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Edexcel GCSE

MFL WritingControlled AssessmentTeacher Support Book 2012

Edexcel GCSE

W rit ten Language

Controlled Assessm ent

Teacher Support Book

Chinese 2CN01

Chinese 3CN0W (Short Course – Writ ten Language)

French 2FR01

French 3FR0W (Short Course – Writ ten Language)

Germ an 2GN01

Germ an 3GN0W (Short Course – Writ ten Language)

I talian 2I N01

I talian 3I N0W (Short Course – Writ ten Language)

Spanish 2SP01

Spanish 3SP0W (Short Course – Writ ten Language)

Urdu 2UR01

Urdu 3UR0W (Short Course – Writ ten Language)

W elcom e to the GCSE

W rit ten Language 2 0 1 2

Controlled Assessm ent

Teacher Support Book This CA Teacher Support Book has been designed to provide you with

general inform at ion and answers to key quest ions that m ay arise as

you prepare for and undertake cont rolled writ ing assessm ents in any of

the following languages: Chinese , French , Germ an , I ta lian ,

Spanish and Urdu . These assessm ents represent 30% of the GCSE

Full Course (Writ ten Language) and 60% of the GCSE Short Course

(Writ ten Language) qualificat ions.

Please read this book in conjunct ion with the relevant GCSE

specificat ion, sam ple assessm ent m aterials, the possible ‘live’

cont rolled assessm ent tasks that we have provided and related podcast

guidance. I m portant ly, this support book is also accom panied by

language-specific exam ples of candidate work with related assessm ent

com m entaries. These have been writ ten by senior exam iners to help

inform your teaching and m arking and are also available via the

Edexcel website. Please visit the language-specific ‘GCSE Cont rolled

Assessm ent ’ sect ion of our website.

These can all be downloaded from the Edexcel website

(www.edexcel.com ) via links on the language-specific GCSE hom epage.

They form part of a com prehensive package of support that also

includes opportunit ies for t raining delivered either online or via face- to-

face m eet ings.

Expert advice from the people w ho know

We hope you find this docum ent useful and look forward to working

with you on our new GCSE specificat ions. We are on hand to answer

your quest ions so please feel free to get in touch.

To contact our GCSE Writ ten Language senior exam ining team about a

language-specific and assessm ent - related query, please em ail:

[email protected]

W e look forw ard to w orking w ith you.

Contents

I nt roduct ion to controlled assessm ent 1

A brief overview of the GCSE qualificat ion st ructures and the

weight ings of the different units.

Assessm ent inform at ion 3

This sect ion provides teacher support and guidance and refers to

general preparat ion for the controlled writ ing assessm ents, task

set t ing, task taking, task m arking and subm ission requirem ents. I t

also features exam ples of som e of the m ost com m on quest ions

asked by teachers about the controlled assessm ents for writ ing.

Support ing you w ith controlled assessm ent 1 9

I n this sect ion we provide you with inform at ion and resources to help you

plan and deliver cont rolled assessm ent with confidence.

Appendices 2 0

Appendix 1: Frequent ly asked quest ions concerning cont rolled

assessm ent quest ions

Appendix 2: Frequent ly asked quest ions concerning writ ing-specific

cont rolled assessm ent

Sect ion 1 : I nt roduct ion to controlled assessm ent

GCSE Writ ten Language Version 2012 Cont rolled Assessm ent Teacher Support Book 1

I nt roduct ion to controlled assessm ent

W hy controlled assessm ents?

The current Edexcel GCSEs in Chinese, French, Germ an, I talian, Spanish and Urdu

feature cont rolled assessm ent writ ing tasks. These have replaced the t radit ional writ ing

coursework and writ ten exam inat ions from previous specificat ions and have been

int roduced in response to the QDCA GCSE subject cr iter ia.

The assessm ents enable teachers and candidates to have much more cont rol of

assessment content . You are able to select content that is most appropriate for your

candidates and can custom ise the tasks to coincide with their language needs and

interests.

You also have cont rol of how and when you assess your candidates – either through

ongoing assessm ents or in specific internally t imetabled assessm ent slots. January 2013

was the last opportunity to subm it work during the winter series for Unit 4 Writ ing in

French, German and Spanish. From May 2013, all GCSE languages specificat ions will be

assessed in the summer exam inat ion series only. The GCSE subject cr iter ia mean that

teachers do not have to m ark the writ ing assessm ent ; this will be done by Edexcel.

This book offers key guidance on content , preparat ion of candidates and writ ing

assessment issues as well as adm inist rat ive procedures for the conduct of writ ing

assessments.

W hat w ill candidates actually do?

Candidates need to com plete two separate writ ing assessm ents, each of which m ust be

undertaken in cont rolled condit ions in a single assessment session of no more than 1

hour (m inimum 45 m inutes) . I t is ant icipated that candidates will produce at least 100

words (100 characters for Chinese) in each of the two assessm ent sessions.

Candidates must have access to the st imulus material and a bilingual dict ionary. They

will be able to refer to up to 30 words of their own notes and, if desired, up to five sm all

drawings that they prepare in advance of the assessment . These notes must be

produced on a standard form (CA4) available from our website (please consult the

cont rolled assessments area on the relevant GCSE language-specific hom epage.

Although candidates may undertake tasks that link to any them e of your choice, the

following areas have been ident ified as popular themes for cont rolled writ ing

assessm ents:

1. Media and culture, 2. Sport and leisure, 3. Travel and tourism

4. Business, work and employment

Flexible tasks offer ing candidate- focused

assessm ent

Each of the broad themes give candidates the scope to engage in act ivit ies that

coincide with their t rue interests, experience and aspirat ions. Assessm ent scenarios

should provide opportunit ies for them to dem onst rate knowledge and understanding

of target language vocabulary and grammar, as well as to inform , describe, give

detail, express feelings and to give opinions in the target language. Teachers can

adapt Edexcel-produced st imulus m aterial or create their own. They have

considerable cont rol over assessment content so that they can target assessment to

the specific interests, learning needs and opt imal performance of each candidate.

Sect ion 1 : I nt roduct ion to controlled assessm ent


Teachers must ensure that the form al assessments used enable candidates to

dem onst rate their abilit y to use language for different purposes. There would be lit t le

reward and lim ited mot ivat ion for candidates to undertake tasks that are very sim ilar.

To support you, Edexcel has produced banks of cont rolled assessment writ ing tasks

that relate to each of the four ident ified themes (Media and culture, Sport and

leisure, Travel and tourism , Business, work and employment) . These include

exam ples of the type of tasks that you m ight set . These can all be downloaded from

the language-specific GCSE ‘Cont rolled assessm ent ’ sect ion of our website.

