LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

SCHEME FOR THE ORAL EXAM ADMINISTRATIONi

Thinking about improving more and more not only our service (education) but also our
dexterity as teachers/evaluators; and, since rubrics make expectations and criteria explicit,
which facilitates feedback and self-assessment; the Language Institute has decided to
standardize a rubric to evaluate the students’ performance during the Oral Exams.

So that, it’s important to keep in mind that assessment rubrics are there to accomplish three
goals:
• inform the students of standards and expectations
• inform the students about levels of achievement
• inform the students about specific areas in need of improvement.

In addition, teachers may prefer to distribute assessment rubrics at the beginning of the
semester, so that students are aware of expectations and understand how their work will be
evaluated.

Consequently, the following chart is the scoring table which is going to be included in the Exam
Answer Sheet. There are listed 4 criteria which must be evaluated during the Oral Exam; each
one has a grading scale ranging from 0ii to 2.5 points.

There’s also a place where the teacher could either take notes of all the mistakes the student
makes during his/her performance, or write some recommendations to the student.

At the end of this evaluation, it’s necessary to write down the final GRADE of the exam.

In order to have a better administration of this scoring table, it’s important to understand what
each criterion means or represents.

In simple words, here are the definitions:

CRITERION DEFINITION
Comprehensio ability to understand questions and respond appropriately
n
Grammar ability to use correct grammar and sentence structures
Vocabulary ability to understand and use vocabulary words and phrases
Fluency and, ability to speak quickly, naturally, and without many pauses
Pronunciation ability to use correct stress, rhythm, and intonation patterns

SALESIAN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

LANGUAGE INSTITUTE
 LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

CRITERION 0 .5 1 1.5 2 2 .5
Seriously Produces simple Produces Produces Produces
incoherent speech responses which extended extended
responses. fluently, but are stretches of stretches
more complex extended language despite of language with
communication beyond short some hesitation. very little
causes fluency phrases, Contributions hesitation.
problems. despite are relevant and Contributions are
hesitation. there is very relevant and
Comprehension Contributions little repetition. there is a clear
are mostly Uses a range of organization of
relevant, cohesive ideas.
despite some devices. Uses a range of
repetition. cohesive devices
Uses basic and discourse
cohesive markers.
devices.
Severely Use of some Shows a good Shows a good Shows a good
restricted simple degree of degree of degree of control
command of structures and control of control of a range of
simple expressions simple of simple simple and some
grammatical but makes grammatical grammatical complex
Grammar forms. frequent forms. forms, grammatical
systematic and attempts forms.
errors. some complex
grammatical
forms.

No evidence of Uses Uses a range of Uses a range of Uses a range of

range of predominantly appropriate appropriate appropriate
vocabulary even simple structures vocabulary when vocabulary to vocabulary to give
when talking and memorized talking about give and and exchange
Vocabulary about everyday vocabulary. everyday exchange views on a wide
situations. situations. views on a range range of familiar
of familiar topics.
topics.
Very poor Frequently Is mostly Is intelligible. Is intelligible.
control; difficult unintelligible intelligible, and Intonation is Intonation is
to understand. articulation. has generally appropriate.
Many gross Frequent some control of appropriate. Sentence and
errors; phonological phonological Sentence and word stress is
frequently errors. features at both word stress is accurately placed.
Fluency and, incomprehensibl utterance and generally, Individual sounds
Pronunciation e. word levels. accurately are articulated
Insufficient placed. clearly.
accuracy. Individual
sounds are
generally
articulated
clearly.

Please, remember that students must:

 be explained how they will be evaluated

 understand the used criteria
 have this scoring table in advance, so that they have a clear understanding of the
expectations the teacher has on their performance, which would help to improve the
teaching-learning process.

SALESIAN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

LANGUAGE INSTITUTE
i
This scheme and rubric are based on the one stablished by © Cambridge University Press 2015 (Interchange and Passages).

ii
The lowest grade a student could get during this evaluation is 0.5 points; although some of the best known exams as Cambridge
exams (KET, PET, FCE) is 0 (zero)