First Exam

Setting up an exam is not easy, especially when it is mainly a speaking exam.

A speaking exam must be… spoken! If it’s written, it becomes a writing exam!

Most schools only do written exams because it is far less work!

As English Booster is an experimental program, we have to check precisely where the children are in their learning process.

I therefore decided to do an exhaustive exam covering 100 % of the items studied so far. This test aims at evaluating the vocabulary rate retention as well as the pronunciation and fluency levels. To a smaller but real extend, it will also show the Phonics understanding and capacity of recognizing the different phonemes.

It has been carried on week 6 of the English booster Program with part-time students (1.5 hours a day / 5 days a week)

It really took the full week to have all the students evaluated with an average of 20 minutes per person. We have to work on a quicker way to do in order to make is easy for the teachers who will be using English Booster in the future.

Here is the table of evaluation of this exam:

STUDENTS NAME:			Previous learning of English (In months)
Tested item	Detail	Max Pts.		Student’s Score	Comments
Sit down Stand up Hands up Hand down Bow	5 pts + 1 pt for extra clarity	6 points
Rock Paper Scissors	3 pts + 1 pt for extra clarity	4 points
What’s your name? My name is_____ Nice to meet you	3 pts + 2 points for clarity / fluency	5 points
How are you? I am / hungry / tired /cold / sad / happy / Great / good / OK	10 pts + 2 points for intonation / fluency	12 points
I’m a super hero / I can / jump / run / hide / climb / stretch / cook / swim / fly	10 pts + 2 points for intonation / fluency	12 points
Left / right / forward / back / turn / spin around / star jump / spin jump	8 pts + 2 points for intonation / fluency	10 points
I am / you are / he is / she is/ we are / they are / everybody is / nobody is / thirsty	9 pts + 2 points for intonation / fluency	11 points
1 to 12	12 pts + 2 points for intonation / fluency	14 points
How old are you? I am ______	3 pts + 3 pts if spontaneous age answer	6 points
Good morning / good afternoon / good evening / good night	4 pts + 2 points for intonation / fluency + 4 points if the student answers Hi to a hi5 gesture from teacher	10  points
Do you like / apples / bananas / cheese /  doughnuts / eggs / fish / grapes / hot dogs / ice cream / jelly / ketchup / lettuce / Yes I do / No I don’t	15 pts + 2 points for intonation / fluency + 2 points if “S” regularly pronounced	19 points
Dogs / cats / birds/ mice /chicken / sheep / bears / bees / elephants / monkeys / snakes / tigers	12 pts + 2 points for intonation / fluency + 2 pts for “S”	16 points
I’m sorry / It’s Ok / No problem / Excuse me	4 pts + 2 points for intonation / fluency	6 points
LISTENING SPEAKING		TOTAL 131 Points
S I T P A N	6 pts for reading and writing the sounds individually	6 Points
SI TI PA AT NA IP	6 pts for reading and writing these 2-sounds-combinations	6 Points
SIT ITS PAN TIN TAP NAP	6 pts for reading and writing these 3-sounds-combinations	6 Points
SITS TINS PANS NAPS PANA SPIN	6 pts for reading and writing these 3-sounds-combinations	6 Points
I / The	2 pts to read these 2 sight words	4 Points
PAT SPITS THE PIPS IN THE TIN	6 pts for this dictation	6 points
READING WRITING		TOTAL 34 POINTS
TOTAL 4 SKILLS		TOTAL 165 POINTS
Lap Book	0 points if no lap-book / 10 pts if the lap-book is not nice / 20 pts if the lap-book is nice	20 points
Students note book	5 pts if presented + 5 pts if nice + 5 pts if very nice	15 points
GRAND TOTAL: Maximum 200 pts /2 = xxx / 100	STUDENT’S TOTAL SCORE: COMMENTS:

Notes / Conclusions

-          Evaluating students one by one is a unique opportunity to deeply understand their level. It also avoids all kind of cheating. This class has around 35 students which makes it impossible to individualize by paying 100% attention to each of them.

-          The amount of English already learnt after 5 weeks makes it very difficult for a new student to join now if he has no previous experience of English at all.