The Externado
English Area
Evaluation Guidelines
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Contenido
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................................5
Assessment Guidelines .........................................................................................................................................6
Section A: Oral Exams (regular exams)(for presentations, see Section B below) ............................................7
1.
The teacher’s role .................................................................................................................................7
2.
The exam format ..................................................................................................................................7
3.
The tasks ...............................................................................................................................................8
4.
Grading .................................................................................................................................................8
Section B: Oral Exams (oral presentations) ......................................................................................................9
5.
The teacher’s role .................................................................................................................................9
6.
The presentation format ......................................................................................................................9
7.
Audience ............................................................................................................................................ 10
8.
Topic and title .................................................................................................................................... 10
9.
Planning ............................................................................................................................................. 11
10.
Rooms & Audiovisual equipment .................................................................................................. 11
11.
Grading .......................................................................................................................................... 11
Section C: Written Exams .............................................................................................................................. 12
12.
Lexis ............................................................................................................................................... 12
13.
Writing Skills .................................................................................................................................. 12
14.
Breakdown of points ..................................................................................................................... 13
15.
Grading .......................................................................................................................................... 13
16.
Spelling .......................................................................................................................................... 13
Section D: Quizzes ......................................................................................................................................... 14
17.
Grading .......................................................................................................................................... 14
18.
The exam format ........................................................................................................................... 14
19.
Points ............................................................................................................................................. 15
20.
Programming ................................................................................................................................. 15
Section E: Grade reporting ............................................................................................................................ 16
21.
Quizzes and Midterms ................................................................................................................... 16
22.
Final Exams: ................................................................................................................................... 16
22. Format of Grades ................................................................................................................................. 16
A Guide To Midterm and Final Exams ............................................................................................................... 17
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1.
Framework for the Midterm and Final Written Exams ......................................................................... 17
Midterm Exam ........................................................................................................................................... 17
Final Exam ................................................................................................................................................... 18
2.
Grammar Section ................................................................................................................................... 19
3.
Vocabulary Section ................................................................................................................................ 20
4.
Listening Section .................................................................................................................................... 20
5.
Reading Section ..................................................................................................................................... 20
6.
Writing Section ...................................................................................................................................... 21
7.
Formatting ............................................................................................................................................. 21
8.
Versions ................................................................................................................................................. 22
9.
Naming convention ............................................................................................................................... 22
10.
Planning the Final Written Exam ....................................................................................................... 23
11.
Stages in Preparation of Final and Midterm exams .......................................................................... 23
12.
How to run an Exam Testing Session................................................................................................. 27
Guide For the Design of Exam and Quiz Tasks .................................................................................................. 30
1.
Grammar Section ................................................................................................................................... 30
Task Types.................................................................................................................................................. 30
Do´s and Don´ts ......................................................................................................................................... 31
Writing Correct the Mistake Grammar Tasks ............................................................................................ 32
2.
Vocabulary Section ................................................................................................................................ 32
3.
Reading & Listening Section .................................................................................................................. 34
Sourcing Listening Texts ............................................................................................................................ 34
Sourcing reading texts ............................................................................................................................... 34
Grading (levelling) reading texts................................................................................................................ 35
Task types for Reading and Listening Sections .......................................................................................... 36
Writing multiple choice reading/listening tasks ........................................................................................ 37
Writing True/False/Does Not Say Reading Tasks ...................................................................................... 38
Writing Cloze tasks for Reading sections................................................................................................... 39
Writing Note or Table Completion Tasks for Listening Sections ............................................................... 42
Writing Sentence Completion Tasks For Reading Sections ....................................................................... 44
2.
Writing Section ...................................................................................................................................... 44
3.
Writing Clear Instructions ...................................................................................................................... 45
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Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................................... 46
Appendix 1: Footer to Be Used On All Versions of the Exam ........................................................................ 47
Appendix 2: File Naming Convention ............................................................................................................ 48
Appendix 3: Exam Front Page Box ................................................................................................................. 49
Appendix 4: Word Count for Writing Section................................................................................................ 50
Appendix 5: Point Allocation Instructions ..................................................................................................... 51
Appendix 6: Standard Instructions ................................................................................................................ 52
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Introduction
A number of guidelines and manuals have been developed in the English Area in recent years to aid
the standardization of exam design and procedures, and disseminate this information amongst our
teaching team. The following document is the result of the consolidation of these various
documents. Guideline Information relating to Midterm and Final exams, which was previously only
used by Level Leaders and Coordination, is now included here so that all teachers may access
important information regarding these exams. A specific section on writing exam tasks is also
included in this document, which can be used by both Level Leaders in the writing of Midterm and
Final exams, as well as other teachers in the writing of quizzes.
Please take the time to read this document with care, and use it for reference throughout the
semester.
This document has been broken down into the following sections:
1)
The Assessment Guidelines (which gives a general overview of exam and quizzes).
2) A Guide to Midterm and Final exams (which explains in detail the structure, content and
design of Midterm and Final exams).
3) Guide for the Design of Exam and Quiz Tasks (which provides guidance on how to design
exam tasks in general and is relevant to quizzes as well as Midterm and Final Exams).
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Assessment Guidelines
This document outlines the various aspects of the department´s assessment process; including
procedures, material design guidelines, point allocation, and grading templates.
The overall percentages for the semester, then, remain as follows:
Evaluation
% of final grade
Testing time
Quiz 1
QUIZ 1 (LEVEL 1 ONLY)
Mid-Term Written
Mid-Term Oral
Quiz 2
QUIZ 2 (LEVEL 1 ONLY)
10%
5%
20%
15%
10%
15%
Listening Final
Included in final Written Exam
Final Written
Final Oral
25%
20%
30-45 mins
30-40 mins
1 hr 30 min
15-18 mins
30-45 min
40-50 mins
Approx. 30
min
1 hr 45 mins
15-18 mins
Mid-Term and Final Exams are accumulative, meaning that all units seen up to the date of the exam
may be tested. Except, when testing vocabulary. Vocabulary sections in the final exam will only test
those taught after the midterm exam.
Exams are common to all students of each level, and are written by Level Leaders through a
collaborative process where feedback is received from Coordination and from teachers who
participate in the exam review sessions.
The exam version for each group will be made public on the day of the exam. For Midterm exams all
teachers should collect their papers from the Secretaría Académica, and for Final exams, papers
should be collected at the English office.
Answer keys will be sent to teachers via email on exam day.
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Section A: Oral Exams (regular exams)(for presentations, see Section B below)
1. The teacher’s role
1.1. Final oral exams take place during exam weeks, after week 16 of the semester. (except level
5, see Section B)
1.2. Teachers will work in pairs for final oral exams (these pairs will be sent by Coordination a
week or two before the exams). The teacher who normally teaches the group will act mainly
as interlocutor, and the second teacher will use the grading guidelines to award a grade to
each student. If the teacher of the group disagrees with the marks given by the other teacher
they should give reasons why and the grade should be altered if the reasons given are valid.
To be fully aware of the level required, the second teacher should familiarize themselves
with the grading guidelines for that level (see separate Excel files sent electronically or in
Dropbox), as well as the standardization recordings, before entering the exam room. These
recordings have been sent to teachers through Dropbox, and may also be requested from
coordination.
1.3. Mid-term oral exams should be carried out by the individual teacher of each group, and
should take place over the two class days specified on the teacher calendar each semester.
If it is possible to carry out all oral exams in one day, then the second assigned class must
be used for a normal lesson.
2. The exam format
2.1. Exams should be carried out with students in groups of three. Group totals may require there
to be a group of four or two, at the teacher´s discretion, at the end.
2.2. Teachers should set aside 20 minutes for each slot. The exam itself should take 15-18
minutes. If more time is required it can be given but teachers should bear in mind the
logistics of exam day and the need for all students to be given roughly the same amount of
time in the name of fairness. Every exam should include the following basic stages:
1. Warm-up (1-2 mins) Teacher introduces second teacher (in final exams) and explains
the format that the exam is going to take. Students should introduce themselves to the
second teacher (in final exams), and the interlocutor should prompt some initial informal
‘chat’ to put the students at ease. This chat could include things like the weather, or
interests/hobbies, or what plans they have for after the exam period. Talking about how the
written exam has gone is not advisable, as this could cause the students stress in cases
where they found it difficult. Teachers should abstain from taking notes during the warm-up
as this could make students nervous and hence defy the purpose of this stage.
2. T-S-T Interaction (approx. 9 mins) The interlocutor should take roughly 3 minutes to
talk to each student in the group individually. For possible topics and/or structures, see
guidelines per level. Teachers of lower levels may wish to increase this stage and
correspondingly reduce the following stage. Ability to speak spontaneously is a key aspect of
this stage, so teachers should not give students time to take notes.
3. S-S Interaction (4-6 mins) Students should interact between/among themselves, for a
period of 4-6 minutes. Students should be given at least 1 minute to prepare for this stage,
and may take notes. The teacher may prompt further conversation if necessary, but the
focus should be on the students. For possible topics and/or structures, see guidelines
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per level. Teachers at higher levels may wish to increase the time for this stage and
correspondingly reduce the time needed for the previous stage.
4. Conclusion (approx. 1 min) The teacher should take the last minute to thank the
students, and inform them when and where they can see their results. Although the teacher
should be positive towards the student in terms of body language and attitude (smiling etc.),
they should give no indication of the students’ grades at this stage.
3. The tasks
3.1. In parts 2 and 3, all students within one class should be asked to perform the same function,
in order to ensure fairness in the exam. For example, if the function is “to describe”, all
students must be asked to describe something, somewhere or someone, although the
specific task will change each time, to avoid students in the later slots having an advantage
over their classmates who leave the exam and inform them of its contents. Tasks should not
require students, within the same class, to respond with language which is disparate in terms
of difficulty. For example, one question requiring the use of the third conditional, while
another only present simple. The use of images is highly recommended in levels 1-3, and
may also be useful at higher levels.
3.1.1.
Some examples of different functions are:
o Describe (a house, a movie, a book, a city, a piece of news…)
o Predict or speculate about future events or progression of events and justify it.
o Give an opinion (e.g. about zoos… avoiding very controversial topics!) and justify it.
o Make a recommendation (favourite restaurant, best holiday destination etc.)
o Give instructions (giving directions, a recipe…)
o Story-telling
o Make comparisons (places, films, courses, actors…)
o Relate an event (a past event, current affairs…)
o Plan or organise (a party, a holiday, an academic event…)
o Discuss pros and cons (of any topic)
o Ask for advice
o Make a complaint
3.2. Teachers should be ready with additional prompts in stage 2 and students should always be
provided with several short written prompts to guide the discussion in stage 3. While written
prompts may be given in stage 2, teachers should bear in mind that this may require more
time. If the conversation dries up, the teacher may interject with further oral prompts.
3.3. Possible task types for stage 2 and 3 include the following. Stage 2: story-telling, interview,
describe. Stage 3: debate or discussion, role-play (based or not on pictures), information
gap, planning (e.g. decide together on the details for a holiday, party etc.).
4. Grading
4.1. Teachers should use the oral grading guidelines to grade all students, both at mid-term and
in final exams. This will help teachers to be as objective as possible in awarding students
their grade.
4.2. All teachers (especially the second teacher who may not be teaching that level at the time)
should familiarize themselves with the grading guidelines and the standardization
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recordings. The teacher of the group may also guide second teachers before the exams
begin, in terms of what is required of the students.
4.3. Teachers should bear in mind the difference between a mistake, or ‘slip’, and an error (i.e.
Was it a minor mistake that native speakers may well make in conversation, or is the student
really unaware of how to use this particular part of language?).
Section B: Oral Exams (oral presentations)
Although teachers are encouraged to practice oral presentation skills with students in all levels,
students in level 5 are the only students to be evaluated formally on their oral skills through a
presentation as their final oral exam, during the last three weeks of the semester.
Teachers may choose to do only two or three presentations in each session, with the other hour left
for regular classwork, or else have full sessions of presentations, bearing in mind that a midpoint
break may be required, to minimalize audience fatigue.
Teachers must assign time in class for teaching presentation skills and students should spend time
both in and outside of the classroom preparing their presentation. Resources to help students with
this preparation can be found on the departmental website.
5. The teacher’s role
5.1. Both mid-term AND final oral exams should be carried out by the individual teacher of each
group in Level 5.
5.2. The teacher should program each student’s presentation date and time at the beginning of
the semester. Presentations may be programmed over the last three weeks of semester.
6. The presentation format
6.1. Students must do presentations individually.
6.2. Each presentation should take 5-7 minutes, plus 3-5 minutes for Q&A. To this end, each
presentation should be assigned a 15-minute slot (maximum 12 minutes total, plus 3
minutes for set-up, changeover etc.).
6.3. Presentations should have a clear introduction, body and conclusion.
6.4. The teacher should sit with the rest of the student audience.
6.5. Questions in the Q&A section should ideally come from both the teacher and the student
audience. Students may sit or stand for this section, but should remain at the front of the
class.
6.5.1.
The teacher may choose to elect Ss from the audience at the beginning of each
presentation who should prepare follow-up questions to ask the presenter. This election
should not take place previously, to avoid the presenter preparing answers in advance.
Another option is for teachers to advise all members of the audience to prepare follow-up
questions as they watch, because the teacher will call on one or two of them at the end to
ask their question(s).
6.5.2.
Follow-up questions could require the presenter to provide; a) further clarification on
a particular point, b) the speaker’s opinion on a certain aspect of the talk, c) hypothetical
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extension of the theme, i.e. what do you think would have happened if…, or d) further
detail on a particular aspect of the presentation.
6.5.3.
It may be easier for students to come up with follow-up questions for some
presentations than for others. Students should not be penalized if they fail to ask (decent)
follow-up questions in every presentation, but should be expected to ask questions in at
least two of the presentations they attend.
6.5.4.
The teacher will have prepared some questions before the day of the presentations,
based on the plan/slides submitted previously by the student.
7. Audience
7.1. Once the teacher has a list of all presentation titles, students will choose a couple of days
(probably two, but this depends how many days of presentations are taking place in each
group) to attend, based on the presentation(s) they are most interested in watching.
Presentations will have a maximum number of places for audience members, which will
ensure that a) all presenters have an audience and b) that all audiences are of a
manageable size.
7.2. Each presenter will therefore present to a small group of their peers (i.e. not the whole
class). This will hopefully help put shier students at ease, and avoid audience boredom
through presentation-task fatigue! Approximately 5-7 students plus the teacher and the other
presenters constitute an appropriate-sized audience.
7.3. Some audience members may be elected to come up with follow-up questions to ask the
presenter. One audience member will be asked to help the presenter with any visual aids,
and another to keep time, holding up a “one minute left” sign.
8. Topic and title
8.1. The repetition of topics is allowed within individual groups as long as the focus (and
therefore title) is different.
8.2. Teachers should offer their students a list of ten or more broad topics to choose from. These
topics will not necessarily be based on the textbook, but will focus on a question that
students have to analyse and present, perhaps offering an opinion or argument within their
presentation, in a similar way to essay questions. Teachers should try to lead students away
from doing purely descriptive presentations, as these can easily become dull and are easier
to plagiarise. By relating topics to current affairs, teachers can help avoid plagiarism from
semester to semester.
8.3. Students may choose one of these topics and narrow it down to write a more focused title, or
choose a topic of their own and write a title about that. Teachers would then help students to
adapt their titles where necessary, to produce something workable.
8.4. It is hoped that a) having the teacher’s direction in title choice and b) having students send
slides beforehand will help avoid students sharing slides.
8.5. Teachers should inform students about the existence of a departmental database of Level 5
presentation titles and slides.
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9. Planning
9.1. By the mid-term oral, each student will meet with their teacher, to show them their
presentation title and summary. The teacher will approve this, or else give feedback on how
it can be approved. At the end of this meeting, students will have a title confirmed, and this
will remain the same (or else with very slight adaptation if necessary) for their presentation.
9.2. While by no means mandatory, teachers may choose to make this initial proposal part of the
MTO, possibly having students give a 1-2 minute ‘preview’ of their presentation during this
exam. The teacher would provide feedback on this proposal after the exam.
9.3. 1 week before their presentation, each student must hand in their slides and/or an outline to
their teacher, and will receive holistic feedback on the same (perhaps using correction
symbols, or suggesting more work be done on structure, for example).
9.4. This feedback can be given one-to-one, either during class or in a tutorial session, or else
could be an in-class workshop where students work in groups, showing each other their
outline and slides. In this scenario, the teacher ‘floats’, offering constructive comments to
each student. It could also be useful for students to give a ‘pre-presentation’ in which they
can give their presentation to small groups to see how it works so far.
9.5. Students who fail to comply with one or both of the above will suffer the consequences by
means of negative points in their presentation grade, in the ‘planning’ section.
10. Rooms & Audiovisual equipment
10.1.
Most rooms are now equipped with computers and video beams, which students can
use in their presentations if they wish.
10.2.
Teachers should train students on the effective use of PowerPoint, and perhaps limit
the number of slides allowed, as well as the number of words or sentences on each slide,
and the font to be used. Students should probably be asked to stick to a maximum of 10
slides, with 1 sentence per slide, using size 30 font. While there is no automatic penalization
for students who disregard these guidelines, their presentation (and therefore their grade)
may suffer if they use too many slides, read script from slides etc.
10.3.
Other options of presentation aids include posters, realia or audio. Some students
may choose to present without any aids of this kind.
10.4.
Most English classes are in rooms with movable chairs and manageable acoustics.
To the contrary, teachers can either ask for a room change through the Secretaría
Académica or swap with another teacher who has a better room for the day(s) of their
presentations.
11. Grading
11.1.
Teachers should use the presentation assessment sheet to grade all level 5 student
evaluations.
11.2.
Teachers must take time to explain the grading criteria of the assessment sheet to
students. It is a good idea to give and/or show students examples of good and bad
presentations (there are resources for this on the departmental website).
11.3.
In grading, teachers should bear in mind that students are nervous, as well as the
difference between a mistake, or ‘slip’ and an error (i.e. was it a minor mistake that native
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speakers may well make in conversation, or is the student really unaware of how to use this
particular part of language?).
Section C: Written Exams
12. Lexis
12.1.
Both the mid-term and final written exams include a section that assesses how well
students understand and use the vocabulary taught up to that stage in the course.
13. Writing Skills
13.1.
The “Grammar” section on exams may also include “Writing Skills”, where
appropriate (see points breakdown in section 14).
13.2.
Depending on the level, some exams may include more grammar than writing skills,
or vice-versa, and it is by no means obligatory that all exams include both aspects. For
example, given that level 6 has a more explicit focus on writing skills than level 1, and less
grammar, the 10 points for this section may well be exclusively for writing skills, while the
level 1 exam may test only grammar in this section, if there has been no particular writing
skills focus up to that stage.
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14. Breakdown of points
14.1.
The written exams (both Mid-term and Final) are broken down into the following five
areas, with the corresponding percentages:
Midterm Exam
LEVEL
READING
WRITING*
WRITING SKILLS & GRAMMAR LISTENING
VOCABULARY
1-6
6
15
15
7/8*
5
7/8*
5
10
15
10
10
* As of 2013ii the grammar and vocabulary sections now have equal weighting. As the total points for both of
these sections represents an uneven number in the midterm exam, depending on what the exam writer feels
appropriate, one of the sections will have one point more than the other.
Final Exam
LEVEL
READING
WRITING*
WRITING SKILLS & GRAMMAR LISTENING
VOCABULARY
1-6
20
30
15
15
20
* On the exam paper, marks will appear out of 30 per task to facilitate point breakdown. Teachers, therefore,
need to divide the grade by two to arrive at the final grade (out of 15, as shown on the front of the exam). NB.
Levels 4, 5 & 6 only contain one writing task in the final exam, and therefore teachers should NOT divide the
grade out of 30 by two.
15. Grading
15.1.
Writing grading guidelines can be found on the departmental website and/or may be
requested from Coordination.
16. Spelling
16.1.
Teachers should refer to the answer sheet for point or half-point allocation. In
general, half points should not be allocated unless specifically stated in the answer sheet. In
the case of listening exams, students should not be deducted points for spelling mistakes
(for a full explanation see the answer sheets for exams).
16.2.
In the vocabulary section of exams, spelling must be 100% correct in order for the
student to be awarded the point(s).
16.3.
Spelling will not be graded negatively in listening comprehension exercises, as long
as the answer can be understood. Remember, the point of the listening comprehension
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section is to test whether or not students have understood what they heard, not necessarily
whether they can reproduce it perfectly. To avoid complications in note completion
exercises, answers will not include words with particularly complicated spelling (e.g. proper
nouns).
Section D: Quizzes
There are two quizzes per semester, and each teacher is required to design their own based on the
particular needs of the class. While it is encouraged that you collaborate with peers in all aspects of
your work, it is important that the same quiz is not given to different groups. This is to avoid cheating
(as quizzes are all done at different times), and to ensure that each group is being given something
tailor-made for them by their teacher, bearing in mind that group´s specific needs.
Teachers should not use test material from NEF in quizzes as these are being used in the design of
Midterm and Final exams.
Before students take the quiz, teachers are encouraged to have another teacher and/or Level
Leader review it. This is important in order to avoid basic typos, possible double keys, unclear
instructions, and other ambiguities.
When using material from other books, teachers should not assume that this material is ready to
use and hence does not need revision or adjustment. Even test material found in text books often
contain ambiguities, unclear instructions and other flaws.
17. Grading
17.1.
Each quiz is worth 10% of the total semester grade. Teachers may choose to split
one or both quizzes into two shorter quizzes worth 5% each.
17.2.
Level 1 quizzes are weighted differently, as Quiz I is worth 5% of the overall grade,
while Quiz II is worth 15%.
17.3.
Points should be allocated for each task on the quiz according to their difficulty, and
the overall grade should be out of a total of 5.00.
18. The exam format
18.1.
The quiz may test any of the following areas: listening, grammar, vocabulary,
reading or writing.
18.2.
Teachers must not grade: homework, participation, attendance or oral skills as
quizzes.
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18.3.
You are encouraged to use the MT and Final exam formats; bearing in mind,
however, that the quizzes are substantially shorter.
18.4.
Use a clear header in your quiz which shows the level, quiz number, and semester.
You should also provide space for the teacher and student names, and the overall grade out
of 5,00 (calculated to two decimal points).
18.5.
Teachers may use and adapt as appropriate the headers and footers for Midterm and
Final exams which are available to copy and paste from Appendices 1 & 3 at the end of this
document.
18.6.
There should be enough space between lines so that the text is easily read and for
students to complete gaps and write answers. Consider 1.5 to 2.0 spacing. Margin size can
be adjusted to reduce the overall space on the page being used, and the left margin should
be aligned.
18.7.
Aside from allowing ample space between lines, length of spaces should also be long
enough for students to write answers.
18.8.
The evaluation should take 30-45 minutes for students to complete. In the case of
Level 1, where quizzes have a different weighting, timing is slightly different. See the
introduction of this document (Assessment Guidelines) for more details.
18.9.
Use font 11 or 12, as anything smaller is difficult to read, and anything bigger is
unnecessary.
18.10.
Each individual task in the quiz should be numbered.
18.11.
Check carefully for typos before printing the quiz, paying attention to missing fullstops at the end of sentences, and the use of capital letters. If the auto-correct function is
enabled in Word, you may end up with words that you did not intend to type, so be sure you
are using this function correctly.
19. Points
19.1.
Each section should show the number of points per section and per task.
19.2.
The overall number of points for the quiz should be clear, and logical. This total
should be converted to a grade out of 5,00 and calculated to two decimal points.
19.3.
Points should not be rounded up or down before two decimal points; neither on
individual sections, nor on the overall grade.
19.4.
If more than one point is given to one particular task, then this should be justified, i.e.
the task is particularly challenging, or it requires a number of steps on the part of the student
to complete, e.g. they must not only choose the correct verb but also put it in the correct
form.
20. Programming
20.1.
The first quiz is usually conducted before week 5 and the second before week
12. Specific timeframes can be found in the teachers pack each semester.
20.2.
Students should be informed of the quiz date at least one week beforehand.
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Section E: Grade reporting
21. Quizzes and Midterms
21.1.
Grades must be returned to the student within three working days.
21.2.
Following each evaluation, the grades should be entered into the class register and
sent to coordination electronically. Only report students who appear on the official faculty
class list.
21.3.
Students are permitted a grade review ONLY IF: 1) they request it within three
working days of receiving their grades AND 2) if they have written in pen, AND 3) the paper
has not been out of the classroom.
21.4.
Students absent on the day of a quiz must present their teacher with a validated
Mediexpres excuse upon their return to class. If they do this, the teacher must allow the
student to sit the quiz (a different version to that given to the rest of the class) at another
time. The teacher is responsible for invigilating this make-up quiz or exam.
21.5.
Teachers should give students the opportunity to revise their graded midterm exam
in class, but these should then be returned to the teacher (students should not be allowed to
remove them from the classroom). This is to avoid circulation of exams which may be used
again in the future.
22. Final Exams:
22.1.
Grades must be given to the student within three working days.
22.2.
The original exam papers must be submitted to the office along with an official class
list (with all grades entered), and oral exam notes (with Level 5, presentation notes must be
submitted).
22.3.
Grades must be entered into the SAP system following the indications given by
Secretaría Académica at the end of the semester.
22.4.
Please take particular care when entering data as corrections later involve extensive
paperwork, that requires approval from Decanatura.
22.5.
Finally, you must schedule a time to present the results to the students before
submitting them to the faculty, allowing them to see their grades and helping you to avoid
unnecessary mistakes.
22.6.
You must be available to fix/correct any possible mistakes or invigilate make-up
exams until the day your contract ends.
22. Format of Grades
19.1 All grades should be given out of 5 and rounded to two decimal places (e.g. 1,28)
and no fewer (e.g. 1,3).
19.2 A student who does not attend the quiz/exam will automatically receive a grade of
zero (0,00) unless they produce an official Mediexpress excuse, or other documentation to
support a valid reason for not attending in which case the teacher should program a makeup exam.
19.3 If a student attends an exam or a quiz, the minimum grade they can be awarded is
(1,00).
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A Guide To Midterm and Final Exams
1. Framework for the Midterm and Final Written Exams
Midterm Exam
Paper
Written
paper