You can either use the tasks as provided or m odify them to suit the part icular needs

and interests of your candidates. You m ay wish to alter content so that it relates to

your local area or, possibly, change bullet points to provide more st ructure for certain

candidates or less prescript ion for others. Both PDF and Word versions of the tasks

have been produced to facilitate this. Alternat ively, you are free to devise your own

tasks and, if you wish, link these to a cent re-devised theme instead of the four

ident ified them es.

Tasks must be refreshed every two years. This applies to both Edexcel-provided and

teacher-produced ‘live’ tasks. However, this does not m ean that all tasks have to be

completely rewrit ten. The replacement of at least one significant bullet point can

usually lead to significant change.

You can set cont rolled assessment writ ing tasks that focus on one or more themes

and you can cover the sam e theme(s) across writ ing and speaking units. However, it

is important that the tasks feature different content and address different purposes.

For exam ple, it would not be acceptable to subm it an oral presentat ion about a

holiday resort and a writ ten cont rolled assessment that describes the same or a

sim ilar resort from the same candidate.

Centre- devised opt ion

You are not const rained by the four ident ified themes (Media and culture, Sport and

leisure, Travel and tourism , Business, work and em ploym ent ) and may opt to devise

themes of your own that are more appropriate to the needs and interests of your

candidates. This opt ion enables candidates to develop language skills:

● in contexts that coincide with learners’ studies in other curr iculum areas

(hospitalit y, retail, etc.) and, potent ially, as addit ional and specialist learning

BTEC or other vocat ional program mes;

● that relate to alternat ive topic areas (e.g. school and work) ; or

● that link to project work (e.g. regional studies) , possibly undertaken as part of

content and language integrated learning (CLIL) .

I t is not necessary to approach Edexcel to approve cent re-devised them es although

you are free to email your suggest ions to: [email protected]

Naturally, teachers w ho have opted to undertake controlled assessm ent

w rit ing tasks that are linked to a different them e from the above w ill need to

devise their ow n tasks.

Different pathw ays possible

The writ ing assessment tasks facilitate a range of delivery pathways. I n the writ ing

unit , your candidates could cover a broad range of them es or they could focus on just

one or two. I f desired, language tasks could be used that refer to either general

contexts or m ore applied and vocat ional contexts linked to the world of work.

Candidates could, for exam ple, be asked to play the role of an em ployee of a firm in

Manchester writ ing to a French-speaking customer from Belgium .

Sect ion 2 : Assessm ent inform at ion


Overview of assessm ent There are four units in the GCSE languages full course specificat ion and two units in

the short courses. The table below enables you to see how the writ ing unit fit s in the

GCSE Full Course (Writ ten Language) or the GCSE Short Course (Writ ten Language) .

The writ ing units are in bold.

Specificat ion

cash- in code

Subject t it le Units required to be eligible W eight ing

GCSE 2CN01

(Full Course)

Chinese 5CN01 (Listening and understanding)

5CN02 (Speaking)

5CN03 (Reading and understanding)

5 CN0 4 ( W rit ing)

20%

30%

20%

3 0 %

GCSE 3CN0W

(Short

Course)

Chinese: Writ ten

Language

5CN03 (Reading and understanding)

5 CN0 4 ( W rit ing)

40%

6 0 %

GCSE 2FR01

(Full Course)

French 5FR01 (Listening and understanding)

5FR02 (Speaking)

5FR03 (Reading and understanding)

5 FR0 4 ( W rit ing)

20%

30%

20%

3 0 %

GCSE 3FR0W

(Short

Course)

French: Writ ten

Language

5FR03 (Reading and understanding)

5 FR0 4 ( W rit ing)

40%

6 0 %

GCSE 2GN01

(Full Course)

German 5GN01 (Listening and understanding)

5GN02 (Speaking)

5GN03 (Reading and understanding)

5 GN0 4 ( W rit ing)

20%

30%

20%

3 0 %

GCSE 3GN0W

(Short

Course)

Germ an: Writ ten

Language

5GN03 (Reading and understanding)

5 GN0 4 ( W rit ing)

40%

6 0 %

GCSE 2I N01

(Full Course)

I talian 5I N01 (Listening and understanding)

5I N02 (Speaking)

5I N03 (Reading and understanding)

5 I N0 4 ( W rit ing)

20%

30%

20%

3 0 %

GCSE 3I N0W

(Short

Course)

I talian: Writ ten

Language

5I N03 (Reading and understanding)

5 I N0 4 ( W rit ing)

40%

6 0 %



GCSE 2SP01

(Full Course)

Spanish 5SP01 (Listening and understanding)

5SP02 (Speaking)

5SP03 (Reading and understanding)

5 SP0 4 ( W rit ing)

20%

30%

20%

3 0 %

GCSE 3SP0W

(Short

Course)

Spanish: Writ ten

Language

5SP03 (Reading and understanding)

5 SP0 4 ( W rit ing)

40%

6 0 %

GCSE 2UR01

(Full Course)

Urdu 5UR01 (Listening and understanding)

5UR02 (Speaking)

5UR03 (Reading and understanding)

5 UR0 4 ( W rit ing)

20%

30%

20%

3 0 %

GCSE 3UR0W

(Short

Course)

Urdu: Writ ten

Language

5UR03 (Reading and understanding)

5 UR0 4 ( W rit ing)

40%

6 0 %



Teacher support and guidance When writ ing the new series of GCSE specificat ions, all awarding bodies took a closer

look at cont rolled assessment requirements for every subject ; the QCDA required

GCSE cont rolled assessm ents in both speaking and writ ing units and these m ust now

take place in cont rolled condit ions.

The cont rolled assessments for writ ing are a completely new phenomenon and

account for 30% of the qualificat ion (60% of the GCSE Short Course (Writ ten

Language) ) . This sect ion considers the following stages of cont rolled assessm ent for

writ ing:

● General preparat ion phase

● Task set t ing

● Task taking

● Task m arking

● Task subm ission and adm inist rat ion

This support and guidance sect ion incorporates pract ical frequent ly asked quest ions

that teachers have already asked, together with the corresponding answers. I t m ust

be st ressed that the cont rolled assessm ents for writ ing offer teachers a great deal of

flexibilit y in terms of content , format and t im ing of assignm ents so that responses to

some quest ions may somet imes vary according to different approaches adopted

across cent res. Nevertheless, in term s of the general regulat ions applied to the

cont rolled assessments for writ ing, we have aimed to provide clear and unequivocal

guidance.

