Revised FCE and CAE exams 2015

… and above all, I shall do no harm.

Belgrade April 2014

Bob Obee

Professional Support Leader

Lesson Paths

http://bit.ly/QcCH55

Performance - CAE• Serbia performance vs top 10 countries – 2012

*June session only

Reading Writing Use of Eng Listening Speaking1 Germany Bulgaria Bulgaria Germany Germany2 Mexico Germany Serbia Portugal Mexico3 Serbia Serbia Agrentina Switzerland Serbia4 Czech Rep Czech Rep Poland Serbia Czech Rep5 Italy Russia Romania Bulgaria Romania6 Russia Italy Germany Czech Rep Russia7 Switzerland Switzerland Czech Rep Poland Switzerland8 France Portugal Russia Romania France9 Romania Agrentina Italy France Poland

10 Bulgaria Romania Mexico Mexico Bulgaria

Serbia Results 2013

FCE

COUNTRY GRADE A GRADE B GRADE C

Downward

Certification Level

FAIL

Serbia 22.6% 31.8% 34.5% 9.8% 1.2%

CAE

Serbia 18.4% 24.2% 38.4% 16.2% 2.9%

CPE

Serbia 13.7% 20.4% 39.8% 21.7% 4.4%

Findings

• FCE and CAE in future

• over 70% of respondents wanted shorter exams

• a majority favoured a four paper format

• combined Reading and Use of English most favoured

• content should be suitable for study purposes, work/career advancement, as well as for general purposes

Summary of new FCE(fS) formatFCE and FCEfS from 2015

Paper/timing Content

Reading andUse of English75 min

Part 1 4-option MC clozePart 2 Open clozePart 3 Word formationPart 4 Key word transformationsPart 5 4-option multiple choicePart 6 Gapped textPart 7 Multiple matching

Writing80 min

Part 1 one compulsory question (essay)Part 2 one question from a choice of three (four for FCEfS). Set text option for FCEfS only

Listening40 min (approx.)

Part 1 3-option multiple choicePart 2 Sentence completionPart 3 Multiple matching Part 4 3-option multiple choice

Speaking14 min

Part 1 InterviewPart 2 Individual long turnsPart 3/4 Collaborative task and follow-up discussion

Total timing: 3 hours 29 minutes (current exam 3 hours 59 minutes)

Summary of new CAE formatCAE from 2015

Paper/timing Content

Reading andUse of English90 min

Part 1 4-option MC clozePart 2 Open clozePart 3 Word formationPart 4 Key word transformationsPart 5 4-option multiple choicePart 6 Cross-text multiple matchingPart 7 Gapped textPart 8 Multiple matching

Writing90 min

Part 1 one compulsory question (essay)Part 2 one question from a choice of three. No set text option

Listening40 min (approx.)

Part 1 3-option multiple choicePart 2 Sentence completionPart 3 4-option multiple choice Part 4 Multiple matching

Speaking15 min

Part 1 InterviewPart 2 Individual long turnsPart 3/4 Collaborative task and follow-up discussion

Total timing: 3 hours 55 minutes (current exam 4 hours 40 minutes)

FCE(fS) and CAE Reading and Use of English

• Summary of main changes

• all current FCE(fS), and most current CAE R and UE tasks retained in shortened formats (current CAE R short texts and CAE UE gapped sentences tasks dropped)

• new cross-text multiple matching task developed for CAE, enhancing the academic coverage of the test

• UE tasks before R tasks in the new format

• progression from FCE to CPE clearer

New CAE Reading task

• Four reviews of a book.

• A

• B

• C

• C

• Which reviewer

37 has a different view from the others on the confidence with which Botton discusses architecture

38 shares reviewer B’s opinion of the significance of Botton’s book

FCE(fS) and CAE Writing

• Summary of main changes

• both FCE(fS) and CAE to include new compulsory essay in Part 1

• FCEfS to include a modified ‘story’ task in Part 2, while the ‘report’ as an output text type has been dropped. There will be a single set text included, rather than the current two.

• FCE will retain the ‘report’ text type, but will not include the story. There will be no set text option.

• CAE Part 2 will no longer include ‘article’ or ‘information sheet’ as output text types. There will be no set text option.

• the output word ranges have been increased for both exams

• Writing Part 1 question

FCE Part 1 Writing question

• In your English class you have been talking about education. Now your teacher has asked you to write an essay for homework.

• Write your essay using all the notes and giving your point of view.

• Some parents teach their children at home rather than sending them to school. Is this a good or a bad thing for the children ?

• Write about • - Having a teacher as a parent• - making friends• - ___________ your own ideas.•

• Modified Speaking Part 3 Task

FCE(fS) and CAE Speaking• Summary of main changes

• FCE(fS) and CAE Part 1 Phase 2 modified to reduce the number of follow up questions. FCE(fS) includes 12 questions grouped in three categories. CAE includes eight discrete questions. Part 1 timing reduced by one minute

• FCE(fS) Part 2 the ‘listening candidate question’ (LCQ) has been extended slightly to allow for a more meaningful contribution from the listening candidate (similar to CAE)

• FCE(fS) and CAE Part 3 visuals replaced with written prompts. Task now split into two to include a discussion phase and a decision-making phase

• FCE(fS) and CAE Part 4 timing extended by one minute

• Modified Speaking Part 3 Task

CAE Part 3 extract

CAE Part 3

Impact on teaching

• Writing : [discursivity]

• we will probably want to emphasise paragaph shape and paragraph development more

Paragraph Development

Coherence : putting it togetherMain ideas Shameful lack of government investment in research.  