Sections
Reading
Time (total = 90 mins)
20 minutes
10 points
Special notes
Total word counts for the text:
Level 1 = 225 – 300
Level 2 = 275 – 350
1 reading per version
Level 3 = 325 – 400
(L1-3 may divide these word counts
T/F/DNS
between 2 readings)
Multiple Choice
Level 4 = 375 – 450
Level 5 = 425 – 500
Cloze tasks (Ls 4, 5, 6)
Level 6 = 475 – 550
Sentence completion (Ls 4, 5, 6)
1 out of 3 Multiple Choice for levels 1 and 2
Don´t penalize for spelling & grammar 1 out of 4 Multiple Choice for levels 3 to 6
mistakes
1 or 2 points per task (e.g. 10x1 and 5x2 but
2pt tasks must be harder)
Grammar
15 minutes
3 topics are recommended
And Writing 7/8 points
Skills
Tasks on units covered up to the
midterm. Percentage of grammar to
writing skills depends on the level
syllabus.
Writing
30 minutes
Levels 1-5 use the assessment guidelines
15 points
for grading criteria
Level 6 - one writing task graded using the
Task formats should be based upon grading rubric (equivalent to CEF B2+)
writing packs /syllabus
See Appendix 4 for word counts
Vocabulary
10 minutes
7/8* points
Words tested should be taken from the
Gap-fill
same unit of the book, same lexical group
Definition
or given extra context so this is not
Choose a word from a box
necessary.
Multiple choice
Listening
15 minutes
Listening track for levels 1 to 3 = about 2 to
10 points
4 mins
1 listening track per version
Listening track for levels 4 to 6 = about 3 to
T/F
6 mins
Multiple Choice
Minutes can be spread across more than
As of 2013ii the grammar and vocabulary sections have equal weighting. As the total points for both of these sections
represents an uneven number in midterm exams, depending on what the exam writer feels appropriate, one of these
sections will have one point more than the other.
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Table completion (Ls 1,2, 3)
note completion (Ls 4, 5, 6)
No points for accuracy of answers
Final Exam
Paper
Sections
Listening
Listening
paper
(separate)
Time (total = 105 + 30 = 135 mins)
30 minutes
20 points
2 listening tracks per version
T/F
Multiple Choice
Table completion (Ls 1, 2, 3)
Note completion (Ls 4, 5, 6)
No points for accuracy of answers
Written paper
Reading
25 minutes
20 points
1 reading per version
T/F/DNS
Multiple Choice
Cloze Tasks (Ls 4, 5, 6)
No points for accuracy of answers
Grammar
25 minutes
and Writing 15 points
Skills
See Guide to Designing Exam and
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one listening in all levels.
T/F for all levels
1 out of 3 Multiple Choice for levels 1 and 2
1 out of 4 Multiple Choice for levels 3 to 6
Listening section can contain half multiple
choice and half T/F tasks, but note
completion style should not be mixed with
other styles of tasks.
Max. 1 point per task
Special notes
Listening track for levels 1 to 3 =
about 2 to 4 mins
Listening track for levels 4 to 6 =
about 3 to 6 mins
T/F only for levels 1 to 6.
1 out of 3 Multiple Choice for levels
1 and 2
1 out of 4 Multiple Choice for levels
3 to 6
Minutes can be spread across
more than one listening in all
levels.
Listening section can contain half
multiple choice and half T/F tasks,
but note completion style should not
be mixed with other styles of tasks.
Max. 1 point per task
Word counts for the text:
Level 1 = 375 – 450
Level 2 = 425 – 500
Level 3 = 475 – 550
(L1-3 may divide these word
counts between 2 readings)
Level 4 = 525 – 600
Level 5 = 575 – 650
Level 6 = 625 – 700
1 or 2 points per task (e.g. 10x1 and
5x2 but 2pt tasks must be harder)
5 grammar topics are recommended
2014i
Quiz Tasks for details on different
ways to test.
Tasks on whole syllabus, but can bias
towards second half. Percentage of
grammar to writing skills depends on
the level syllabus.
Vocabulary 15 minutes
15 points
Words tested should be taken
from the same unit of the book,
same lexical group or given
See Guide to Designing Exam extra context so this is not
and Quiz Tasks for details on necessary.
different ways to test.
Writing
Tasks taken from second half of
the semester
40 minutes
Levels 1-5 use assessment
30 points
guidelines for grading criteria
Levels 1,2,3 - two writing tasks
Level 4 - one writing task
Level 5 – one writing task
Level 6 - one writing task graded
using the updated grading rubric
(equivalent to CEF B2+)
See Appendix 4 for wordcounts
2. Grammar Section
Plan carefully how you allocate the grammar topics across the two/three versions of the exam, bearing in mind
the % of the syllabus devoted to each grammar item. Test all grammar items across the two/three versions,
although it is not necessary to test all the grammar items in each version of the exam.
For midterms, there should be three grammar topics chosen per exam. For finals five grammar topics are
recommended. This is to avoid overloading students.
Where a book, e.g. level 4, 5 and 6, covers a range of tenses in one chunk, e.g. futures review, consider
selecting just 2 or 3 of the tenses reviewed when writing exam grammar tasks.
For details on how to design grammar tasks please refer to the last section of these guidelines (Guide for the
Design of Exam and Quiz Tasks).
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3. Vocabulary Section
In midterm exams, items taught before the midterm will be tested. In final exams, items taught after the midterm
exam will be tested. In levels 1 & 2, only items which appear in the vocabulary bank at the back of the book will
be tested (as level 1 & 2 are particularly dense in terms of units covered, it was agreed that testing all
vocabulary items would be unrealistic and unfair). For levels 3 to 6, items from both the vocabulary bank and
the main units of the textbook may be tested (as these books only cover between 3 and 4 units).
When deciding on what way to test items (recognition or production), Level Leaders should bear in mind the
level of difficulty of the lexis and the type of lexis it is. For example, where collocations are being tested, a
recognition matching exercise might be more appropriate than a fill the gap activity. Level Leaders should also
aim to balance the number of recognition style activities to production activities, bearing in mind the number of
items students are expected to learn at that level, and the level in general.
For details on how to create certain Listening tasks and where to source material go to The Guide for the
Design of Exam and Quiz Tasks.
4. Listening Section
In midterm exams, 3 different listening texts are required. In final exams, 4 different listening texts are required.
Refer to the topics covered in the syllabus to decide whether a reading text is suitable or not. Compare the texts
to other listening texts which have been covered in the course to ensure that the level of difficulty is the same.
Try to make the topics interesting to the students. When choosing topics take into account how appropriate the
theme is. In general, it is best to avoid controversial themes, or ones that may lead to an emotional response
from a student due to personal experience. (e.g. violence, kidnapping.).
For details on how to create certain Listening tasks and where to source material go to The Guide for the
Design of Exam and Quiz Tasks.
5. Reading Section
In both Midterm and Final Exams, one reading text should be included per version. In higher levels the reading
text should be placed as the last page, so that students may easily separate the page during exams. For lower
levels, the text may be included alongside the tasks. Word counts can be divided between two readings for
lower levels As with the listening section, controversial themes should be avoided, as should themes which
students could have ample prior knowledge of e.g. the Transmilenio. Make sure you space the text between
1.5 to 2.0, as otherwise the text could be potentially hard to read and tiring for students. For more details
regarding the reading section, go to the Guide For the Design of Exam and Quiz Tasks.
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6. Writing Section
The Writing Section in Midterm and Final exams will have either one writing task to two depending on the level
(see the frameworks in section 1).
Two options must always be given for writing tasks in midterm and final exams. This is to allow for students´
preferences and the possibility that they may feel more imaginative on certain topics than others. The only
exception are for email or letter writing tasks where students are not required to be so creative and simply have
to include the information specified.
Where letter writing is included as a task, bullet point should be included to guide students. However, if the word
count is low and you are giving more than three bullet points or bullet points which require elaborate answers,
than students are likely to produce poorly developed answers. So bullet points for lower levels especially,
should be carefully designed.
Do not specify on the exam how many points will be deducted and do not give two figures e.g. ´write at least
150 words. You will lose points if you write less than 135` as this could encourage students to aim for the lower
limit.
For more details on instructions for the writing section, please go to the Guide for the Design of Exam and Quiz
Tasks.
7. Formatting
Arial Narrow 12 point single, 1.15 or 1.5 spaced, depending on the level and amount of white space on the
page. For inserted texts, such as in a note completion, a different font can be used for the purpose of
differentiation.
The Reading Text must be on a separate detachable sheet at the end of the main written exam. This is so that
students can remove it. However, if the reading is a lower level shorter text it may be placed before the tasks.
Each section must be in bold, underlined and in italics and be followed by the total number of points in brackets:
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Section A – Grammar and Writing Skills (20 points)
Grammar and Vocabulary tasks should be formatted as follows:
1. Grammar Topic – Instructions (Total Number of Points, Points per Task).
Number tasks in sequence for each section, e.g. Grammar task 1 to 15, Listening 1 to 20.
At the end of the instructions for any task write the total number of points which it is worth followed by the value
of each part e.g. ´(4 points, 1 point each)`.
Multiple choice tasks must have the four options laid out vertically. Two columns of such tasks can be put on a
page if space allows.
Try to avoid page breaks in the middle of tasks wherever possible. Do not leave space for an answer on the
next page after a task. Do not have a page break in the middle of multiple choice answers.
Make sure that there is sufficient space between the footer and the last line on a page.
8. Versions
For midterms there will be three versions of the exam: A, B and C (unless otherwise stated by coordination). For
finals, there will be two versions; A and B. Certain parts of the exam may include sections which have been
recycled from previous exams, details of which sections may be recycled and which may not will be provided to
Level Leaders by Coordination from semester to semester. In the midterm exams, the listening section is
included in the written paper. In the final exams it is a separate paper given on a separate day, thus there are
four versions. Each of these four versions has two tracks which are organised as follows – version A1 = track A
+ track B, version A2 = track B + track A, version B1 = track C + track D, version B2 = track D + track D
For the listening papers, create Version A2 and B2 by simply reversing the order of the two listening tracks,
keeping the same tasks, but renumbering them in order from 1 to 20, for example.
9. Naming convention
Level
Final Exam (MT for Midterms)
Semester
L1 FA-2011i
Version
Year
Remember to put this on the front page (See Appendix 2) and also in the footer for every page (See Appendix
1). For final listening exams the codes should be FA1, FA2, FB1 and FB2. For answer sheet, the word
´answers` should be given after the code.
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10.
Planning the Final Written Exam
If you spend some time doing these few actions before you start writing the exam, you can save time re-writing
whole sections later!
1.
2.
3.
4.
Review previous exams with comments to note past errors or weaknesses in exams.
Review the syllabus before looking at the course book – what is in/out of the syllabus?
Try to find out what worked/didn’t work before in previous exams.
Review previous exams to avoid repeating previous exam content (especially for reading and
listening texts).
5. Bear in mind the allocation of points in the exam, and make decisions regarding half points etc. (to
be discussed with other teachers in exam review sessions).
6. Consider the timing of the exam – how much time is available for each section?
7. Plan content of the two exam versions so that they are at an equal standard (of quality in general
and difficulty).
11.
Stages in Preparation of Final and Midterm exams
In the exam writing process the key stages are as follows:













