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    Cambridge IGCSE™ Mandarin Chinese 0547 (for examination from 2022)
    Example Candidate Responses (Paper 3 Speaking)

  • Introduction

    • The main aim of this resource is to exemplify standards of Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese, Paper 3, and show how different levels of candidates' performance (high, middle and low) relate to the subject's curriculum and assessment objectives. 

      Candidate responses have been selected from the June 2022 examination series to exemplify a range of answers. 

      The recording of each speaking test is followed by Cambridge moderator comments on how the test was conducted, and where and why marks were awarded or omitted. At the end of the test we provide further comments on how the teacher/examiner and candidate performance could improve. In this way, it is possible for you to understand how to conduct the test successfully and what candidates have to do to gain their marks and what they can do to improve their answers. 

      Common mistakes and misconceptions are also listed.  

      A transcript of the audio recordings with additional commentary is also provided. 

  • Speaking assessment criteria grids


    • Now that you have read the speaking assessment criteria grids, you may want to practise marking a speaking test. Listen to the candidate responses below, make a note of the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate and give a mark, before you read the examiner comments and marks below.

      Please note: Information about the candidate and centre has been removed from the recordings to protect the identity of the candidate.


  • High level response

      • Whole test - click to listen

      show/hide  Transcript and commentary

      Example candidate response – high

      Role play card 4


      Teacher/examiner: 你好！

      [The teacher/examiner starts with a greeting.]

      Candidate: 你好！
      [The candidate responds confidently.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你好吗？
      [The teacher/examiner continues with a simple warm up question.]

      Candidate: 我很好。
      [The candidate responds confidently.]

      Teacher/examiner: 第一部分，我们现在开始口试。第一部分是角色扮演。你是你自己，老师是你的朋友，你和你的朋友打算去上海。你们在火车站买票。
      [The teacher/examiner clearly indicates the start of the test and introduces the first part, Role Play. She introduces the scenario and what role she is playing. This helps set the scene for the candidate.]

      Teacher/examiner: 我们买几点的火车票？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first question.]

      Candidate: 两点的火车票。
      [Communication achieved.]

      Teacher/examiner: 火车票多少钱一张？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second question.]

      Candidate: 三百块。
      [Communication achieved.]

      Teacher/examiner: 好。在上海，你想做什么？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the third question.]

      Candidate: 我想买新衣服。
      [Communication achieved.]

      Teacher/examiner: 好。你上一次坐火车去了什么地方？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the fourth question.]

      Candidate: 西安。
      [Communication achieved.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你觉得怎么样？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second part of the fourth question.]

      Candidate: 特别快，很便宜。
      [Communication achieved.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你更喜欢坐飞机还是坐火车？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the fifth question.]

      Candidate: 坐火车。
      [Communication achieved.]

      Teacher/examiner: 为什么？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second part of the fifth question.]

      Candidate: 我觉得坐飞机非常可怕。
      [Communication achieved.]

      Teacher/examiner: 好。角色扮演我们就做完了。我们现在开始主题对话。主题对话一是饮食。
      [The teacher/examiner clearly indicates that the first part of the test, Role Play has finished and that she is moving on to the second part. She introduces Topic Conversation 1.]


      Topic conversation 1 (Topic 2)

      Teacher/examiner: 你晚饭一般吃什么？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first question.]

      Candidate: 我晚饭一般吃西红柿炒鸡蛋因为是我最喜欢的食品。我的妈妈喜欢做饭所以她常常做饭。但是我的爸爸也喜欢做饭。我的爸爸做很好吃的饭。我最喜欢的饭也是面条因为我觉得面条很好吃 .
      [The candidate responds very well with relevant information and justifications.]

      Teacher/examiner: 睡觉以前，你喜欢喝什么？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second question.]

      Candidate: 我很喜欢喝水因为我觉得喝多水对身体很好。但是我也喜欢喝牛奶因为我觉得牛奶很好喝。
      [The candidate responds very well.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你觉得我们应该吃肉吗？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the third question.]

      Candidate: 我觉得吃肉对你的身体很好，但是我们不应该吃太多肉，因为养太多牛对环境很不好。
      [The candidate responds very well. The teacher/examiner did not need to ask the second part of the question (why?) as the candidate had already answered it in her first response.]

      Teacher/examiner: 好，谈谈你小时候的生活习惯 .
      [The teacher/examiner asks the fourth question.]

      Candidate: 我很喜欢打篮球。我跟我的朋友们一起去运动中心打篮球。但是上个周末我跟我的妈妈一起打网球因为我的妈妈更喜欢打网球。
      [The candidate responds with an answer in a present time frame rather than explaining her lifestyle habits when she was young.)

