Preliminary mark: formative and summative assessment during s7
The preliminary mark is the teacher-assessed component of the European Baccalaureate, based on formative and summative work during s7. For Latin, it captures consistent translation, commentary, grammar and oral participation; it is a formal grade submitted to the EB, not a practice exam. It rewards sustained performance and is combined with the written and oral examination marks.
Basis and rules
- Formative evidence: ongoing classwork, homework, vocabulary tests and oral contributions. Summative evidence: end-of-unit tests, timed translations, essays and mock orals.
- Scale and criteria: marked on the EB 0–100 scale using subject criteria such as linguistic accuracy, comprehension, interpretation and communication.
- Internal standardisation: teachers compare evidence across classes; the mark must be defensible and consistent with the student’s examination performance.
- Weighting: for a subject examined in both written and oral form, the preliminary mark typically counts for 20% of the final mark; it is combined with the examination marks and cannot be replaced by a strong exam alone.
Worked example
A student’s s7 Latin record: translation tests 72 and 78 (average 75); commentary essays 80 and 76 (average 78); grammar/vocabulary quizzes 85 and 88 (average 86.5); oral presentation 74. If the department weights translation 35%, essays 35%, grammar 15% and oral 15%, the preliminary mark is 0.35 × 75 + 0.35 × 78 + 0.15 × 86.5 + 0.15 × 74 = 26.25 + 27.3 + 12.975 + 11.1 = 77.625, rounded to 78. Reasoning: the mark reflects a profile, not one test; a weaker oral score is offset by strong grammar but cannot be ignored.
Traps
- Treating the preliminary mark as “free marks” and reducing effort after mock exams.
- Ignoring criteria: a good translation with no stylistic commentary may stay below the top band.
- Failing to keep assessed work; appeals require evidence.
- Assuming a strong written paper can rescue a weak preliminary mark beyond its fixed weight.