Examination Specification Level B1 (Grade 11)

Examination Specification Level B1 (Grade 11)
The examination specification for level B1 provides teachers, Candidates, and other
stakeholders with comprehensive information about the content of the examinations.
Examinations Overview
Final examination for Level B1 consists of four examinations:
Examination
No. of
Tasks
Task 1 Type
Task 2 Type
Overall
mark
Time Allowed
Speaking
2
Communicating
personal
information
expressing
personal opinions
on everyday topics
describing
20
Up to 10
minutes per 1
Candidate
Listening
1
5 x multiple
choice
questions
(ABC) / gap
filling /
matching /
x
25
Approximately
15 minutes
7
sentence
completion/sho
rt answer
Reading
2
5 x multiple
choice (ABCD
Gap Fill / True
False Not Given /
Matching /
Sentence
completion)
5 x multiple
choice(ABCD
Gap Fill / True
False Not Given
/ Matching /
Sentence
completion)
30
30 minutes
Writing
1
Candidate writes
an email / /
letter on a given
topic email or
letter (minimum
120 words)
x
25
40 minutes
B1 Language Specification
Functions
Grammar
Discourse
markers
Topics
●
Describing experience
& events in the
indefinite & recent past
●
Describing the future,
informing & predicting,
expressing intention
●
Expressing certainty &
uncertainty, obligation
& necessity
●
Expressing opinions
●
Expressing preferences
●
Expressing purpose &
giving reasons
●
Expressing feelings &
emotions
●
determiners
●
-ing forms
●
present tenses
●
past simple used to
●
past simple and
continuous
●
modals, i.e.,
obligation, necessity,
and advice
●
present perfect and
past simple
●
comparative and
superlative adjectives
●
future forms: future
continuous
●
conditional sentences:
second conditional
●
Connecting
words
expressing
cause and
effect, contrast,
etc
●
Discourse
markers to
structure
formal speech
●
Linkers:
although, in
spite of,
despite
●
Linkers:
sequential –
past time –
subsequently
Relationship
Shopping
Sport
Weather
Health
Music
Technology
Nature
8
●
past perfect
●
the passive: modal
passives
●
defining relative
clauses and non-
defining relative
clauses
●
articles: a/an, the, and
zero article
●
reported speech
●
reported questions
●
have something done
●
different types of
clause
●
verbs with two objects
At school
Travelling
Social media
Cooking
Films
Communication
Work
Hopes and dreams
Overview of the B1 Speaking Examination
The total guide time for the Speaking examination is 10 minutes, including an introduction read
by the Interlocutor. There are 2 tasks in total.
The Speaking examination takes place with one Candidate and the Interlocutor present.
Successful B1 Candidates will demonstrate the following competencies across the examination:
●
Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity on a number of familiar subjects
●
Can take active part in a discussion, presenting and justifying their views
●
Can present clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects
●
Can explain a viewpoint
●
Can give advantages and disadvantages of each option
Candidates’ performance is assessed across four categories:
●
Pronunciation – 5 points
●
Fluency – 5 points
●
Syntax – 5 points
●
Vocabulary – 5 points
This rubric uses four 5-point scales (20 total points).
9
Pronunciation
Fluency
Phonetically correct Almost error-free
Awareness of accent
Genuine effort to sound like native speaker
5
Smooth flow
Quick, continuous flow
Natural pauses
5
Comprehensible, generally correct
Occasional error
4
Occasional hesitation, searching for
words
Speaker can self-correct and respond to
cues
4
Frequent errors that confuse listener and
require guessing at meaning
3
Halting, hesitating
Visibly translating before responding
Can rephrase and respond
3
Many errors that interfere with
comprehensibility
2
Frequent hesitations, searches for words
Overly translates questions before
response
Repeats question word before response
Eventually responds
2
Most utterances contain errors
Many utterances are incomprehensible
Little communication
1
Constant searching for vocabulary, verb
tense Does not complete utterances
1
No attempt
0
No attempt
May repeat cue
0
Syntax
Vocabulary
No grammatical errors
Speaker self-corrects without hesitation
5
Very good; wide range
Uses appropriate and new words and
expressions
Interesting response
5
Few syntax errors
Minor errors that do not impede
communication
4
Good, appropriate vocabulary
Generally good response
4
Frequent errors
Self-corrects on some
3
Vocabulary is just adequate to respond
No attempt to vary expressions
Basic
3
Many errors (agreement, verb forms)
Errors in basic structures
Errors impede communication
2
Inadequate vocabulary or incorrect use
of lexical items
Communication difficult
2
Most structures incorrect
Constant use of infinitive; no conjugation
Listener understands only because of past
experience
1
Incomplete sentences or fragments
Vocabulary repeated
Inappropriate vocabulary
1
10
No attempt or repeats cue
0
No attempt
Totally irrelevant answer
0
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