      Teacher/examiner: 你小的时候， 说说你小的时候的生活习惯 .
      [The teacher/examiner asks the fourth question a second time to give the candidate a chance to correct herself.]

      Candidate: 我小的时候，我跟朋友们在街上一起玩儿游戏但是我没有太多朋友所以我常常玩儿游戏自己。
      [The candidate responds well with a relevant answer using the correct time frame.)

      Teacher/examiner: 好，将来你会自己在家里做饭吗？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the fifth question.]

      Candidate: 我觉得会做饭很严重因为我最大的时候。。。我更大的时候，我得做饭所以现在我的妈妈教我怎么做饭 。
      [The candidate responds well despite possibly mixing up 严重 with 重要. The teacher/examiner did not need to ask the second part of the question (why?) as the candidate had already answered it in her first response. ]

      Teacher/examiner: 好，主题对话一我们就做完了。我们现在来做主题对话二。主题对话二是生活环境。
      [The teacher/examiner clearly indicates that Topic Conversation 1 has finished and that she is moving on to Topic Conversation 2. She introduces the topic on living environment.]


      Topic conversation 2 (Topic 7)

      Teacher/examiner: 你住在哪里？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first question.]

      Candidate: 我住在柴郡。我的房子不大也不小但是我很喜欢。我住在郊区所以我有很多邻居但是他们不很热闹。
      [The candidate responds very well with opinions and justifications.]

      Teacher/examiner: 在那里有什么公共设施？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second question.]

      Candidate: 我住的地方有运动中心也有很多时尚店。我跟朋友常常去时尚店因为我的朋友很喜欢买衣服。
      [The candidate responds very well.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你觉得怎么样？不，下一个问题。。。说一说你上一次去海边的经历。
      [The teacher unintentionally asks the second part of question 3 but corrects herself and moves on to the first part of question 3.]

      Candidate: 上个周末我跟同学一起去了海边因为我学地理。我觉得很好玩儿因为我们一起吃了野餐。
      [The candidate responds well. The teacher/examiner did not need to ask the second part of the question (how did you feel about it?) as the candidate had already answered it in her first response.]

      Teacher/examiner: 好，为了让环境更好，我们应该怎么做？
      [The teacher/examiner mistakenly jumps to question 5.]

      Candidate: 我们应该回收塑料袋，也塑料瓶。我们也应该少用水，少用电。我觉得如果我们都少吃牛我们 对环境很好。
      [The candidate responds very well.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你住的地方有哪些环境问题？
      [The teacher/examiner returns to question 4, the first part.]

      Candidate: 我住的地方有太多环境问题因为河的水很污染所以我们都应该干净那个河。
      [The candidate responds well.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你觉得怎么样？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second part of question 4 (what do you feel about it?).

      Candidate: 我觉得是很重要也很可怕。
      [The candidate responds well.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你做过什么保护环境的事？
      [The teacher/examiner asks a further question. If the topic conversation lasts 3.5 minutes or less, teacher/examiners must ask up to two further questions on the same topic so that the conversation lasts 4 minutes.]

      Candidate: 我 跟朋友们喜欢种树。我们去了森林种树因为种树对环境很好。
      [The candidate responds very well.]

      Teacher/examiner: 好，你每天怎么上学？
      [The teacher/examiner asks a second further question.]

      Candidate: 我每天都喜欢走路去学校但是下雨的时候我的妈妈开车送我到学校，但是我知道开车上班，上学对环境不好，所以将来我觉得我应该不开车。
      [The candidate responds very well with multiple pieces of information and developing ideas.]

      Teacher/examiner: 好，我们的考试就此结束。
      [The teacher/examiner signals the examination has finished.]


    • Moderator comments - Role play

      Role play card 4


      Conduct of the test

      The role play was conducted well by the teacher/examiner. She had clearly carefully read the Paper 3 (Speaking) Instructions for Teachers/Examiners and understood the need to adhere precisely to the teacher/examiner script. The teacher/examiner read the scenario for the role play as instructed in Chinese. This is important to set the scene for candidates. 

      The teacher/examiner asked the questions clearly, at a good pace and gave the candidate sufficient time to respond.


      Candidate response

      The candidate responded well and achieved full communication, without the need for repetition of any task. The candidate answered with brief answers. It is important to remember that in the role play, 2 marks can be awarded for a one word/brief answer provided it is correct and appropriate.

