BILKENT UNIVERSITY

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PREPARATORY PROGRAM

CRITERIA BOOKLET

2022-2023 ACADEMIC YEAR

Page 1 of 14
The following outlines the criteria used in the Preparatory Programme.

CRITERIA APPENDIX PAGE

APPENDIX 1 3
ELEMENTARY LP SPEAKING CRITERIA

APPENDIX 2 4
ELEMENTARY CAT&ECA ANALYTIC WRITING
CRITERIA
APPENDIX 3 5
PRE-INTERMEDIATE CAT&ECA ANALYTIC
WRITING CRITERIA
APPENDIX 4 6
PRE-INTERMEDIATE LP SPEAKING CRITERIA

INTERMEDIATE, UPPER-INTERMEDIATE & APPENDIX 5 7-8

PRE-FACULTY CAT ANALYTIC WRITING
CRITERIA
INTERMEDIATE, UPPER-INT & PRE-FACULTY APPENDIX 6 9
LP SPEAKING CRITERIA (ORAL INTERACTION)
INTERMEDIATE/ UPPER-INT & PRE-FACULTY APPENDIX 7 10
LP SPEAKING CRITERIA (ORAL PRODUCTION)
APPENDIX 8 11
INTERMEDIATE AND UPPER-INTERMEDIATE
ECA HOLISTIC WRITING CRITERIA
APPENDIX 9 12
PAE WRITING TASK 1 CRITERIA

APPENDIX 10 13
PAE WRITING TASK 2 CRITERIA

APPENDIX 11 14
PAE SPEAKING CRITERIA

The Bilkent University English Language Preparatory Program reserves the right to make changes to the exam and the criteria.

Elementary: An analytic Writing Criteria is used for ELM CATs, ECA and LP Writing Tasks. A holistic Speaking Criteria is
used for Oral Tasks.

Pre- Intermediate: An analytic Writing Criteria is used for PIN CATs, ECA and LP Writing Tasks. A holistic Speaking Criteria
is used for Oral Tasks.

INT/UPP/PFC: An Analytic Criteria is used for INT/UPP/PFC LP Writing Tasks and CATs. As for LP Speaking Tasks a holistic
criteria is used but depending on the task type, instructors need to choose either Oral Interaction or Oral Production.

PAE: An analytic criteria is used for PAE Writing Part 1. A holistic Criteria is used for PAE Writing Part 2 and Speaking Exams.

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APPENDIX 1: ELEMENTARY LP SPEAKING CRITERIA

0 1 2 3

Use of target Almost no control of Limited control of Adequate control of Good control of
grammar grammar grammar, frequent grammar; few errors grammar; very few
errors related to level related to level errors related to level
objectives objectives objectives

Use of target Almost no control of Limited control of Adequate control of Good control of
vocabulary vocabulary vocabulary; frequent vocabulary; few errors vocabulary; very few
errors related to level related to level errors related to level
objectives objectives objectives

Communicativ Almost always Little hesitation; can Almost no hesitation;

e effectiveness hesitant; mostly get meaning can get meaning
cannot handle the task across across fully
at all
Can mostly handle the Can handle the task
task fully

Pronunciation Unintelligible; errors Almost intelligible; Intelligible with only

interfere with any errors do not few errors
understanding interfere with
understanding

Page 3 of 14
APPENDIX 2: ELEMENTARY CAT & ECA ANALYTIC WRITING CRITERIA (Total: 15 points)
GRAMMAR
Student’s written work shows

4 good control of grammar and a good range of structures; very few errors related to level objectives

3 adequate control of grammar and an adequate range of structures; few errors related to level objectives

2 limited control of grammar and limited range of structures evident; frequent errors related to level objectives

1 very limited control of grammar and very limited range of structures; errors related to level objectives throughout

0 almost no control of grammar; inadequate sample for scoring

VOCABULARY
Student’s written work shows

4 good control of vocabulary and a good range of lexical items; very few errors related to level objectives