General preparat ion phase

I t is important that candidates are well prepared for the cont rolled assessments in

writ ing and that they do not undertake their assessments ‘cold’. Candidates are

allowed task-specific preparat ion t ime, but the general preparat ion undertaken prior

to the release of the st imulus is undoubtedly the m ost important preparat ion phase.

I t is important that the teaching and learning t im e equips candidates with a range of

vocabulary and st ructures which they can subsequent ly incorporate, manipulate,

expand on and adapt when carrying out their assessm ent tasks. The general

preparat ion phase allows you to give unlim ited feedback on content and to m ark

work. I t provides the general foundat ions for formal assessment . Once it is

com pleted, you can then set a task and conduct your candidates’ assessm ent .

As an exam ple, if covering the topic of ‘Holidays’ in the general teaching and learning

phase you are likely to cover related vocabulary, types of holidays candidates m ight

have been on, ones they would like to plan for the future, which ones appeal, which

ones don’t , other opinions, what act ivit ies they could do on holiday, who they m ight

go with, and so on. I n class, you could pract ise a variety of tenses, encourage the

candidates to m ake use of m ore com plex st ructures, and equip them to write a full-

length piece that is coherent and reads well. The candidates would then be able to

draw on what they have learned as they start preparing for a task that is m ore

focused and different to work covered earlier, although st ill linked to the same theme

and subtopic(s) .



Task set t ing ( lim ited control)

This sect ion considers various aspects of task set t ing, including when and how tasks

can be set and issues concerning the ‘task-specific’ preparat ion period. I t offers

guidance on the following cont rols:

● Collaborat ion cont rol

● Feedback cont rol

● Tim e cont rol

● Resource cont rol

You are free to assess when it is m ost appropriate for your cent re and candidates.

This could be either on an ongoing basis when candidates are ‘ready’ or in formal

assessm ent windows. Som e centres intend to have one ‘end assessment ’ for writ ing

as required in previous GCSE specificat ions and carry out another assessm ent either

as part of mock Year 11 exam inat ions or as a Year 10 end-of-year assessm ent . Staff

at other cent res m ay prefer to undertake term ly assessm ents and subm it the best

two m arks.

You must ensure that candidates undertake two dist inct ly different task types but

these can both, if desired, refer to the same theme.

The task-specific preparat ion period enables candidates to plan for their assessm ent

and to produce up to 30 words in a bullet points or m ind m ap form at using a

Candidates Notes Form – Writ ing (CA4) . This is available for download via the

language-specific GCSE cont rolled assessments sect ion of the website.

Collaborat ion control

Task preparat ion should be individual, although candidates can be inform ed by

general working with others ( for example, they could engage in vocabulary building

or gram m ar act ivit ies with each other as they prepare for the writ ten task) . Teachers

m ust m ake certain that each candidate is responsible for the language and st ructures

produced in the assessm ent . A Unit 4 Candidate Mark Record Sheet (CM4) will need

to be com pleted and signed by the candidate and teacher. These can be downloaded

from the Edexcel website on the language-specific homepages, via the links to

cont rolled assessment .

Feedback control

Once cont rolled assessm ent tasks have been issued, it is not possible for teachers to

offer any task-specific feedback to candidates other than to check that the task brief

has been fully understood. To facilitate this, a Student Checklist Form has been

produced and this can be com pleted in conjunct ion with the Candidate Notes Form –

Writ ing (CA4) . This form enables you to check that your candidates are ‘on t rack’

with the task set .

Tim e control

Tasks can be set at any t im e during the delivery of the GCSE course and up to a

maxim um of 6 contact hours over a maximum of 2 weeks before the formal

assessment take place. However, it is ant icipated that m any candidates would need

significant ly less preparat ion t ime – especially if the assessment logically follows on

from a period of general preparat ion linked to a related topic and the sam e theme.

Each of the two required cont rolled assessments m ust take place with a t im e lim it of

1 hour (45 m inutes m inim um / 1 hour maximum). I t is not possible to split the t im e

allocat ion for one assessment over more than one session (e.g. two sessions of 30

m inutes) .



Resource control

During the task-specific preparat ion period, candidates can refer to a variety of

resources they find useful. These include textbooks and exercise books in addit ion to

dict ionaries, the task st imulus, Cont rolled Assessm ents – Writ ing Form (CA4) and

their checklist . Candidates m ay take the st imulus and notes form s out of the

classroom during the allocated task-specific preparat ion t ime.

During the cont rolled assessm ent itself, candidates can have access only to the

st imulus, their Candidates Notes Form – Writ ing (CA4) , and a dict ionary.

The task set t ing and candidates’ task-specific preparat ion phase is a crucial one and

has at t racted a variety of quest ions from teachers – some of the most common are

given below.

W here can teachers access the tasks?

“

The tasks are available via the language-specific GCSE cont rolled assessm ent

sect ion of our website. The accompanying Student Note Form s are also located

in this sect ion.

The Edexcel-provided tasks are not com pulsory content and you m ay adapt

these or create other material of your own. You can also use the sam ple

assessment materials as long as they are adapted in some way (e.g. change

of at least one significant bullet point .

All tasks must be refreshed every 2 years. This applies to both Edexcel-provided

and teacher-produced st imulus m aterial. The tasks do not have to be rewrit ten

com pletely and can sim ply be updated and adapted as indicated above.

”W hen can candidates see the task?

“

Up to 2 weeks and a maximum of 6 contact hours are provided for candidates

to undertake the task-specific research and preparat ion. Candidates m ust not

be given more than this t im e to prepare.

”



How m uch flexibility is there for m e to devise m y ow n tasks?

“

Teachers can have overall cont rol of task type and task set t ing to reflect the

interests and needs of their candidates. Candidates should be encouraged to

exercise choice whenever possible.

Unless the task is set in a target - language count ry, the task should be set in

English. Using a target language in the task could prove counterproduct ive, as

som e candidates m ight be tem pted to copy som e elem ents without

m anipulat ing the language. Such copying would not gain candidates any

marks. A task that is too long could lead to more able candidates dealing with

the bullet points too superficially; they could, potent ially, gain more marks if

they were to develop a logical argument that refers to fewer disparate bullet

points.

Rem em ber that cent re-devised tasks do not have to relate to the them es

ident ified in the specificat ion (Media and culture, Sport and leisure, Travel and

tourism , Business, work and em ployment ) because teachers are free to

produce tasks linked to other candidate interests.

