Examination System

Setting and Pretesting

1.1 Selection of materials

Item writers are commissioned to select material from a wide range of sources which include books, newspapers and magazines, brochures, leaflets, advertisements, radio, television and internet.

They are given detailed guidelines for selection of material, including the following:

• skills to be assessed
• linguistic complexity
• subject matter
• cultural considerations
• task types
• item types

1.2 Test item writing

Item writers are practising teachers. An annual schedule for the production of test materials is set up and writers are commissioned once a year to write materials. The writers are organized in groups of three item writers for each test with an appointed team leader in charge of the test. The four team leaders relate to the Educational Advisor in The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs, who is responsible for the whole test system.

1.3 Pretesting

Owing to the nature of the examinations no large scale pretesting is carried out. The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs has developed pretesting procedures that match the conditions under which the tests are produced.

Before the final editing of the tests some trialling of the test materials are carried out by a group of teachers. In relation to the administration of the tests a group of examiners report the results from about forty candidates each. The results are reported to The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs and subsequently the marking of objective tests may be adjusted and reported to all examiners.

Marking

2.1 Process

The reading and writing components are marked by two Examiners, who are practising teachers. For Studieprøven the papers are marked by two external Examiners. The Examiners work under the guidance of the Educational Advisor.

The listening and speaking/oral communication components involve two Examiners assessing candidates individually or in pairs.

Marks are reported to The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs.

2.2 Training

Once a year an in-service training session for Examiners is organised by the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs. Assessments and marking are discussed and evaluated on the basis of selected sample scripts.

The Examiners rotate in pairs in order to standardise the process.

2.3 Checking

Following the report of marks and assessment the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs produces statistics on each administration of the tests.

Results

Results of the written component are reported to each testing centre one week after the examination.

The results of the oral component are given immediately after the examination.

The results are given in the form of grades (13 - 0).

Candidates receive certificates a few weeks later.

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