3 adequate control of vocabulary and an adequate range of lexical items; few errors related to level objectives

2 limited control of vocabulary and limited range of lexical items evident; frequent errors related to level objectives

1 very limited control of vocabulary and very limited range of lexical items; errors related to level objectives throughout

0 almost no control of vocabulary; inadequate sample for scoring

CONTENT
Student’s written work shows

3 good response to the task; information relevant to the topic and completely related to the task

2 adequate response to the task; information mostly relevant to the topic and mostly related to the task

1 very limited response to the task; information mostly irrelevant to the topic and mostly unrelated to the task

0 an almost irrelevant response to the task; almost no attempt at answering the question

ORGANIZATION
Student’s written work shows

2 good organization; good use of linkers and referencing related to level objectives

1 adequate organization; adequate use of linkers and referencing related to level objectives

0 almost no organization; almost no use of linkers and referencing; inadequate sample for scoring

MECHANICS
Student’s written work shows

2 good use of spelling and punctuation; few errors related to level objectives

1 adequate use of spelling and punctuation; some errors related to level objectives

0 almost no use of spelling and punctuation; inadequate sample for scoring

 Students are assessed according to their own level objectives; do not penalize for language errors that are beyond level objectives.
 If the task is not attempted, the student will receive a total grade of ‘0’.
 If the student writes a response to the task which is totally (100%) irrelevant, the student will receive a total grade of ‘1’.
 If the student writes what appears to be a memorized response, please consult the standardization leader. In such a case, the student
will receive a total grade of ‘4’ (Grammar:1 / Vocabulary: 1 / Content: 0 / Organization: 1 / Mechanics: 1).

LAST UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2019

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 APPENDIX 3: PRE-INTERMEDIATE CAT & ECA ANALYTIC WRITING CRITERIA (Total: 15 Points)
The student writes a paragraph that has
good understanding of the prompt and provides a well-supported opinion. 4 pts
understanding of the prompt and provides a relevant opinion with adequate support. 3 pts
Content understanding of the prompt and provides an opinion with limited support and some
2 pts
irrelevant content
some understanding of the prompt but provides an opinion that lacks support and
1 pt
relevancy
no understanding of the prompt 0 pt
The student writes a paragraph that has
good use of linking devices and punctuation, a good clear topic sentence and good
3 pts
supporting ideas.
appropriate use of linking devices and punctuation, an adequate topic sentence and
Organization 2 pts
some supporting ideas.
limited use of linking devices and punctuation, a limited topic sentence and limited
1 pt
supporting ideas.
almost no use of linking devices, punctuation, main and supporting ideas. 0 pt
The student uses the level grammar
accurately and appropriately with very few mistakes. 2 pts
Accuracy in
with occasional mistakes but the meaning is not hindered. 1 pt
Grammar
(AG) with mistakes throughout, which hinders the meaning in many places. 0 pt
The student uses
a good range of level grammar structures. 2 pts
Range in an adequate range of level grammar structures. 1 pt
Grammar
(RG) a limited range of level grammar structures, which is not enough to convey the
0 pt
meaning.
The student uses the level vocabulary
accurately and appropriately with very few spelling, form and collocation mistakes. 2 pts
Accuracy in with occasional spelling, form and collocation mistakes but the meaning is not
1 pt
Vocabulary hindered.
(AV) with spelling, form and collocation mistakes throughout, which hinders the meaning. 0 pt
The student uses
a good range of level vocabulary. 2 pts
Range in
an adequate range of level vocabulary. 1 pt
Vocabulary
(RV) a limited range of level vocabulary, which is not enough to convey the meaning. 0 pt

 Students are assessed according to the PIN level objectives; do not penalize for language errors that are beyond level objectives.
 If the task is not attempted, the student will receive a total grade of ‘0’.

