IBO ASSESSMENT DETAILS

EXTERNAL ASSESSMENTWRITTEN COMPONENT

PAPER 1 TEXT HANDLING

Assesses the ability of the candidate in reading and handling information from a range of texts.

Paper 1: Text Handling General

• Externally set & assessed• Two sections

– Section A: Reading– Section B: Written Response

• Texts and questions in target language• Responses in target language• Dictionaries are not permitted

Paper 1: Text Handling Texts

• Written texts• Different communicative purposes• Different levels of difficulty• Final text for Section B only• Content, length and difficulty of texts reflects

linguistic and reading ability• At least one text is literary in nature

SECTION A: Reading SkillsQuestions assess

• Understanding overall meaning• Scanning texts for particular details• Understanding structural features

– Cross reference within text– Functioning in context

• Interpreting words and phrases• Identifying communicative purposes

SECTION A: Reading SkillsQuestions vary and may include

• Multiple choice• Choosing which number of sentences are true

according to text• Justifying and interpretation• Short answer questions• Chart filling exercises• Gap filling

• Matching – summary sentences

with different paragraphs

– ideas or sequences with pictures

– words and phrases

• Identifying – who says what– specific content

items– related ideas– precise references– clear inference– T/F explanation or

definition finding evidence

SECTION A: Reading SkillsQuestions vary and may include

Paper 2: Written Production

Assesses the candidates´ability to communicate accurately for a range of purposes.

Paper 2: Written Production

• Externally set and assessed• Written in target language• Dictionaries not permitted• Consists of 6 tasks• Requires candidate to

– answer using a specific type of text– Indentify

• communicative purpose• audience

– Use language appropriate to text type• Different from Paper 1• Candidates are expected to write 400 words• Quality y more important than quantity