Level Leaders write first drafts
Coordinators check first drafts
Level Leaders make corrections based on coordinators´ suggestions
First review session with teachers
Feedback session with coordinators after first review session
Level Leaders make corrections to second drafts
Second review session with teachers
Level Leaders make corrections to final drafts
Send final versions electronically to Assistant Coordinator and Manuel.
Final print-version review in the office before 12.00 and on the same day exams are electronically sent.
Level Leaders check to make sure Coordination have the most up-to-date version of the exam in
electronic form (often last minute changes are made in the office the day exams are printed. Level
Leaders need to make sure that coordination have the versions with these changes).
Post-exam session with the same teachers from the first review session to obtain feedback.
Revised exams sent to Assistant Coordinator with comments.
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At each of these stages the checking process is slightly different, Level Leaders must keep copies of the exam
with comments from the previous stages as a point of reference to make it easy to see where changes have
been adequately made:
Level Leaders Write First Drafts
At this stage it is important that Level Leaders know how many versions of each exam should be prepared and
work on all of them as well as on the answer sheets. It is recommended that the correct formatting is applied
from the start rather than at a later time. Point specifications should also be included at this stage The Level
Leaders should start by sourcing appropriate reading and listening texts as this can take time. The sources for
these texts should be recorded on the answer sheet for each exam. Close reference must be paid to the
syllabus so that students will have been taught and be familiar with all exam content and task types.
Coordinators Check First Drafts
Level Leaders should check the following points before submitting the first draft of the exams to Coordination:
 There are the correct number of versions of the exams (this will vary from semester to semester, and so
Level Leaders should clarify this with Coordination well in advance).
 Each exam contains all the necessary sections including answer sheets for the exam and answer
sheets for listening exams when separate.
 The answer sheets contain a record of where reading and listening texts were sourced from (i.e. the
guardian, NEF).
 The exam is of an appropriate length.
 The task types are correct according to the framework (section 1).
 The reading texts are the correct length according to the relevant framework in Section 1.
 Double points or half points have not been awarded to tasks without a valid reason.
 Answer sheets contain explanations for teachers regarding full or half point allocation for grammar
points (see Appendix 3). Decision regarding full or half points in grammar sections will depend on how
many processes students are asked to carry out in one point (e.g. choose the correct verb and put it in
the correct form), and on what is expected at that level. The final decision in relation to this can be
made with the help of teachers in the review session.
 The answer sheets contain a writing section which stipulates clearly how many points teachers should
deduct if students do not fulfill the word count (see Appendix 4).
 Where note completion exercises are included in the listening section, the answer sheet should contain
clear instructions on point allocation (see Appendix 3).
 The formatting is as specified in section 2 (including answer sheets).
 The appropriate footer is present on all pages, including answer sheets (see Appendix 1).
 The marks box on the first page is correct and contains the correct exam code (see Appendix 3).
 Examples are given for tasks where necessary.
 Instructions are not ambiguous.
 Listening instructions provide a context.
 Listening texts are of an appropriate length.
 The listening tasks and reading tasks appear in the order in which they can be answered.
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


