Grade 1 Examination format Total examination time: 5 minutes The examination consists of one assessed phase: Conversation with

the examiner (up to 5 minutes).

Candidate performance The candidate is expected to demonstrate the following communicative skills and meet the language requirements listed below during the examination. Communicative skills Grade 1 Language requirements Language functions Grammar The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to understand: Imperatives for common actions, e.g. go, come, show, point, give, touch, stand up Question words what? how many? how old? Demonstratives this, that, these, those Exchanging greetings Giving personal information, e.g. name, age Identifying and naming items given in the lexical list below Leave-taking Exchange greetings with the examiner Show understanding of simple instructions through appropriate actions Give very short answers to simple questions and requests for information15

The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to understand and use: Lexis The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to understand and use vocabulary related to: Personal information Immediate surroundings including classroom objects Basic parts of the face and body Common animals (domestic, farm and wild) Cardinal numbers up to 20 The present simple tense of the verb to be Common nouns in singular and plural (regular and irregular), e.g. shoe/shoes, foot/feet Simple adjectives, e.g. small, tall, green Determiners a, the, my, your, his, her Pronouns I, you, he, she, it, they

Colours Everyday items of clothing The language functions listed above

Phonology Grade 2 A1 CEFR Examination format Total examination time: 6 minutes The examination consists of one assessed phase: Conversation with the examiner (up to 6 minutes). The correct pronunciation of common words relevant to the lexical areas listed above16

Candidate performance In addition to the items listed for the previous grade, the candidate is expected to demonstrate the following communicative skills and meet the language requirements listed below during the examination. Communicative skills Grade 2 Language requirements Language functions Grammar The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to understand: Present simple tense questions Question words who? when? Present continuous tense questions Determiners some, any Indicating the position of people and objects Describing people, animals, objects and places very simply Stating simple facts Informing about possessions Asking very simple questions about personal details Understand short, simple questions, requests and statements Respond with appropriate actions and positive and negative short form answers Contribute to the conversation using memorised phrases and short statements Use a basic range of words and simple phrases related to personal details and situations Ask for very basic personal information, e.g. about possessions 17

The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to understand and use: Present simple tense

Lexis

There is/are and has/have got/have you got? Do you have? Question words where? how? Prepositions of place in, on, under, between, next to Determiners their, its Possessive pronouns mine, yours, his, hers Yes/no answers to present continuous tense questions

The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to understand and use vocabulary related to: Rooms in the home Household objects Family and friends Pets Possessions Days of the week and months of the year Cardinal numbers up to 50 The language functions listed above

Phonology The correct pronunciation of words relevant to the lexical areas listed above Basic intonation patterns for simple questions Contractions, e.g. Ive, Im, hes

Grade 2 communicative skills and language requirements have been mapped to A1 in the CEFR.18 Grade 3 A2.1 CEFR Examination format Total examination time: 7 minutes The examination consists of one assessed phase: Conversation with the examiner (up to 7 minutes).

Candidate performance In addition to the items listed for the previous grades, the candidate is expected to demonstrate the following communicative skills and meet the language requirements listed below during the examination. Communicative skills Show understanding by responding appropriately to simple questions and requests Use basic sentence patterns and phrases to communicate limited information related to

simple everyday situations Exchange basic information about everyday life and activities by asking and answering

simple questions Link groups of words in a very simple way using and, and then

Grade 319 Grade 3 Language requirements Language functions Grammar The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to understand and use: Lexis The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to understand and use vocabulary related to: Jobs Places in the local area Place of study Home life Weather Free time Times and dates Ordinal numbers up to 31 Present continuous tense Can and cant Prepositions of movement from, to, up, down, along, across Prepositions of time on, in, at Prepositions of place near, in front of, behind, opposite Past tense of the verb to be Link words and, and then Describing daily routines and times Giving dates Expressing ability and inability Giving very simple directions and locations Describing current activities of real people or those in pictures Describing states in the past Asking simple questions about everyday life

for dates The language functions listed above

Phonology The correct pronunciation of words relevant to the lexical areas listed above The use of contractions where appropriate Basic stress and intonation patterns for words, short sentences and simple questions

Grade 3 communicative skills and language requirements have been mapped to A2.1 in the CEFR.20 Elementary stage

Grades 46 (A2.2B1.2 CEFR) Introduction to the Elementary stage Candidate profile By the end of the Elementary stage, the candidate can: understand the main points of clear speech on familiar matters enter into conversation, express personal opinions and exchange information on familiar

subjects of personal interest or related to everyday life demonstrate a sufficient range of language to describe experiences and events and give

reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. This profile is based on the level Independent User (B1), in the Common European Framework of Reference. Examination format The examination at each grade consists of the following: greetings and setting at ease discussion of a prepared topic conversation on two subject areas end of conversation and leave taking.

