oxford english testing.com

oxford english testing.com Information for teachers about online CAE practice tests from www.oxford english testing.com What is oxfordenglishtesting.com? It s a website that gives students and teachers of English access to interactive practice tests. It s where students who have bought OUP materials can access online practice tests via a MultiROM, and buy more if they wish. What do the online CAE practice tests consist of? The CAE online practice tests reflect what happens in the real exam, in the same way as printed practice tests from Oxford University Press. The practice tests are complete and full length. For an overview of the content of CAE, see page 4. Students do not print the tests in order to do them. They take them online and they are marked automatically online. In addition, there is a range of help features that students can call on while they are doing the test. These include dictionary look-up, exam tips, audio scripts, the ability to mark and change individual answers, and get feedback on answers. See page 3 for more details on these features. The combination of online marking and help features makes the practice tests ideal for self-study at home or in the classroom. How do students take an online practice test? Students can do a practice test in their own time wherever they have access to a computer and the Internet. They will need an email address and to be online when they do the tests. Students have access to the test for 365 days from the time payment is received, or from the time they start the test. Students do not have to do the whole test at one time. They can answer and then mark a question, a part, a paper, or the whole test. All their answers are automatically saved when they leave the site, and they can come back to the test at any time. They can also skip questions and come back to them later. Students can monitor their progress via the Test Overview, which records questions not attempted, attempted but not marked, right and wrong answers, and questions that cannot be marked online. Students can also print the Test Overview and Results page. After 365 days they have to submit the test for final marking. Marking the practice test The system can automatically mark the CAE Reading, Use of English, and Listening papers. Where students are asked to key in their answers, the automatic marking system will only accept words that are spelt correctly. Answers may be typed in upper case or lower case, but not a mixture of the two (e.g. CORRECT ANSWER and correct answer are acceptable, but not Correct answer, unless at the start of a CAE Information for teachers 1

sentence, or a proper name). Both British and American spelling are accepted. When students take their answer from a text provided, they should make sure they copy the word exactly. The system cannot automatically mark the CAE Writing and Speaking papers. However, these parts of the test are provided online, along with exam tips, sample answers for the Writing paper, and useful language for the Speaking paper, in order to provide practice of the complete test. The Speaking papers are also available as downloadable PDFs via the link from the learning resources section of the My Tests page. As the system cannot automatically mark the CAE Writing and Speaking papers online, the default result will exclude these papers. The result the students see includes totals for each of the marked parts and a percentage. It also gives an indication as to whether the score is equivalent to a pass or not. For the Writing paper, your students can enter their answers online, and have the choice of printing them or emailing them to you for marking. They can then enter the marks you give them on the Results page, after they have submitted all their answers for final marking. Their final score will then be adjusted to take these marks into account. If you wish, you can also conduct the Speaking test with students and they can enter their marks on the Results page on the website. Their final score will then be adjusted to take these marks into account. If students want to enter marks for Writing and Speaking they need to enter them at the same time. Finally, it is important to remember that these are practice tests, not the real exam, and so the final mark is only an indication of how your students might perform in the real exam. See pages 5 6 for more information on assessing the Writing paper and pages 7 8 for more information on assessing the Speaking paper. Where can I find out more about oxfordenglishtesting.com? For more help, click on the Support tab on the website, www.oxfordenglishtesting.com. You ll find a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) covering technical issues, registering, buying tests, doing tests, and other topics. There is a demo on the homepage of the website that will give you a clear understanding of the site and the practice tests. You can also contact us at customerservice.eltonline@oup.com CAE Information for teachers 2

Features of the online practice tests Exam tips Dictionary look-up Instant marking and feedback Change your answer or try again Save and come back later Mark individual answers, a part, a paper, or the whole test Audio scripts Sample answers for essay questions in the Writing paper Useful language for the Speaking paper Results page Try a sample test first There is a tip on how to answer every question type. Students can look up the meaning of any word in the practice test. They just double click it and a definition will pop up from the Oxford Advanced Learner s Dictionary. They will need to have pop-up windows enabled. When a student has answered a question, they can mark it straight away to see whether they got it right. If the answer was wrong, they can get Feedback to find out why it was wrong. Students can then go back and have another go as many times as they like. Understanding why they answered a question incorrectly helps them think more clearly about a similar question next time. Students don t have to complete a Paper in one go. When they log out it saves what they ve done. They can come back to it at any time. Students have 365 days before they have to submit the practice test for final marking. The My tests page tells students how many days they have left to access the test. However much students have done of the practice test, they can mark it and see how well they re doing. These are available for all parts of the Listening test. Reading the Audio script will help students understand any areas they didn t understand when they were listening. Students can see Sample answers after they ve written their own. They ve been written by real students, and will give them a good idea of what s expected. What they write will not be marked automatically. If you would like to mark your student s essay, tell them and they can either print it off to give to you, or email it to you. When you ve marked it, they can enter the mark on their Results page. It does not matter if they do not enter a mark for the essay. The final marks will be adjusted to take that into account. Students get sample Speaking papers and Useful language to help them practise offline. If you want to assess your students they can print the Speaking paper from the My tests page, and ask you to do the Speaking paper with them. As with the Writing paper, you can give them a mark and they can enter the mark on the Results page. However, if you don t, their final marks will be adjusted to take that into account. Remember this is a practice test not the real exam. Students will see their score by paper and part and as a percentage. This will only be an indication as to whether their score is equivalent to a pass or not. You can try out a short version of a practice test yourself. Go to oxfordenglishtesting.com and click on Try. You can also ask your local OUP office for a demo. CAE Information for teachers 3

