Three adjustment requests before the L3 oral
Before the L3 French oral examination, three candidates request adjustments. Candidate B has a diagnosed stammer that worsens under time pressure; she asks for 10 extra minutes of preparation and permission to bring her handwritten plan into the examination room. Candidate C asks to use a bilingual dictionary during the 20-minute examination, not only during preparation, because she says her vocabulary is weak. Candidate D missed the scheduled slot because of a clash with a science practical; the school can offer a slot two hours later, after D has spoken with classmates who have already taken the exam. The school's protocol states that all candidates receive 20 minutes' preparation with a monolingual dictionary and may bring brief notes; the oral assesses spontaneous interaction and comprehension. Adjustments must be reasonable and must not alter the competences assessed.
1. Decide each of the three requests (B, C, D) and justify the decision against the principle that adjustments must not alter the competences assessed.
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B: grant the extra preparation time and the handwritten plan. A stammer is a disability, and extra time/notes do not change what is assessed-comprehension and interaction-unless the plan contains a full script, which the school should check. The adjustment levels the field rather than giving an advantage. C: refuse the bilingual dictionary during the examination. The oral assesses spontaneous lexical access and interaction; a dictionary in the exam would alter the construct. The monolingual dictionary in preparation is already available to everyone and is the standard condition. If vocabulary is a severe, diagnosed issue, the school should consider a formal access arrangement, not an ad hoc concession. D: do not use the later slot if classmates have discussed the paper. Security and comparability require a supervised slot with no contact, or a reserve text. A two-hour delay after contact would invalidate the sample. All three decisions should be recorded and applied consistently.
2. What would you write in the adjustments record, and how would you ensure the examiner does not unconsciously lower the standard for B?
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The record should state the candidate, the request, the decision, the reason, and any conditions: e.g. 'B - 10 extra minutes preparation and use of handwritten plan permitted; plan checked for scripted answers; same grid and same text.' For C: 'Bilingual dictionary during exam refused; monolingual dictionary in preparation as per protocol.' For D: 'Later slot refused after contact; supervised slot with reserve text arranged.' To avoid lowering the standard, the examiner should mark B blind to the adjustment where possible, use the same descriptors, and not infer competence from the stammer. The examiner should also avoid over-correcting by giving unusually high marks for fluency; the stammer may affect delivery but not the underlying language. A second marker or moderation sample for adjusted candidates is good practice. The record supports external moderation and shows that the adjustment was reasonable, not an unfair advantage.
3. Could the school justify giving C an oral on a different topic with extra preparation? Argue both sides and decide.
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One side: if C's vocabulary weakness is diagnosed and severe, a different topic with extra preparation might allow her to show interaction and comprehension without the lexical barrier, which is arguably fairer. The other side: the oral construct includes coping with unfamiliar lexis and using strategies; changing the topic and doubling preparation changes the task and makes the marks non-comparable. The school must also ask whether the weakness is a disability or a level of proficiency; if it is proficiency, it is part of what is being assessed. My decision would be no to a different topic and extra preparation as an access arrangement, unless there is a formal diagnosis and the arrangement is approved centrally and applied to all comparable candidates. Instead, the school should ensure the standard preparation already includes a dictionary and notes, and should offer general vocabulary support before the examination. The decision should be recorded with reasons.