Frequently Asked Questions for SPM Speaking Examination

1. Question: How long should each part of the test take?

Answer:
• Part 1 = 3-4 minutes
• Part 2 = 3-4 minutes
• Part 3 = 4-5 minutes
• Total = 10-13 minutes (This may depend on the level of the candidates)

(Refer to ISE page 13, page 14 and page 15)

2. Question: Why should you keep to timing for each section?

Answer: It is important, for reasons of test reliability and fairness to candidates, that all
tests are of the same length and that the time spent on the individual parts of the test
does not vary from that indicated. (Refer to ISE page 12)

3. Question: What are the analytical criteria used in assessing candidates?

Answer:
• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Communicative Competence

(Refer to ISE page 19 and page 20)

4. Question: Who leads/controls the interaction in Part 3 of the test?

Answer: Although the task is set up by the interlocutor, the main interaction is
led/controlled by the candidates themselves. This is the semi-controlled part of the test,
allowing for some genuine peer-peer interaction. (Refer to ISE page 16)

5. Question: What kind of timepiece should you use?

Answer: SEs should use a reliable clock or watch which shows seconds, and which
doesn’t have a loud tick. Clocks/watches must not be set to emit noises to signal the
timings of the different parts of the test. (Refer to ISE page 6)

6. Question: When do you start timing the test?

Answer: The timing of the test begins when the interlocutor greets the candidates, this
should also be noted discreetly. (Refer to ISE page 13)

7. Question: Can you repeat the same materials?

Answer: There will be a selection of tasks to choose and these will be in sets that
should not be separated. You should use the sets randomly and vary the sets in order to
provide test security. (Refer to ISE page 12)
8. Question: When should you change roles (interlocutor to assessor)?

Answer: Roles are fixed.

The assessor is the teacher from a nearby school/centre appointed by the Assessment
and Examination Sector in the State Education Department (SPP, JPN) while
interlocutors are teachers who teach in the candidate’s school/centre. The Principal or
School Administrator is responsible for appointing the interlocutor(s) and arranging the
interlocutors’ schedules throughout the Speaking exam period. The role of interlocutor
will be assigned by the head teacher within each school/centre. (Refer to ISE page 7)

9. Question: What information does the interlocutor complete on the mark sheet?

Answer: The interlocutor uses the Overall Spoken Performance scale and refers to it
after the end of the test (as well as while the candidates are involved in the
collaborative tasks and possibly during the long turns) and they record these marks on
their mark sheet.

(Refer to ISE page 28)

10. Question: How can you react to candidates who need support in understanding or
speaking?

Answer: Redirection/support may take the form of:

• repetition of all or part of the rubric
• pointing to a task in the Candidate booklet
• use of a scripted back-up question/prompt

You can use gesture and/or repetition and any back-up questions, but you must never
deviate from the frame. (Refer to ISE page 8)

11. Question: How can you interrupt a candidate or candidates discreetly when
necessary?

Answer: Use the “hovering hand” and a firm “Thank you” to interrupt discreetly and
retrieve the task quickly. (Refer to ISE page 8)

12. Question: Why mustn’t you discuss marks with your co-examiner?

Answer: Because the Analytical Scale and the Overall Spoken Performance Scale refer
to different areas of spoken language and the two examiners have very different
viewpoints of the candidates’ performance. (Refer to ISE page 8)

13. Question: Should you make notes to aid assessment?

Answer: No! Making notes means there are parts of candidate performance that you will
miss.

14. Question: Does it matter that the Part 1 questions don’t change?
Answer: No, because the main function is to put candidates at ease. (Refer to ISE page
13)
15. Question: How many questions should you ask in Phase 2 of Part 1?

Answer: You should ask one or more questions from the list, depending on the time
available (Part 1 is between 3 and 4 minutes). Try to ask different questions to each
candidate if possible, using the back-up prompts as needed, and encouraging them to
extend their answers if necessary, with a hand gesture or nod. (Refer to ISE page 13)

16. Question: If you have a question about a mark and you need advice, what should
you do?

Answer: Always refer queries to the person directly above you in the hierarchy. If need
be, they will escalate it higher, but it is essential you do refer queries as a way to ensure
standardised practices in assessment. (Refer to ISE page 4)

17. Question: How do we award Band 2 and 4?

Answer: Note that Band 2 and Band 4 share some similarities in band descriptors of
Band 3 and 5. If you think the candidate’s performance ticks most of the criteria of
Band 5, however may fall short on a lower band of 4, it might be 4. (Refer to ISE
page 21)

18. Question: How do we differentiate between Band 5 and 6 candidates as they are
considered to be both good bands?

Answer: Look at how they initiate the discussion and how they develop the
conversation. (Refer to ISE page 26)

19. Question: When they come to a decision, do they really have to give the reason why?
Isn’t this going to be redundant with their previous responses?

