Unit 1: Chinese (Mandarin) Listening
Students can be entered for either Foundation or Higher, but not both.
Foundation Tier
The test will be pre-recorded using native speakers. Only material which is appropriate to the spoken language will be used in the tests. Each item will be heard twice. Students' comprehension will be tested by a range of question types, normally requiring non-verbal responses or responses in English. Students will be allowed to make notes during the test. Students will be given 5 minutes' reading time at the beginning of the test, before the recording is played, to give them time to read the questions.
The test will consist of items of varying length which will not place an undue burden on memory. Comprehension of announcements, short conversations, instructions, short news items and telephone messages will be required, together with some material which will be longer and may include reference to past, present and future events and some unfamiliar language. Students will be expected to identify main points and extract details and points of view.
The use of dictionaries will not be permitted.
The tests will consist of a number of discrete items and will be marked according to a detailed mark scheme.
The student's performance will be assessed according to the effectiveness with which he/she is able to carry out the tasks based on what he/she has heard.
The appropriate mark(s) will be awarded if the student has satisfactorily communicated his or her understanding, even though the response may contain some errors.
- 0 minutes
- 35 marks
- 20% of the marks
The test will be pre-recorded using native speakers. Only material which is appropriate to the spoken language will be used in the tests. Each item will be heard twice. Students' comprehension will be tested by a range of question types, normally requiring non-verbal responses or responses in English. Students will be allowed to make notes during the test. Students will be given 5 minutes' reading time at the beginning of the test, before the recording is played, to give them time to read the questions.
The test will consist of items of varying length which will not place an undue burden on memory. Comprehension of announcements, short conversations, instructions, short news items and telephone messages will be required, together with some material which will be longer and may include reference to past, present and future events and some unfamiliar language. Students will be expected to identify main points and extract details and points of view.
The use of dictionaries will not be permitted.
The tests will consist of a number of discrete items and will be marked according to a detailed mark scheme.
The student's performance will be assessed according to the effectiveness with which he/she is able to carry out the tasks based on what he/she has heard.
The appropriate mark(s) will be awarded if the student has satisfactorily communicated his or her understanding, even though the response may contain some errors.
Higher Tier
The test will be pre-recorded using native speakers. Only material which is appropriate to the spoken language will be used in the tests. Each item will be heard twice. Students' comprehension will be tested by a range of question types, normally requiring non-verbal responses or responses in English. Students will be allowed to make notes during the test. Students will be given 5 minutes' reading time at the beginning of the test, before the recording is played, to give them time to read the questions.
The test will contain items common to those in Foundation and also material which will include some complex, unfamiliar language in a range of registers, together with non-factual and narrative material. Students will be expected to understand discussion of a wide range of issues. They will also need to understand gist and detail, identify and extract main points, use context and other clues to interpret meaning, draw conclusions and summarise what they have heard.
The use of dictionaries will not be permitted.
The tests will consist of a number of discrete items and will be marked according to a detailed mark scheme.
The student's performance will be assessed according to the effectiveness with which he/she is able to carry out the tasks based on what he/she has heard.
The appropriate mark(s) will be awarded if the candidate has satisfactorily communicated his or her understanding, even though the response may contain some errors.
- 40 minutes
- 40 marks
- 20% of the marks
The test will be pre-recorded using native speakers. Only material which is appropriate to the spoken language will be used in the tests. Each item will be heard twice. Students' comprehension will be tested by a range of question types, normally requiring non-verbal responses or responses in English. Students will be allowed to make notes during the test. Students will be given 5 minutes' reading time at the beginning of the test, before the recording is played, to give them time to read the questions.
The test will contain items common to those in Foundation and also material which will include some complex, unfamiliar language in a range of registers, together with non-factual and narrative material. Students will be expected to understand discussion of a wide range of issues. They will also need to understand gist and detail, identify and extract main points, use context and other clues to interpret meaning, draw conclusions and summarise what they have heard.
The use of dictionaries will not be permitted.
The tests will consist of a number of discrete items and will be marked according to a detailed mark scheme.
The student's performance will be assessed according to the effectiveness with which he/she is able to carry out the tasks based on what he/she has heard.
The appropriate mark(s) will be awarded if the candidate has satisfactorily communicated his or her understanding, even though the response may contain some errors.
