Examination System

Setting and Pretesting

1.1. Selection of materials and their writing

For every test, the initial item writing is farmed out to experienced examiners, under instructions from the Director ate of the Board of Examiners. Each examiner selects materials from a range of different sources, especially newspapers, magazines, novels and radio items. It is the Director ate's task to decide which materials will be accepted, before they are sent for printing or to a recording studio. Test tasks are edited by the Director ate to bring them in line with the level required by the EGA examination.

1.2 Pre-test

Owing to the difficulties in ensuring secrecy of materials in such a small region (around six hundred thousand Basque speakers), no formal pretesting of materials takes place, but the Basque Language Service provides quite a lot of statistical analysis for the initial test to the Director ate.

Marking

2.1. Process

The initial multiple-choice test is machine marked (OMR for MCQ') by Basque Language Service officers and the results transferred to the EGA computer application.

The written examination is marked by individual examiners according to standardized written evaluation criteria. Besides, local training sessions are organised for the examiners in the three Basque Provinces. The Director ate runs the meetings.

For the speaking component of the EGA examination, two members of the examination board interview each candidate individually. The examiners share the roles of assessor and interlocutor.

2.2. Checking

It is unusual for candidates to present an appeal against the machine marked initial test. But in the case of an appeal by a candidate against the mark awarded in the multiple-choice test, the answer sheet in question is remarked by hand and marks compared.

In every written session, Director ate members send a random 20% sample of scripts marked by examiners for remarking by a second examiner. If there is a major divergence in the marks (pass/fail or more than a certain percentage), the two examiners meet to discuss the script and to attempt to reach a consensus. If they fail to do so, a member of the Director ate remarks the script and decides the final mark. Besides, the candidate has the right to appeal against the written test, and also the right to go through his/her corrected test. Once the script has been revised and the results of the revision made public, dissatisfied candidates have the right to appeal against the decision to the Administration.

As well as the written paper, oral examination marks can also be appealed against. Oral examinations are recorded if so required by the candidate. Such recordings are only used in the case of an appeal by the candidate against the mark awarded.

2.3. Results

Results are made public on our web site: www.hezkunta.ejgv.euskadi.net In order to consult the results, candidates have to identify themselves by using a personal identification password. Diplomas are made available shortly after completion of the appeal process.

2.4. Security

Every stage of the examination procedure is carried away under maximum security measures. The Basque Language Service and the Director ate supervise the entire procedure.