Cent re-devised tasks do not have to be approved by Edexcel, but if you require

reassurance about a specific task that you have devised, you can email

[email protected]

”Can teachers set the sam e task to a w hole class?

“ Teachers are free to set the same task to a group. They could m ake certain

changes to allow for different iat ion in abilit y ( for example, varying the number

of bullet points for less and more able candidates) but the generic task would

essent ially rem ain the sam e.

Teachers are st rongly advised when set t ing their own tasks to refer to the

assessment cr iter ia and the grade descriptors. These can be found in the

specificat ion booklet . I n order for candidates to access the full range of marks,

they need to have the opportunity to express opinions and to use a range of

tenses. Higher marks for Knowledge and applicat ion of language are gained by

those candidates who at least at tem pt a range of m ore com plex st ructures. I f

the st im ulus does not prom pt them to do so, they r isk being disadvantaged.

Where bullet points are used, care should be taken over the rubric. I f

candidates m ust address all the points, they will be penalised under

Com m unicat ion and content if they do not ; if they could address the bullet

points, they run the r isk of om it t ing the very ones which give them access to

the higher grades. Teachers are recommended to look carefully at the tasks set

by Edexcel and to use them as a model of good pract ice when set t ing their

own.

Candidates of different abilit ies will, of course, produce very different and

individual outcomes even though a com m on brief has been set . An art icle

about a famous sportsperson would involve, for exam ple, different choices and

would, therefore invite different informat ion, opinions and quest ions.

”



Can m y less able candidates w rite shorter tasks?

“

I t is ent irely possible for teachers to set two short tasks in a single assessm ent

session rather than set one long task. I t is important to note, however, that

candidates aim ing for Grade C and above are expected to show evidence of

being able to write at greater length, so this opt ion should not be offered to

them .

As an example, candidates m ight be asked in a task linked to the theme of

Business, work and em ploym ent to produce a CV and a let ter of applicat ion.

More able candidates would find this far too rest r ict ive, whereas less able ones

could possibly complete a form and also write a few lines about themselves

and provide personal details. By being given such a st imulus, they have a

greater possibilit y of reaching the m inimum word count of 100 words.

Exam iners will, of course, st ill assess the work of candidates who do not reach

the 100-word m inimum word count . The assessment grids must be used

whatever the length of the candidate’s writ ing. Under Communicat ion and

content , a short piece would be unlikely to gain m ore than 4–6 m arks as the

level of response is m inim al) or even 1–3 marks if only lit t le relevant

inform at ion is conveyed) . The m arks for Knowledge and applicat ion of

language and for Accuracy will be sim ilar ly rest r icted, because candidates will

have given evidence only of lim ited vocabulary and st ructures.

I t is clearly important to set tasks that are within the capabilit ies of candidates,

but equally one m ust be m indful of the need to enable them to access the

fullest possible range of marks.

”I s it possible to set a ll the speaking and w rit ing tasks on the sam e

them e or do they have to be m ixed?

“

The same theme is possible for all although you m ust ensure that all tasks

feature different content and purposes. For example, a spoken task on a given

them e could use inform al language, while a writ ten task on the same them e

could use more form al language. An informal oral discussion about a visit to

the cinema could be complem ented by a m ore form al writ ten review of a

different film .

”


GCSE Writ ten Language Version 2012 Cont rolled Assessm ent Teacher Support Book 1 0

Task taking ( high control)

W hen can I offer the controlled assessm ent unit?

“

Candidates m ay take the writ ing tasks at any t ime in the year. January 2013

was the last opportunity to subm it work during the winter series for Unit 2

Writ ing in French, Germ an and Spanish. From May 2013, all GCSE languages

specificat ions will be assessed in the summer exam inat ion series only. Only

complete assessments – including both writ ten tasks – can be subm it ted.

”I s it perm it ted to split the 1 - hour assessm ent session into tw o?

“

This is not perm it ted. The two cont rolled assessm ent sessions m ust last 1 hour

each (m inimum 45 m inutes) . Those candidates who are allocated two shorter

tasks as one assessm ent must com plete them both in the sam e session.

”W hen candidates are preparing the w rit ing tasks, can I look over

w hat they are preparing and give them advice?

“

Teachers must not provide direct task-specific feedback on content that

candidates produce in the task preparat ion phase, for exam ple: “That ’s wrong

– you should change it ” . However, you are able to clarify the task brief for

candidates, e.g. “This is sim ilar to what we were doing last week, remember to

cover… and….” On issuing the task, you can also suggest that they check

tenses, adject ival agreements, evidence of opinion, etc. as part of their overall

task brief. To facilitate this, Edexcel has produced a Student Checklist Form

that m ay be used in conjunct ion with the Candidate Notes Form – Writ ing

(CA4) . Both are available for download from the Edexcel website.

Remember that the general preparat ion undertaken prior to the release of the

st imulus const itutes the most crucial preparat ion phase. This allows you to give

unlim ited feedback on content and to mark work; it provides the general

foundat ions for the formal assessm ents.

”



I s it possible for candidates to w ord process their controlled w rit ing

assessm ents, as they used to be able to do w ith coursew ork?

“

This is possible, but candidates have to produce their work under the same

cont rolled condit ions as those candidates who are writ ing their responses.

Such candidates would have to use a com puter which has had the target

language spelling and gram m ar checkers disabled. They can refer to an online

dict ionary, but other I nternet -based reference m aterials would have to be

inaccessible to the candidates.

Candidates of Chinese GCSE m ay only word process one of their two cont rolled

assessments.

”Can the w rit ing assessm ent be undertaken in an ordinary classroom ,

or does a special exam inat ion room have to be used?

“

I t is possible to use an ordinary classroom, as long as candidates are sit t ing

the correct distance apart , and only have access to the task, their Candidate

Notes Form – Writ ing (CA4) and a dict ionary. I f the room contains displays that

m ight be of use to candidates (e.g. of gram m ar or key vocabulary) , then these

must be covered. However, if desired, cent res m ay use exam inat ion room s for

these assessments.

The cont rolled assessm ent tasks must be undertaken in cont rolled condit ions

and should usually be conducted by the class teacher. More inform at ion about

room ing requirements is given on the JCQ website:

www.jcq.org.uk/ exam s_office/ cont rolledassessments/

”W hat happens if a candidate starts the 2 - w eek preparat ion period,

then fa lls ill and m isses the assessm ent?