 If the student writes a response to the task which is totally (100%) irrelevant, the student will receive a total grade of ‘1’.

 If the student writes what appears to be a memorised response, consult the standardisation leader. The student will receive a total
grade of ‘5’ (Content: 0 / Organisation: 1 / AG: 1 / RG: 1 / AV: 1 / RV: 1).

SEPTEMBER 2022

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APPENDIX 4: PRE-INTERMEDIATE LP SPEAKING CRITERIA

Ground Rules:
 All qualifiers in the criteria are subject to task and level expectations (i.e. “wide range of structural accuracy” refers to a wide range
of structural accuracy for the PIN level and not beyond it).
 In case a student’s performance falls far short of one or more indicators for a band, the grade goes one band down.

5 Communication is very effective; task performed very competently

Task completion: Handles the task effectively; fluent

Grammar: Speaks with a wide range of structural accuracy to participate in the task; attempts to use complex structures
with minimal errors
Vocabulary: Speaks with a wide range of level vocabulary to participate in the task
Pronunciation: Appropriate pronunciation; helps convey message effectively
Discourse: Always extended, relevant and coherent utterances

4.5 Features of 4 and 5 in equal measure

4 Communication is effective; task performed competently

Task completion:Handles the task mostly effectively; maintains flow of language with appropriate hesitations
Grammar: Speaks with a good range of structural accuracy to participate in the task; errors quite rare
Vocabulary:Speaks with a good range of level vocabulary to participate in the task; errors quite rare
Pronunciation: Appropriate pronunciation with minimal strain on listener
Discourse:Almost always extended, relevant and coherent utterances

3.5 Features of 3 and 4 in equal measure

3 Communication is adequate; task performed adequately

Task completion:Handles the task with minor hesitations

Grammar:Speaks with adequate structural accuracy to participate in the task
Vocabulary: Speaks with adequate range of level vocabulary to participate in the task
Pronunciation: Pronunciation is generally intelligible; any errors do not interfere with understanding
Discourse:Utterances of adequate length, relevance and coherence

2.5 Features of 2 and 3 in equal measure

2 Communication is generally inadequate; task performed poorly

Task completion:Not able to handle the task without repetition by the interlocutor
Grammar:Grammar is mostly inaccurate and inadequate to participate in the task
Vocabulary:Limited range of level vocabulary, mostly inadequate to participate in the task
Pronunciation: Pronunciation is unintelligible at times; errors interfere with understanding
Discourse:Utterances lack adequate length, relevance and coherence

1.5 Features of 1 and 2 in equal measure

1 Communication is not effective, no evidence of ability to perform task

Task completion:Not able to handle the task

Grammar:Grammar is inaccurate and inadequate to participate in the task
Vocabulary:Vocabulary is inadequate to participate in the task
Pronunciation:Pronunciation is unintelligible
Discourse:Utterances lack length, relevance and coherence

0.5 Features of 0 and 1 in equal measure

0 No communication; task incomplete

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 APPENDIX 5: INTERMEDIATE, UPPER-INTERMEDIATE & PRE-FACULTY CAT ANALYTIC WRITING
CRITERIA
(Total: 20 points)
All qualifiers in the criteria below should be considered with respect to the relevant level and the writing task given.

GRAMMAR

5 high degree of grammatical control shown over a wide range of appropriate structures; some complex
structures are evident although there may be errors in their use that do not hinder understanding

4 mostly accurate use of a good range of appropriate structures with some minor errors

3 sufficiently accurate use of an adequate range of structures with some language errors but meaning is not
obscured

2 inadequate range of structures with some basic language errors which at times may obscure meaning and/or use
of language below level expectations

1 poor range of structures with basic and frequent language errors which often obscure meaning

0 serious lack of language; inadequate sample for scoring

NB There are two dimensions in this category - grammatical accuracy (or control) and range - a paper should
be given the grade which fits both dimensions. If one of the dimensions is lacking compared to the other, the
paper should be given the grade that fits the lower of the two (i.e. a paper with sufficient accuracy but
inadequate range would get a 2 for grammar).

