European Baccalaureate Language 2 cheat sheet

The preliminary mark is the school-based component of the final Language 2 grade; it aggregates s7 coursework and the Pre-Baccalaureate (pré-bac) examination results, and is transmitted to the European Schools' central Baccalaureate services before the written session.

In s7 Language 2 the A mark (oral participation and coursework) and the B mark (written work) are recorded separately; the Pre-Baccalaureate examination provides a written B-type result and, where the school schedules it, an oral A-type result.

The Pre-Baccalaureate written paper in L2 is normally taken in the second semester of s7 under the same conditions of time and dictionary use as the final written paper, so that it functions as a full dress rehearsal scored by the subject teachers.

The preliminary mark is expressed on the 0-100 scale used across the European Baccalaureate, whereas s7 term marks are recorded on the A/B scale; conversion follows the school's harmonised descriptors, not a fixed arithmetic formula.

A marks reward active, sustained oral contribution in the target language: comprehension of spoken input, fluency, range of vocabulary, accuracy, and interaction (turn-taking, reacting, negotiating meaning).

B marks reward written production and comprehension: task achievement, organisation and coherence, lexical range, grammatical accuracy, and register appropriate to the task (formal letter, article, argumentative essay, summary).

Formative assessment evidence in s7 includes short written tasks, vocabulary and grammar checks, oral presentations, and reading/listening comprehension exercises; only the marks formally recorded in the school's assessment schedule count toward the preliminary mark.

Coursework and Pré-bac results are moderated within the language department before transmission; internal moderation compares classes taught by different teachers to keep standards consistent across sections of the same L2.

The preliminary mark counts as a component of the final Baccalaureate result alongside the written and oral examinations; a weak preliminary mark cannot be compensated by a strong written paper alone, since each component carries its own weighting.

The written L2 examination consists of five separate papers sat in a single session; candidates answer all five, and each paper is marked independently before the marks are combined.

The five papers typically cover: reading comprehension, listening comprehension, a guided writing or text-reconstruction task, an argumentative or discursive essay, and a language-in-use task (grammar, vocabulary, transformation, or text mediation).

Each paper is subject to double correction: two examiners mark independently, and where their marks diverge beyond the tolerance set by the Baccalaureate regulations, a third examiner (or the chief examiner) adjudicates.

Correction is anonymous: scripts are identified by candidate number only, and examiners do not know the identity or school of the candidate whose paper they are marking.

Assessment criteria are analytic rather than holistic: each paper's rubric specifies content/task achievement, organisation, lexical range, grammatical accuracy, and register, and examiners apply the same grid to every script.

Dictionaries are permitted in the written L2 examination under the conditions fixed by the Baccalaureate regulations; electronic dictionaries and translation devices are excluded, and time lost consulting a dictionary is not compensated.

Listening comprehension is played according to a fixed protocol (usually two hearings with a pause between), and answers are recorded on the answer sheet during or immediately after the hearings; no replay is granted after the session.

Word limits are binding: a response substantially below the required length loses marks for task achievement, and a response substantially above it may be penalised for relevance and concision.

Handwriting, layout, and clear numbering of answers matter because scripts are scanned and marked by examiners working from copies; illegible or mis-numbered answers may not receive credit.

The oral L2 examination comprises three papers (tasks) presented to the candidate, who prepares and then responds; each paper is assessed by two examiners who mark independently (double correction).

The three papers typically combine: a listening comprehension task based on an audio document, a reading comprehension and commentary task on a written document, and a spoken interaction or discussion task with the examiners on a prepared topic.

A preparation period (commonly around fifteen minutes) precedes the examination, during which the candidate may consult the documents and take notes; notes may be used during the examination but are not themselves assessed.

Assessment criteria cover comprehension of the documents, fluency and pronunciation, lexical and grammatical range and accuracy, ability to structure an argument, and interactive competence in the discussion phase.

Double correction in the oral means two examiners score each candidate; where the two marks differ beyond the permitted tolerance, the chief examiner or a third examiner decides the final mark.

The oral is conducted in the target language throughout; use of another language, including the candidate's first language, is not credited and may be penalised under the interaction criterion.

Examiners may ask follow-up questions to probe comprehension and to allow the candidate to develop or defend a position; the candidate is expected to respond spontaneously rather than recite prepared notes.

Timing is fixed per paper and enforced by the examiners; exceeding the allotted time for one paper does not extend the time available for the remaining papers.

Oral marks and written marks are combined with the preliminary mark under the Baccalaureate weighting rules; the oral cannot be waived, and absence requires documented justification under the Baccalaureate regulations.