Examination procedure The examiner begins by greeting the candidate, trying to set him or her at ease and asking to see

the candidates identification (for Grade 5 and above). The examiner asks the candidate for the Topic form and the candidate tells the examiner what he

or she is going to talk about. During the Topic phase, the examiner randomly selects one of the discussion points on the Topic

form and asks the candidate questions and makes comments to facilitate a spontaneous discussion about the prepared topic. This continues until at least four points on the Topic form have been covered. During the Topic phase, the candidate asks the examiner at least one question related to the topic. This phase lasts up to five minutes. The examiner then closes this phase of the examination and moves on to the conversation. During the Conversation phase, the examiner selects one of the subject areas listed for the

grade and engages the candidate in genuine conversation. This is repeated with a second subject area chosen by the examiner. During the conversation, the candidate gives information, makes statements and responds as appropriate. In addition, at Grade 5 the candidate must ask the examiner at least one question related to the subject areas being discussed and at Grade 6 the

candidate must ask at least two questions. This phase lasts up to five minutes. The examiner brings the conversation and the examination to an end.

Sample examinations at the Elementary stage can be found on the Trinity website. A DVD showing examples of the examinations at all grades is also available to Registered Centres.21 Elementary stage Guidance Discussion of a prepared topic The purpose of the Topic phase is to give candidates the opportunity to display their command of the language of the grade while talking about self-selected and personally relevant topics. When choosing the topic for discussion, candidates should prepare the topic on a subject they are

personally interested in, knowledgeable about and able to discuss with the examiner. Please note the topic should not be chosen directly from the list of subject areas for the

Conversation phase. Instead, candidates should be strongly encouraged to prepare a personalised topic. This is to enable candidates to show a wide range of language throughout the examination. The personal aspect is an important feature of all Trinity examinations. Therefore, candidates should

be discouraged from selecting the same topic as their peers. Teachers should ensure that if groups of learners do decide to use the same topic, e.g. football, every effort is made to personalise the content. The topic should provide candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate the language requirements

of the grade. Therefore, candidates should be encouraged to incorporate language items of the grade into their contributions. When preparing the topic, candidates are advised to think carefully about the amount of material

necessary for their topic, bearing in mind the time available. They should prepare enough material to sustain a discussion of the topic for up to five minutes, but not more. Candidates must not prepare their topic as a written script, as this will inevitably lead to a

memorised recitation and result in the candidate not being prepared to use spontaneous spoken English. Recitation will have a negative effect on the assessment of this phase. In preparing their topic, candidates are advised to anticipate questions the examiner might ask.

They should be prepared to give further examples, explanations and clarifications as requested by the examiner. Before the examination, the candidate must complete the Topic form and bring it to the examination

room. The Topic form is designed to help promote a spontaneous discussion which must not include or rely on a memorised recitation. The candidate must complete the Topic form with the required number of points for discussion

(four discussion points for Grade 4, five for Grade 5, six for Grade 6). One short sentence or phrase will suffice for each point. The candidate should prepare enough material about these points to sustain a discussion of up to five minutes, but no more. Examples of completed Topic forms are provided as Appendices 1 and 2. At all Elementary grades, the examiner will ask the candidate to talk about at least four of the

discussion points on the Topic form. The examiner will refer to the discussion points on the Topic form in no particular order. Therefore,

the topic should be prepared as a unified whole. All of the points should be thematic and provide an opportunity for discussing different aspects of the topic. Topic forms must not include such general points as Introduction, or What I did next... The Topic form can be written by a person other than the candidate as written skills in English are

not being assessed in these examinations. However, the content of the form should have originated from the candidate. As the Topic form is crucial for the execution of this phase, the phase will not take place if the

information contained on the form is not made available to the examiner. It is a requirement of the examination that candidates ask the examiner relevant and appropriate

questions throughout the Topic phase. At all Elementary grades, the candidate must ask the examiner at least one question about the topic. Candidates may bring pictures, photos, diagrams, or other useful objects into the examination room