“

Once the candidate has received the ‘live’ writ ing assessment task, then he or

she m ust com plete it within the 2-week period.

I f candidates are absent and unable to undertake a cont rolled assessment

within the allocated 2-week period, then they should be given a refreshed task,

in which at least one of the bullet points of the original has been changed

significant ly. They then start a new assessment period (maximum of 2 weeks)

and com plete the assessm ent in the norm al way.

There are no rest r ict ions on communicat ion between candidates who have and

who haven’t completed the assessment , as there would be in a live

exam inat ion, because all candidates will know the task in advance.

”



Suppose it is the teacher w ho is aw ay for the 2 - w eek period?

“

I f the task has not been given to the candidates, then the assessment can be

delayed, because it is perm issible to take it at any t ime.

I f the task has been given to candidates, then any teacher can supervise its

preparat ion and conduct . I f it is felt that candidates are being disadvantaged,

then a refreshed task, in which at least one bullet point has been significant ly

changed, should be set by the teacher on his or her return.

This is to ensure comparabilit y between cent res, so that no candidate is

unfair ly penalised or advantaged.

”Are the pupils a llow ed to take hom e the draft of the w rit ing

assessm ent to prepare or learn?

“

I t is not intended or recom m ended that candidates take hom e com pleted drafts

to learn. An important feature of the new examinat ion is to assess candidates

when they are ready, rather than encourage any rote learning of scr ipts or

text .

Candidates m ay, however, undertake som e preparat ion for their cont rolled

writ ing task outside the classroom and access a range of resources including

work undertaken in the classroom, exercise books and notes during the task-

specific preparat ion t ime allocated (maximum of 6 guided learning hours) .

There is no need for candidates to produce a draft in the preparat ion phase

and, indeed, full drafts m ust not be produced at hom e (or in other

unsupervised condit ions) .

I t is, therefore, possible for cent res, if they wish, to allow candidates to take

part ial or completed drafts home for independent revision purposes (e.g. not to

redraft completely) within the task-specific preparat ion period.

Teachers and candidates will, of course, be required to sign an Authent icat ion

Statement declar ing that each assessment has been carr ied out without undue

assistance (so that the final assessed product is the candidate's own work and

has been produced by the candidate individually.

For most candidates, it is recommended that less t im e is spent on the task-

specific preparat ion phase (possibly just one lesson) and more t im e on the

general, non- task-specific (but st ill theme and subtopic- related) preparat ion

phase.

”



Task m arking ( high level of control)

I w ant to m ark m y candidates’ pract ice w rit ing assessm ents so that I

can w ork out their current and target grades. How can I do this?

“

Teachers can m ark their candidates’ work using the assessment cr iter ia

contained within the specificat ion. However, you m ust ensure that you do not

record your marks or write on any of the subm it ted pieces of work.

Teachers are advised to consult the grade descript ions for writ ing given in the

new specificat ion and draw on exist ing marking expert ise in their cent re when

making any grade- related decisions. Candidates should be aware that any

est imated grades could be different to the official grades awarded.

Samples of marked candidate work together with exam iner commentaries are

available in the language-specific GCSE cont rolled assessm ent sect ion of our

website.

”I have a candidate w ho has w rit ten as excellent piece of w ork that is

only 1 2 5 w ords long. How do I m ark this?

“

I t is expected that candidates aim ing for Grade C and above will produce at

least 200 words in their cont rolled assessment . Although marks are always

applied on a best fit basis, exam iners must see evidence of extended writ ing.

Extended writ ing could approach 200 words (and there is no implicat ion for

candidates to go m uch beyond 200 words) but 125 words is significant ly short .

A m ark of 7–9 for Com m unicat ion and content requires the candidate to go

beyond a m inimal response; your candidate is only just reaching this level.

However, your candidate m ight have performed well on Knowledge and

applicat ion of language and on Accuracy within the 125 words. Exam iners will

use the full range of marks in these categories, but your candidate m ight not ,

for exam ple, have demonst rated as m uch evidence of an ability to use a range

of com plex st ructures or apply as wide a range of vocabulary and st ructures as

someone who has produced 200 words. This would need to be reflected in the

marks.

”



W hat if candidates produce a lot m ore than 2 0 0 w ords in a single

session – w ill they be penalised?

“

I t is ent irely possible that some candidates produce work that significant ly

exceeds the recom m ended target of ‘over 200 words’. Exam iners for this GCSE

unit will be inst ructed to mark all of a candidate’s subm ission and there will be

no cut -off point .

Teachers are, however, advised to recom m end their candidates against doing

this. Experience shows that candidates run a very st rong r isk of penalising

themselves, in two ways.

First ly, the overall shape of their work could easily becom e distorted if it goes

on too long. I rrelevant m aterial could possibly start to creep in. They are then

less likely to m ove into the ‘Coherent and pleasant to read’ category (13–15

m arks) for Com m unicat ion and content .

Secondly, there is a dist inct possibilit y that the incidence of error will increase,

the more a candidate writes. Candidates would be bet ter advised to rest r ict

them selves to the recom m ended target word count and then to allow som e

t im e for review and checking within the t im e available.

”How m any m arks are allocated to content and how m any to

language?

“

Up to half of the marks (15/ 30) are awarded for Communicat ion and content

and up to half are allocated to language, of which up to 10 m arks are given for

Knowledge and applicat ion of language, and up to 5 marks for Accuracy.

”W hat key features do exam iners look for w hen assessing candidates’

w ork?

“

For Com m unicat ion and content , exam iners first look to see what the task type

is, and then to what extent candidates have dealt with it . How well have they

covered all the points? I s there any irrelevance? Next , they determ ine how well

organised it is, and how easily a sympathet ic nat ive reader would understand

what is writ ten.

For Knowledge and applicat ion of language, exam iners look for points worthy

of credit – appropriate vocabulary and st ructures, use of adject ives and

adverbs, use of more complex st ructures – even where these are not ent irely

accurate.

Finally, they award a m ark for Accuracy, not ing that to obtain a m ark of 4 or 5

the candidate must have at least at tempted more complex language. I n order

to obtain a m ark of 5, the work does not need to be fault less, but basic

language, however accurate, cannot gain more than 3 for Accuracy.

”



W hat is m eant by ‘m ore am bit ious st ructures’ in the m arking cr iter ia

for Know ledge and applicat ions of language?

“

Every language, of course, has its own ‘more ambit ious st ructures’. Examples

of these m ight be the use of a variety of tenses; use of negat ive and

interrogat ive const ruct ions; indirect speech; subordinate clauses; const ruct ions

using the infinit ive; part iciples; passive voice; comparat ive and superlat ive

adject ives; adverbial phrases.

