English Foundation Program

Colleges of Technology
Levels 1-4 Testing Specifications _Update Report
April 2019

The Testing Specifications for Levels 1-4 have been reviewed by the CDR-SC members and minor changes in
relation to language and content (only the Marking Section) have been made. The tables below show the changes
in details:

Level One

No. Skill Current version Updated version Remarks

1 Reading Version 4_July 2017 Version 4.1_ February 2019 -Minor re-phrasing and punctuation correction on
page # 1.

-The marking section has been updated according

to the GFP Examinations Procedures and now
reads like this:

Both Progress Test and Exit Exam are marked in a

specified, supervised location by Colleges of
Technology academic staff using a marking scheme,
following a live spoken or written briefing, which will
provide them with a guide on the marking procedure.
After marking, score sheets will be delivered to the staff
member responsible for data entry (for more details,
please refer to the GFP Examinations Procedures).

2 Writing Version 4_July 2017 Version 4.1_ February 2019 -Minor re-phrasing and punctuation correction on
page # 2, 3 & 4.

-The marking section has been updated according

L1-L4 Testing Specifications _Update Report_ Fakhriya Al-Rashdi_ April 2019

 English Foundation Program
Colleges of Technology
Levels 1-4 Testing Specifications _Update Report
April 2019
to the GFP Examinations Procedures (see above)

3 Writing Marking TASK1: version 1_22-1-2017 Version 1.1_ February 2019 The doc has been updated as follows:
Criteria
- Give a zero if the task is not attempted, if the
answer is totally incomprehensible or if the
answer is plagiarized and there is evidence for
this.
- If the answer is totally irrelevant and unrelated
to the task in any way, award a zero for the
Task Achievement, and don’t give more than 2
marks for Organization, 2 for Grammar and 1
for Vocabulary.
- Candidates are penalized for writing fewer than
the required number of words. The reduction is
from Task Achievement as follows:
30 words = - 3; 31– 50 words = -2; 51– 70 words = -1
4 TASK2: version 1_22-1-2017 Version 1.1_ February 2019 The doc has been updated as follows:

- Give a zero if the task is not attempted, if the

answer is totally incomprehensible or if the
answer is plagiarized and there is evidence for
this.
- If the answer is totally irrelevant and unrelated
to the task in any way, award a zero for the
Task Response, and don’t give more than 2
marks for Organization, 2 for Grammar and 1
for Vocabulary.
- Candidates are penalized for writing fewer
than the required number of words. The
reduction is from Task Response is as follows:
2

L1-L4 Testing Specifications _Update Report_ Fakhriya Al-Rashdi_ April 2019

 English Foundation Program
Colleges of Technology
Levels 1-4 Testing Specifications _Update Report
April 2019
40 words = - 3; 41– 70 words = -2; 71-90= -1

5 Listening Version 4_July 2017 Version 4.1_ February 2019 The marking section has been updated according
to the GFP Examinations Procedures (see above)
6 Speaking Version 1_October 2017 Version 1.1_ February 2019 The doc has been updated as follows:

- PART 3 –Picture Description: changed

‘may’ to ‘should’:
If the test taker stops before the one minute has
finished, the examiner should say; ‘Can you tell
me anything else about that?’

-Minor re-phrasing and punctuation correction on

page # 1.

7 Speaking Version 1_3-4-2017 - None

Assessment
Criteria

Level Two

Skill Current version Updated version Change/s

Reading Version 4_July 2017 Version 4.1_ February 2019 The marking section has been updated according
to the GFP Examinations Procedures and now
reads like this:

Both Progress Test and Exit Exam are marked in a

specified, supervised location by Colleges of Technology
academic staff using a marking scheme, following a live
spoken or written briefing, which will provide them with