to illustrate the topic and aid the discussion with the examiner. However, live animals or dangerous objects such as knives must not be brought into the examination room. Please note a candidate who fails to prepare a topic for discussion cannot be assessed for Task

fulfilment for this phase. The phase will be voided and this will result in a fail being awarded for the examination as a whole.22 The Conversation phase The purpose of the Conversation phase is to give candidates the opportunity to participate in a genuine and interesting exchange of information, ideas and opinions, while demonstrating their ability to use

the language of the grade. The Conversation phase consists of a discussion of two of the subject areas listed for the relevant

grade. Although the examiner will only select two of the subject areas listed, candidates need to be prepared to talk about all of them. The examiner may introduce everyday objects or pictures to facilitate the conversation. Candidates are encouraged to contribute as much as they can to the conversation and make every

effort to show the examiner the range and quality of the language required for the particular grade. Candidates must not memorise or recite responses to the examiners questions as this will lead to the candidate being unable to take part in a genuine conversation with the examiner. At each grade, candidates are expected to use the communicative skills, language functions and language items listed for the grade and for the previous grades. Therefore, those responsible for preparing candidates for the examinations should ensure that candidates are completely familiar with the language items, understand their meaning and can use them accurately and appropriately. At Grade 5, candidates are required to ask the examiner at least one question related to the subject areas in this phase. At Grade 6, candidates are required to ask the examiner at least two questions related to the subject areas in this phase. Assessment At the Elementary stage, the examiner assesses the candidates performance by awarding a letter grade A, B, C or D for Task fulfilment for the Topic and Conversation phases. In simple terms, these levels can be classified as follows: A Distinction (reflects an excellent performance) B Merit (reflects a good performance) C Pass (reflects a satisfactory performance) D Fail (reflects an unsatisfactory performance). The combination of the two letter grades, i.e. the one awarded for the topic and the one awarded for the conversation provides the overall level of achievement. The examiner completes an individual Examination report form immediately after the examination. The Examination report form provides an indication of the result of the examination and identifies key areas for improvement. The final result is confirmed by the issue of a certificate (or otherwise) six to eight weeks after the

examination. For further information about the assessment of the Graded Examinations in Spoken English, please see pages 8 and 9. Elementary stage23 Notes on Elementary stage Please turn over for detailed information on Grades 4, 5 and 6.24 Grade 4 A2.2 CEFR Examination format Total examination time: 10 minutes The examination consists of two assessed phases: Discussion of a topic prepared by the candidate (up to 5 minutes) Conversation on two subject areas selected by the examiner (up to 5 minutes).

Candidate performance In addition to the items listed for the previous grades, the candidate is expected to demonstrate the following communicative skills and meet the language requirements listed below during the examination. Communicative skills In the Topic phase Give information about the prepared topic in a series of limited long turns about the four

discussion points on the Topic form Answer questions on the prepared topic and participate in informal discussion, during which

the examiner might request more information, facts or details Ask the examiner at least one question about the topic area Take the opportunity provided to include samples of the language functions and language

items listed opposite, where appropriate In the Conversation phase Grade 4 Language requirements Language functions Talking about past events Show understanding of the examiner by responding appropriately to questions Make appropriate contributions with short statements Communicate limited information in simple and direct exchanges25

Grammar Lexis -

Talking about future plans and intentions Expressing simple comparisons Expressing likes and dislikes Describing manner and frequency

Past simple tense of regular and common irregular verbs Going to future Like + gerund/infinitive, e.g. I like shopping, I like to read books Adverbs of manner and frequency Comparatives and superlatives of adjectives Link word but

Vocabulary specific to the topic area Vocabulary specific to the subject areas Adverbs of frequency, e.g. sometimes, often, never Adverbial phrases of frequency, e.g. every day, once a week Expressions of past time, e.g. yesterday, last night Phrases and expressions relating to the language functions listed above

Phonology The correct pronunciation of vocabulary specific to the topic and subject areas Appropriate weak forms and intonation in connected speech Three different ways of pronouncing ed past tense endings, e.g. played, walked, wanted Avoidance of speech patterns of recitation

Subject areas for the Conversation phase Two subject areas will be selected by the examiner from the list below. Holidays Shopping School and work Hobbies and sports Food Weekend and seasonal activities

Please note Grade 4 candidates should not select their topic from the list of subject areas above (see guidance notes on page 21). Grade 4 communicative skills and language requirements have been mapped to A2.2 in the CEFR.26 Grade 5 B1.1 CEFR Examination format Total examination time: 10 minutes The examination consists of two assessed phases: Discussion of a topic prepared by the candidate (up to 5 minutes)

Conversation on two subject areas selected by the examiner (up to 5 minutes).

