Ms Elaine Sheridan:

I might pick up on another point first, if that is okay. With regard to the change, if you to compare the two examination papers, the sample paper and the live paper, which are in front of members now, taking a numerical approach, one of the most noticeable differences is that the number of marks assigned to cluastuiscint is different in the live paper from 2020 and the sample paper. To reiterate, the specification talks about receptive and productive skills and sets a weighting for each. When we set the examination, we ensure that weighting applies. Receptive skills comprise a combination of reading and listening skills. The aural passages in the sample paper were such as to allow a given number of questions. They were rich enough and contained enough stimulus to allow questions to be asked so there was less weighting for receptive skills in the comprehension questions. However, in the live paper, the same balance in respect of receptive skills applied, it is just that it was a balance between reading and listening. The two exam papers contained a mix of short-response questions, long-response questions, written production, cluastuiscint and reading comprehension. This goes back to the point that this is not a content-driven specification. It is about using everyday themes. Students are not being marked on their ability to stay up to date on topics. It is about the everyday use of language in the classroom. We are trying to get them to give their own personal thoughts on their engagement with topical matters in writing.

When a new specification comes out, we normally publish a chief examiner's report going through the engagement with the aims and objectives of the specification and what we observed during marking. However, in light of the disrupted learning and the adjustments made - there were no assessment tasks and a reduction in the number of classroom-based assessments - that resulted from the Covid pandemic, we are doing a shorter version this time out. We will get back to a more detailed chief examiner's report in due course. We hope that will be published in the coming weeks. It will note best practice or areas of good practice observed over the course of the marking and offer some guidance to take on board in planning for the future. I hope that will be published shortly and will be available as a resource to students in advance of engaging with their examination in June.