Two options are given for writing tasks unless they are a letter or email writing task.
The writing instructions are in the format given in Appendix 6.
The number of words required for writing texts are correct (Appendix 3)
Level Leaders Make Corrections based on Coordinators´ Suggestions
Level Leaders should submit the first draft at a good standard, paying attention to and following the points
outlined in these guidelines regarding formatting and content. Changes made at this stage may or may not be
substantial; however, it´s important that ALL relevant changes are made in time for the first exam review
session with teachers, both in relation to formatting and content.
First Review Session with Teachers (see section 17)
It is Level Leaders´ responsibility to ensure that all the teachers assigned to their review group attend the
session. This may involve calling the teachers prior to and on the day as well as sending emails. In these
sessions it is important that at least two teachers check each version of the exams. We ask that teachers
complete the exam and make any comments they have on the paper. The same is to be done with the listening
papers. Full written answers need not be written. We also ask that teachers grade the tasks in terms of difficulty
with 1, 2 and 3 or a X if they believe the task to be completely inappropriate. Following this, teachers can be
given the answer sheets and discrepancies noted down. The aim of this session is mostly to assess content:
 Tasks cover topics, grammar and vocabulary points which are dealt with in the course
 Tasks are level-appropriate in terms of difficulty and also span a range which can differentiate stronger
students from weaker students
 Tasks actually test what they claim to test
 Tasks have a limited number of possible responses, preferably one correct answer
 Tasks are phrased in a comprehensible and unambiguous way
 In general, the guidelines as set out in this document are followed.
Problems with formatting, typographical errors and problems with the number of points allocated can also be
addressed and corrected.
Feedback Session with Coordinators after First Review Session
In this session Level Leaders show the comments made by teachers and decisions are made on which
comments should be acted upon and how. An important issue here is deciding whether the exam was too hard
or too easy and, in either case, what steps can be taken to remedy the issue.
Level Leaders Make Corrections to Second Drafts
If major changes need to be effected at this stage level leaders must ask a coordinator for feedback on that
change, but should also make sure that these changes are revised at the second exam review session.
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Second Review Session with Teachers
For the second review session levels 1, 2 and 3 plus one teacher form one group and levels 4, 5 and 6 plus one
teacher form the second group. In this review the following things should be checked:
 Formatting: margins, layout of tasks, no awkward page breaks, font (Arial Narrow, 12, except for texts
which have been included)
 Typographical errors throughout the entire exam
 Points: each section has the correct number of points, the number of points stated in the task
instruction corresponds to the actual number of points
 Footers are correct and exist on all versions of exams, reading texts, listening papers and answer
sheets
 New content which has been added since first review session and other significant changes which have
been made to content.
 In general, guidelines are followed as set out in this document.
Common sense is to be used in this review session as relation to more drastic changes to tasks and content.
While we would not reject alterations suggested on a sound basis, most changes of this kind should have been
effected after the first review session. Changes at this point can lead to unexpected results (unpredicted
alternative answers, confusion, which the lack of any further peer review session will mean that they can´t be
weeded out). If any changes are deemed vital then a subsequent check of content and formatting should be
carried out independently.
Level Leaders Make Corrections to Final Drafts
In correcting typographical errors and formatting issues it is recommended that Level Leaders are vigilant of
effects which changes early on may have on formatting further on in the document. For example, adding an
extra line in the grammar section in the first page may shift everything after that in the document (particularly if
you haven´t used the page break function), meaning your reading no longer fits on one page.
Final Print-Version Review
On the day of the final print-version review, Level Leaders are to send all exam papers (including the four
versions of the listening exam required for finals) and answer sheets to the office (Secretary) that morning
before 12.00 noon. These will be printed out and ready for review by Level Leaders in the office (please refer
to the exam timeline for details). Level Leaders should not leave until final print versions of all exam versions
and answer sheets are ready. When approving the final print versions, Level Leaders may suggest which
version, A or B, they would prefer to be the main version used but either version may be chosen by coordination
for use as the main exam. The versions which are printed and then checked by Level Leaders, are then
forwarded to the university for mass print. It is therefore essential that these prints are perfect. No changes
should need to be made at this stage other than the following:
 De-formatting of the printed versions (changes in page breaks, alterations in columns and margins etc.)
 Poor print quality (marks on the pages, faded ink)
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Send Final Versions Electronically to Assistant Coordinator and Manuel
Changes may be made to the files during the final print review. For this reason it is recommended that the final
versions of the files are sent to the assistant coordinator at the end of the day once no more changes are to be
made.
Post-Exam Feedback Session
After the exam, a post-exam feedback session is carried out. The time and room are included in the Teachers
Pack, and those teachers who were in the first exam review session must attend. It is the Level Leader´s
responsibility to make sure teachers are reminded of this session. The purpose of this session is to find out
what worked and what didn´t work, which tasks were effective or which were too hard or too easy, and anything
else related to the quality and effectiveness of the exams. As collecting feedback from all teachers in the level
can lead to a confusing amount of sometimes contradictory feedback, Level Leaders should not try to collect
feedback from everyone. If teachers offer feedback than this should be welcomed, but otherwise feedback
should come from this post-exam feedback session. Level Leaders should then put these notes in the form of
commentaries on an electronic version of the exam and send it to the Assistant Coordinator.
12.
How to run an Exam Testing Session
There are minor differences between a midterm and a final exam review session
Midterm Exam Testing Session Plan
Time
10:00 to 10:05
10:05 to 10:40
Teacher 1
Teacher 2
Welcome and setting tasks and roles
Test Version A
Test Version B
Reading
Reading
Grammar
Grammar
Writing
Writing
Teacher 3
10:40 to 11:15
Test Version B
Reading
Grammar
Writing
Test Version A
Reading
Writing
Grammar
11:15 to 11:30
11:30 to 11:50
11:50 to 12:00
Feedback Session on Written Exams
Test Listening Versions A, B and C
Feedback Session on Listening Versions
Feedback Session with Coordinator on Suggested Changes
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Test Version C
Reading
Grammar
Writing
Test Version C
Reading
Grammar
Writing
2014i
Final Exam Testing Session Plan
Time
10:00 to 10:05
10:05 to 10:40
10:40 to 11:15
11:15 to 11:30
11:30 to 11:50
11:50 to 12:00
Teacher 1
Teacher 2
Teacher 3
Welcome and setting tasks and roles
Test Version A
Test Version A
Test Version A
Reading
Reading
Reading
Grammar
Grammar
Grammar
Writing
Writing
Writing
Test Version B
Test Version B
Test Version B
Reading
Reading
Reading
Grammar
Grammar
Grammar
Writing
Writing
Writing
Feedback Session on Written Exams
Test Listening Versions A1, A2, B1 and B2
Feedback Session on Listening Versions
Feedback Session with Coordinator on Suggested Changes
Responsibilities of English Area Coordination