      Mark awarded for task 1 = 2 out of 2 

      Mark awarded for task 2 = 2 out of 2 

      Mark awarded for task 3 = 2 out of 2

      Mark awarded for task 4 = 2 out of 2 

      Mark awarded for task 5 = 2 out of 2  

      Total mark awarded = 10 out of 10

      Moderator comments - Topic conversations

      Topic 2: Self, family and friends

      Topic 7: Communication and technology

      Conduct of the test

      The teacher/examiner was well prepared for the test, and this was further evidenced in the topic conversations. She clearly indicated the transition from the role play to the topic conversations and indicated the name of the topic conversation at the start to give the candidate some context. The teacher/examiner asked each question exactly as it was printed, in a clear and well-paced manner. She gave the candidate a good amount of time to answer without interrupting too soon and more or less kept within the recommended 4-minute time slot for each topic conversation. In the second topic conversation, she made use of two further questions in accordance with the advice on page 3 of the Paper 3 (Speaking) Instructions for Teachers/Examiners which states that if the topic conversation lasts 3.5 minutes or less, teacher/examiners must ask up to two further questions on the same topic so that the conversation lasts approximately 4 minutes. The teacher/examiner did not make use of the extension questions as the candidate took the initiative to develop her opinions. She repeated one question to give the candidate the opportunity to demonstrate the requisite past time frame.

      Candidate response

      The candidate was very well prepared for the test. She responded confidently to all questions, communicating information, which was consistently relevant to the questions. She frequently developed her ideas and opinions and justified her answers on her own initiative. Her overall performance places her at the top of the Very Good band for Communication. The descriptor in this band allows for a phrase to be repeated once and if this prompts a correct and relevant answer then candidates can still achieve highly.

      For Quality of Language the candidate is placed at the top of the Very Good band. She demonstrated an accurate use of a wide range of vocabulary and structures with occasional errors. She showed very good pronunciation, fluency, intonation and expression with occasional mistakes or hesitation. The candidate gave a consistently strong performance across the two topic conversations. 

      Mark awarded for Communication = 15 out of 15

      Mark awarded for Quality of Language = 14 out of 15

      Total mark awarded = 39 out of 40


      Moderator comments - Whole test


      How the teacher/examiner performance could improve

      The teacher/examiner conducted the test very well, fully in accordance with the Paper 3 (Speaking) Instructions for Teachers/Examiners.  Although there was only a minor error in topic conversation 2 which did not affect the candidate’s performance, the teacher/examiner could be mindful of making sure she asks the questions in the order stated. In this test, the teacher/examiner did not make use of the extension questions as the candidate developed all her answers on her own initiative. The teacher/examiner could perhaps have used an extension question (你能多说一点吗？) in topic conversation 2, Question 3 to find out some more information about the candidate’s trip to the seaside or Question 4. 

      How the candidate performance could improve

      This candidate had prepared extremely well and demonstrated strong speaking skills at GCSE Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language. She gave natural responses only with occasional slips. To improve further, she could have used more accurate vocabulary, such as 重要 instead of 严重，长大 instead of 更大；more accurate use of the structures, for example, 自己玩游戏 instead of 玩游戏自己，还有塑料瓶instead of 也塑料瓶. The candidate could have extended herself further with more structures, for example, a comparative grammar structure 比，跟。。一样, etc.



    • Common mistakes and misconceptions

       

      • In the role play (candidate card 4), task 4, weaker candidates could often struggle with the question word 什么地方 ？(What place?).
      • In topic conversation 1, Topic 2, Question 4, weaker candidates found it hard to understand 生活习惯 (lifestyle habits) and many candidates did not pick up that the question required a past time frame, 小时候 (when you were young). Similarly, in Question 5, many candidates did not realise that this was a future time frame and there were some responses using a past time frame. Weaker candidates did not understand the meaning of 做饭 (to cook) or自己 (yourself).
      • In topic conversation 2, Topic 7, Question 2, the word 公共设施（public facilities) was not always understood by candidates. In Questions 4 and 5, which focused on 环境问题 (environmental problems) and suggested solutions, candidates could have been better prepared for this topic as they did not always have the vocabulary needed to answer.


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




  • Middle level response

      • Whole test - click to listen

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      Example candidate response – middle

      Role play card 9

      Teacher/examiner: 你好，
      [The teacher/examiner starts with a greeting.]

      Candidate: 你好！
      [The candidate responds confidently.]

      Teacher/examiner: 现在我们开始口试。第一部分，今天你和你的朋友打算去听音乐会，我是你的朋友。
      [The teacher/examiner clearly indicates the start of the test and introduces the first part. She introduces the Role Play scenario and what role she is playing. This helps set the scene for the candidate.]

      Teacher/examiner: 音乐会在哪里举行？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 音乐会在哪里举行？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the first question.]