Answer: No, they do not really have to. But remember that by just telling the decision
may not use up the time given, so it is advisable to just give the reason, so that they
maximise the time given to them to speak. (Refer to ISE page 16)

20. Question: In part 3 of SE, what if the candidates discuss only quietly between them?

Answer: Interlocutors should intervene in the discussion and kindly ask the candidates
to speak louder. Again, a consensus at the end of the discussion is not a must as a
product for Part 3 Speaking. An attempted discussion or negotiation between the two
candidates reaching towards the goal should be considered fine. Do not penalise the
candidates if they do not come out with a decision. (Refer to ISE page 8)

21. Question: What if only one candidate is monopolising the discussion?

Answer: Interlocutors should encourage both speakers to equally contribute using hand
gestures and eye contact. (Refer to ISE page 8)
22. Question: Can we have different interlocutors on different days?

Answer: Yes, schools can have different interlocutors on different days. These
interlocutors must be appointed by SPP, JPN. However, Principle or school
administrator can help SPP, JPN by naming them prior to the appointment.

23. Question: What is meant by ‘a good degree’, ‘some degree’ and etc.?

Answer:
⮚ A good degree = a good control of accuracy throughout.

⮚ Some degree of control = sometimes the structures are used accurately,

sometimes are not.
⮚ When there is repetition of structures, it shows that candidates do not have
much variety in their sentences – limited ways of communicating their ideas to
the readers.

(Refer to ISE, pages 19 & 20)

24. Question: During the 20 seconds of preparation are the candidates allowed to write
notes?

Answer: No, they are not given any paper and pen. This is so as not to deviate the test
from the objectives of the speaking examination. Besides, 20 seconds of preparation is
too short to make notes. (Refer to ISE, page 6)

25. Question: Do we pair our own students or is it done by JPN?

Answer: The school can decide on the pairing. Details in the mark sheet will be
completed before the speaking test by the school/centre. (Refer to ISE, page 9)

26. Question: Do we record our speaking examination (SE) ?

Answer: Do so only when instructed. Maybe a certain number of pairings. (Refer to

ISE, page 10)

27. Question: If the candidates do not understand the question, can we translate it into
other languages (Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Cina, Bahasa Tamil and etc.)?

Answer: No. Questions cannot be translated or paraphrased beyond the interlocutor

frame. (Refer to ISE, page 7). If they fail to understand the question, how do we expect
them to be able to speak and produce content for us to assess? Besides, listening and
understanding is part of the skills involved in speaking. However, if during the
preparation they accidentally use L1 then it is out of content, so this should not affect
their marks. Nevertheless, this is not encouraged. So, teach your students to use only
English during the discussion. The interlocutor can give them signals to stop them from
using L1.
28. Question: What if candidates are unable to cover all the points in a task in their
responses?

Answer: It is not compulsory to use all the points. Both assessor and interlocutor should
not penalise the candidate, instead assess accordingly based on the assessment scale
based on the responses provided by the candidate. Please note that where a candidate
still has plenty of time left before their time is up (and has not explicitly indicated the
end of their contribution), the interlocutor can prompt to elicit more responses from the
candidate. (Refer to ISE, page 15)

29. Question: What if the candidate is reticent for Parts 2 and 3 but is able to respond in
Part 1?

Answer: As assessment starts at Phase 2 of Part 1, award suitable marks according to

the rubric. As a whole, assessment should be given as long as there is language or
responses produced by the candidates. (Refer to ISE, page 19 and page 20)

30. Question: What if the candidate is reticent for Part 1 but is able to respond in Part 2
and/or 3?

Answer: As a whole, assessment should be given according to the rubric as long as

there is language or responses produced by the candidates. In fact, they can still be
deserving of higher bands if they are able to produce the corresponding skills. (Refer to
ISE
page 19 and page 20)

31. Question: What should an interlocutor do if the candidate asks for the meaning of
words or phrases?

Answer: Interlocutor is not allowed to rephrase or assist the candidate. Interlocutor can
only repeat the instructions and read the prompts. Interlocutor must adhere to the scripts
closely. (Refer to ISE page 7 and page 13)

However, if the interlocutor tries to rephrase the question or tells the meaning to the
candidate, the assessor can give him or her a reminder after the assessment is done (The
assessor cannot interrupt the interlocutor while SE is still in progress). (Refer to ISE
page 5)

32. Question: What if the interlocutor continuously goes off script and makes
unscripted remarks and refuses to listen to the assessor’s reminder?

Answer: Assessor can report/inform the Desk Officer at Assessment and Examination
Sector in their respective district or state for further action.