REPUBLIC OF TUNISIA
Ministry of Education (September, 2018)
ONGOING EVALUATION IN TECHNICAL BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS
NUMBER OF TESTS, DURATION, COMPONENTS AND SCALE
Each term, learners are tested in compliance with the following specifications:
8th & 9th Forms
EACH TERM
Speaking at least 1 10
Project work at least 1 10
a one-hour mid-term test Listening 08
Language 12
a one-hour end-of-term test Reading 08
Language 07
Writing 05
COMPONENTS SPECIFICATIONS
1. The speaking component:
a)The speaking test: Test takers are tested orally on the acquisitions of a previous lesson at
least once a term and the test will be communicative in nature. Their performance is marked
out of ten.
b) Project work: Test takers are allotted a mark out ten for the process followed and the
outcome of theproject work they undertake.
The final end-of-term mark is the sum of the two marks specified above.
2. The listening comprehension component:
The passaget consists of a monologue, a dialogue, a conversation, a speech or a presentation
totalling 100 and 150 words respectively for the 8th and 9th forms. The linguistic as well as the
semantic content of these oral texts should be appropriate to the targeted level. To
demonstrate comprehension of the content of the passage and its organization, the test taker is
required to:
a) Identify the speaker(s)
b) Identify the relationship between the speakers.
c) Give answers to Yes / No questions.
d) Write short answers to WH questions.
e) Transfer information by completing a table, a diagram, a list or a chart.
f) Select the appropriate option in multiple choice questions related to the main idea of the
passage or specific words or ideas in the passage.
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g) Select the appropriate option in multiple choice questions related to the function of a given
statement.
h) Answer questions requiring non-verbal responses (Listen and draw, listen and colour...)
The test taker is allotted one mark for each correct answer to the above specified
comprehension questions.
In addition to the comprehension questions, the test taker is required to
a) Tick the right option in multiple choice questions about the function of a given statement.
b) Find out the function of a given statement.
One mark is allotted to the appropriate answer to either of the above questions.
Pronunciation is tested through questions requiring the test taker to:
a) Circle the word(s) he / she hears (minimal pairs)
b) Listen to a section of the passage and identify words having (a) specified sound(s) or stress
The test taker is allotted half a mark for each correct answer to the above specified
pronunciation questions.
Spelling is tested through a question requiring the test taker to:
- Complete a gapped section of the text as s/he listens to the recorded material.
Half a mark is allotted to each correct answer.
The use of recorded material is recommended.
3. The reading comprehension component:
It consists of one linear text, a linear text and a non-linear one, or two complementary texts
totalling 100 and 150 words respectively for the 8th and 9th forms. The linear texts are
authentic or semi-authentic and extracted from various sources: short stories, magazines,
newspapers, brochures... Non-linear texts can be charts, notes, tickets, menus, notices, and
timetables...The linguistic as well as the semantic content of these texts should be appropriate
to the targeted level. To demonstrate comprehension of the content of the text(s) and its
organization, the test taker is required to:
a) Match paragraphs with the appropriate titles, main ideas or visuals.
b) Provide justified answers to Yes / No questions, the justification being retrieved from the
text.
c) Write short answers to WH questions.
d) Answer one or two reference questions.
e) Transfer information by completing a table, a diagram, a list or a chart. (2items)
f) Complete a sentence or a paragraph with information retrieved from the text, the
information being a word, a phrase, a clause, a date, a figure... (2items)
g) Select the appropriate option in multiple choice questions related to the title or main idea of
a text or the meaning of a given word.
h) Provide equivalents of new words or expressions underlined in the text.
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i) Tick / Underline / Circle the right option in multiple choice questions about the function of
a given statement.
k) Pick out a statement expressing a given function.
l) Indicate whether statements are true or false. (2items)
The test taker gets one mark for each correct answer.
4. The language component:
It consists of 2 or 3 exercises testing the assimilation of lexical and grammatical acquisitions
in an essentially integrated manner and requiring the test taker to:
a) Fill in a gapped paragraph with (5 or 6) words provided in a box including two distractors.
c) Tick / Underline / Circle the right options in a gapped paragraph with three options per
item.
d) Complete a gapped dialogue with the right utterances from a box including 2 extra
utterances.
e) Provide the right tense or form of bracketed words.
f) Match sentence parts to get correct sentences.
g) Reorder 3 or 4 sentence parts to get a correct sentence.
i) Match utterances in a short dialogue with the right functions provided in a list including
one extra option.
The test taker gets half a mark for each correct answer.
5. The writing component:
Ability to write is tested through one single assignment requiring the test taker to:
a/ write a narrative text.
b) Write a descriptive text
c/ write instructions or directions.
d) Write an internet post, an e-mail, a short article or a letter
-The suggested topic should interest and motivate the test takers .
-In the instructions, the audience, the purpose, the context and the text type (genre) should be
specified.
-The following evaluation criteria should be indicated on the test paper:
a) Adherence to task and content adequacy.
b) Lexical appropriacy and grammar accuracy
c) Mechanical accuracy (punctuation, capitalization and spelling).
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