      Candidate: 音乐在。。um。。学校的旁边。
      [Communication achieved.]

      Teacher/examiner: 几点开始？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second question.]

      Candidate: 音乐开始。。早上十一点。
      [Communication achieved.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你喜欢听什么样的音乐？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the third question.]

      Candidate: 我喜欢听 。。um。。韩国和美国的音乐。
      [Communication achieved.]

      Teacher/examiner: 为什么？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second part of the third question.]

      Candidate: 因为韩国的音乐是很。。。听很好。。um。。美国的音乐是很好。
      [Communication achieved, clear of ambiguity.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你上一次去听音乐会是在什么时候 ？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the fourth question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你上一次去听音乐会是在什么时候 ？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the first part of the fourth question.]

      Candidate: 上一次。。。 wait。。。上个周末。
      [ Communication achieved but the teacher/examiner does not ask the second part of the question so the candidate can only achieve 1 mark.]

      Teacher/examiner: 音乐会以后，你要做什么？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the fifth question.]

      Candidate: 我要。。。几个（？）饭。。。几个。。。和要 mm。。
      [ No clear response. ]

      Teacher/examiner: 音乐会以后，你要做什么？
      [No understandable response so the teacher/examiner repeats the fifth question. ]

      Candidate: 再一遍.
      [The candidate asks for the question to be repeated a third time. ]

      Teacher/examiner: 现在我们开始 第二部分。
      [The teacher/examiner is only able to repeat a Role Play question once, so she announces that she is starting the second part. She does not state what the topic of the conversation is but proceeds directly to Topic Conversation 1.]


      Topic conversation 1 (Topic 1)

      Teacher/examiner: 你喜欢做哪些运动？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first question.]

      Candidate: 我喜欢做打篮球，游泳和…和排球，打排球。我喜欢打篮球，因为我有很多的哥哥。我的哥哥…我的哥哥都很喜欢打篮球，所以我喜欢打篮球。我喜欢游泳因为我的妈妈说对我…游泳很有意思的，所以我喜欢游泳。我喜欢排球因为我的班…很喜欢打排球 。
      [The candidate gives a full answer with some good extension which is a bit repetitive in places. ]

      Teacher/examiner: 你常常跟谁一起打篮球？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second question.]

      Candidate: 我常常跟我的哥哥一起打球，因为我的妈妈和爸爸从…打篮球，所以我跟我的哥哥一起打篮球。
      [The candidate replies well.]

      Teacher/examiner: 说说你上次野餐的经历。
      [The teacher/examiner asks the third question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 说说你上次野餐的经历。
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the third question.]

      Candidate: Um [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你上次在哪儿野餐？吃了什么？喝了什么？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the alternative question. ]

      Candidate: 我上次…我上次…经历…去…吃…um…吃汉堡包，比萨饼，咖喱牛肉面条和咖喱鸡肉。我喝可乐和茶，因为我去…我跟妈妈一起去吃饭。我的妈妈很喜欢茶但是我很喜欢…很喜欢喝可乐，所以我喝可乐也茶。
      [ The candidate partly answers the question, talking about food and drink but it is not clear if she has understood the first part of the question ‘Where did you go for a picnic?’ The teacher/examiner does not ask the second part of the question ‘What did you think about it?’ ]

      Teacher/examiner: 你觉得有不同的爱好重要吗？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the fourth question.]

      Candidate: 我觉得不同的爱好重要因为我们可以…我们可以…我们可以做我们爱的…工作。
      [ The candidate starts off with a confident reply, but the response is a little ambiguous at the end as she appears to refer to work.]

      Teacher/examiner: 下个周末你会帮忙做哪些家务吗？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the fifth question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 下个周末你会帮忙做哪些家务？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the fifth question.]

      Candidate: 下个周末，我。。。做。。。我去。。我去一家人。。。我跟一家人去一起去动物园。
      [ No creditable response. The candidate does not appear to understand the key word 做家务in the question. The teacher/examiner could have asked the alternative question to give her another chance. ]

      Teacher/examiner: 好的，现在我们开始 第三部分。
      [The teacher/examiner announces she is moving to part 3. She does not introduce the theme of Topic Conversation 2.]


      Topic conversation 2 (Topic 4)

      Teacher/examiner: 你一般跟谁一起买东西？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first question.]

      Candidate: 我跟。。um。。
      [No creditable response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你一般跟谁一起买东西？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the first question.]

      Candidate: 我跟妈妈一起…一起去…。
      [ Correct simple answer.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你喜欢去什么样的商店？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你喜欢去什么样的商店？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the second question.]

