DG: Uwch (Higher)
There are 5 components:
Listening
Two compulsory questions:
i. Audio - candidates must answer questions based on authentic
material involving 2 texts. Questions include elements for comparison.
ii. Video - candidates must answer questions based on authentic
material involving a factual presentation.
Duration: approximately 50 minutes
Speaking
Three compulsory parts:
i. Discussion of Article - candidates must discuss an feature
article from a Welsh newspaper or magazine with an interlocutor.
There are 30 minutes of preparation time and a choice of 3 different
articles.
ii. Discussion of Portfolio - interlocutors ask questions based
on the candidate's portfolio (see below).
iii. Discussion of two literary works - candidates must choose
two literary works from a prescribed list for discussion with
the interlocutor.
Duration of speaking test: approximately 45 minutes
Portfolio
Candidates must present a portfolio of written
and oral work involving several elements:
i. 4 factual texts (including discursive
and autobiographical work)
ii. Oral task - candidates must record a conversation with a fluent
speaker.
iii. Project - either (a) Practical project - candidates must
spend time in a Welsh language environment, e.g. doing volunteer
work or participating in Welsh-medium activities and present written
summaries of their experiences and record an oral interview with
fluent speakers involved; or (b) Literary Project - candidates
must write reviews of literary texts (prescribed in the specification)
and record a discussion of a Welsh-language play or film with
a fluent speaker.
Reading
Two compulsory tasks:
i. 2 articles - candidates must answer questions on two factual
articles, including elements for comparison.
ii. Literary text - candidates must answer questions based on
an unseen literary text.
Structural Competence
One compulsory task:
i. Gap-filling - candidates must fill in the gaps (grammatical,
syntactic, idioms and collocations) in a text.
The gap-filling question is contained within the Reading test.
Duration: 120 minutes.
Writing
Three compulsory tasks:
i. News paper report - candidates must write a report based on
specific cues or situations.
ii. Formal letter - candidates must write a letter in formal register
based on specific cues or situations.
iii. Essay - candidates are given a choice of essay topics which
can be discursive or descriptive.
Duration: 150 minutes
Weighting of components
Listening 10%, Speaking 44%, Reading 20%, Structural Competence
5%, Writing 21%
Results
Grades are awarded A-C (Pass) D (near fail) and F (Fail). Candidates
are sent individual scores for each test. The pass mark is 50%
of the total.
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