Tips for Teachers

Tips for Students

Answers and Discussion

1. Did you have to pretend you were a different person, as in a role play?

No, the tasks are designed so that the candidates don't have to pretend to be another person. This is so that people who are uncomfortable having to playact or with the idea of role playing aren't disadvantaged when doing this task. If candidates want to take on a role, however, and they don't distort or confuse the task, then they won't be penalised.

2. Did you talk about everything in the picture?

Candidates should try to talk about each of the elements in the picture and to give their reasons why they think it is either a good or a bad option. Sometimes candidates avoid an option because they don't know the precise vocabulary. This is an ideal opportunity for the candidates to show that they can paraphrase and that they have the skills to make up for gaps in their knowledge. Weaker candidates will rely on pointing to a part of the picture and referring to it as 'this one'. This is a missed opportunity to show that they have the vocabulary to talk about it.

3. Did you talk about things not included in the picture?

If you did, this is perfectly valid. If candidates can generate their own ideas and they're not digressing from the subject matter of the test then they are free to do so. The examiner's instructions simply say that the visual material contains some ideas to help the candidates do the task.

4. Did you always agree with your partner?

It's fine if the candidates don't agree but they need to negotiate their decision and, in the case of disagreeing, show that they have the skills to politely and sensitively reject their partner's idea in favour of their own. Throughout this task the candidates need to show that they are aware of the norms of turn-taking. They should be inviting their partner to give ideas and suggestions and responding to those suggestions in turn. A single candidate who dominates the task and doesn't give their partner a chance to speak will lose marks.

5. How quickly did you come to a decision?

Candidates should not come to a decision too quickly. The examiners can only give marks on the language they hear in the test. By coming to a decision too early, the candidates are not giving themselves the opportunity to show the examiner what they can do. Candidates should talk about all the options and give their reasons for selecting or rejecting them.