      Candidate: 我喜欢去 。。um。。(??) 的商店
      [ The candidate gives an ambiguous response. It is not clear what sort of shop she likes but it could be the name of a shop in the country where she lives. Benefit of the doubt given here.]

      Teacher/examiner: 说说你上一次去超市买菜的经历。
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the third question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 说说你上次去超市买菜的经历。
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the first part of the third question.]

      Candidate: 我跟。。我跟。。妹妹一起去。菜..一起去菜。。一起去买菜。我们买白菜，土豆等等。。也我们买，也我们买几个水果。我们买苹果…um… 香蕉等等。
      [ The candidate responds fairly well but the teacher/examiner does not ask the second part of the question which could elicit an opinion.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你觉得上网购物有什么好处？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the fourth question.]

      Candidate: [no response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你觉得上网购物有什么好处？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the first part of the fourth question.]

      Candidate: 我觉得上网购物有几个。。um。。好处。好处是很好的和。。。um。。。很有意思。
      [The candidate responds with some simple generic information which has some relevance to the question but not much detail.]

      Teacher/examiner: 有什么坏处？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second part of the fourth question.]

      Candidate: 坏处是。。。这个坏处是。。。有一点儿难的。
      [The candidate responds with some simple generic information which has some relevance to the question but not totally comprehensible.]

      Teacher/examiner: 如果你有很多钱，你想怎么花？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the fifth question.]

      Candidate: 如果我有钱，我买几个衣服。我买毛衣因为我很喜欢穿毛衣和我买运动鞋因为运动鞋看好，好看。也我买饭因为我很喜欢吃饭。
      [The candidate responds well. The teacher/examiner did not need to ask the second part of the question (why?) as the candidate had already answered it in her first response.]

      Teacher/examiner: 好的。谢谢，我们的考试结束。
      [The teacher/examiner signals the examination has finished. ]



    • Moderator comments - Role play

      Role play card 9


      Conduct of the test

      The role play was conducted well by the teacher/examiner. She had clearly read the Paper 3 (Speaking) Instructions for Teachers/Examiners and understood the need to adhere precisely to the teacher/examiner script. The teacher/examiner read the scenario for the role play as instructed in Chinese. This is important to set the scene for candidates. 

      The teacher/examiner read the questions as written however she did not ask the second part of Task 4 which meant the candidate could not gain the full 2 marks. In all tasks, the teacher/examiner gave the candidate sufficient time to respond.

      Candidate response

      The candidate was fairly hesitant in her replies but achieved full communication in Tasks 1, 2 and 3, using language that was appropriate to the situation and that was generally accurate. She understood task 4, once it was repeated and was able to reply but she was not given the chance to answer the second part of the task, as the teacher/examiner did not ask it. It was only task 5 in which she gave no creditable response.

      Mark awarded for task 1 = 2 out of 2 

      Mark awarded for task 2 = 2 out of 2 

      Mark awarded for task 3 = 2 out of 2 

      Mark awarded for task 4 = 1 out of 2 

      Mark awarded for task 5 = 0 out of 2 

      Total mark awarded = 7 out of 10


      Moderator comments - Topic conversations

      Topic 1: 

      Topic 4: 
      Conduct of the test

      The teacher/examiner generally conducted the two topic conversations well, asking the questions as written and repeating the original question or using the alternative question where appropriate. She asked the questions clearly and at a good pace. She gave the candidate sufficient time to answer. The teacher/examiner did not use any extension question, as the candidate was able to give fairly full responses in those questions that she understood. In the questions which the candidate found challenging to answer, the use of any extension question would not have been helpful to the candidate. The teacher/examiner knew her candidate well and so moved on which was appropriate.

      Candidate response

      The candidate demonstrated a mixture of responses in the two topic conversations. In topic conversation 1, Questions 1 and 2, despite repetition in places, she confidently communicated information relevant to the question and developed her opinions and gave explanations. In Question 3, it was not clear if she had fully understood the word 野餐(picnic). She was able to partly answer the alternative question and communicate some simple information on 吃了什么. In Question 4, her answer was ambiguous and appeared to communicate irrelevant information at the end. In Question 5, there was no creditable response.

      In topic conversation 2, the candidate was not able to answer questions 1, 2, 3 and 4 on first asking but needed a repetition of the original question after which she could respond simply, communicating most of the information but occasionally giving irrelevant information. She offered a straightforward opinion in Question 4. She responded well to Question 5 and gave explanations for her answer.

      Looking at the descriptors which best fits this candidate’s overall performance in Communication, the top of the Satisfactory band is appropriate. She was Good in some answers but to have achieved the good band overall, she would have had to communicate information which is almost always relevant to the questions which was not the case in several questions. Overall, in some of the answers, she could have developed her ideas and explanations more. There were some ambiguous or irrelevant answers, but her stronger earlier responses helped place her overall performance at a mark of 9.