Renewable energy is a security as well as an environmental issue.   Fossil fuel resources are rapidly depleting.  

Language for developing ideas cause and effectThis leads/has led to This can impact on As a direct result, economies explanationThis is obvious if you consider…What this means in reality is ..Thus, today ….Such problems have been made worse  evidenceOne /another example of this is …..Approximately/Only around 10 % It is estimated that …You only have to look ….

Impact on teaching

• Speaking [discursivity]

• we will probably want to emphasise turn shape and turn development more

CAE Part 3

Turn shape

• Focusing :

• Extending :

• Rounding Off :

Focusing

• My parents would say..

• Most school-leavers…

• ..I think this one is very different for men and women…

• In the past …

• For me, personally..

• What’s crucial here …

CAE Part 3

A good Part 3 candidate will..

• actively listen …• support and comment ….• seek and help to clarify• initiate and respond …• probe and question ….• help navigate …..

• …….. agreeing / disagreeing …. tend to seek closure

Encourage simple ‘across turn’ strategies for development in Parts 3 and 4

• Across turn

• …And ….But ….That’s

Exam teacher roles

• I, the exam teacher, shall do my utmost to engage you with language through and around the exam and to train you in all its aspects, shedding light into its darker corners ... and thereby enhancing your accuracy, dexterity and fluency in English..and above all I shall do no harm

Doctors in a sense …..…

….and above all I shall do no harm

• Slavish ‘exam practice’ can potentially do harm in terms of ..

• - demotivation • - not optimising opportunities for language• development • - potential re-enforcement of poor strategies

• Exam practice [full specification, comprehensive ]

• Exam Training [ modified tasks , task platform ]

• Exam awareness-raising • [familiarisation , post-task review and reflection ]

Exam Teaching Mix

Exam Practice and above all I shall do no harm

Authentic Genuine

• looks like the test• no modification of test feature

e.g. text length • full range of test item difficulty • requires total strategy

engagement • is just there

• looks like some of the test• some modification of test feature

e.g. text length• part range of test item difficulty• can prioritise/delimit strategy

engagement • can be used within a progressive

cycle

Authentic v Genuine

1 You only get depressed because you worry. 0 1 2 3 If you _______ not get so depressed NOT

2 You’re always blaming me for things that go wrong. 0 1 2 3 Whenever _____________ me ANYTHING

3 I didn’t phone because I didn’t know you were back 0 1 2 3 I _____________ I’d known you were back. IF

FCE Reading and USE

One day : One focus

• poss - access- comprehens- afford- sustain- flex-

biodegrad- fashion- valu- respons-

suit- profit- exhaust- vis-

renew- feas- revers- desir-

compat- reus-

• -able

• -ible

CAE Reading and Use

One day : One focus [or maybe 2]

• poss - access- comprehens- afford-

• sustain- flex- biodegrad- fashion- valu- respons- suit- profit- exhaust- vis- renew- feas- revers- desir- compat- reus-

• un –• im –• ir –• non-• in-

CAE Reading and Use

Exam Practice CAE Reading and Use

Tidal Energy

Based in Sheffield [UK] Pulse Tidal is a companythat has developed an 1 ______ machine that AFFORD generates electrical power from the ocean tides; providing electricity that is clean and 2 ______ VISION and unlike other 3 ______ energy sources totally NEW 4 _________. PREDICTOur power comes from the current created as the tides ebb and flow, a motion as 5 _______ as the RELYrising and setting of the sun

provide a task and interactive class platform

..that allows you to explore with students the discreet target skills implied by the different test tasks ...

..that allows you to meaningfully explore student current skills and strategies and engage them cognitively and affectively with the content.

Exam Training

...train you in all its aspects

Multiple-choice elimination•

• I shifted uncomfortably inside my best suit and eased a finger inside the tight white collar. It was hot in the little bus and I had taken a seat on the wrong side where the summer sun beat on the windows. It was a strange outfit for the weather, but a few miles ahead my future employer might be waiting for me and I had to make a good impression.

There was a lot depending on this interview. Many friends who had qualified with me were unemployed or working in shops or as labourers in the shipyards. So many that I had almost given up hope of any future for myself as a veterinary surgeon.

• 1 As he travelled, the writer regretted his choice of• A • B clothes.• C career.• D means of transport. FCE Reading and Use

FCE Writing[communicative achievement register]

Exam awareness : deeper familiarity with test

Completing mark sheets

Using/allocating time

Assessment and weighting

Awareness of question shape

Awareness of question focus

Effective test strategies for question

shedding light into its darker corners....

Lack of test awareness may lead a candidate to …

overlook required and/or possible feature of an answer

use an ineffective or less effective strategy

wander off-task

spend too long on one part of a paper or not make effective use of time

shedding light into its darker corners....

Familiarisation

44 Do you think you could help me to fill in this application form? WONDERING +

I ………………..……………….. me a hand filling in this application form.

48 Unless the weather improves, they will have to stop the tennis match. +MEAN+

If the weather doesn’t get …………………….. ……… the tennis match.

Answer Awareness

• 44 was wondering if/_____ ][ you could/____/might ___/give

• 48 (___) better ][ it will mean stopping

• ][ shows where the answer is• split into two parts for marking• purposes.

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FCE, FCE for Schools and CAE from 2015

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