VOCABULARY

5 wide range of vocabulary used appropriately with almost no instances of misuse (i.e. word choice / word
formation) and very few spelling mistakes

4 good range of vocabulary used mostly appropriately with occasional instances of misuse and few spelling
mistakes

3 sufficient range of vocabulary used fairly appropriately although some errors are apparent and some problems
in spelling

2 inadequate range of vocabulary and/or frequent inappropriate use which at times may obscure meaning,
frequent problems in spelling

1 poor range of vocabulary with serious problems in accuracy and/or usage, major problems with spelling

0 almost no control of vocabulary; inadequate sample for scoring

NB There are two dimensions in this category - lexical range and appropriateness (or usage) - a paper should
be given the grade which fits both dimensions. If one of the dimensions is lacking compared to the other, the
paper should be given the grade that fits the lower of the two (i.e. a paper with sufficient lexical range but used
mostly inappropriately would get a 2 for vocabulary).

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APPENDIX 5: INTERMEDIATE, UPPER-INTERMEDIATE & PRE-FACULTY CAT ANALYTIC WRITING
CRITERIA
(Total: 20 points)
CONTENT

5 very good response to the prompt; a fully developed passage (with respect to exemplification and details) with very
good justification (with respect to the quality of ideas)

4 good response to the prompt; a well-developed passage with good justification

3 adequate response to the prompt; an adequately developed passage with satisfactory justification

2 attempts to respond to the prompt but inadequately; some development of ideas but with inadequate justification and/or
frequent repetition- content is not always clear and/or partly irrelevant

1 response is considerably irrelevant; poor development of ideas with little attempt at justification and/or almost
completely repetitious and/or incomplete

0 response is completely irrelevant to the task; almost no attempt at answering the prompt

NB There are two dimensions in this category - relevance of the ideas and development / justification(s) of the ideas.
A paper should be given the grade which fits both dimensions. If one of the dimensions is lacking compared to the
other, the paper should be given the grade that fits the lower of the two (i.e. a paper that presents adequate ideas but
justifies them inadequately would get a 2 for content).

ORGANIZATION

5 very fluent passage; the text flows in a meaningful and a logical way, all aspects of cohesion managed well (i.e. linkers,
referencing, punctuation)

4 mostly fluent passage; information provided mostly flows in a meaningful and logical way, a range of cohesive devices
used appropriately, although there may be some under/over-use

3 adequately fluent passage; information is ordered meaningfully and logically, cohesive devices used although cohesion
within and/or between parts of the text/sentences may be faulty at times

2 lacks fluency despite some evidence of organization; “jumpiness” in places; inappropriate, inadequate or overuse of
cohesive devices leads to problems with transitions between ideas

1 almost complete lack of fluency; a limited range of cohesive devices and/or cohesive devices may be inaccurate,
repetitive, or may not provide a logical relationship or show a clear transition between ideas

0 very little or no control of organizational features

NB There are two dimensions in this category - the flow (fluency) and cohesion of the information presented.
A paper should be given the grade which fits both dimensions. If one of the dimensions is lacking compared to the
other, the paper should be given the grade that fits the lower of the two (i.e. a paper that gives information in a
meaningful and logical order but makes inadequate use of cohesive devices would get a 2 for organization).

 If the task is not attempted, the student will receive a total grade of ‘0’.

 If the student writes a response to the task which is totally (100%) irrelevant, the student will receive a
total grade of ‘1’.

 If the student writes what appears to be a memorized response, please consult the standardization leader.
In such a case, the student will receive a maximum grade of ‘3’ (Grammar: 1 / Vocabulary: 1 / Content: 0 / Organization: 1).