Booking a room for each testing group
Selecting small groups of teachers (ideally 3 teachers per level) to form the testing team
Communicating initially the details of rooms, time and testing teams to Level Leaders and teachers
Deciding with Level Leaders which changes to accept
Responsibilities of Level Leaders





Confirming teachers (via emails and/or phone calls)
Printing enough copies of exam for teachers to check and ensuring the latest version is being
used.
Leading the exam testing session, following the above plan
Deciding with Coordination which changes to accept
Making all accepted changes and keeping old versions organized as reference.
Responsibilities of Teachers


Doing the exam (except the written section) as if they were a student and filling in the answers, only
looking at the answer sheet afterwards to see if the answers they have given are those provided by the
Level Leaders or if alternatives are possible.
Being familiar with these guidelines in order to give feedback on their design.
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







Correcting answer sheets
Ranking each task 1 to 3, with 1 being easy and 3 being difficult, keeping in mind the ability that
students should have at this stage in the semester (be that the middle or the end). An X can be
included where the task is either completely below or above level. The ranking should be marked next
to the task on the exam paper.
Ensuring that the task types represented are types which the students will be familiar with either from
the course book or from extra materials provided by the Level Leader and that the grammar and
vocabulary topics covered are taken from the syllabus for that level (if not an X can be put next to the
tasks)
Ensuring that listening and reading texts, as well as writing tasks, refer to topics which students can be
expected to have some familiarity with from the course or contain a level of general knowledge
appropriate for the level.
Suggesting appropriate topics which could be substituted for inappropriate topics
Looking for errors in formatting or problems with the phrasing/intelligibility of instructions or tasks
Checking that the exam as a whole isn´t too long and that the points add up
Noting their comments on the paper and giving any verbal comments in the feedback session
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Guide For the Design of Exam and Quiz Tasks
1. Grammar Section
There a number of ways to test grammar in an exam or quiz, depending on what students have been exposed
to during the semester, and what types of grammar tasks are included in the course syllabus. Teachers are
advised to reference the course book when designing grammar tasks; however, they should also take into
account that some types of tasks work well in the classroom but not necessarily in a quiz or exam. For example,
asking students at a low level to write a complete sentence based on prompts might work well with the guidance
of the teacher and collaboration with other students, but may be too demanding during a test, as well as difficult
to grade for the teacher.
It is always advisable to include a range of different types of grammar testing tasks for the sake of fairness as
while some students might find a “correct the mistake” grammar task quite challenging, others might find this
task type easy but struggle with “fill the gap” style tasks. Having a vast array of task types is, however, also
unadvisable, as it could be a cognitive overload for students if they are being asked to complete tasks in many
varied ways. In addition, how a grammar point is tested depends on the grammar structure itself (e.g. the
infinitive of purpose is better tested through a correct the mistake activity than through a gap-fill activity as the
activity would be too easy as a gap-fill)
Complexity of tasks should also be taken into account when designing grammar tasks. Lower levels, for
example, should be asked to carry out straightforward simple tasks (e.g. change the verb given to the correct
past simple form), whereas high level activities may be more elaborate (e.g. choose the correct verb from but
also conjugate it).
Task Types
Below are some of the task types which could be included in an exam or quiz:

Correct the mistake

Put in the verb in brackets in the correct tense.