CAE content and overview Paper Content Test focus Marks Paper 1 READING 1 hour 15 minutes 34 questions Part 1 Three texts on one theme from a range of sources. Each text has two multiple-choice questions. Part 2 A text from which six paragraphs have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, together with an additional paragraph, after the text. Part 3 A text followed by seven multiple-choice questions. Part 4 A text or several short texts preceded by 15 multiple-matching questions. Candidates are expected to show understanding of attitude, detail, implication, main idea, opinion, specific information, text organization features, tone and text structure. 53 marks Parts 1, 2, 3: 2 marks per correct answer Part 4: 1 mark per correct answer Paper 2 WRITING 1 hour 30 minutes 2 questions Part 1 One compulsory question. Part 2 Candidates choose one task from a choice of five questions (including the set text options). Candidates are expected to be able to write nonspecialized text types such as an article, a contribution to a longer piece, an essay, information sheets, a letter, a proposal, a report, a review, or a competition entry, with a focus on advising, comparing, evaluating, expressing opinions, hypothesizing, justifying and persuading. 40 marks 20 marks per question Paper 3 USE OF ENGLISH 1 hour 50 questions Paper 4 LISTENING About 40 minutes 30 questions Paper 5 SPEAKING 15 minutes 4 parts Part 1 A modified cloze test containing 12 gaps and followed by 12 multiple-choice items. Part 2 A modified open cloze test containing 15 gaps. Part 3 A text containing 10 gaps. Each gap corresponds to a word. The stems of the missing words are given beside the text and must be changed to form the missing word. Part 4 Five questions, each one containing three discrete sentences. Each sentence contains one gap, which must be completed with one word which is appropriate in all three sentences. Part 5 Eight separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence and a gapped second sentence to be completed in three to six words, one of which is a given key word. Part 1 Three short extracts, from exchanges between interacting speakers. There are two multiplechoice questions for each extract. Part 2 A monologue with a sentence completion task which has eight items. Part 3 A text involving interacting speakers, with six multiple-choice questions. Part 4 Five short themed monologues, with 10 multiplematching questions. Part 1 A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions). Part 2 An individual long turn for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate (visual and written stimuli, with spoken instructions). Part 3 A two-way conversation between candidates (visual and written stimuli, with spoken instructions). Part 4 A discussion on topics related to Part 3 (spoken questions). Candidates are expected to demonstrate the ability to apply their knowledge of the language system by completing a number of tasks. Candidates are expected to be able to show understanding of agreement, attitude, course of action, detail, function, gist, interpreting context, main points, opinion, purpose, specific information, etc. Candidates are expected to be able to respond to questions and to interact in conversational English. 63 marks Parts 1, 2, 3: 1 mark per correct answer Part 4: 2 marks per correct answer Part 5: up to 2 marks per answer 30 marks 1 mark per correct answer 40 marks Marked according to global achievement and five analytical criteria. CAE content and overview table reproduced with the permission of Cambridge ESOL CAE Information for teachers 4

