General information 

This is a group exam with three students and two assessors and will last approximately 25'. The
exam comprises two main phases in which candidates will be prompted to relate personally
relevant experiences to each other share and negotiate their opinions on a more complex or
controversial issue. The actual tasks in these phases are meant to elicit experiences and issues
of a broadly professional nature, i.e. those related to the concerns of English language teachers,
learners and education in general:

Name/ Task Task text and Procedure  Task or task features
description
number of (what the candidate has to
task/phase  do)
Preparation Preparation for Exam candidates receive
a scripted task from one of
Phases 1 and 2 the assessors
Phase 1 To test the skill Scripted task comprising a
of speaking in brief exposure of the task
the context of a with questions that help
small group the candidate get into (or
frame) the task. Questions
(3 candidates) focus on a possible set of
personal experiences that
candidates can use as a
starting point. The
candidates’ chairs form a
semicircle, facing the
assessors.  Candidates
may take notes on the task
slip but cannot use them
during the interaction.
Phase 2 To test Scripted task, to be found
conversational only in the assessors’ copy
skills in the of the task sheet, which
context of a the candidates have not
small group seen.
(3 candidates) The task is typically an
agreement getting or
consensus seeking task,
to ensure that
communication does take
place and to prevent it
from “going flat”.
Approx. Scoring or rating
time method
Skills/strategies tested
 
Candidates read and think about 5 minutes Not rated
what they will be saying.
 
No output (speaking) expected. In
fact, candidates should not speak  
to each other or agree on various
test-taking strategies (who should
speak first, who is going to take a
leading role, who should sit
where).
Designed to elicit extended (long) 7-9 Phases 1 and 2 are
turns: a planned kind of discourse. minutes rated together.
Candidates can, where necessary Independent rating by
and appropriate, ask a speaker two assessors, on the
helpful questions, invite them  to basis of 5 assessment
say more about the topic or an points of view (criteria),
aspect of it.  Candidates keep eye each covering a six
contact with each other, not the point scale with score
assessors. points 0-5.
 
Designed to elicit conversational 5-8
language, with typically shorter minutes
turns, i.e. to elicit an unplanned
kind of discourse. Candidates  
demonstrate their ability to
respond to a task for which they
do not plan in advance.
Candidates are expected to
demonstrate an ability manage the
conversation (to turn-take
appropriately, step in and  
sensitively allow/ invite the third
speaker to contribute)

No thinking time provided.

Assessor mediates task,

by using their own words
or reading it out from the
task sheet.
 Asking a Optional phase, A scripted question In this phase candidate keeps exe- Typically
rescue used only as a labelled as “rescue contact with the assessor.
question last resort if question” on the 1 minute
one or more of assessor's task sheet. Concluded as soon as assessors
the candidates are satisfied  
do not provide  
enough
evidence for
rating. One-to one (assessor to
candidate) interaction.
Two To allow Candidates leave the room Assessors negotiate only if the Max. 5  
assessors assessors to when interaction is over scores differ greatly (a limit is to be minutes
mark reflect on the and assessors are specified later).
performances satisfied that the speech
and fill in the sample is rateable.
score sheets
accurately. Assessors use the criteria
Assessors with descriptors in a tabled
double check format to award scores.
first names,
Ids, scores
entered, etc.

SAMPLE ORAL EXAM ITEM

o a teacher who took a personal interest in your life

their role as a teacher.

teacher? Describe him/her briefly.

eir role? What did he/she do in this role?
t begins, tell your partners about this teacher and
r accounts, too.

…………………………………………
…………………………………………
……………
↓      only seen by assessors!      ↓
 
e interlocutor:

e situations that a caring and reflective teacher should

get involved in.
on:
kind of involvement you aim for as a teacher.
Explanation
All oral exam items will have been designed around a prototypical structure with different
functions. The table below shows the content elements of the sample task with their
corresponding function.
DESCRIPTION
Phase 1 (on a slip of paper)
Think back to a teacher who took a
personal interest in your life other than
in their role as a teacher.
Describe him/her briefly.
What did the teacher do?
 
 
How did this influence you?
 
 
 
When the test begins, tell your partners
about this teacher and listen to their
accounts.
Phase 2: (Given by examiner)
Agree on three situations that make it
FUNCTION
 
‘Lead-in’ part: statements, questions or quotations
intended to provide an entry point to the topic, to focus
and  ’warm up’ the candidate through personalization.
Descriptive and/or narrative part: more open questions
and instructions to get each candidate to offer a largely
descriptive account of a fairly concrete experience or
subject-matter.
Exploratory part: more reflective as it requires candidates
to explore earlier personal, concrete events, experiences,
i.e. to move from concrete to more abstract or specific to
more general forms of expression.
 
This is a reminder, included in every task sheet.
 
Phase 2 lead-in: statements, questions or quotations
Discussion part: Instructions to express (different)
very problematic for a teacher to get
involved.
 
Rescue question
What values or beliefs are important
to you as a teacher?
viewpoints and arrive at a negotiated discussion outcome
  
“Rescue” prompt: Given by an examiner and most likely
directed at one  of the candidates in order to elicit more
contributions/language on the topic.
 

 ELTE - DELP