Rewrite the sentence maintaining the same meaning but using the target grammar (for higher levels)

Choose the correct option from a box (depending on the level more or less options should be given)

Match sentence halves (suitable for conditional sentences for example)
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



Reorder the words to create a coherent sentence.
Place the word in the correct part of the sentence
Multiple choice.
Mark structures either right or wrong and correct the wrong ones (suitable for definite/indefinite articles,
for example)
Do´s and Don´ts
Aside from choosing appropriate grammar task types, effectively designing and producing them in a way which
avoids ambiguity and effectively tests what you wish to test means taking into account a number of points. The
following box contains a list of Do´s and Don´ts which will help you effectively design grammar tasks.
Do´s

Don´ts
Make sure you evaluate only the target

tested on the ability to use a language and not
grammar in the syllabus.

Make sure instructions are crystal clear

Follow the exercise types that students are
used to from the text book series or from
to recognize the name of the grammatical
structure.

Give an example.

Try to avoid creating grammar tasks where
there s more than one possible answer. If this
is unavoidable, then alternative answers
should be included in answers sheets (in the
case of midterm and final exams).

Grade the vocabulary in the grammar tasks.

Make sure you have an appropriate number of
tasks for the time allocated.

Weight point allocation to the difficulty of the
Avoid tasks that have more than one correct
answer (e.g. future tenses is a notoriously
practice in class using outside materials.

Avoid jargon in the instructions. Ss are being
tricky subject – will/going to + infinitive are
nearly always interchangeable)

Grammar topics should always be given in the
task but do not assume that this is enough
context – a ´modals of deduction` task must
contain enough inherent context to suggest
the use of that grammar e.g. not ´He
____________ asleep` but ´I don´t where Bob
was yesterday but he was tired so
_____________ asleep`.
task, BUT

Avoid having different number of points per
task within one section of tasks

Half points are acceptable, but there should
be a good justification.
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Writing Correct the Mistake Grammar Tasks
This type of task can be challenging to write, and potentially too difficult for students if they are not written taking
into account the following guidelines:

They should be written as separate, individual sentences, and not in paragraph form.

Students should only be asked to correct one mistake per task, and the mistakes should all be of the
same type e.g. a missing word, or an incorrect word. This should be stated clearly in the instructions
Example:
Correct the mistake in each of the following sentences by changing a word. There is only one mistake
in each sentence.
or
Correct the mistake in each of the following sentences by inserting a word. There is only one mistake
in each sentence.

Only mistakes related to one grammar point should be included, e.g. correct past tenses of irregular
verbs.

Care should be given when writing these tasks to make sure there is only one possible answer, and
this should be checked in exam review sessions.
2. Vocabulary Section
As with grammar points, when designing vocabulary items it is important to bear in mind what students have
been practicing in the course book and through outside materials brought to class by the teacher (in the case of
quizzes). It is also important to decide if it is fair to test the items with recognition activities or through
production, and how should this be balanced. Another point to be considered is what type of lexis it is and how
best that particular lexis set should be tested. For example, collocation would perhaps be better tested through
a matching activity than a gap-fill.
As with grammar tasks, don´t overuse the same task type, but avoid using too broad a variety so as not to
confuse students. Similarly, consider the fact that while some vocabulary activities work well in class, they are
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not suitable for testing (e.g. write a sentence/paragraph to demonstrate you understand the meaning of a
word(s)). Asking students to produce words from distinct lexical sets in a test can be confusing and overly
demanding, hence teachers are encouraged to design activities which draw from one lexical set only e.g. words
related to houses.
Task Types
Below is a list of some of the ways in which vocabulary items can be tested:
o Match two words or more (for example, with collocations)
o A sentence providing context with multiple choice (how many choices you give will depend on the level)
o Choose options from a box to complete a sentence which provides context (again, how many choices
you give will depend on the level)
o Complete the sentence (with spaces for each letter provided).
o Crossword (if the answer has more than one word, give the students the number of letter per word e.g.
4, 3: take-off)
o A paragraph with gap-fills (the first letter of each word should be provided, and at least 4 words
between each gap should be provided). This task type is suitable for higher levels only.
o Match the words to the picture (suitable for lower levels, e.g. telling the time).
o Match or provide the word to/for the definition.
Do´s and Don´ts
Below is a box which summarises Do´s and Don´ts when writing vocabulary tasks:
Do´s
Don´ts

Use a number of task styles.

Overload students with too many task types.

Provide the first letter and number of spaces

Only use production style tasks.
per item in gap-fills, or provide the words in a

Use overly challenging vocabulary in the
box.

Use pictures where appropriate.

Use task styles with which students have had
ample practice.

sentence which provides context.

that don´t photocopy well.

Test words within the same lexical set.
Ask students to produce a sentence to
demonstrate they understand a word.

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Use ambiguous or vague pictures, or ones
Test different lexical sets in one task
2014i
3. Reading & Listening Section
Sourcing Listening Texts
Level Sources
1 & 2 Voice
of
America
www.voanews.com/specialenglish/index.cfm
www.Englishtips.org
Notes
Make sure these are based on themes from that
level´s syllabus or contain general knowledge
topics (only at higher levels).
www.podcastsinenglish.com
3&4
Final Exam writers and Quiz II writers may take
listening tracks from the beginning of a book for
the next level, e.g. for level 2 you can take a
Voice
of
America track from the beginning of the level 3 book.
www.voanews.com/specialenglish/index.cfm
Avoid texts where Ss may have prior
www.Englishtips.org
www.podcastsinenglish.com
knowledge, e.g. Transmilenio.
www.learnenglish.britishcouncil.org
NEF Workbook
5&6
Don’t re-use tasks from across the exam
versions you are writing.
Voice
of
America Writers may use only 2 listening texts across the
www.voanews.com/specialenglish/index.cfm
three exam versions, but must write different
NEF Workbook
tasks.
Make sure authentic listening texts that have
speakers with a full operational command of the
English language: appropriate, accurate and
fluent with complete understanding.
Sourcing reading texts
When including a reading text in a quiz, be aware that reading often requires a substantial amount of time for
students, and you most probably will not be left with much opportunity to test other areas. Try to make the topics
interesting to the students. Below is a summary of websites which you may find useful when sourcing reading
texts.
Level Sources
Notes
1 & 2 Other ESL text books, including Cutting Edge and New Make sure these are based on
Headway
themes from that levels syllabus or
Write your own text
contain general knowledge topics.
Adapt blogs
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www.podcastinenglish.com (can adapt some tapescripts)
Avoid texts where Ss may have prior
Travel blogs.
Other ESL text books, including Cutting Edge and New knowledge, e.g. Transmilenio.
Headway Children’s BBC webpage. www.pbs.org
Take care with paragraph length for
One Stop English, www.learnenglish.britishcouncil.org
web material. Total English readings
Online newspapers and magazines, e.g. www.nytimes.com, are OK, but write your own tasks.
www.theindependent.co.uk, The New York Times learning
Don’t use interviews.
centre, Huffington Post
Do not re-use texts across the three
BBC Learning English
exam versions: find new texts for each
One Stop English/The Guardian graded texts.
exam.
3&4
5&6
Grading (levelling) reading texts

Text should have a title, as well as sub titles if appropriate.

Pictures may be included, but bear in mind that these usually do not photocopy well.

The title must be readily understandable by a student at the level. Any words considered too difficult
must be changed.

Vocab for each level must be based on what the students should know, not what they might know.

The topic of the reading text must be related to a theme covered in the New English File course book
or a theme related to general knowledge (at higher levels) - this helps to make sure that students
should have the vocabulary to understand the text.

Do not use controversial topics that may cause psychological stress to the test-taker, e.g. death,
kidnapping. Be careful if selecting texts about religion that they do not offend and are objective.

If a word is intrinsic to the understanding of a task, then it must be at the level, or changed so that it is
at the level. This may need to be done while writing the task.

If a word looks "difficult", but is not intrinsic to the understanding of the task it may be left, BUT the
maximum number of "difficult" words cannot exceed more than one word per paragraph.

If the test writer cannot change a word, then that phrase or sentence can be removed, but the text
should then be checked for coherence.

An alternative to changing words is to provide a short glossary. For levels 1 and 2 provide Spanish
meanings, for levels 3 to 6, provide meanings in English.

Avoid idiomatic language especially for lower levels; include those that students should have learnt
for higher levels.

Be careful with use of slang, if this has not been covered in the syllabus.
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
Replace contractions when used inappropriately in authentic texts.

Do not use one sentence paragraphs. These are common especially with internet articles, and
should be edited for exams.

