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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Speaking is my students' weakest skill.
If they fail the Speaking, will they fail the whole test?
What happens if candidates don't understand what
the examiner has asked them, or what their partner says?
What happens if one candidate speaks more than the
other?
I am a PET examiner so can I examine my own students?
Speaking is my students' weakest skill. If
they fail the Speaking, will they fail the whole test?
There is no pass or fail on the individual papers, just an overall
score. As long as they do well in the other parts of the exam, they
have a good chance of passing the whole test. Candidates will, however,
get a graph on the Statement of Results which will show whether
their performance was Exceptional - Good - Borderline - Weak on
each of the papers.
What happens if candidates don't understand
what the examiner has asked them, or what their partner says?
If candidates don't understand the examiner, they should tell
the examiner and ask him or her to repeat what they have said. This
is a very valuable skill to have. To practise this skill, go to
the Dealing with Problems
activity.
What happens if one candidate speaks more than
the other?
The examiner is trained to give each candidate an equal opportunity
to speak. It is the candidate's responsibility to take that opportunity
and make the most of it. If one candidate is speaking more than
the other then it could be that he or she is dominating the test
and not allowing the other candidate to speak. If that is what is
happening, then he or she will lose marks for Interactive Communication,
because they are not involving their partner in the test. However,
there are ways of politely interrupting the other candidate. If
your students need to practise those skills go to the It's
Your Turn activity.
I am a PET examiner so can I examine my own
students?
No, this is not possible. Candidates would probably feel more
comfortable and relaxed if they took the test with an examiner that
they knew and this would give them an unfair advantage over candidates
with an unknown examiner. All our examiners are trained to make
candidates feel as welcome and comfortable as possible so that all
our candidates have a similar and hopefully, enjoyable experience
of taking the Speaking test.
Do you have any other questions about PET Speaking which aren't
answered in these pages? Contact
us and we'll answer the most frequently asked questions here.
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