L1-L4 Testing Specifications _Update Report_ Fakhriya Al-Rashdi_ April 2019


Writing
Writing Marking Criteria
L1-L4 Testing Specifications _Update Report_ Fakhriya Al-Rashdi_ April 2019
English Foundation Program
Colleges of Technology
Levels 1-4 Testing Specifications _Update Report
Version 4_July 2017
TASK1: version 1_22-1-2017
TASK2: version 1_22-1-2017
April 2019
Version 4.1_ February 2019
TASK1: Version 1.1 _14/2/2019
Task2: Version 1.1_14/2/2019
4
a guide on the marking procedure. After marking, score
sheets will be delivered to the staff member responsible
for data entry (for more details, please refer to the GFP
Examinations Procedures).
-Minor re-phrasing and punctuation correction on
page # 1 and 4.
The marking section has been updated according
to the GFP Examinations Procedures (see above)
Updated as follows:
- Give a zero if the task is not attempted, if the
answer is totally incomprehensible or if the
answer is plagiarized and there is evidence for
this.
- If the answer is totally irrelevant and unrelated
to the task in any way, award a zero for the Task
Achievement, and don’t give more than 2 marks
for Organization, 2 for Grammar and 1 for
Vocabulary.
- Candidates are penalized for writing fewer than
the required number of words. The reduction is
from Task Achievement as follows:
0 - 40 words = - 3 ; 41– 70 words = -2 ; 71– 90 words =
-1
Updated as follows:
- Give a zero if the task is not attempted, if the
answer is totally incomprehensible or if the
 English Foundation Program
Colleges of Technology
Levels 1-4 Testing Specifications _Update Report
April 2019
answer is plagiarized and there is evidence for
this.
- If the answer is totally irrelevant and unrelated
to the task in any way, award a zero for the
Task Response, and don’t give more than 2
marks for Organization, 2 for Grammar and 1
for Vocabulary.

- Candidates are penalized for writing fewer

than the required number of words. The
reduction is from Task Response as follows:
60 words = - 3 ; 61– 100 words = -2; 101-140= -1

Listening Version 4_July 2017 Version 4.1_ February 2019 The marking section has been updated according
to the GFP Examinations Procedures (see above )

Speaking Version 1_October 2017 Version 1.1_ February 2019 Updated as follows:

Part 3 – Giving instructions, directions or

telling a story. Changed ‘may’ to ‘should’:

If the test taker stops before the one minute has

finished, the examiner should say; ‘Can you tell me
anything else about that?’

Speaking Assessment Version 1_3-4-2017 - None

Criteria

L1-L4 Testing Specifications _Update Report_ Fakhriya Al-Rashdi_ April 2019

 English Foundation Program
Colleges of Technology
Levels 1-4 Testing Specifications _Update Report
April 2019
Level Three

Skill Current version Updated version Change/s

Reading Version 4_July 2017 Version 4.1_ February 2019 The marking section has been updated according
to the GFP Examinations Procedures and now
reads like this:

Both Progress Test and Exit Exam are marked in a

specified, supervised location by Colleges of Technology
academic staff using a marking scheme, following a live
spoken or written briefing, which will provide them with
a guide on the marking procedure. After marking, score
sheets will be delivered to the staff member responsible
for data entry (for more details, please refer to the GFP
Examinations Procedures).

Writing Version 4_July 2017 Version 4.1_ February 2019 -The marking section has been updated according
to the GFP Examinations Procedures (see above )

-Minor re-phrasing and punctuation correction on

page # 1, 2 # 3.

Writing Marking Criteria TASK 1: version 1_22-1-2017 Version 1.1 _ 14/2/2019 Updated as follows:
- Give a zero if the task is not attempted, if the
answer is totally incomprehensible or if the
answer is plagiarized and there is evidence for
this.
- If the answer is totally irrelevant and unrelated
to the task in any way, award a zero for the
Task Achievement, and don’t give more than 2
6

L1-L4 Testing Specifications _Update Report_ Fakhriya Al-Rashdi_ April 2019

 English Foundation Program
Colleges of Technology
Levels 1-4 Testing Specifications _Update Report
April 2019
marks for Organization, 2 for Grammar &
Range of Structures and 1 for Vocabulary.
- Candidates are penalized for writing fewer
than the required number of words. The
reduction is from Task Achievement as
follows:

