Oral Examiners Standardisation Activity Resource Book Final

ESBinItaly Oral Examiners' Standardisation Activity Resource Book

Standardisation Procedure

In order to standardise oral examiners [OEs] for an ensuing period of 12 months, the following

procedure is used.

OEs are expected to come to the standardisation session having familiarised themselves with

the most recent version of the Oral Examiners Handbook.

All OEs must successfully complete an annual standardisation session if they wish to examine

candidates during the subsequent 12 months.

The standardisation session consists of watching DVDs of an interlocutor and an assessor

examining candidates at all four levels [B1, B2, C1, C2].

Before the viewing of each level, OEs will be given an opportunity to read over the marking

criteria for that level. As mentioned above, it is expected that OEs will already have

familiarised themselves with all aspects of the marking criteria prior to attending the

standardisation.

OEs should feel free to ask questions and raise issues throughout the session.

After a general introduction, the standardisation will proceed as follows.

B1 Setting the Standard

Interactive

Discourse

Candidate

Grammar

Vocabulary

Pronunciation

Ability (IA)

Management

(DM)

A

B

Notes

B2 Setting the Standard

The same procedure as pertains for B1 is followed for B2.

Interactive

Discourse

Candidate

Grammar

Vocabulary

Pronunciation

Ability (IA)

Management

(DM)

A

B

Notes

B2 Marks Collection

Interactive

Discourse

Candidate

Grammar

Vocabulary

Pronunciation

Ability (IA)

Management

(DM)

A

B

Notes

C1 Setting the Standard

Interactive

Discourse

Candidate Grammar

Vocabulary

Pronunciation

Ability (IA)

Management

(DM)

A

B

Notes

C2 Setting the Standard

The procedure for C2 standard setting is identical to that already described for B1, B2 and C1.

Interactive

Candidate Grammar

Vocabulary

Discourse

Pronunciation

Ability (IA)

Management

(DM)

A

B

Notes

C2 Marks Collection

Interactive

Candidate Grammar

Vocabulary

Discourse

Pronunciation

Management

Ability (IA)

(DM)

A

B

Notes

The extensive discussion, which follows the revealing of the standardisation team’s allocation

of marks .

After the Standardisation

The standardisation team vets the completed B2 and C2 mark sheets. The acceptable ‘margin

of error’ between the mark allocated by ESB in each assessed category and that allocated by

an OE, has been set as 0.5 higher or lower than the ESB allocation.

After collation of the number of ‘acceptable’ marks for both the B2 and C2 candidates, the

OE is then allocated one of the following grades: satisfactory, in need of improvement,

unsatisfactory.

Thank you!