Conventions for the stand-alone language papers    SCLP Home

Basic Lower-intermediate Intermediate Upper-intermediate

Basic  (50% and above: Pass / 70% and above: Distinction)

1. Oral tests 25%

The oral test will last for 10-15 minutes. It will comprise the following three parts.

a. Students will be asked to read out aloud and answer questions based a prescribed Chinese text.

b. Students will be asked to read out aloud sentences in Pinyin.

c. Students will be asked to engage a conversation in Chinese with examiners. The topics of conversation will have been studied over the year.

2. Written paper 75%

The written paper will last for 2:30 hours. It will comprise the following four parts

a. Students will be asked to translate 12 English sentences into Chinese. The materials will be based on the textbook that they have studied over the year. (48%)

b. Students will be asked to translate a piece of unprepared Chinese written material into English. (12%)

c. Students will be asked to analyse the grammar of five selected sentences. (10%)

d. Students will be asked to write 10 Chinese words in both characters and Pinyin that have been studied during the year. (5%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower-intermediate (50% and above: Pass / 70% and above: Distinction)

1. Oral tests 25%

The oral test will last for 10-15 minutes. It will comprise the following three parts.

a. Students will be asked to read out aloud a prescribed Chinese text.

b. Students will be asked to engage a conversation in Chinese with examiners. The topics of conversation will have been studied over the year.

c. A piece of three-minute aural material will be read twice, at normal speed. Students will be allowed twenty minutes to answer questions in English.

2. Written paper 75%

The written paper will last for 2:30 hours. It will comprise the following four parts

a. Students will be asked to translate 10 English sentences into Chinese. The materials will be based on the textbooks that they have used over the year. (40%)

b. Students will be asked to translate a piece of unprepared Chinese written material no more than 250 characters into English. (15%)

c. Students will be asked to answer question(s) after reading a piece of unprepared Chinese passage no more than 350 characters. (10%)

d. Students will be asked to analyse the grammar of two selected sentences. (10%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intermediate  (50% and above: Pass / 70% and above: Distinction)

1. Oral and listening tests 25%

The oral test will last for 15 minutes. It will comprise the following two parts.

a. A piece of five-minute aural material will be read twice, at normal speed. Students will be allowed twenty minutes to answer questions in English.

b. Students will prepare an oral presentation in Chinese, to last between five and eight minutes. Three topics will be given out twenty four hours before the presentation test. Students will select one of these three topics for the oral presentation.

2. Written paper 75%

The written paper will last for 2:30 hours. It will comprise the following three parts

a. Students will be asked to translate 10 English newspaper sentences into Chinese. The materials will be similar to the newspaper articles that they have studied over the year. (30%)

b. Students will be asked to translate a piece of unprepared Chinese document no more than 350 characters into English and make comment on the grammar and syntax of marked sentences. (30%)

c. Students will be asked to answer question(s) after reading a piece of unprepared Chinese newspaper passage no more than 500 characters. (15%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upper-intermediate (50% and above: Pass / 70% and above: Distinction)

1. Oral and listening tests 25%

The oral test will last for 15 minutes. It will comprise the following two parts.

a. A piece of five-minute aural material will be read twice, at normal speed. Students will be allowed twenty minutes to answer questions in English.

b. Students will prepare an oral presentation in Chinese, to last for not more than ten minutes. Three topics will be given out twenty four hours before the presentation test. Students will select one of these three topics for the oral presentation. Questions might be asked about the presentation.

2. Unprepared translation and reading comprehension 75%

The written paper will last for 2:30 hours. It will comprise the following three parts

a. Students will be asked to translate an English passage of no more than 300 words into Chinese. The material will be based on the topics that they have covered over the year. (30%)

b. Students will be asked to translate a Chinese passage of no more than 400 characters into English. (25%)

c. Students will be asked to read a prescribed Chinese article of no more than 750 characters and answer questions based on the article in English. (20%)