European Baccalaureate Language 1 Advanced flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Compulsory written examinations

Language 1, Language 2 and Mathematics are sat by every Baccalaureate candidate; the remaining two written papers come from the candidate's chosen options.

Written paper marking scale

Each written paper is marked 0-10 in half-point steps against the European Schools grid; 5 is the pass threshold for that subject.

Language 1 written format

A commentary or essay on a text plus a question on prescribed works, answered in the target language, assessing literary and analytical response.

Language 2 written format

Comprehension and production tasks including text response and guided writing, assessed at the L2 syllabus level, normally without a dictionary.

Mathematics tiers

The Mathematics written paper varies by course weighting: the 3-period paper is applied and shorter, while 5- and 7-period papers add proof and analysis.

External marking of written papers

Written scripts are marked by external examiners using centrally set marking schemes from the subject working group, keeping standards comparable across schools.

Written paper duration

Language papers typically run four hours including reading time; Mathematics runs four hours at 5 and 7 periods and less at 3 periods.

Weight of written papers

The five written papers form the largest share of the final Baccalaureate mark and cannot be fully offset by orals or the Preliminary mark.

Number of oral examinations

Every candidate sits three oral examinations, each prepared from material drawn at random and defended before a pair of examiners.

Compulsory oral language

Language 1 oral is compulsory; the second oral must be Language 2 or a non-linguistic subject taught through L2.

Oral preparation time

Candidates get roughly 20-30 minutes in a supervised preparation room with only the authorised reference material before presenting.

Oral examination length

The oral itself lasts about 20 minutes: a short presentation followed by examiner questions testing content, structure and interaction.

Language 1 oral content

A commentary on an unseen text or a prescribed work, followed by discussion; assessment covers content, structure, accuracy and interaction.

Language 2 oral content

Presentation and discussion of a prepared document or topic in L2, with interaction expected at the level set by the L2 syllabus.

L2-taught subject oral

An oral in a non-linguistic subject such as History or Biology taught through L2: content is assessed, though clarity in L2 matters.

External examiner requirement

At least one of the two examiners for each oral must be external to the school; the pair agrees a single mark on the 0-10 scale.

Oral mark contribution

Oral marks feed directly into the final Baccalaureate total alongside written and preliminary marks; compulsory language orals cannot be dropped.

Preliminary mark definition

The school-based Baccalaureate component, combining s7 A marks from continuous assessment with B marks from summative tests and Pre-Baccalaureate exams.

A marks

Marks awarded during s7 for classwork, homework, oral participation and short assessments, averaged per subject into the Preliminary mark.

B marks

Marks from summative tests and Pre-Baccalaureate examinations sat under exam conditions and marked by subject teachers against Bac grids.

Pre-Baccalaureate examinations

Summative s7 exams held in the second part of the year; their B marks form a substantial share of each subject's Preliminary mark.

Preliminary mark scale

The Preliminary mark is recorded per subject on the 0-10 scale in half-point steps, like written and oral marks.

A/B weighting

The subject grid fixes how much A marks and B marks each contribute; Pre-Baccalaureate B marks usually carry the larger share.

Absence from Pre-Bac

An unjustified absence from a Pre-Baccalaureate paper results in a B mark of 0 for that paper in the Preliminary mark.

Fixing of Preliminary mark

The Preliminary mark is finalised before the written Bac session and cannot be revised afterwards except through the internal appeal procedure.

Appeal deadlines

Challenges to A or B marks must go through the school's internal procedure before the stated deadline, prior to the Preliminary mark being fixed.

Compensation rules

A weak Preliminary or oral mark may be offset by strong written results only within the European Schools compensation limits.

Random draw of oral material

Oral topics or texts are drawn at random by the candidate in the preparation room, so every part of the syllabus must be prepared.

Prescribed works

Set texts listed in the L1 syllabus that candidates must know well, since written and oral questions draw directly on them.

Subject working group

The central body that sets Baccalaureate papers and marking schemes for each subject, ensuring comparable standards across schools.

Final Baccalaureate total

The overall result combining written papers, oral examinations and the Preliminary mark according to each subject's weighting in the assessment grid.

Option subjects in writing

Beyond the three compulsory papers, candidates sit two further written papers drawn from their chosen options, each marked on the same 0-10 grid.