Avoid including sentences which begin with coordinating conjunctions, as we are teaching students
not to do these.
Task types for Reading and Listening Sections
Midterm & Final Exams
For listening sections the tasks can be either T/F, multiple choice or table/note completion. A table/not
completion cannot be mixed with other types of tasks since the notes provided could give away the answers to
other task types. T/F must be used in conjunction with multiple choice – an entire listening cannot be composed
only of T/F at any level since the law of probabilities makes it likely that even a student who understands
nothing could get half of the answers correct just by guessing at random. Thus, for a listening exercise worth 10
points, 5 T/F tasks should be given followed by five multiple choice tasks (or vice versa). These task types
should not be intermixed. DNS should not be given as an option in listening exams since listening for
information that never appears can unduly distract students.
For the reading sections the tasks can be either T/F/DNS, multiple choice, cloze tasks or sentence completion.
For levels 1 and 2 only T/F tasks and three-option multiple-choice. We recommend either one or two task types
for midterms finals, and quizzes (never three), as more than this amount can confuse students. In general, cloze
tasks should not be mixed with other types as it is unfair to ask students to answer T/F/DNS tasks on a text with
gaps in it. Nevertheless, if the text can be divided into two sections, one with cloze tasks and one with another
type, this can be done. In levels 4 to 6 all three types of task should be used at some point throughout the
semester. Again the tasks should appear in the order which they can be answered when reading the text. 1 or 2
points to be given per task in approximately the ratio 10 x 1 + 5 x 2 (not all worth 2 points).
Quizzes
Teachers may also use the tasks types as explained above, and may find the guidelines on how to design these
tasks types useful. However, as quizzes are intended to allow for more flexibility, teachers are not restricted to
these task types only. It should be taken into account; however, that testing reading or listening skills is one of
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the more challenging aspects of exam/quiz design, and using this guide may make the task easier and lead to
better designed quiz and more effective testing.
Writing multiple choice reading/listening tasks
Multiple Choice tasks are probably the most difficult tasks to write, but the easiest to grade.
Here is an explanation of some basic terminology;




The Stem is the question
The Key is the correct answer
The Alternative is an option closely similar to the Key
Distractors are other possible answers
Rules for writing the Stem:






The students should be able to read the stem and text, and answer the question without reference to
the alternatives (if not there is not sufficient context for the question)
The stem does NOT have to be phrased as a complete question, but should be complete in the sense
that student can finish the phrase based on what's there
The stem should be clearly worded and free of ambiguity – this is easier said than done, but keep
editing it, asking yourself “can I simplify, or clarify”?
The stem should be free of irrelevant or unnecessary detail
Do not have any negatively worded stems, e.g. “which is not a contender”
The maximum word count for the stem must not exceed 14 words
Rules for selecting a Key:



Make certain that the intended answer is the only correct answer or clearly the best
Avoid using words from the text - paraphrase
Vary the distribution of the keyed item in random manner;
o most students know that if in doubt you choose "C", because we all tend to want to "hide" Key
in middle
o if necessary, use random tables to distribute the Key (telephone directories are good sources
of random numbers), or dice, where you convert a number to a letter A to D.
Rules for selecting an Alternative and Distractors:


Alternatives must be grammatically consistent with the text, and parallel in form
Capitalise the Alternative and Distractors in the same way as the Key, i.e. beginning of a sentence or a
proper noun.
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






A student at the level should know the word chosen
Avoid false cognates
All Alternatives and Distractors must be plausible
All Alternatives and Distractors must be about the topic of the Stem, not some random thoughts
Opposites in the form of antonyms are an acceptable test of comprehension, but not negatives
You are not trying to trick the student, but test their English language skill
Do not repeat the options throughout the exercise
Example – select one option from four
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
1. What does the writer describe as distinctive about the TransMilenio?
A.
B.
C.
D.
centre islands
stations
multiple doors
red buses
Writing True/False/Does Not Say Reading Tasks
Description
In reading texts, the candidate needs to find facts from the text and decide whether the question stem is True,
False or Does Not Say (information not explicit in the text, even though it may be implied). All three of these
task types should be distributed as evenly as possible. For Levels 1 and 2 offer only True or False answer
options, but limit the number of these tasks because of a potential 50:50 guess, and assign only 1 point per
task.
Writing the task
True/False/Does Not Say tasks are not easy to write at a sufficient level of challenge to the candidate.
For levels 3 to 6, make sure you have an equal number of DNS answers across the different versions (In
Midterm and Final exams) as these are typically the most difficult for the student.
Follow these guidelines to help you write a good T/F/DNS task.






Paraphrase from the text in the tasks
Include only one main idea in each task stem
True or False answers must be unequivocally true or false
Avoid "specific determiners" which can give an unintended clue to the answer
Avoid ambiguous terms like "frequently" or "in most cases"
Avoid negative question stems; positive statements only
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

Randomize the position of the answers in each task
At least one answer should be Does Not Say, as these are more difficult for the student and tests
reading comprehension to a higher level
Example
According to the text, are the following statements True (T), False (F) or Does Not Say (DNS)?
1.
The writer believes Bogota was a good option for this project because its people were used to
travelling by bus. (T)
2.
It is cheaper for passengers to ride on TransMilenio than on a regular bus. (DNS)
3.
Enrique Peñalosa has travelled on TransMilenio at the busiest time of day. (T)
Writing Cloze tasks for Reading sections
Description
Cloze tasks are gap-fill tasks, which are designed to test reading comprehension and vocabulary. Do not write
tasks that test for grammar; write tasks that test lexis and/or reading comprehension. The student is required to
read the text and select the best word to complete a numbered gap from four options given.
Cloze tasks must always provide four options A to D. The options must be provided in vertical, not horizontal
form;

A.
B.
C.
D.
Next
Then
Before
After

A. Next B. Then C. Before D. After
Here is an explanation of some basic terminology:



The Key is the correct answer
The Alternative is an option closely similar to the Key
Distractors are other possible answers
Rules for selecting a Key:

Make certain that intended answer is the only correct answer or clearly the best
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




Make sure that it tests reading comprehension, not grammar
Allow at least 4 words in the text between the gaps
Do not select adjectives as the key as there are too many options
The key may be more than one word when it is a lexeme
Vary the distribution of the keyed item in random manner:
o Most students know that if in doubt you choose "c", because we all tend to want to "hide" Key in
middle
o Because after you've gone to all that work of thinking up wrong answers you want to make sure
the students read them!
o If necessary, use random tables to distribute the Key (telephone directories are good sources
of random numbers), or dice, where you convert a number to a letter A to D
Rules for selecting an Alternative and Distractors:







Alternatives must be grammatically consistent with the text, and parallel in form
Capitalise the Alternative and Distractors in the same way as the Key, i.e. beginning of a sentence or a
proper noun.
A student at the level should know the word chosen.
Do not have more than one false cognate in your 10 tasks, but one is OK to test higher level students
All Alternatives and Distractors must be plausible (this includes being written with correct grammar)
Opposites are acceptable to test the students comprehension of the text
You are not trying to trick the student, but test their English language skill
You will need to write more tasks than you actually need – about 25% more. It’s a good idea to put more tasks
into the Exam Testing Stage than are actually needed in the final signed-off exam.
Here are some types of Cloze tasks that work well.
Linking words
These are relatively easy to write, and are good at testing the students’ understanding of the text cohesion and
coherence.
For example:
Officials at the Panna Nature Reserve in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India, the so-called tiger state,
revealed that there were no longer any of the big cats in the entire park.(1) _________ forest officials
reported not sighting any of the animals for some time, a leading wildlife organisation carried out a
survey. The state's forest minister, Rajendra Shukla, confirmed that the reserve, which three years ago
had up to 24 tigers, no longer had any whatsoever. Almost all are believed to have been killed.
Answers:
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A.
B.
C.
D.
Next (Distractor)
Then (Distractor)
Before (Alternative)
After (Answer Key)
Choice of correct word
This type of task is more difficult to write because all too often the Alternative and even the Distractors could
also be a correct option. The key test for this type of task is whether all the options all plausible, but not so
plausible that there may be more than one clear answer.
For example:
This is not the first time a prestigious reserve has reported that its tigers have disappeared. In 2005, it was
revealed that all the tigers in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan had also been killed. What makes this
case different is that the (2) _________faced by the park were regularly drawn to the attention of officials. A
committee formed by India's Supreme Court even warned of the potential danger facing the park and how
Panna could see a repeat of what happened at Sariska. A report by the central government's forest ministry
says "warning bells sounded regularly for the past eight years" but that the local authorities did not listen.
A.
B.
C.
D.
problems (Answer Key)
diseases (Distractor)
reservations (Distractor)
warnings (Alternative)
Relative pronouns
These again are relatively easy to write, and are good at testing the students’ understanding of the text
cohesion and coherence.
For example:
A census carried out on behalf of the government and handed to the Indian Prime Minister two years
ago revealed that the total may be as few as 1,300 animals. The upper limit was put at 1,500. While
there are no precise figures, some estimates suggest that at the turn of the 20th Century, the population
may have stood at 100,000. Some experts believe there may now be as few as two genetically viable
populations of tigers in India, located in the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand and the Kanha Tiger
Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, (4) _________ is said to have inspired Rudyard Kipling to write The
Jungle Book.
Answers:
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A.
B.
C.
D.
which (Answer Key)
where (Alternative)
who (Distractor)
when (Distractor)
Writing Note or Table Completion Tasks for Listening Sections

These are particularly suited to texts that are informational, whether a monologue or a dialogue such as a
simulated telephone call, or an extract from a radio interview.

The task requires candidates to locate and record specific information from the text, whilst ignoring other
parts of the text that include redundant information. They record the words that they hear (not paraphrased)
in the gaps in the notes or table that you have made by listening to the text.

Make sure that you leave sufficient time between the distinct pieces of information that you’ve selected for
the answers so that they have time to record their answers and not miss information for the next task.

Words for the gaps should be words that the students should know for that level.

The answers are likely to be 1 to 3 words or a number. Avoid selecting proper names as answers, unless
these are spelled out

Note completion exercises for listening exams should NOT be written as a paragraph summary completion.
This format represents a cognitive load far too heavy for a listening exam.

Where possible headings should be used, and complete information provided between gaps to guide
students while listening.

Sentences should be as short as possible, and students should not be required to read more than one
sentence at a time.

Care should be given when paraphrasing not to change a sentence to the extent that it becomes confusing
for a student. Key words should be included to guide students, and elaborate changes to the sentence
structure should be avoided.

If the student has written the correct word in note completion exercises, but with minor spelling mistakes,
then full points may be given. Spelling mistakes are acceptable if the student succeeds in demonstrating
understanding regardless of these minor spelling errors.

If the student writes the correct word, but in the wrong tense or word form (e.g. “decide” instead of
“decision”), they may be given half points.
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Example of table completion task*:
Complete the table below. Write no more than THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. (1 point
per task).
Length of holiday
Cost per person (including all Special offers included in
accommodation costs)
price
3 days
16 $.............................
Pick up from the
17 …………………..
7 days
$350
As above plus
 Book of
18 ……………………………..

