Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Contents
Contents
General introduction
14
ISE Foundation
ISE Foundation task specifications
16
20
32
34
ISE I
ISE I task specifications
35
39
51
53
ISE II
ISE II task specifications
54
58
70
72
ISE III
ISE III task specifications
73
77
89
91
94
95
Introduction
General introduction
About Trinity College London
Trinity College London is an international exam board providing regulated qualifications in English
language, music, performing and creative arts throughout the world.
Trinity has been conducting exams since 1877 and now over half a million people take one of our exams
every year.
Trinity College London is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
* This specifications document covers ISE Foundation to ISE III. ISE IV has a different format see www.trinitycollege.com
Introduction
Brand name
ISE Foundation
ISE I
ISE II
ISE III
The formal Ofqual title and the brand name both appear on the certificates.
Component
Method
Long reading
Multi-text reading
Reading texts and producing a short piece of writing using the texts as
source material
Extended writing
A short piece of writing similar to the kind of writing done in school or college
Independent listening
Independent listening
into speaking
Integrated speaking
and listening
Introduction
Introduction
Framework
ISE Foundation to ISE III are targeted to align with recognised levels of the Common European
Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages (Council of Europe 2001) as follows:
ISE level
CEFR level
ISE Foundation
A2
ISE I
B1
ISE II
B2
ISE III
C1
At each of these levels, the exam focus is on key reading and writing competences as outlined in the
relevant CEFR descriptors. For reading, this covers both expeditious and careful reading at both local
and global levels (Khalifa & Weir 2009).
The writing involves an integrated writing task (Reading into writing) where candidates have to write
a response to a prompt, drawing upon and integrating information sourced from across multiple texts
(one of which includes graphical information) as well as an independent writing task (Extended writing)
where candidates respond to a short prompt.
The CEFR descriptors (see page 9) give an indication of the level of skill and quality of performance
that is expected of a second language user at each of the four CEFR levels.
Introduction
CEFR descriptors*
C1
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognise implicit meaning.
() Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional
purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing
controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
B2
Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics,
including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. () Can produce clear,
detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving
the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
B1
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly
encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. () Can produce simple connected text on
topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events,
dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions
and plans.
A2
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most
immediate relevance (eg very basic personal and family information, shopping, local
geography, employment. Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a
simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe
in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in
areas of immediate need.
Details of the ISE exam content and task structure for each level can be found in the section Task
specifications, sample exam papers & rating scales.
All tasks in each ISE level are linked to and reflect a particular CEFR level and in conjunction with the
ISE rating scales, candidates can see the extent to which they have achieved a particular CEFR level.
The rating scales show four distinct scores within each CEFR level, for example a score of 4 shows
excellent achievement for the level, a score of 3 shows appropriate achievement for the level, 2 shows
acceptable achievement for the level and 1 shows non-achievement. A score of 4 does not distinguish
the level above the targeted level. Similarly, a score of 1 does not distinguish levels below the targeted
CEFR level.
Please note that over the course of an exam, several scores are given using different scoring methods.
Please refer to the section How is ISE Reading & Writing assessed? for more complete information on
how overall scores are reached.
Score
Interpretation
Acceptable achievement of the CEFR level, possibly newly qualified at that level
* Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment, Council of Europe,
(Cambridge University Press, 2001).
Introduction
Quality control
Benchmarking:
A group of senior raters meet to agree on benchmark grades for a sample of papers across all levels
and tasks. These raters agree on the grades and produce rationales for their decision.
Training:
The team of raters are trained and standardised in applying the rating scales.
Monitoring:
Double marking Trinity double-marks 10% of all Reading & Writing papers. This process helps
us to ensure that standards are being accurately applied by different raters, as well as over a period
of time by the same rater.
Standardisation raters perform regular standardisation marking exercises. The results are
analysed to ensure intra-rater consistency.
10
Introduction
Reading assessment
Reading is dichotomously scored. The reading exam consists of 30 items over two tasks. The table
below shows how reading is assessed:
Task 1 Long reading
Items
Item type
Format of response
Marking method
Questions 15
Title matching
Selected
Objective
Questions 610
Choosing true
statements
Selected
Objective
Questions 1115
Completing sentences
Constructed
Clerical
Item type
Format of response
Marking method
Questions 1620
Multiple matching
Selected
Objective
Questions 2125
Choosing true
statements
Selected
Objective
Questions 2630
Completing summary
notes
Objective at ISE
Foundation (with a bank
of answers to choose
from)
Constructed at ISE I, II
and III
Clerical
Objective marking means that there is only one possible correct answer for each question. Clerical
marking means that there are a limited range of appropriate answers for a single question (for example
the gap may be appropriately filled with one, two or three words from the text and all are correct).