LAST UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2019

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APPENDIX 6: INTERMEDIATE, UPPER-INTERMEDIATE & PRE-FACULTY LP SPEAKING CRITERIA
(ORAL INTERACTION)

GRADE DESCRIPTORS OF EXPECTED PERFORMANCE

To participate in an exchange of information or discussion, the student…
Very Good
- actively develops communication by initiating and responding appropriately throughout the task
- makes extended, relevant and coherent contributions
10
- uses a wide range of appropriate vocabulary, phrases and structures with few errors
- speaks very fluently; uses pronunciation, rhythm and intonation effectively to enhance communication and
help the listener distinguish important points
9 Features of 10 and 8 in equal measure
To participate in an exchange of information or discussion, the student…
Good
- effectively maintains communication by initiating and responding appropriately throughout most of the task
8
- makes relevant and coherent contributions
- uses a range of appropriate vocabulary, phrases and structures with few errors
- speaks fluently; uses pronunciation, rhythm and intonation to convey the message clearly
7 Features of 8 and 6 in equal measure
To participate in an exchange of information or discussion, the student…
Adequate
- communicates by initiating and responding adequately throughout most of the task
- makes contributions which are coherent but unextended or irrelevant at times
6
- uses some range of vocabulary, phrases and structures appropriately with some noticeable but unimportant
errors
- speaks fluently with minor hesitations; pronunciation, rhythm and intonation do not interfere with
understanding
5 BORDERLINE FAIL: Some features of 6 but closer to 4
Interaction breaks down because the student…

Inadequate - communicates in a limited way and has difficulty initiating and responding adequately throughout most of
the task
4 - makes contributions which are sometimes incoherent and generally unextended and/or irrelevant
- uses a limited range of vocabulary, phrases and structures, and errors sometimes interfere with
understanding
- speaks with some sense of fluency but with long hesitations; pronunciation, rhythm and intonation may
sometimes interfere with understanding
3 Features of 4 and 2 in equal measure
Interaction breaks down because the student…
Poor
- communicates with considerable difficulty and cannot initiate or respond adequately throughout most of the
task
2
- makes frequently incoherent, very short, and irrelevant contributions
- uses a very limited range of vocabulary, phrases and structures and errors frequently interfere with
understanding
- speaks with low fluency; pronunciation, rhythm and intonation frequently interfere with understanding
1 Task incomplete; very little communication
Very Poor - No communication; task incomplete

APPENDIX 7: INTERMEDIATE, UPPER-INTERMEDIATE & PRE-FACULTY LP SPEAKING CRITERIA

(ORAL PRODUCTION)
Page 9 of 14
 GRADE DESCRIPTORS OF EXPECTED PERFORMANCE
To communicate the message, the student…

Very Good - delivers information very effectively in a organized way; all ideas are relevant and well-expanded
- uses a wide range of appropriate vocabulary, phrases and structures with few errors
10 - speaks very fluently; uses pronunciation, rhythm and intonation effectively to enhance communication and
help the audience distinguish important points
- makes effective use of body language, eye contact, visual aids and notes
No strain on the listener
9 Features of 10 and 8 in equal measure
To communicate the message, the student…
Good
- delivers information effectively in an organized way; most ideas are relevant and well-expanded
8 - uses a range of appropriate vocabulary, phrases and structures with few errors
- speaks fluently; uses pronunciation, rhythm and intonation to convey the message clearly
- makes mostly effective use of body language, eye contact, visual aids and notes
Almost no strain on the listener
7 Features of 8 and 6 in equal measure
To communicate the message, the student…

Adequate - delivers information with adequate organization; most ideas are relevant and sufficiently expanded
- uses some range of vocabulary, phrases and structures appropriately with some noticeable but unimportant
6 errors
- speaks fluently with minor hesitations; pronunciation, rhythm and intonation do not interfere with
understanding
- makes adequate use of body language, eye contact, visual aids and notes
Little strain on the listener
5 BORDERLINE FAIL: Some features of 6 but closer to 4
Communication breaks down because the student…