”W hy m ight a m ark of zero be aw arded?

“

For Communicat ion and content , a m ark of zero m ight be awarded if the work

was totally irrelevant to the set task; if it was almost ent irely incomprehensible

( for example, if there was too much interference from the candidate’s mother

tongue) ; or if it was too short to contain any assessable material.

A mark of zero for Communicat ion and content will automat ically mean a mark

of zero for Knowledge and applicat ion of language and for Accuracy.

”Must candidates use past , present and future tenses in each piece of

w ork in order to obtain Grade C or above?

“

Not necessarily. The grade descript ion for C states that candidates ‘use a

variety of st ructures and m ay include different tenses or t im e fram es’.

Candidates are advised to use at least two tenses in their work so as to

demonst rate use of ‘a range of tenses’, as stated in the assessm ent criter ia for

Knowledge and applicat ion of language (5–6 marks) . However, what is equally

important is that they use tenses which are relevant to the task in hand. I t is

also important to st ress that the exam iner will be looking for use of other

language st ructures in addit ion to use of different verb tenses.

”



I s it possible for teachers to photocopy their candidates’ w ork before

sending it to Edexcel, to correct the copies, and to share this

inform at ion w ith candidates?

“

I t is possible for teachers to assess candidates’ work and to share the marks

with candidates. However, they must not correct the work. Live exam inat ion

m aterials m ust not be used for teaching or t raining purposes unt il after the

results have been published and the st imulus materials are no longer ‘live’.

”I s it possible to send w rit ten w ork to Edexcel for m arking other than

at the designated t im e?

“

I t is not possible to send material to Edexcel except as part of the form al

assessment . Exam iners are not perm it ted to mark live work from candidates

outside of formal exam inat ions.

”



Task subm ission and adm inist rat ion

I f candidates produce a poor piece of w ork for the w rit ing

assessm ent , can they redo it?

“

They cannot redo an ident ical task. They can take a new or refreshed task (as

defined above) under cont rolled condit ions at a later stage (either linked to the

sam e theme or on a new them e) . The teacher can then decide which are the

best two pieces to subm it for the final assessment .

”Can candidates resit their w rit ing controlled assessm ent?

“

Although individual unit resits will no longer be possible with the int roduct ion of

the linear GCSE specificat ions ( first teaching – September 2012/ first award –

sum m er 2012) , cont rolled assessm ent unit results m ay be carr ied forward if a

candidate wishes to retake a full GCSE qualificat ion.

”Can candidates retake a controlled assessm ent task?

“

Candidates can be assessed on repeat occasions but must not undertake the

same assessment task twice if it is being counted towards their final

assessment .

”W hat docum entat ion needs to be sent to Edexcel w ith the

candidates’ w ork?

“

Full details on what to include in your moderat ion sample can be found in the

Adm inist rat ive Support Guide ( I CE) which is available for download from the

Edexcel language-specific GCSE cont rolled assessm ent sect ion of our website.

I t is not necessary to send the Student Checklist Form for cont rolled

assessments; these should be retained securely in the cent re unt il 30

September.

”



W hen should controlled w rit ing assessm ents be subm it ted?

“

Tasks can be carr ied out at any t im e during the GCSE course but there are

specific subm ission windows for work to be marked. For all languages,

cont rolled assessm ents for writ ing can be subm it ted in the sum m er series (15

May deadline) . Alternat ively, and exclusively for those candidates entered for

GCSE French, Germ an or Spanish in summer 2013, work may be subm it ted by

10 January 2013. This January m arking facility will be withdrawn after 2013.

”W hat about candidates w ho qualify for ext ra t im e in exam inat ions?

“

Some candidates qualify for ext ra t ime in exam inat ions due to special

circum stances or requirem ents. Please refer to the Joint Council for

Qualif icat ions (JCQ) booklet Access Arrangements, Reasonable Adjustm ents

and Special Considerat ion, General and Vocat ional Qualificat ions for details of

access arrangements available, evidence requirements, key dates and

procedures. Requests should be sent to:

Special Requirements Team

One90 High Holborn

London WC1V 7BH

”How do I ensure that m y candidates m eet the term inal assessm ent

rule?

“

You need to ensure that candidates are assessed for 40% of their GCSE in the

term inal ( last ) exam inat ion series. I n pract ice this usually means that two units

in the GCSE should be taken/ subm it ted in the final summer series. Cont rolled

assessm ent tasks undertaken earlier in the year can be subm it ted as term inal

assessm ent . Candidates m ust take at least two units in the final series.

NB: This rule applies to candidates sit t ing a modular GCSE in 2012/ 13 only.

”W hat im pact w ill the int roduct ion of new linear GCSE specificat ions

( first teaching from Septem ber 2 0 1 2 and first aw ard 2 0 1 4 ) have on

controlled assessm ents?

“

All units, including speaking and writ ing cont rolled assessment ones in the

revised 2012 specificat ions, must be externally moderated or marked at the

end of the GCSE course (15 May subm ission deadline) . However, cont rolled

assessm ents m ay st ill be undertaken at any t ime during the course prior to

subm ission.

”

Sect ion 3 : Support ing you w ith controlled assessm ent


Support ing you w ith controlled assessm ent Need help with cont rolled assessm ent? Our experts are on hand to support you...

• Email your Subject Advisor, Alista ir Drew ery , direct ly

at [email protected]

• Call 0 8 4 4 5 7 6 0 0 3 5 to speak a m em ber of the Subject

Advisor team for languages

• Visit the Languages Com m unity Forum to speak to

other teachers, ask advice and see docum ents and links

that Alistair Drewery has posted

• Get the latest languages news, advice and rem inders

st raight to your inbox - sign up for em ail updates from

your subject advisor .

[email protected] is our free email service that enables you to get

languages-specific support and is supported by a team of senior exam iners who will help

answer your subject -specific quest ions. They will usually email you within two working days

of receiving your quest ion.

You can find docum ents relat ing to cont rolled

assessment below, including:

Form s

You'll find the cont rolled assessm ent form s you need

here.

Guidance

We've updated the cont rolled assessm ent Teacher

Support Book with answers to FAQs from you.

All these docum ents can also be found on the m ain GCSE Languages page, alongside

other key docum ents including:

• The Adm inist rat ive Support Guide ( I CE)

• Principal Moderator and exam iner reports

• Sam ple assessm ent m ateria ls.

