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    Practise With A Pretest

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    Ok English
    Pretesting

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    Practise With A Pretest

    Uploaded by

    Ok English
    67 views6 pages
    Pretesting

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    Pretesting

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    Pretesting

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    67 views6 pages

    Practise With A Pretest

    Uploaded by

    Ok English
    Pretesting

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 6

    Practise with a pretest

    What is pretesting?
    Testing materials before they are used in exams allows
    us to make certain our exams are accurate and fair. As
    part of our commitment to quality and fairness, we
    subject all the materials in our exams to a number of
    procedures to ensure they are accurate and reliable.
    One of these quality procedures is pretesting.

    How can they help teachers


    and learners? ­
    Pretests give learners a chance to practise taking
    Cambridge English exams using genuine English
    questions under exam conditions.
    After taking the Reading, Listening and Use of English
    papers, the pretesting candidates are given scores.
    Writing papers are marked by trained Cambridge
    English Language Assessment examiners and
    candidates receive detailed feedback about how
    they performed in the Writing test, except for IELTS
    candidates who receive Band scores.
    This helps learners to know which areas they need
    most practice in, and gives them experience and
    confidence in taking tests. For teachers, it helps
    highlight areas where their learners might need
    more help.
    How do they help Cambridge English
    Language Assessment?
    Pretests are an essential part of the exam production
    process. Statistical data is obtained for each task, which
    allows us to construct our exams to a prescribed level
    of difficulty. This ensures, for example, that a Cambridge
    English: First Reading paper produced for a June
    session is at the same level of difficulty as the paper
    produced for a December session.

    When can pretests be taken?


    Exams with fixed dates (such as Cambridge English:
    Preliminary, Cambridge English: Key and Cambridge
    English: First) usually have a pretest window of about
    three weeks. Exams which are ‘on demand’ (such as
    IELTS) usually have an open pretest date. The
    pretesting calendar gives the pretest dates available
    for this year as well as information about the length of
    the pretest.
    It is advised that students take pretests six to eight
    weeks before their live exam. This helps to identify the
    candidates’ current English language level and assists
    in their preparation for the live exam. It also means
    that teachers will get the scores back in time to focus
    on any particular language areas in need of
    improvement.
    What else should I know?
    1. All test paper and despatch costs are paid by
    Cambridge English Language Assessment.

    2. Pretest papers are marked in Cambridge, and


    scores are returned to schools within three
    weeks. Writing papers are sent to examiners for
    comments on individual candidates, so these
    scores and reports may take up to four weeks.

    3. Pretest administration simulates the real exam,


    so that students not only experience the kind of
    questions they will face in their live exam, but
    also complete the answer sheets in a ‘test-like’
    environment. We ask for your help in ensuring
    that as far as possible students take the
    pretests under exam conditions.

    4. Students (except for IELTS) are asked


    to take a short anchor test (15–20
    minutes) with each pretest
    administration to help us
    determine the difficulty of the pretest.

    5. After the pretest, all materials must be sent


    back to Cambridge English Language Assessment.
    Materials are strictly confidential and cannot be
    kept for classroom practice.

    6. The number of pretests available is limited,


    particularly for Writing, and while we will try to
    supply the number of papers you request, we
    cannot guarantee this. To ensure the fairness of the
    sample, we also restrict the proportion of students
    for each pretest from each first language.

    7. Please note that pretests are not available for


    Speaking papers.
    How can we become involved?
    To take part in pretesting, your school must either be
    an active Cambridge English Language Assessment
    examination centre or have candidates who are
    preparing for Cambridge English exams. You can apply
    to become a pretesting centre by completing the
    Pretesting Institution Approval form on our website:
    www.cambridgeenglish.org/apply-pretesting

    Some recent comments from centres


    who have taken part in pretesting
    “Our students really value the feedback received from
    pretesting as it gives them the confidence while taking
    the Cambridge English: First exam.”
    “This is an excellent service you provide for learners and
    is highly appreciated.”
    “Previous feedback has reinforced teachers’ own
    assessment of candidates’ strengths and weaknesses,
    who then focus on improving those areas.”
    “The feedback on the Writing papers for Cambridge
    English: First and Cambridge English: Advanced
    was particularly useful.”
    “Easy and clear instructions made the administration
    organised and well done.”
    How can I find out more?
    You can find more information about the purpose
    and practice of pretesting from our website at
    www.cambridgeenglish.org/why-pretesting
    Live centres and approved pretest institutions can
    request pretests online.
    For more information on ‘pretesting windows’, as well
    as information about the length of pretests, see the
    pretesting calendar.
    www.cambridgeenglish.org/pretesting-calendar
    If you have any further questions about participation in
    pretesting, please contact us:
    [email protected]

    Pretesting Unit
    Cambridge English
    Language Assessment
    1 Hills Road
    Cambridge
    CB1 2EU
    United Kingdom
    Tel: +44 1223 553997
    Email: [email protected]
    www.cambridgeenglish.org

    *7949772015*
    © UCLES 2016 |­­CE/1489/6Y05

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