Preparing for the Writing paper In Part 1 of the Writing paper students write an article, a report, a proposal, or a letter. In Part 2 they write an article, a competition entry, a contribution to a longer piece, an essay, an information sheet, a letter, a proposal, a report, or a review, one task to be selected from a choice of five. Below are some suggestions for ways in which you can prepare your students to achieve top marks in the Writing paper. Ensure that students are familiar with the range of task types and topics so that they can identify those which match their own interests and experience. Since not all task types appear on every paper, it is important for them to have experience of writing all the different types. Students will need guidance on the particular features of each task type and the appropriate style and tone. Adopting an inappropriate style may mean that the overall impression mark is adjusted. Train students to read the questions carefully, underlining the most important parts. They should then plan an answer which addresses all the points required by the task. This will help them produce well-structured and appropriately balanced answers which deal adequately with each point they need to address. As each question on the Writing paper carries equal marks, students should practise planning the time they spend on each question Students should practise writing within the prescribed word limit. Writing approximately the correct length of text is an integral part of task achievement. Significantly shorter answers are likely to mean that the task has not been completed; overlong pieces of writing may involve irrelevance or have a negative effect on the target reader, and may be penalized. Students need to think carefully about the target reader for each task and try to write in an appropriate style and register. For example, is the target reader somebody they know or a stranger? Are they making a complaint or are they trying to persuade somebody to do something? When planning their writing, students will need help in balancing their answers so that one part does not dominate at the expense of another. They should use effective paragraphing, and should be encouraged to develop each of the required points in a separate paragraph. Give your students plenty of practice in planning and structuring their writing so that the flow of their ideas is logical and easy to follow. They will need to be able to use a variety of linking words and phrases effectively. Encourage your students to use a range of complex language. Even if they make some mistakes, they will get credit for the complex language attempted, as long as the mistakes do not impede communication. Make sure your students are aware of the importance of spelling and punctuation. Although spelling errors and faulty punctuation are not specifically penalized they can sometimes impede communication. If so, the overall impression mark will be adjusted. Remind them of the importance of checking their work. Assessing the Writing paper Students answers should be assessed with reference to two mark schemes: one based on the overall impression; the other on the requirements of the particular task. The General Impression Mark Scheme (see page 6) refers to the content, organization and cohesion, range of structures and vocabulary, accuracy, register and format, and the target reader indicated in the task. The Task Specific Mark CAE Information for teachers 5

Scheme focuses on criteria specific to each particular task. The sample answers included on the website for each Writing paper summarize the expected content of each question and provide a band score on the General Impression Mark Scheme. It should be remembered that the assessments provided in the sample answers can only offer an indication of performance in the real exam. General Impression Mark Scheme BAND 5 For a Band 5 to be awarded, the candidate s writing has a very positive effect on the target reader. The content is relevant and the topic is fully developed. Information and ideas are skilfully organized through a range of cohesive devices, which are used to good effect. A wide range of complex structures and vocabulary is used effectively. Errors are minimal, and inaccuracies which do occur have no impact on communication. Register and format are consistently appropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience. BAND 4 For a Band 4 to be awarded, the candidate s writing has a positive effect on the target reader. The content is relevant and the topic is developed. Information and ideas are clearly organized through the use of a variety of cohesive devices. A good range of complex structures and vocabulary is used. Some errors may occur with vocabulary and when complex language is attempted, but these do not cause difficulty for the reader. Register and format are usually appropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience. BAND 3 For a Band 3 to be awarded, the candidate s writing has a satisfactory effect on the target reader. The content is relevant with some development of the topic. Information and ideas are generally organized logically, though cohesive devices may not always be used appropriately. A satisfactory range of structures and vocabulary is used, though word choice may lack precision. Errors which do occur do not cause difficulty for the reader. Register and format are reasonably appropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience. BAND 2 For a Band 2 to be awarded, the candidate s writing has a negative effect on the target reader. The content is not always relevant. Information and ideas are inadequately organized and sometimes incoherent, with inaccurate use of cohesive devices. The range of structures and vocabulary is limited and/or repetitive, and errors may be basic or cause difficulty for the reader. Register and format are sometimes inappropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience. BAND 1 For a Band 1 to be awarded, the candidate s writing has a very negative effect on the target reader. The content is often irrelevant. Information and ideas are poorly organized, often incoherent, and there is minimal use of cohesive devices. The range of structures and vocabulary is severely limited, and errors frequently cause considerable difficulty for the reader. Register and format are inappropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience. BAND 0 For a Band zero to be awarded, there is either too little language for assessment or the candidate s writing is totally irrelevant or illegible. Candidates who do not address all the content points will be penalized for dealing inadequately with the requirements of the task. CAE Writing paper General Impression Mark Scheme reproduced with the permission of Cambridge ESOL CAE Information for teachers 6