0-60 words = - 3; 61– 100 words = -2; 101-140 = -1

TASK1(PROCESS): Version 1.1 _ 14/2/2019 Updated as follows:

vesion1_22-1-2017 - Give a zero if the task is not attempted, if
the answer is totally incomprehensible or if
the answer is plagiarized and there is
evidence for this.
- If the answer is totally irrelevant and
unrelated to the task in any way, award a
zero for the Task Achievement, and don’t
give more than 2 marks for Organization,
2 for Grammar & Range of Structures and
1 for Vocabulary.
- Do not award more than 3 marks for Task
Achievement if the student makes no
attempt to use the passive voice.
- Candidates are penalized for writing fewer
than the required number of words. The
reduction is from Task Achievement as
follows:
0 - 60 words = - 3; 61– 100 words = -2; 101– 140 words
= -1

L1-L4 Testing Specifications _Update Report_ Fakhriya Al-Rashdi_ April 2019

 English Foundation Program
Colleges of Technology
Levels 1-4 Testing Specifications _Update Report
April 2019

TASK 2: version1_22-1-2017 Version 1.1_ 14/2/2019 Updated as follows:

- Give a zero if the task is not attempted, if

the answer is totally incomprehensible or if
the answer is plagiarized and there is
evidence for this.
- If the answer is totally irrelevant and
unrelated to the task in any way, award a
zero for the Task Response, and don’t give
more than 2 marks for Organization, 2 for
Grammar & Range of Structures and 1 for
Vocabulary.
- Candidates are penalized for writing fewer
than the required number of words. The
reduction is from Task Response as
follows:
0-70 words = - 3; 71– 120 words = -2; 121-160= -1

Listening Version 4_July 2017 Version 4.1_ February 2019 The marking section has been updated according
to the GFP Examinations Procedures (see above )

Speaking Version 1_July 2017 Version 1.1_ February 2019 Updated as follows:

Part 2 – Long turn. Changed ‘may’ to ‘should’:

L1-L4 Testing Specifications _Update Report_ Fakhriya Al-Rashdi_ April 2019

 English Foundation Program
Colleges of Technology
Levels 1-4 Testing Specifications _Update Report
April 2019
If the test taker stops before the two minutes
has finished, the examiner should say; ‘Can
you tell me anything else about that?’

Speaking Assessment Version 1_ 3-4-2017 - None

Criteria

Level Four

Skill Current version Updated version Change/s

Reading Modified version 3_March 2018 Modified Version 3.1_ February The marking section has been updated according
2019 to the GFP Examinations Procedures and now
reads like this:

Both Progress Test and Exit Exam are marked in a

specified, supervised location by Colleges of Technology
academic staff using a marking scheme, following a live
spoken or written briefing, which will provide them with
a guide on the marking procedure. After marking, score
sheets will be delivered to the staff member responsible
for data entry (for more details, please refer to the GFP
Examinations Procedures).

Writing Version 2_July 2017 Version 2.1_ February 2019 -The marking section has been updated according
to the GFP Examinations Procedures (see above ).

-Minor re-phrasing and punctuation correction on

page # 2.

L1-L4 Testing Specifications _Update Report_ Fakhriya Al-Rashdi_ April 2019

 English Foundation Program
Colleges of Technology
Levels 1-4 Testing Specifications _Update Report
April 2019

Writing Marking TASK1:version 1_4-9-2016 - None

Criteria
TASK2: version 1_4-9-2016 - None

Listening Modified version3_September Modified Version 3.1_ February The marking section has been updated according
2018 2019 to the GFP Examinations Procedures (see above )

Speaking Version 3_July 2017 Version 3.1_ February 2019 Updated as follows:

Part 2 – Long turn. Changed ‘may’ to ‘should’:

If the test taker stops before the two minutes

has finished, the examiner should say; ‘Can
you tell me anything else about that?’

Speaking Assessment Version 1_4-9-2016 - None

Criteria

10

L1-L4 Testing Specifications _Update Report_ Fakhriya Al-Rashdi_ April 2019