14 days
19 $..........................
Maps
As above plus membership of a
20 ……………………………
*taken from the Cambridge ESOL PET Handbook:
Example of part of note completion task:
Speaker 1
Most people at work are o) friendly
He has a problem with his 1) ____________________
The problem is very serious.
He appears to be 2) ____________________, young and fun.
He likes parties
Speaker 2
The couple are late.
The 5) ____________________ is really bad
The woman thinks the man needs to 6) ____________________
It´s rush hour
Woman says she will 7) ____________________ the restaurant.
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Writing Sentence Completion Tasks For Reading Sections

This task type tests students´ ability to locate and understand precise information in the passage. Tasks
should relate to factual information in the passage

Students should be asked to write “no more than three consecutive words and/or a number from the
passage”

Select a part of the text that you have not used for other tasks

Write the tasks in the order of the information in the text

paraphrase or summarise a portion of the text, but include some key words/phrases from the text

remove one to three of the words and/or numbers to create the gap – these words must have been taken
directly from the text

there should be only one gap per sentence; the gap cannot be split

put the gap at the end of the sentence if you can

avoid having the gap at the beginning of the sentence

watch out for unintended hints such as articles before the gap

make sure the gaps are all of the same length, irrespective of the number of words/numbers required to
complete the gap

test the task for other plausible responses from the text; two responses from the text is acceptable, but any
more leads to confusion in grading the exam
2.
Writing Section
The task prompts should be clearly and succinctly written and ample space given for students to write, taking
into account the large handwriting of many students. In addition, the point breakdown should be clearly
specified, and always include a space for students to brainstorm and plan. Topics and genres should relate to
what students have learnt in that level.
Do not specify on the exam how many points will be deducted and do not give two figures e.g. ´write at least
150 words. You will lose points if you write less than 135` as this could encourage students to aim for the lower
limit.
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Two options must always be given for writing tasks in midterm and final exams, and are recommended also for
quizzes. This is to allow for students´ preferences and the possibility that they may feel more imaginative on
certain topics than others. The only exception are for email or letter writing tasks where students are not
required to be so creative and simply have to include the information specified.
For all levels, in midterm and final exams, the written section should be graded using the grading system as
outlines in assessment guidelines (see appendix 1). In quizzes, it is the teacher´s choice how they wish to
grade, but using the midterm and final exam system has the benefit of preparing students for these exams.
See the appendices at the end of this document for samples of writing tasks instructions.
3.
Writing Clear Instructions
Writing clear and ambiguous instructions is essential and if instructions are not designed carefully they can lead
to confusion for students. Below are some general points to bear in mind when writing instructions:





Be careful to grade language in the instructions. Even at higher levels, simple and succinct language
should be used.
Avoid idiomatic language such as phrasal verbs (confusing: “fill-in the spaces”, clear: “complete the
sentence)
It is always wise to include examples, especially where grammatical terms (which students may not
necessarily understand) are used.
Instructions should all be written in English even at lower levels.
When students need to choose words from a box, tell them whether or not they are allowed to use
words more than once and if there are more words than what they need.
For samples of standard instructions see Appendix 6 at the end of this document.
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Bibliography
Assessing Listening Gary Buck, CUP 2001
Cambridge IELTS Past Papers 5, CUP 2007
Externado University Graduation Exam Manual 2nd Edition 2009
Language Assessment - Principles and Classroom Practice H Douglas Brown Longman
New English File Series, Oxford University Press
PET Handbook, Cambridge ESOL 2009
Total English Series Student Books, Pearson Longman
Testing for Language Teachers, Arthur Hughes 2007 (6th printing) Cambridge University
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Appendix 1: Footer to Be Used On All Versions of the Exam
47
Universidad Externado de Colombia. FIGRI. Área de Inglés
L6 FA-2010ii
This footer is to be used on all versions of the exam, with the appropriate changes made according to the
naming convention. For answer sheets ´answers` should be written after the exam code. For final listening
exams, FA1, FA2, FB1 or FB2 should be written in the footer as given in the naming convention.
When checking the versions of the exams, it is important to ensure that there is space between the last text on
the page and the footer as overcrowding can be confusing and make the text difficult to read.
To put this footer on your exam, click on the insert tab in Microsoft Word and then on the footer option. This type
of footer should appear in the scroll-down menu.
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Appendix 2: File Naming Convention
The following should be used when naming files before sending to Coordination. Both exams and exams with
comments are included here.
Midterm Exams:

L4MTA _2012ii

L4MTA _2012ii-answers

L4MTA _2012ii-com

L4MTA _2012ii-answers com
Final Written Exams

L4FA _2012ii

L4FA _2012ii-answers

L4FA _2012ii-com

L4FA _2012ii-answers com
Final Listening Exams

L4FL_A1 2012ii

L4FL_A1 2012ii-answers

L4FL_A1 2012ii-com

L4FL_A1 2012ii-answers com
Track File Names

L2FLB_2012ii_Books

L3FLA_2012ii_Jobs
Track File Names (when more than 1 track)

L2FLB_2012ii_T:1_Books

L2FLB_2012ii_T:2_jobs
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2014i
Appendix 3: Exam Front Page Box
L5 FA-2010ii
Grammar & Writing Skills
Vocabulary
Reading
Comments
Listening
Writing
Listening 1:
Points
/ 15
/ 15
/ 20
Listening 2
Total
Teacher
Student
L5 MTA-2010ii
Grammar & Writing Skills
Vocabulary
Reading
/ 20
/ 30
Total
/ 100
Comments
Points
/8
/7
/ 10
Listening
Writing
Total
Teacher
Student
/ 10
/ 15
Total
/ 100
El uso de celular u otros aparatos electrónicos está absolutamente prohibido. En caso de que el profesor lo
encuentre con dicho aparato su examen será anulado.
Debe usar tinta. En caso de que escriba en lápiz no tendrá derecho a revisión de nota.
L6 FB1-2010ii
Listening 1
Listening
Comments
Points
/ 10
/ 10
Total
/ 20
Teacher
These are the boxes which should be put on the front page of all written and listening exams. The only thing which
needs to be changed in the box is the code in the top-left corner according to the naming convention. If two writing
tasks are given ´Writing A: Writing B: ` can be written in the appropriate space.
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Appendix 4: Word Count for Writing Section
Wordcounts in the writing section of the final written exams should be as in the table below. These need not be
rigidly followed if the task requires a slightly higher or lower wordcount. Teachers must include the scale for
deduction of points depending on word count (e.g. deduct 2 points if the word count is less than 235 words, 4 points
if it is less than 200 words) on the answer sheet.
Level
MT
required -2 points for -4points
Final required -2 points for -4points for
word count
less than:
for less word count
less than
less than
than
1
60
55
50
120
110
105
2
80
75
70
160
145
140
3
90
80
75
160
145
140
4
100
90
85
180
160
155
5
150
135
130
200
180
170
6
200
180
170
250
225
215
*The wordcounts can be divided equally or unequally e.g. level 2 = 70/70 or 60/80 depending on the task
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Appendix 5: Point Allocation Instructions
When note completion exercises are included in the listening section, the instructions for teachers in
relation to point allocation should be copied and pasted to the top of the answer sheet.
If the student has written the correct word in note completion exercises, but with minor spelling
mistakes, then full points may be given. Spelling mistakes are acceptable if the student
succeeds in demonstrating understanding regardless of these minor spelling errors.
The following point allocation instructions should be copied and pasted at the beginning of the grammar
section in the answer sheet.
Half points should only be given if stated at the beginning of the relevant section. Otherwise,
students should be given either full points if the answer is entirely correct or zero points.
The following is an example of point allocation instructions where teachers should give half points:
If students write a past participle with incorrect spelling they may be given a half point provided
the remaining structure and spelling is correct.
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Appendix 6: Standard Instructions
Cloze Tasks
Read the text below and choose the best word for each space. For each question, circle the correct letter A, B, C or
D. (1 point per question).
True/False/Does Not Say
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?
In the space provided for each question, write
TRUE
FALSE
DOES NOT SAY
if the statement agrees with the information
if the statement does not agree with the information
if there is no information on this
(1 point per question).
Multiple Choice Tasks
Choose the best answer from the options A, B, C or D. Circle the correct letter A, B, C or D. (1 point per question).
Table or note completion for Listening
Read tasks 1 to 8 below.
Now listen to ___________________* and complete tasks 1 to 8. Write no more than THREE WORDS AND/OR A
NUMBER for each answer. The words or numbers you write must be the same as in the recording. (1 point per
question).
Listen again and check your answers.
*A context should always be provided for listening tasks
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Table or note completion for Reading
Complete the sentences below using no more than THREE CONSECUTIVE WORDS FROM THE TEXT per space.
Grammar Gap Fill From Words in a Box
Present Perfect and Past Simple - complete the sentences with the best verb from the box, putting it in the correct
future/past form.
Grammar Gap Fill Using Verbs in Brackets
Narrative tenses - Complete the sentences with the appropriate form of the verbs in brackets. (1 point per
question).
Writing sentences using prompts
Future - Write sentences/questions with the correct form of be going to using the prompts. (1 point per question)
Correcting mistakes
Participle Clauses - correct the mistakes in the following sentences by changing one word. You do not need
to re-write the complete sentence. (half point per question)
telling
e.g. When tell a joke, timing is very important.
Writing Task Instructions
The instructions for the writing section of the midterm and final written exam (and recommended for quizzes) should
be something like this:
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Choose one of the topics below and write an essay/paragraph of at least ____ words. You will lose points
if you write less. (Support your answer with appropriate examples and evidence.)
Answer the following question using at least ___ words. You will lose points if you write less.
a) First writing option
OR
b) Second writing option
Write an email to a friend inviting them to a party. Include the following:



the time and place
what kind of party it will be
some of the things you will do
Use the space below for planning. Your notes will not be graded.
Write your paragraph on the opposite page.
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Task Response: ______/5
Grammar: ______/10
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Spelling & Vocabulary: ______/10
Coherence & Cohesion: ______/5
July 2013