The aim of the AP exam is to elicit a SPEECH SAMPLE sufficient to permit an OVERALL or GLOBAL evaluation.  Students have been instructed to answer as fully as possible within the allocated time, i.e., two minutes for the picture sequence.  We should not penalize students who demonstrate their capability but who run out of time before finishing, nor those who provide a sufficient speech sample in less than two minutes.

 

The overall evaluation should identify the SUSTAINED level of performance with regard to:

Syntactic Control

Vocabulary Usage and Fluency

Pronunciation

9     VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT

 

Very good to excellent command of the language.  Very few errors of syntax.  Wide range of vocabulary, including idiomatic usage.  High level of fluency.

 

7-8      CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES COMPETENCE

 

Good command of the language.  Few errors of syntax.  Above-average range of vocabulary.  Good idiomatic usage and little awkwardness of expression.  Good fluency and intonation.

       

5-6      SUGGESTS COMPETENCE

 

Comprehensible expression.  Some serious errors of syntax and some successful self-correction.  Some fluency but hesitant.  Moderate range of vocabulary and idiomatic usage.

 

3-4      SUGGESTS INCOMPETENCE

 

Poor command of the language marked by frequent serious errors of syntax.  Limited fluency.  Poor pronunciation.  Narrow range of vocabulary and idiomatic usage.  Frequent anglicisms and structures which force interpretation of meaning by the listener.  Occasional redeeming features.

 

1-2  CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES INCOMPETENCE

 

Unacceptable from almost every point of view.  Glaring weaknesses in syntax and pronunciation.  Few vocabulary resources.  Little or no sense of idiomatic usage.

 

0     IRRELEVANT SPEECH SAMPLE

 

Narrative irrelevant to pictures.

 

-       HYPHEN

 

No answer (although microphone is open and recording).  “No ”, “No entendí la pregunta”, or mere sighs or nonsense utterances.

 

 

These rubrics have been reprinted by permission of the Education Testing Service.