First Certificate Speaking Exam paper 5  Assessment

There are TWO examiners.

1) The interlocutor, who speaks to the candidates.

2) The assessor, who just listens to the candidates.

During the speaking exam candidates are assessed on their own

individual performance and not in relation to each other, by

two examiners. The assessor (who just listens)  awards marks according to four analytical criteria:

• Grammar and Vocabulary

• Discourse Management (Speaking Coherently)

• Pronunciation

• Interactive Communication.

Grammar and Vocabulary

This refers to the accurate and appropriate use of a range of

grammatical forms and vocabulary. 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 language

together to form coherent speech, without too much hesitation.

The language should be relevant to the tasks and should be

arranged logically to develop the themes or arguments

required by the tasks.

 Pronunciation

This refers to the candidate’s ability to produce intelligible

language to do the task. This includes syllable and word stress

and intonation as well as individual sounds. Examiners put

themselves in the position of, for example, a person in England who is not used to listening to foreign speakers. In this way they 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 conversation or discussion. This requires an ability to participate in the range of interactive situations in the testand to develop discussions on a range of topics by initiating

and responding appropriately. This also refers to the

use of strategies to maintain interaction at an

appropriate level throughout the test so that the tasks can be

fulfilled.

Global AchievementThis refers to the candidate’s overall effectiveness in doingthe tasks in the four separate parts of the FCE Speakingtest. The global mark is an independent impression mark

which reflects the assessment of the candidate’s performance

from the interlocutor’s perspective.