      For Quality of Language, she demonstrated some good structures (e.g 跟。。一起，因为，所以，等等)， but this was not consistent across all questions and she could have used a range of the structures more. Her vocabulary was satisfactory overall. In some questions her answers were fluent but in many there was frequent hesitation and some ambiguity. Her pronunciation was generally clear. Looking at the overall picture, this would place the candidate at the top of the Satisfactory band so 9 marks best fits.

      Mark awarded for Communication = 9 out of 15

      Mark awarded for Quality of Language = 9 out of 15

      Total mark awarded = 25 out of 40

      Moderator comments (Whole test)


      How the teacher/examiner performance could improve

      The teacher/examiner could have asked the alternative question in Topic conversation 1, Question 5 to give the candidate a chance to communicate the required information. Similarly in Topic conversation 2, Question 3, she could have asked the second part of the question.

      Although she stated the transitions to different parts of the test, it would have been useful to introduce the two topics of the Topic conversations in the target language with a phrase like: ‘First we are going to talk about [name of the first topic]’ and similarly for topic conversation 2. (See pages 7 and 8 of the Paper 3 (Speaking) Instructions for Teachers/Examiners.)

      How the candidate performance could improve

      The candidate could have been more succinct in some of her answers. She could have prepared herself better by making sure to use a wider range of vocabulary from the syllabus to develop her answers more. Additionally, it would have been useful to practice talking more in Mandarin to develop the confidence and fluency in reply.

    • Common mistakes and misconceptions

      • In the Role play (candidate card 9), task 3, some candidates found it hard to answer 你喜欢听什么样的音乐？ (What type of music do you like listening to?).
      • In Topic conversation 1, Topic 1, Question 3, only the strongest candidates understood the key word 野餐 (picnic). The alternative question signaled to candidates that food and drink were involved so some could then answer. In Question 4, weaker candidates did not understand 不同(different) and some candidates found it hard to explain why different hobbies were important. In Question 5, weaker candidates struggled with the key word 家务(housework).
      • In Topic conversation 2, Topic 4, Question 2, weaker candidates found it hard to respond to the question 什么样的商店？(What type of shop?). Question 3 was answered well by strong candidates but many candidates had to be asked the alternative question as they did not understand the main question particularly the word 经历(experience) and 买菜(buy food). In Question 4, weaker candidates did not understand the word 购物(shopping) but when asked the alternative question with the easier verb for shopping 买东西(to buy things), they could give reasons for the pros and cons of shopping on-line.


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

  • Low level response

      • Whole test - click to listen

      show/hide  Transcript and commentary

      Example candidate response – low

      Role play card 6

      Teacher/examiner: OK? 准备好了？那我们现在开始考试。第一个部分是情景对话，Role Play. 现在老师要问你。你是你自己，老师是老人院的经理。请说(no need)。。你要在一家老人院做义工。你跟经理说话。我是老人院的经理 .
      [The teacher/examiner clearly indicates the start of the test and introduces the first part, Role Play. She introduces the scenario and what role she is playing. This helps set the scene for the candidate.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你现在上几年级？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你现在上几年级？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the first question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question].

      Teacher/examiner: 你现在上几年级？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the first question a second time. Please note the teacher/examiner should only repeat a role play question once.]

      Candidate: 十一
      [Even though the candidate responded on the 3rd time of asking, she is given the full 2 marks as the information is communicated even though she answered simply and did not include the word 年级。This is permitted as a minor error as it did not impede communication. ]

      Teacher/examiner: 你什么时候可以开始做义工？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second question.]

      Candidate: 每天我。
      [ The candidate answers partly with a time word but it is ambiguous, so 1 mark is awarded. The teacher/examiner could have repeated the question to give the candidate second chance.]

      Teacher/examiner: 在老人院，你想为老人做什么？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the third question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 在老人院，你想为老人做什么？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the third question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你以前在什么地方做过义工？
      [The teacher/examiner moves on to the fourth question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你以前在什么地方做过义工？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the fourth question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你明年打算学习什么？
      [The teacher/examiner moves on to the fifth question.]

      Candidate: 明年我打算。um
      [The candidate repeats back part of the question but does not answer it.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你明年打算学习什么？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the fifth question.]

      Candidate: 明年我打算。um
      [The candidate repeats back part of the question again but there is no creditable response.]