Inadequate - gives limited information; ideas are noticeably disorganized, irrelevant or unexpanded
- uses a limited range of vocabulary, phrases and structures, and errors sometimes interfere with
4 understanding
- speaks with some sense of fluency but with long hesitations; pronunciation, rhythm and intonation may
sometimes interfere with understanding
- makes inadequate use of body language, eye contact and visual aids, and often reads from notes
Some strain on the listener
3 Features of 4 and 2 in equal measure
Communication breaks down because the student…
Poor
- gives very limited information; ideas are frequently disorganized, irrelevant and unexpanded
- uses a very limited range of vocabulary, phrases and structures and errors frequently interfere with
2
understanding
- speaks with low fluency; pronunciation, rhythm and intonation frequently interfere with understanding
- makes no use of body language, eye contact or visual aids, and reads from notes
- considerable effort required by the listener
1 Produces few sentences but task incomplete
Very Poor - No communication; task incomplete
0

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APPENDIX 8: INTERMEDIATE AND UPPER-INTERMEDIATE ECA HOLISTIC WRITING CRITERIA (TOTAL:10
POINTS)
The qualifiers in the criteria below should be considered with respect to the relevant level and the writing task.
10 • very good response to the prompt; a fully developed passage (with respect to the quality of ideas and details)
with very good justification (with respect to exemplification)
• ideas are well organized; effective use of a wide range of cohesive devices
• uses a wide range of grammar structures and vocabulary accurately and appropriately throughout
• language errors are rare
9 Elements of both 8 and 10 OR slightly better than ‘8’

8 • good response to the prompt; a well-developed passage with good justification

• logically organizes ideas through the appropriate use of a range of cohesive devices
• uses a wide range of grammar structures and vocabulary mostly accurately and appropriately
• very few language errors
7 Elements of both 6 and 8 OR slightly better than ‘6’

6 • adequate response to the prompt with very little irrelevance or repetition; an adequately developed passage
with satisfactory justification
• almost always organizes ideas logically with mostly appropriate use of cohesive devices
• an adequate range of grammar structures and vocabulary
• some basic language errors which do not obscure meaning
5 • responds to the prompt, but inadequately; some development of ideas, but with limited justification and/or
some repetition; content is not always clear, some irrelevance
• ideas are generally organized with some jumpiness or inappropriate use of cohesive devices
• limited range of grammar structures and vocabulary / a range but overuse of memorized chunks
• some basic language errors which may hinder meaning at times

4 • attempts to respond to the prompt, but prompt may have been misunderstood; little development of ideas
with
inadequate justification and/or frequent repetition; content is frequently unclear, partly irrelevant; below 50%
of
minimum word limit
• noticeable problems in the organization of ideas; uses some basic cohesive devices with some inaccuracy,
repetition or overuse
• very limited range of grammar structures and vocabulary used repetitively
• errors and inappropriacy with grammar structures and vocabulary throughout, which may cause strain for
the reader
3 Elements of both 2 and 4 OR slightly better than ‘2’

2 • response is considerably irrelevant; poor development of ideas with little attempt at justification and/or
almost
completely repetitious; almost totally irrelevant and/or incomplete
• has very little control of organizational features
• uses a very limited range of vocabulary and cannot use grammar structures except for memorized chunks
• language errors may severely obscure meaning
1 • very little assessable text; below 25% of minimum word limit
• has almost no control of organizational features
• almost no range of language
• language errors obscure meaning at all times
• the response is totally (100%) irrelevant
0 • the task is not attempted

 For papers that are partially irrelevant please follow the criteria or consult the standardization leader
for a decision.
 The Preparatory Program reserves the right to make changes to the exam and the criteria.
LAST UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2019
APPENDIX 9: PAE WRITING TASK 1 CRITERIA
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 Identifies the specific focus of the input text and states stance clearly 2