Candidate performance In addition to the items listed for the previous grades, the candidate is expected to demonstrate the following communicative skills and meet the language requirements listed below during the examination. Communicative skills In the Topic phase Show understanding of the examiner by responding appropriately to questions Give information about the prepared topic in a series of linked long turns about the five

discussion points on the Topic form Answer questions on the prepared topic, and participate in an informal discussion of the topic,

during which the examiner will request more information, facts or details Respond to requests for clarification and give reasons for making particular statements Ask the examiner at least one question about the topic area Take the opportunity provided to use the language functions and language items listed

opposite, where appropriate In the Conversation phase Grade 5 Language requirements Language functions Grammar Lexis Vocabulary specific to the topic area Vocabulary specific to the subject areas Present perfect tense including use with for, since, ever, never, just Connecting clauses using because Will referring to the future for informing and predicting Adjectives and adverbials of quantity, e.g. a lot (of), not very much, many Expressions of preference, e.g. I prefer, Id rather Talking about the future informing and predicting Expressing preferences Talking about events in the indefinite and recent past Giving reasons Stating the duration of events Quantifying Show understanding of the examiner by responding appropriately to questions Respond to requests for clarification and give reasons for making particular statements Ask the examiner at least one question about a subject area 27

Expressions relating to past and future time, e.g. two days ago, in the future Phrases and expressions relating to the language functions listed above

Phonology The correct pronunciation of vocabulary specific to the topic and subject areas The combination of weak forms and contractions, e.g. Ive been to... Avoidance of speech patterns of recitation

Subject areas for the Conversation phase Two subject areas will be selected by the examiner from the list below. Festivals Means of transport Special occasions, e.g. birthday celebrations Entertainment, e.g. cinema, television, clubs Music Recent personal experiences

Please note Grade 5 candidates should not select their topic from the list of subject areas above (see guidance notes on page 21). Grade 5 communicative skills and language requirements have been mapped to B1.1 in the CEFR. 28 Grade 6 B1.2 CEFR Examination format Total examination time: 10 minutes The examination consists of two assessed phases: Discussion of a topic prepared by the candidate (up to 5 minutes) Conversation on two subject areas selected by the examiner (up to 5 minutes).

Candidate performance In addition to the items listed for the previous grades, the candidate is expected to demonstrate the following communicative skills and meet the language requirements listed below during the examination. Communicative skills In the Topic phase Show understanding of the examiner by responding appropriately to questions Give information about the prepared topic in a series of sustained turns about the six discussion

points on the Topic form Make the sequence of events clear by referring back to previous events and forward to

forthcoming events Answer questions on the prepared topic, and participate in informal discussion of the topic,

responding to the examiners requests for more information, facts or details Ask the examiner at least one question about the topic area Take the opportunity provided to include samples of the language functions and language items

listed opposite, where appropriate In the Conversation phase Show understanding of the examiner by responding appropriately to questions Provide information and offer opinions where appropriate Start to play a limited part in initiating and maintaining the conversation Ask the examiner at least two questions about the subject areas

Grade 629 Language requirements Language functions Grammar Lexis Vocabulary specific to the topic area Vocabulary specific to the subject areas Further expressions relating to future time, e.g. the day after tomorrow, in a years time, Zero and first conditionals, using if and when Present continuous tense for future use Past continuous tense Modals connected to the functions listed above, e.g. must, need to, might, dont have to Infinitive of purpose Expressing and requesting opinions and impressions Expressing intention and purpose Expressing obligation and necessity Expressing certainty and uncertainty Describing past actions over a period of time

in years time Common phrasal verbs Phrases and expressions relating to the language functions listed above

Phonology The correct pronunciation of vocabulary specific to the topic and subject areas Sentence stress to clarify meaning Basic intonation and features of connected speech at sentence level Intonation patterns of more complex question forms Avoidance of speech patterns of recitation

Subject areas for the Conversation phase Two subject areas will be selected by the examiner from the list below. Travel

Money Fashion Rules and regulations Health and fitness Learning a foreign language

Please note Grade 6 candidates should not select their topic from the list of subject areas above (see guidance notes on page 21). Grade 6 communicative skills and language requirements have been mapped to B1.2 in the CEFR.