      Teacher/examiner: 好。第一部分结束。现在开始进行第二部分的考试。 那，现在老师要和你说一说，你自己，家人和朋友 .
      [The teacher/examiner clearly indicates that the first part of the test has finished and that she is moving on to the second part. She introduces Topic Conversation 1.]


      Topic conversation 1 (Topic 3)

      Teacher/examiner: 你最好的朋友长什么样 ?
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first question.]

      Candidate: 我的朋友很漂亮也很高。
      [The candidate responds well.]

      Teacher/examiner: 再多说一点 儿。
      [The teacher/examiner uses an extension question to elicit more information. The first two questions on each topic conversation are designed to be closed and straightforward in nature so as an easier level to start off the conversation. Teacher/examiners should bear this in mind whether to use an extension question in the first two questions, knowing their candidate’s level well.]

      Candidate: 还是 。。
      [The candidate doesn’t manage to give further information.]

      Teacher/examiner: 再多说一点儿。
      [The teacher/examiner uses the extension question again, but this does not help the candidate.]

      Candidate: [No response]

      Teacher/examiner: 你们是怎样认识的？
      [The teacher/examiner moves on to the second question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你们是怎么认识的？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the second question as exactly printed in the card.]

      Candidate: 我们。。。um
      [No creditable response.]

      Teacher/examiner: 说说你最近跟朋友过的一天。
      [The teacher/examiner moves on to the first part of the third question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 说说你最近跟朋友过的一天。
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the first part of the third question.]

      Candidate: [no response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你昨天跟朋友一起做了什么？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the alternative question.]

      Candidate: 昨天我和朋友去韩国饭馆。我们吃面条和…比萨饼。
      [ The candidate responds well.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你觉得怎么样？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second part of the alternative question.]

      Candidate: 我觉得um…饭馆很好因为面条好吃。
      [The candidate responds well. ]

      Teacher/examiner: 你觉得家人比朋友更重要吗？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the fourth question.]

      Candidate: 我的朋友重要因为他们让我开心。
      [The candidate responds well.]

      Teacher/examiner: 再多说一点儿。
      [The teacher/examiner uses an extension question.]

      Candidate: [No further response.]

      Teacher/examiner: 如果有机会，你想跟朋友一起住吗？
      [The teacher/examiner moves on to the fifth question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 如果有机会，…上大学的时候你想跟朋友一起住吗？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the alternative question instead of repeating the original question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 好，那老师现在再问你第二个话题，我们来说一说教育和工作。
      [The timing for Topic conversation 1 is more than 4 minutes so no need to ask any further questions. The teacher/examiner clearly indicates that she is moving on to Topic conversation 2 and introduces the topic on education and work.]


      Topic conversation 2 (Topic 6)

      Teacher/examiner: 你的学校有多少学生 ?
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first question.]

      Candidate: 我的学校有。。五百学生。
      [The candidate is hesitant but responds fairly well.]

      Teacher/examiner: 再多说一点儿。请再多说一点儿。
      [The teacher/examiner uses an extension question to try and elicit more information, but this is not necessary here.]

      Candidate: [No further response.]

      Teacher/examiner: 学校有哪些设施？
      [The teacher/examiner moves on to the second question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 学校有哪些设施？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the second question.]

      Candidate: 学校在。。。um
      [No creditable response.]

      Teacher/examiner: 说说你昨天在学校是怎么过的。
      [The teacher/examiner moves on to the third question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 说说你昨天在学校是怎么过的.
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the third question very quickly after the first asking.)

      Candidate: 昨天…我骑车(or 汽车？)…
      [The candidate starts to respond but gives a limited ambiguous response.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你昨天在学校上了什么课？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the alternative question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 昨天你在学校上了什么课？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the first part of the alternative question again.]

      Candidate: 昨天。。
      [The candidate starts to reply but no creditable response.]

      Teacher/examiner: 做了什么活动？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the second part of the alternative question.]

      Candidate: [No response to the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你觉得中学生在假期打工有什么好处？有什么坏处？
      [The teacher/examiner moves on to the fourth question.]

      Candidate: 我觉得中国学校好处因为。。
      [The candidate starts to respond but has misunderstood the question and gives irrelevant information.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你将来打算做什么样的工作？
      [The teacher/examiner moves on to the fifth question without repeating the fourth question or asking the alternative version. This would have given the candidate another chance to answer.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你将来打算做什么样的工作？
      [The teacher/examiner repeats the fifth question without giving the candidate time to answer the first asking.]

      Candidate: 将来我打算。。
      [The candidate starts to respond but there is no creditable response as she just repeats back the first half of the question.]

      Teacher/examiner: 你以后想做什么工作？
      [The teacher/examiner asks the alternative question.]