Identification Identifies the general topic of the input text

and Stance States stance indirectly 1
not the specific focus

Off topic No stance 0

Correct paraphrase of stance-relevant arguments and appropriate personal contribution

3
that shows genuine evaluation of the specific focus

Correct paraphrase of stance-relevant arguments and acceptable personal contribution

2
that shows understanding of the specific focus
Arguments
and Attempts to paraphrase AND may lose some of the meaning of the original OR insufficient
Expansion 1
personal contributions

Misrepresentation of original arguments No arguments from the text

0
Multiple instances of direct lifting of multi-
No personal contributions
word sequences

Logical progression of ideas, clear references and appropriate discourse markers 1

Organization
The connection between ideas is weak A list of sentences with simplistic links 0

The test taker produces language with few grammatical errors and a range of grammatical
2
structures

Grammar Comprehensible despite grammatical The reader may have to infer meaning at times
errors BUT limited grammatical due to grammatical errors BUT a range of 1
structures grammatical structures

Limited range of grammatical structures AND the reader may have to infer meaning at
0
times due to grammatical errors

The test taker produces language with accurate and appropriate use of a range of
2
vocabulary

Comprehensible despite occasional The reader may have to infer intended

inaccuracies BUT limited range of basic meaning at times BUT range of 1
Vocabulary
vocabulary vocabulary

Limited range of vocabulary AND the reader may have to infer intended meaning at times
0
due to vocabulary errors

* If the outcome is completely irrelevant, the paper receives the score of “1”.
* If there is insufficient text to make an assessment, the paper receives the score of “1”.

JUNE 2021

APPENDIX 10: PAE WRITING TASK 2 CRITERIA

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 10 An excellent response to the prompt = evidence of ALL elements of band 9
Very good coverage of topic: well-developed, coherent, clear passage with good
justifications
Very good use of organizational devices
9
Accurate use of a wide range of appropriate structures
Occasional unimportant language errors
A wide range of appropriate vocabulary

Good coverage of topic: fairly well-developed, coherent, clear passage with good
justifications
Good use of organizational devices
8
Fairly accurate use of a good range of appropriate structures with some minor language
errors
Good range of vocabulary used mostly appropriately

Adequate coverage of topic: adequate development of ideas, generally coherent, clear

passage with some justifications
7 An attempt to use organizational devices, mostly appropriately
Adequate range of structures with some errors but meaning is not obscured
Adequate range of vocabulary used mostly appropriately

Answers the prompt and meaning is clear

6
Limited development of ideas
BORDERLINE
Some attempt to use organizational devices although not always successful
PASS
Limited range of grammar structures with some basic language errors
Limited range of vocabulary
5 Attempts to answer the prompt but meaning is not always clear or some of the content is
BORDERLINE irrelevant
FAIL Very limited development of ideas
Little control over organizational devices
Overuse of memorised chunks
Very Limited range of grammar and vocabulary with some basic language errors
Attempts to answer the prompt but lack of control over the grammar and vocabulary makes
the text difficult to understand.
4 Meaning is not always clear or most of the content is irrelevant
little or no control of organizational devices
Overuse of memorised chunks that do not always fit

Attempts to answer the prompt but the text poses serious problems for the reader due to
3 frequent language errors
Very limited vocabulary

2 Falls far short of the word limit but has some relevance to the topic
Too little text to grade. Produces 2 or 3 sentences
1
The response is totally (100%) irrelevant
0 The task is not attempted

 For papers that are partially irrelevant please follow the criteria or consult the standardization leader for a
decision.
 The Preparatory Program reserves the right to make changes to the exam and the criteria.

