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Overview of testing materials

The main purpose of the tests in designed to check the language and
Speakout 2nd Edition is to enable skills covered in each half of the
teachers to identify learners’ strengths Student’s Book. They also contain task
and weaknesses, and assess whether types from the Cambridge English
remedial teaching is necessary. It is main suite exams.
also envisaged that the tests will give
learners a sense of progress and Test Administration
achievement that will motivate them to
continue learning. Speakout 2nd Edition The time allocation given for each test
provides both teachers and learners is approximate and will depend on the
with a comprehensive range of strengths and weaknesses of each
evaluation and testing materials. class. The suggested timings are:

Types of Test  Unit Tests: 15–30 minutes


 Achievement Tests: 90-120
There is a one-page Unit test for each minutes
unit of the Elementary Students’ Book.  Mid and End of Course Tests:
These tests contain between five and 90-120 minutes
seven exercises which focus on the
specific grammar, vocabulary and The Listening sections of the
functional language covered in that Achievement and Mid/End of Course
unit. The tests are deliberately short, tests should be administered first. Play
and are designed to give both teachers each recording twice. Students are then
and students immediate feedback on free to complete the rest of the test at
their understanding and assimilation of their own pace.
the key language in each unit.
Marking and Grading
The four-page Achievement tests are
placed at regular intervals, after every Most tasks test specific points.
three units of the Students’ Book. The Students have to give the correct
Achievement tests are more extensive answer to get full marks. However,
than the Unit tests and are designed to flexibility is built in so that credit can
check both language and skills be given to answers that are not wholly
development in the previous two or correct. For example, if a student
three units of the book. In addition to makes a spelling mistake in a grammar
grammar, vocabulary and functional question, half marks could be given at
language, the Achievement tests your discretion. The important thing is
include reading, listening and writing to be consistent with the awarding of
sections. marks for all students.
The Achievement tests contain similar
task types to those found in the
Cambridge English main suite exams
(Key, Preliminary, First and Advanced)
and so can be used as an initial
introduction to these exams.The four-
page Mid-course and End of Course
tests build on the Achievement tests
and are more extensive. They are

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Overview of testing materials

The following scale of grading is Speaking tasks


suggested: No specific oral tests for assessing
students’ speaking skills are included
in the Speakout 2nd Edition tests.
Very good A 90% +
However, this can be done in the
Good pass B 80-89% classroom in two ways: via ongoing
assessment during freer speaking
Borderline activities and/or formal assessment at
C 70-79%
pass regular intervals. Formal assessment
Less than can be carried out with students in
Fail F
70% groups of three. They can be given
collaborative tasks, such as those
The Unit tests are designed to check provided in the Speakout sections of
that students have understood and the Students’ Book. Teachers can
retained the language input from the monitor each group separately and
unit. They should help you identify award marks out of 10 according to the
students who are struggling, but you following criteria:
will find that most students who have
completed all of the course material  accuracy/range of language,
achieve a good pass on the test. including pronunciation:
3 marks
Writing tasks  fluency: speed and level of
There are two writing tasks in each of hesitation, use of linking
the Achievement tests and Mid/End of devices:
Course tests. The first task is designed 3 marks
to test the writing sub-skills taught in  interaction: turn taking,
the Students’ Book, such as linking initiating, responding and
words. The second task allows students maintaining the conversation:
to express themselves more freely in a 2 marks
piece of extended writing.  task achievement: conveying
the message, coherence, the use
The following assessment criteria are of relevant language and
suggested when grading the final completion of the task:
writing task: 2 marks

 accuracy and range of It is, of course, also possible to carry


structures and vocabulary, out one-to-one assessment of the
including spelling: students’ speaking skills if time allows.
5 marks
 task achievement (relevant
information) and text
organisation (linking of ideas at
sentence and paragraph level):
5 marks

PHOTOCOPIABLE © Pearson Education Limited 2015

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