      Candidate: 我以。。。画。画。Um。。
      [No creditable response ]

      Teacher/examiner: 好的，谢谢你。考试结束。
      [The teacher/examiner signals the examination has finished.]



    • Moderator comments - Role play

      Role play card 6


      Conduct of the test

      The role play was conducted well by the teacher/examiner. She had clearly carefully read the Paper 3 (Speaking) Instructions for Teachers/Examiners and understood the need to adhere precisely to the teacher/examiner script. The teacher/examiner read the scenario for the role play as instructed in Chinese. This is important to set the scene for candidates. 

      The teacher/examiner asked the first Role Play question three times but understood the requirement to repeat the role play question only once for the remaining four questions. The teacher/examiner gave the candidate sufficient time to respond.

      Candidate response

      The candidate found it challenging to answer the role play tasks - she needed all the tasks repeated. She was able to answer partly for tasks 1 and 2 and so was able to gain some marks. However, she was not able to answer tasks 3, 4, and 5.

      Mark awarded for task 1 = 2 out of 2 

      Mark awarded for task 2 = 1 out of 2 

      Mark awarded for task 3 = 0 out of 2 

      Mark awarded for task 4 = 0 out of 2 

      Mark awarded for task 5 = 0 out of 2 

      Total mark awarded = 3 out of 10


      Moderator comments - Topic conversations

      Topic 3: 

      Topic 6: 

      Conduct of the test

      The teacher/examiner prepared reasonably well for the test, and this was further evidenced in the topic conversations. She clearly indicated the transition from the role play to the topic conversations and indicated the name of the topic conversation at the start to give the candidate some context. The teacher/examiner asked each question exactly as it was printed, repeating questions where necessary or using the alternative questions. In Topic conversation 2, Questions 3 and 5, the teacher/examiner could have given the candidate more time to respond before repeating the question.

      Candidate response

      In Topic conversation 1, the candidate occasionally responded well with basic information and an opinion after questions were repeated or the alternative question was asked e.g.  in Questions 1, 3, 4.

      In Topic conversation 2, the candidate had difficulty understanding many questions (Questions 2,3,4 and 5) and had difficulty replying. Occasionally she tried to answer by repeating back the first few words of the question, but she did not give a creditable response. As a result, her overall performance was placed in the middle of the Weak band for Communication.

      For Quality of Language mark, the candidate showed a limited use of structures and vocabulary in the questions, many were not completed. Her fluency was affected by long pauses, and noticeable hesitations although when she did speak her pronunciation was clear. A mark of 6 at the top of the Weak band is best fit for her performance.

      Mark awarded for Communication = 5 out of 15

      Mark awarded for Quality of Language = 6 out of 15

      Total mark awarded = 14 out of 40

      Moderator comments (Whole test)


      How the teacher/examiner performance could improve

      The teacher/examiner conducted the test reasonably well. It can be challenging when faced with a weaker candidate who finds it difficult to understand and answer questions. The teacher/examiner tried her best to elicit as much response as she could.

      It is recommended that the teacher/examiner makes sure in all questions, that the candidate has a chance to answer before repeating the question or asking the alternative question.

      With a weaker candidate, it may not be useful to use the extension question ‘Please say some more’ especially in the Topic conversations, Questions 1 and 2.  The first two questions on each topic conversation are closed and straightforward in nature and are set at an easier level to start off the conversation. They are designed to be answered briefly and with factual language so if a weaker candidate has already answered to the best of their ability, an extension question may cause confusion.

      How the candidate performance could improve

      This candidate would have benefited from being more familiar and secure with much of the vocabulary in the syllabus. She would also have benefited from more conversation practice to understand key question words and to help with fluency.

    • Common mistakes and misconceptions

      • In the Role play (candidate card 6), task 1, candidates often just gave a number without adding the word 年级 (year), which would have made the communication more natural. This was counted as a minor error so full marks were awarded. In task 4, candidates did not always pick up the past time marker 以前 (in the past) so were not always able to answer with a past time frame. The key word 地方(place) was also not always understood.
      • In Topic conversation 1, Topic 3, Question 3, weaker candidates did not always pick up the need to reply with a past time frame. In Question 5, the key verb 住 (to live) was not always understood, as well as the phrase 如果有机会 (if you had the chance) and the need for a future time frame.
      • In Topic conversation 2, Topic 6, Question 2, the word 设施(facilities) was not always understood by candidates. In question 3, the verb phrase 怎么过的？(how did you spend the day) proved difficult for  weaker candidates but they could access the alternative questions. Question 4 proved challenging for many candidates; the key words 假期(holiday) and 打工(to work) were not always understood.


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