LAST UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2019

APPENDIX 11: PAE SPEAKING CRITERIA

Page 13 of 14
  Speaks very fluently and coherently with no hesitation, restriction or pronunciation issues
20  A strong sense of spontaneity
Communication is maintained  Contributions are developed extensively through relevant examples and details
without any problems  Consistently uses a very wide range of grammar and vocabulary naturally, accurately and appropriately

19 Elements of both 18 and 20 OR slightly better than “18”

 Speaks fluently and coherently with almost no hesitation, restriction or pronunciation issues
18
 Almost always spontaneous
Communication is
 Contributions are almost always developed through relevant examples and details
maintained with no major
problems  Almost always uses a very wide range of grammar and vocabulary naturally, accurately and appropriately

17 Elements of both 16 and 18 OR slightly better than “16”

 Speaks mostly fluently and coherently with little hesitation, restriction and few pronunciation issues
16  Mostly spontaneous
Communication is  Contributions are mostly developed through relevant examples and details
maintained relatively easily  Mostly uses a wide range of grammar and vocabulary naturally, accurately and appropriately

15 Elements of both 14 and 16 OR slightly better than “14”

14  Speaks generally fluently but there may be some hesitation, restriction and pronunciation issues although this does not disturb the
Communication is listener
maintained without any  Generally spontaneous
strain on the part of the  Contributions are generally developed through relevant examples and details
listener  Generally uses a range of grammar and vocabulary with occasional inaccuracy and inappropriacy
13 Elements of both 12 and 14 OR slightly better than “12”
12  Speaks with a sense of fluency with some hesitation, restriction and noticeable pronunciation issues at times although this does not
Communication is affect intelligibility
maintained but in a few  Some spontaneity; little evidence of rehearsed speech
places there may be a little  Contributions are supported through relevant examples but may lack a few details
effort required on the part of  Uses a range of grammar and vocabulary with less accurate and inappropriate use evident; meaning not obscured
the listener
11 Elements of both 10 and 12 OR slightly better than “10”
 Maintains a flow of speech with some effort, incoherence, hesitation, restriction and pronunciation problems, which affect
10
intelligibility in places
Communication is
 Intermittently spontaneous; some evidence of rehearsed speech
maintained but requires
some effort on the part of the  Most contributions are supported/sustained but examples and details are limited
listener  Uses a limited range of grammar and vocabulary with inaccurate and inappropriate use at times; meaning is obscured in places

9 Elements of both 8 and 10 OR slightly better than “8”

 Maintains a flow of speech but with noticeable effort, incoherence, hesitation, restriction and pronunciation problems, which
8 frequently affect intelligibility
Communication breaks down
 Not very spontaneous; generally rehearsed
at times and requires
 Many contributions are not developed with adequate examples and details
constant effort on the part of
the listener  Uses a very limited range of grammar and vocabulary with frequent inaccuracies and inappropriate usage throughout; meaning is
generally obscured
7 Elements of both 6 and 8 OR slightly better than “6”
 Is able to speak in a limited fashion with considerable effort, incoherence, hesitation, restriction and pronunciation problems, which
mostly affect intelligibility
6
Communication breaks down  Rarely spontaneous; mostly rehearsed
due to limited language  Almost all contributions are made with limited exemplification and detail
 Uses basic grammar and vocabulary with inaccuracies and inappropriate usage throughout; meaning is mostly obscured

5 Elements of both 4 and 6 OR slightly better than “4”

4
Communication breaks down
due to unwillingness or very
limited language
 Is able to speak in a very limited fashion, with considerable effort, serious incoherence, hesitation, restriction and pronunciation
problems, which makes the speech unintelligible
 No spontaneous speech; completely rehearsed
 Contributions are attempted but the result is inadequate
 Uses very basic grammar and vocabulary with inaccuracies and inappropriate usage throughout; meaning is obscured at all times

3  Unintelligible speech with very long pauses

Almost impossible to maintain  Rarely attempts to contribute
communication  Only produces isolated words and phrases

2
No evidence of ability to Almost no assessable language
perform task
1 No assessable language
0 Does not attend

LAST UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2019

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