Assessment Matters

Format of Listening and Reading Languages Exams and Provision of CDs
A2010/010 - 29 Jun 2010

Following the 2009 examination round and feedback received from candidates and teachers, several refinements have been made to the format of the 2010 examination booklets. These include:

• linking listening passages, and the sections within them, more clearly to the questions
• making it easier for candidates to use the reading texts as they respond to questions.

The Listening Standards

To assist candidates as they formulate responses, a “Listening Notes” box will be provided at the end of each question in the examination booklet.  Candidates may use these boxes for writing notes during, between, and after the readings of the passages.

In response to teacher requests, the instructions relating to how many times listening passages will be read will be given once before any of the passages are read out, and will NOT be repeated at the start of each passage.

To avoid confusion with the numbering and lettering of passages, questions and sections:

• Listening passages will be called “First Passage”, “Second Passage”, etc.
• Sections within each listening passage will be called “Section (a)”, “Section (b)”, etc.
• Questions will be numbered Question One, Question Two, etc.
• Parts of each question will NOT be lettered or numbered.  (See an example of the new question format (PDF, 8.9KB).)

The question(s) each listening passage relates to will, as in 2009, be:

• read out before the first reading of the passage
• printed under the title of the relevant passage in the examination booklet

e.g. “Question One and Question Two are based on the First Passage”.

The question number, and section(s) to which that question relates will be:

• read out before the second reading of the appropriate section(s) of the passage
• printed in the examination booklet

e.g. “Question Two. Use section (c) and section (d) to answer Question Two”.

Provision of CDs for the Listening Standards

In response to many requests, this year NZQA will automatically provide CDs to schools with external entries in level 1 and 2 languages. Each school may choose whether to use the CD in the examination, or have the listening passages read out by a teacher. 

In 2011, to ensure uniformity of examination resource for all candidates, teachers will no longer read listening passages.  All schools will be required to use the CDs at all levels.

The Reading Standards

The reading texts will be provided in a pull-out Resource Booklet.  Resource Booklets are not handed in at the end of the examination.

Where there is more than one question on a particular text, those questions will be set out on adjoining pages of the examination booklet to make their differing requirements clear.

For consistency of layout for the Listening examinations:

• Questions will be numbered Question One, Question Two, etc.
• Parts of each question will NOT be lettered or numbered.  (See an example of the new question format (PDF, 8.9KB).)

 Enquiries

Please refer any enquiries relating to this circular to the Languages National Assessment Facilitator.

Liz Scally
Languages National Assessment Facilitator
Secondary Examinations
Telephone:  04 463 3223
Fax:  04 463 3113
Email: liz.scally@nzqa.govt.nz