Examination System

Setting and Pretesting

1.1 Selection of materials

For the Zertifikat Deutsch, the Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung and the Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung, item writers are commissioned to select materials; for the Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom, materials are selected by the Goethe-Institut and staff of the university of Munich.

Materials are taken from a wide range of sources, including books, newspapers and magazines, brochures, advertisements and radio items. There are detailed guidelines for the selection of materials, including the following:

• skills to be assessed;

• linguistic complexity;

• subject matter;

• cultural considerations;

• item types.

1.2 Test item writing

Item writers are either practising teachers or staff of the examination centre at Head Office. They are commissioned to write both discrete items and whole tests. Guidance to item writers is given in the form of written instructions and/or as individual in-service training.

The editing process for the ZD takes place in meetings of participants from the GIIN, the Weiterbildungs-Testsysteme GmbH (WBT), the Institut für Deutsche Sprache (Schweiz) and the Österreichische Sprachdiplom Deutsch (ÖSD). Materials for the ZMP and the ZOP are edited by the Subject Officer in consultation with team members. For the KDS the editing is done by the Chair (who is from the university) and the Subject Officer (a member of staff of the examination centre at Head Office).

1.3 Pretesting

All components which test reading, listening comprehension and structural competence are pretested. After editing, the items are put into pretests, which are administered in Goethe-Institut language schools or other language schools worldwide. Each pretest is taken by approx. 150 candidates, except for the KDS which is pretested on a smaller number of candidates.

Pretests are returned, marked and analysed in order to provide statistics on the discrimination and facility of each item. As a result of this process, individual items can be modified as necessary.

Marking

2.1 Process

The ZD, ZMP and ZOP are marked at local examination centres by experienced teachers and/or trained examiners. The written components for the KDS are sent to the Head Office in Munich, from where they are distributed to a team of experienced markers. Each script is marked by two examiners.

For the oral components of the ZD, ZMP, ZOP and KDS each candidate is interviewed individually by two examiners. Marks are recorded on mark sheets. Mark sheets for the ZD, ZMP and ZOP are kept at the examination centres, while those for the KDS are sent to examination centre at Head Office.

2.2 Training

Markers are trained in seminars which are led either by the examination centre in Munich or by Goethe-Institut staff abroad. They are held either at Head Office or locally. The Goethe-Institut also publishes training material. Information on this material can be found on the homepage of the Goethe-Institut under http://www.goethe.de/z/82/acwww 25/katalop/deindex.htm.

During training seminars for the writing component, mark schemes and sample scripts are discussed. 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.

2.3 Checking

For the ZD, ZMP and ZOP random checks on the writing component are carried out by the staff of the examination centre at Head Office. The KDS is systematically checked. Each script is marked twice centrally, and if the grades differ it is marked a third time before a final grade is given.

Results

Results of the locally marked ZD, ZMP and ZOP are given in the form of marks and grades (very good, good, satisfactory, pass and fail) and are issued within a few days. For the KDS result slips and certificates are sent to the examination centres after six to eight weeks, and certificates are issued after three to four months.

Security

Examination dates are carefully controlled and precautions are taken at each stage in the examination process. Each examination centre appoints a person responsible for the security of the tests. External examination centres are carefully checked with regard to their suitability before being approved. Examination centres for the KDS are required to follow strict security procedures.