Preparing for the Speaking paper See page 4 for an overview of the contents of the Speaking paper. Below is a brief summary of each part of the test and suggestions for ways in which students can prepare for them. Part 1 Students answer a range of questions about themselves, for example where they live, their leisure time, their daily routine, their studies, their future plans, travel and holiday experiences. Encourage your students to look for opportunities to socialize with English speakers, if possible. In class, they could role-play social occasions in which they meet new people, e.g. parties, train journeys, joining a new class, starting a new job. You could also give your students role-cards with the name of a celebrity and tell them they must pretend to be the person written on the card. They should then interview each other in pairs or small groups and find out as much as possible about each other in a given time. Students should not use prepared speeches as they might not be appropriate for the questions asked. They should aim to give natural and full answers, but should not speak for too long. Part 2 Students compare two thematically linked photographs, from a choice of three, and answer a question about their partner s photographs. Give your students plenty of practice in talking for a minute on a set topic. Get them to time each other and see how long speaking for a minute takes. Use pictures from newspapers and magazines in class to practise making comparisons. Ask your students to group pictures into sets and imagine what they might be asked to talk about in a Part 2 task in the exam. You could also ask students to give a one-minute presentation on a topic of their choice. The other students must listen carefully and then ask a question based on the presentation. Remind students to give an adequate response, for example they should not simply describe the picture, but should also speculate what they see and express opinions. Make sure that your students have plenty of practice in organizing their ideas coherently. Teach them useful phrases for linking ideas and making comparisons. They can build up their own lists of suitable phrases, thus ensuring that they have a range of language and structures to draw on when necessary. Part 3 This is a two-way conversation between two students, who use spoken instructions and written and visual stimuli to carry out a decision-making task. Give students plenty of practice in activities which will develop the skills and strategies they will need for this task, for example using conversational fillers to give themselves time to think, inviting their partner to contribute to the discussion, expressing opinions, agreeing and disagreeing, speculating, evaluating, reaching a decision through negotiation. Get your students to keep a notebook in which they list a variety of functional language, e.g. ways of interrupting politely, or ways of asking their partner for their opinion. Encourage them to use as many different ways of doing these things as possible to avoid repetition. Train your students to discuss each picture in relation to the task before making any decisions. If they decide too quickly, they leave themselves with nothing to evaluate or talk about for the remaining time. CAE Information for teachers 7

Part 4 In this part of the test students discuss further the topics introduced in Part 3. Tell your students they are not being assessed on their ideas, but they should be aware that examiners can only assess them on the language they produce. Train your students to react immediately to the questions they are asked, or give themselves a little thinking time by saying things like, Well that s something I ve never really thought about, but on reflection, I d say that It is important to give your students practice sessions which are the same length as the whole test. Tell your students that the impression they make at the end of the test is equally as important as the one they make at the beginning. After doing a Part 3 task, ask your students to try to predict what kind of questions they think they might be asked in Part 4. They could do this in groups and then compare their ideas with those of another group. This will help them prepare for what they might be asked to talk about in Part 4. Divide your students into pairs or groups of three and give them a controversial statement to discuss, e.g. Cars should be banned. This will encourage them to express opinions about topics they may never have thought of. Photocopy an article from an English-language newspaper or magazine and get your students to discuss the article in small groups. When they have finished, they can compare their ideas with those of another group. Set up a regular debating session in class and give your students one minute to argue for or against a particular topic. At the end of the debate, take a vote on who has put forward the most convincing arguments. Assessing the Speaking paper A total of 40 marks are allocated in the Speaking test, making 20% of the total score for the whole examination. Students are assessed on their own individual performance and not in relation to each other. Assessment is based on performance in the whole test, and is not related to performance in particular parts of the test. Marks are awarded by the assessor, who does not take part in the test, according to five analytical criteria: Grammatical Resource, Vocabulary Resource, Discourse Management, Pronunciation, and Interactive Communication. The interlocutor, who conducts the test, gives a mark for Global Achievement. Grammatical Resource This refers to the accurate and appropriate use of a range of both simple and complex forms. Performance is viewed in terms of the overall effectiveness of the language used in spoken interaction. Vocabulary Resource This refers to the candidate s ability to use a range of vocabulary to meet task requirements. At CAE level, the tasks require candidates to speculate and exchange views on unfamiliar topics. Performance is viewed in terms of the overall effectiveness of the language used in spoken interaction. Discourse Management This refers to the candidate s ability to link utterances together to form coherent speech, without undue hesitation. The utterances should be relevant to the tasks and should be arranged logically to develop the themes or arguments required by the tasks. CAE Information for teachers 8

Pronunciation This refers to the candidate s ability to produce intelligible utterances to fulfil the task requirements. This includes stress and intonation as well as individual sounds. Examiners put themselves in the position of a non-esol specialist and assess the overall impact of the pronunciation and the degree of effort required to understand the candidate. Interactive Communication This refers to the candidate s ability to take an active part in the development of the discourse. This requires an ability to participate in the range of interactive situations in the test and to develop discussions on a range of topics by initiating and responding appropriately. This also refers to the deployment of strategies to maintain interaction at an appropriate level throughout the test so that the tasks can be fulfilled. Global Achievement This refers to the candidate s overall effectiveness in dealing with the tasks in the four separate parts of the CAE Speaking test. The global mark is an independent impression mark which reflects the assessment of the candidate s performance from the interlocutor s perspective. CAE Speaking test analytical criteria reproduced with the permission of Cambridge ESOL. Go to http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/general-english/cae.html for more information about the CAE exam, and why it might benefit you. CAE Information for teachers 9