Examination System

Setting and Pretesting

Selection of materials and item writing

Our item writers are practising teachers of German as a foreign or second language, authors of textbooks, staff of an institution of adult education or of a university. They are commissionedby the Goethe-Insitut to selct materials for our exams. Materials are taken from books, newspapers and magazines, brochures, advertisements, radio programmes and others. There are detailed guidelines for the selection of materials. Guidance to item writers is given in the form of written instructions (test specifications), which comprise among others the following criteria:

skills to be assessed;
linguistic complexity;
activity, subject matter;
cultural, ethical considerations;
item types.

Vetting

Drafted testitems which are constructed by itemwriters will be vetted by cseveral professionally trained vetters. They are edited by the subject officer in consultation with team members in editorial meetings.

Pretesting

All components which test reading, listening comprehension and structural competence are pretested in representative groups. After editing, the items are put into pretests, which are administered in Goethe-Institut language schools or other language schools worldwide. Pretests are taken by approx. 200 candidates.
Pretests are marked and analysed in order to provide statistics on the discrimination and facility of each item. Responses about appropriateness of items are collected by questionnaires from teachers. As a result of this process, individual items can be modified as necessary.

Marking

Each script and oral performance is marked by two trained examiners. All tests are marked at local examination centres by experienced teachers and/or trained examiners. The written components for the KDS and GDS are sent to the Head Office in Munich, from where they are distributed to a team of experienced markers. Marks are recorded on mark sheets.

Training of markers

Markers are trained in seminars which are conducted by the examination centre in Munich or by Goethe-Institut staff abroad. During training seminars for the writing component sample scripts of are discussed and the assessment ist standardised. For the oral components of examinations, training videos of mock interviews are used. Examiners assess the candidates, and the marks they give are then compared with those given by experienced markers in order to standardise assessment.

Results

Results of the locally marked certificates are given in the form of marks and grades (very good, good, satisfactory, pass, fail) and are issued withintwo weeks. For the centrally marked examinations KDS and GDS diplomas will be issued within three months after die test administration by the Head Office in Munich.

Security

Examination centres are selected by standardized accreditationproceedures. Each examination centre appoints a person responsible for the security of the test administrations.