You should also refer to the JCQ controlled assessm ent guidance docum ent .

Sect ion 4 : Appendices


Appendix 1 : Frequent ly asked quest ions concerning controlled assessm ent

1 I understand m y candidates can do a speaking and a w rit ing task on

the sam e them e. How m uch overlap is a llow ed across these

assessm ent tasks?

Some overlap is acceptable and understandable as long as the tasks are dist inct ly

different . Speaking and writ ing tasks can be linked to the sam e theme but the

purpose of the tasks set must be different . The specificat ion states that Teachers

m ust ensure that the form al assessm ents used enable students to dem onst rate

their ability to use language for different purposes. Although the context of the

tasks m ay be com m on, teachers m ust check that there is no direct overlap of

content across the form al speaking and writ ing assessm ent . I t is important to

ensure the content is dist inct ly different – not just the context and purpose of the

tasks in the two skills.

Here is an example where there is significant direct overlap:

Speaking task : Presentat ion and discussion on house, hom e town and local area

Give a presentat ion about your house, hom e town and local area. Your teacher

will then ask you som e quest ions which m ay refer to any of the following:

1. what your house is like

2. what you would like to change in your house

3. inform at ion about the town where you live

4. advantages of liv ing in your local area

5. what you did recent ly in your local area

You should also be prepared to respond to quest ions your teacher m ight ask you.

W rit ing task : House, hom e town and local area

Write an art icle for a [ target language] m agazine about your hom e and local

area.

You m ay wish to refer to the following:

1. what your house is like

2. advantages and disadvantages of liv ing in your local area

3. things to do and see in your local area [ m ight overlap potent ially with

point 3 in speaking task]

4. what you did recent ly in your local area

5. what you would like to change in your house or local area



One of these tasks should be modified to m inim ise the extent of the direct

overlap of content and to allow the candidates to demonst rate their abilit y to use

a range of language.

The speaking task could be turned into an open interact ion; an example is given

below:

Your fam ily has decided to visit [ TL count ry] and wants to exchange hom es with a

[ target language] -speaking fam ily. You speak to a representat ive from an agency

in the ( target language-speaking) count ry that arranges this. There are three

homes to choose from :

A

B C

During the course of the conversat ion, you m ay need to do the following:

● explain what sort of hom e you want

● explain where it should be and why

● say what you will do while you are in ( target language-speaking)

● choose which of the three hom es you want to exchange with

● say why your choice of hom e (and area) would be suitable for the ( target

language-speaking) fam ily

Be prepared to ask at least two quest ions.

Alternat ively, teachers may use tasks that overlap in this way if only one of these

tasks (speaking or writ ing) is counted towards final assessment or if one of these

is used informally in your cent re as part of the candidates’ general language

learning and development .

2 I am using the Edexcel GCSE textbook w ith m y candidates. Can I use

the tasks set at the end of each chapter for their speaking and w rit ing

controlled assessm ent tasks?

As long as candidates are NOT expect ing to use a textbook derived st imulus, then

this would be acceptable. However, we would recom m end that teachers alter

such st imuli in some way – perhaps changing or adding a bullet point . This could

also help to ensure that the tasks are m ore candidate- focussed. Candidates m ust

not know what the task is in advance of the task-specific preparat ion period.



3 I n task set t ing, w hat exact ly does the 7 0 - w ord lim it refer to? Does it

apply to both speaking and w rit ing assessm ent tasks?

The following informat ion relates to cont rolled assessment speaking and writ ing

tasks and is given in the specificat ion: As tasks are designed to develop target -

language speaking or writ ing skills, related st im uli should feature a m inim al

am ount of text (m axim um 70 words) and may feature visual prompts, potent ially

with som e addit ional English- language explanat ion of context . Prom pts and cues

m ay be set in either English or TL, appropriate to the specific scenario.

The 70 words lim it refers therefore to any st im ulus elem ent provided and NOT to

the complete task itself. There is no word lim it for the task but you are advised to

set tasks that are as concise and precise as possible.

4 Can the CA2 / CA4 notes form include conjugated verbs?

Yes, conjugated verbs m ay be included. The notes should be writ ten in bullet

point or m ind m ap format and could be in either English or the TL (or a m ixture of

both* ) . Candidates should be discouraged from writ ing notes in full sentences as

this does not represent the best use of their 30 words of notes (GCSE French,

German, Spanish, I talian and Urdu) . Coding such as writ ing down the first let ter

of key words in key sentences is not allowed. However, it is acceptable for

candidates to produce bulleted notes that are colour-coded for specific

paragraphs/ aspects.

GCSE Chinese candidates may produce 50 characters of notes plus five pictures

or 30 English words (or pinyin) plus five pictures or 30 characters plus 20 English

words (or pinyin) plus five pictures.

5 Are candidates allow ed to have printed im ages on or at tached to their

CA2 / CA4 form ( 3 0 w ords sheets) for the controlled assessm ents?

Som e candidates have found pictures on the I nternet .

No. The inst ruct ion to candidates on both cont rolled assessm ent forms states:

You m ay also produce up to five sm all drawings in the box below . This m eans

that candidates m ay produce their own simple drawings to support them during

the task- taking phase. Visual learners may find this part icularly useful.

I f we allowed pictures from the I nternet , etc., candidates m ight spend too much

t ime researching appropriate images rather than on developing language skills. I n

addit ion, there are issues of copyright to consider.

6 Are candidates allow ed to ta lk to their classm ates during the

controlled assessm ent preparat ion t im e?

Yes they may ( for both speaking and writ ing) but candidates m ust not produce

any extended pieces of language for one another. The result ing assessable work

must be the individual candidate’s own. Please refer to the Joint Council for Qualif icat ions document Inst ruct ions for conduct ing cont rol led assessments



7 Are candidates allow ed to take any drafts hom e?

Candidates m ay take hom e the cont rolled assessm ent task, their exercise books,

textbooks and the CA2 and CA4 form s. We would recom m end that they do not

take a draft hom e.

Candidates m ay engage in general revision/ preparat ion for their assessm ent at hom e and they should not produce a full draft at hom e. The fol lowing not ice

appears on the GCSE 09 MFL web pages.

The GCSE 2009 specificat ions for French, Germ an, Spanish, I ta lian, Urdu and

Chinese state that st imuli for the cont rolled assessm ents should not be taken out

of the classroom . However, since task-set t ing regulat ions perm it a ‘lim ited’ level

of cont rol and as it is logical for m ost students to source their st imuli for picture-

based discussions at hom e, this requirement has been revisited. Consequent ly, it

is possible for students to take a copy of the task st im uli hom e if

undertaking related research within the prescribed task specific preparat ion

period.

