversation task cards are listed in the
Instructions for Teachers/Examiners booklet. This booklet also contains the instructions for the test, the assessment criteria and the prompts for the Conversation task cards. If there is an overlap between the topic of the candidate’s Presentation and the topic of the Conversation
task card, the teacher/examiner should select the next card in the randomisation table.
Teacher/examiner: Right, there’s your card. The teacher/examiner gives the Conversation task card to the candidate and reads out the scenario on the card. The teacher/examiner tells the candidate that they
have five minutes to prepare for the next part of the test. The candidate completes the preparation in the examination room with the examiner present and may makes notes on a separate piece of paper.
Teacher/examiner: So, you're talking to a friend about films and if it's better to watch them in a cinema or at home. You now have five minutes to read the Conversation task card and prepare for this part of the test. You may make notes on the separate piece of paper but must not write on the task card. So, your five minutes start now. While the candidate is preparing for the conversation task, the teacher/examiner completes the
Working Mark Sheet for the Presentation and Follow-up discussion, using the speaking mark schemes.
There are 30 marks available
for the Presentation and Follow-up discussion: Up to 10 marks for Presentation, Interaction/Responsiveness. Up to 10 marks for Language range and up to 10 marks for Language accuracy.
After the five minutes of preparation time, the
teacher/examiner indicates that it is time to begin the four-minute conversation.
The teacher/examiner starts the conversation, using the example questions provided. These example questions are a guide to help structure the conversation.
Teacher/examiner: OK, that's the end of the five minutes. So, you are talking to a friend about films and if it's better to watch them in the cinema or at home. So, let's get started. So, I prefer to watch films on TV. What do you think?
Candidate: Well, I like to watch films on TV, but actually watching at the cinema can be really fun as well. Err, so, I like to go with family and friends as it can be a really fun day out and a great social experience as well. And I think that atmosphere really helps to contribute to that experience, when you can get food to eat and with the lights and the big screen, I think it really makes an interesting day. This part of the test is a conversation, so the teacher/examiner should interrupt the candidate if they start to deliver a monologue.
Teacher/examiner: Okay. But sometimes it's a pain to have to go to the cinema, isn't it?
Candidate: Yeah, I can agree with that. It's definitely … the tickets have increased in price a lot, so it could be too expensive to do it. And there's always other things to do for the same price that could be a lot more interesting.
Teacher/examiner: Nowadays, there's not much variety. All the films are similar, aren't they?
Candidate: Yeah, well, I think that comes with a lot of them coming from the same studios in Hollywood, for example. But I think if you look around in different countries and you try different genres, you can find a lot more interesting and diverse films out there. The teacher/examiner listens carefully to what the candidate says and responds appropriately.
When the candidate answers questions only briefly, the teacher/examiner encourages fuller responses by asking questions such as tell me more
or what else can you tell me about?
Teacher/examiner: Okay. So, tell me more about the different genres you could watch.
Candidate: Well, there's obviously a classic kind of romantic films, but there's a lot of different types of those now, erm, where they go into different genres like horrors and even detective films as well.
Teacher/examiner: So, do you think cinema will change a lot in the future?
Candidate: Yes. I think that in terms of going to the cinema and attending it, it will become a lot more interactive with 3D technology becoming more interesting and especially virtual reality, err, where they can really immerse you in the surroundings of the film and what's going on. Err, but I also….
Teacher/examiner: ...Hm, OK. Is there anything else you want to say about film or cinema?
Candidate: No.
Teacher/examiner: No, okay. Well, thank you. That's the end of the test. I'm gonna take your notes and your cue card. Thank you, Lily. That's the end of the test. When the conversation has been completed,
the teacher/examiner records the marks on the
Working Mark Sheet. There are 30 marks available for the Conversation: Up to 10 marks for Task completion and communication, up to 10 marks for Language range and up to 10 marks for Language
accuracy.
A mark out of five must also be awarded for pronunciation and intonation for the whole speaking test.
The candidate must not take anything with them when they leave the examination room. They must return the Conversation task
card, their notes, and their cue card, to the teacher/examiner.
These should be kept securely until the end of the enquiries about results period.
The teacher/examiner must record all the candidate’s marks on the
Working Mark Sheet and must not share the marks with the candidate. The
Working Mark Sheet is available each year from the 'samples database'. The marks on this form must be identical to the marks you submit to Cambridge.
Check that the test
has been recorded and can be heard clearly. If there is a problem with the recording, follow the instructions in the
Cambridge Handbook about failed recordings. Instructions on how to submit candidates’ work and record marks can be
found on the samples database.
Further information about the administration of the speaking tests is provided in the
Cambridge Handbook for the relevant year of assessment, and available from our website at
www.cambridgeinternational.org Remember, you must always refer to the syllabus for the correct year of examination and the corresponding
Instructions for Teachers/Examiners booklet.
For any further
information on conducting speaking tests, contact Customer Services at info@cambridgeinternational.org
Good luck!
Video transcript
The aim of this video is to support teacher/examiners in conducting the Cambridge International AS Level language speaking tests.