Although it is possible for students to do som e background preparat ion/ research

at hom e, teachers m ust be able to confirm that the final assessed product is the

candidate's own work and has been prepared individually, without assistance

from anyone else. (The lat ter is a QCDA requirem ent across all awarding bodies

and teachers and students will need to com plete a form to confirm this.) Students

should not , therefore, be expected to produce full drafts of writ ing tasks ( for

exam ple) at hom e.

I nit ial guidance was revisited following the publicat ion of guidance for JCQ on

cont rolled assessm ents (published after publicat ion of our specificat ions) and in response to teachers’ feedback. A not ice was produced on August 19th 2009 to

advise teachers of this amended guidance.

NB: Students may also refer to other resources when undertaking research and

preparat ion including textbooks and exercise books

Students should not be inst ructed to take drafts hom e with the aim of learning

them by heart .

8 Does the task have to be taken w ithin the tw o w eeks’ preparat ion

t im e or after it?

The t im e cont rol allows for maximum of up to 2 weeks and no m ore than 6 hours’

contact t ime. As the most important stage in the process is the general teaching

and learning phase during which t im e speaking and writ ing act ivit ies can be

undertaken with unlim ited teacher feedback, many teachers consider it m ore

appropriate to allocate m ore t im e to the general, pre- task release preparat ion

phase rather than the task-specific preparat ion phase. I n such cases, the task for

formal assessment would be undertaken well within the 2-week period.

Teachers may give their candidates the m axim um of 6 learning hours over a

m axim um period of 2 weeks. However, care needs to be taken to ensure that the

task taking goes beyond this m axim um period so that candidates do not exceed

the preparat ion t im e allowance. I t is expected that the tasks will be undertaken

within the 2-week period although, if necessary, it may be possible for some

candidates to undertake assessm ents on the day after the maximum 2 weeks

period of preparat ion has elapsed.



9 W ould a w eek's half- term holiday count as part of the fortnight task-

preparat ion period if a controlled assessm ent w as set just before

half- term ?

Cent res are discouraged from set t ing controlled assessments just before a school

holiday. I f this approach is adopted, the half term would have to form part of the

2-week preparat ion period.

10 W hat form s need to be sent w ith the controlled assessm ents? I s

there a checklist for teachers so w e know w hat w e need to send off?

Please refer to the Administ rat ive Support Guide ( I CE) docum ent in the language-

specific GCSE cont rolled assessm ents area of the website which includes a

checklist . This document may be refreshed and updated periodically and you are

recommended to refer to the Edexcel website for the most up- to-date

docum entat ion before subm it t ing candidates’ work.

11 I f a candidate w ants to retake a task, does he/ she need to do a

com pletely new one?

I f a candidate wants to retake a task on a specific them e, the task m ust not be

exact ly the same as one that the candidate has used previously. I t will be

necessary to change or ‘refresh’ the task (e.g. at least one significant bullet

point .)

12 How do you define a refreshed task?

All tasks used for live assessments m ust be refreshed every 2 years. This m eans

that at least one significant bullet point must be changed.

13 I f a candidate is resit t ing a unit w ith controlled assessm ents ( Units 2

and 4 ) , can s/ he resubm it one piece?

This is not possible for the cont rolled assessm ents in Writ ing. These are marked

by Edexcel and can be t reated in a sim ilar way to exam inat ion scripts and may

not always be returned to cent res.

However, it is possible for a candidate to resubm it ONE cont rolled assessm ent

task in speaking if this is what the cent re wishes to do. I n this case, the cent re

will need to ensure the work is reassessed (because this is a fresh assessm ent

series) and the original cent re marks adjusted if appropriate. Of course, this

would be possible only with those pieces of candidate work that have been

recorded.

Cent res m ight consider whether candidates who wish to do a speaking cont rolled

assessment may benefit more from undertaking a different or refreshed task

because they may well have made some progress since their first assessments.



Appendix 2 : Frequent ly asked quest ions concerning w rit ing-specific controlled assessm ents

14 Can a candidate w ho w rites few er than 2 0 0 w ords st ill score a Grade

C? Does w rit ing few er than 2 0 0 w ords m ean that a candidate cannot

gain a Grade C for w rit ing controlled assessm ents?

I t is expected that candidates aim ing for Grade C and above will produce over

200 words in their cont rolled assessment tasks. Clearly, marks are applied on a

best - fit basis and exam iners will reward the individual pieces on their own merit .

However, at the top end, exam iners must see evidence of extended writ ing.

Therefore, in order to access the full mark schem e, extended writ ing should, at

least , approach 200 words. Consequent ly, a piece of writ ing of about 125 words,

for exam ple, would be significant ly short and would be unlikely to access

upperm ost m arks.

15 Are there any penalt ies if candidates w rite m ore than 2 0 0 w ords?

No, there is no upper word lim it . However, the assessment is qualitat ive rather

than quant itat ive and candidates will have no longer than 1 hour in which to

undertake the writ ing cont rolled assessment . Over- long pieces of writ ten work

are often self-penalising and candidates m ight be bet ter advised to produce just

over 200 words and use any ‘spare’ t im e const ruct ively to check what they have

writ ten.

16 I f m y candidates w rite tw o shorter pieces w hich together m ake up

1 0 0 w ords, do these pieces of w rit ing have to be on a different them e

or topic?

I t is possible to set two short tasks rather than one long one in a single

assessment session. However, this type of act ivity is envisaged for only very

weak candidates. There is an expectat ion that m ost candidates operat ing at a

not ional ‘foundat ion t ier ’ level will undertake a single task of at least 100 words in

the allocated t im e – and not two shorter ones.

I f it is appropriate to set two shorter tasks, candidates should be set two tasks on

the same theme. For example, on the theme of Business, work and employment

they could be asked to complete a simple job applicat ion form and then write a

short let ter of int roduct ion ( i.e. a few lines about them selves) to afford them a

greater chance of reaching the 100 words m inimum word count .

Whilst exam iners will, of course, assess the work of candidates who do not reach

the m inim um word count , it is ext remely unlikely that those who write fewer than

100 words will score more than 4–6 marks for Communicat ion and content

because the level of such a response will be m inimal. I n addit ion, the marks

awarded for language (both Knowledge and applicat ion of language and

Accuracy) will be rest r icted because such candidates will have shown evidence of

only lim ited vocabulary and st ructures.

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