Clerical raters check the answers against an answer key and mark it correct or incorrect depending
on the appropriateness of the answer.
The overall result for reading is taken by converting the total score out of 30 into one of the following
results:
Distinction
Merit
Pass
Fail
For more details of the content of each task please see the specifications and sample exam papers at
each level.
11
Introduction
Writing assessment
The Writing exam is assessed using rating scales.
The Reading into writing (task 3) scale consists of five ascending scores and four categories. The four
categories are:
Reading for writing this includes elements such as showing understanding of the source texts, use
of paraphrasing and summarising, identifying common themes across texts
Task fulfilment this includes elements such as the overall achievement of the communicative aim
of the task, awareness of the reader and adequacy of the coverage of the topic
Organisation and structure this includes elements such as text organisation, presentation of
ideas, use of format and signposting
Language control this includes elements such as range and accuracy of grammar, lexis and
control of spelling and punctuation.
The Extended writing (task 4) scale consists of five ascending scores and three categories. The three
categories are:
Task fulfilment this includes elements such as the overall achievement of the communicative aim
of the task, awareness of the reader and adequacy of coverage of the topic
Organisation and structure this includes elements such as text organisation, presentation of
ideas, use of format and signposting
Language control this includes elements such as range and accuracy of grammar, lexis and
control of spelling and punctuation.
For each category there are five scores. The scores are:
Score
Interpretation
Acceptable achievement of the CEFR level, possibly newly qualified at that level
Each category and score has a performance descriptor which enables the rater to decide which score
the candidate is awarded in each category. Each ISE level has its own rating scale, the performance
descriptors for ISE Foundation are very different from those for ISE III.
Both writing tasks are equally weighted. The candidate is awarded seven scores, one for each category
of the rating scale across the two tasks. These are then combined to give an overall writing score.
The overall score is converted to the following grades:
Distinction
Merit
Pass
Fail
Please see the specifications at each level for the full, detailed rating scales.
Introduction
Once both modules have been passed (Speaking & Listening and Reading & Writing), an accredited
qualification certificate for ISE is awarded to candidates, which lists their results for each of the
skills tested. In order to be awarded a full qualification certificate, candidates must achieve a minimum
of a pass in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. Accredited ISE certificates are only given to
candidates who have passed both modules at the same level.
13
Introduction
14
Task specifications,
sample exam papers
& rating scales
15
ISE Foundation
Format:
Timing:
2 hours
Level:
A2 of the CEFR
Input text
Genre: The text is of a simple, factual nature of the kind that would be
familiar to the candidate from their own educational context.
Subject areas:
Holidays
Shopping
School and work
Hobbies and sports
Food
Weekend and seasonal activities
Jobs
Places in the local area
Place of study
Home life
Weather
Free time
Times and dates
Textual features: The language is of A2 (of the CEFR) level with very few
low-frequency words. Any topic-specific low-frequency words will be
glossed (their meaning explained through the text).
A simple illustration may be given to support the candidates understanding
of the content (where understanding of a low frequency word is vital to
understanding the text overall, for example a picture of a volcano for a text on
visiting Iceland, where volcano is a known concept but a low-frequency word).
The text is of the kind that would be familiar to candidates through
their educational context, for example the kind of texts used in schools
and colleges.
16
Number of items
Item types
Task focus
Each set of five items is testing a different reading skill (also known as a
construct).
Questions 15 are testing the ability to understand the main idea of each
paragraph.
Questions 610 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the sentence level.
Questions 1115 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the word and/or phrase level.
Assessment
Marking
Timing
Input text
Genre: The texts are of a simple, factual nature of the kind that would be
familiar to the candidate from their own educational context. One text is
a graphic representation of information with some writing (eg a diagram,
drawing, map or table).
Subject areas:
Holidays
Shopping
School and work
Hobbies and sports
Food
Weekend and seasonal activities
Jobs
Places in the local area
Place of study
Home life
Weather
Free time
Times and dates
All three texts are on the same topic and should be thematically linked.
Textual features: The language is of A2 (of the CEFR) level with very few
low-frequency words. Any topic-specific, low-frequency words will be glossed
(their meaning explained through the text).
The texts are of the kind that would be familiar to candidates through
their educational context, for example the kind of texts used in schools
and colleges.
Number of items
17
Item types
Task focus
Each set of five items is testing a different reading skill (also known as a
construct).
Questions 1620 are testing the ability to understand the main idea and
purpose of each text.
Questions 2125 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the sentence level.
Questions 2630 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the word and/or phrase level across the texts and using this
to create a simple text-level representation
Assessment
Marking
Timing
A writing task in which the three texts from task 2 are used to respond to
a prompt.
The prompt will have three content points that the candidate should
address in their response.
The response should only take information from the texts in task 2.
There is space for planning the response and a prompt to go back and
check the response once it is finished.
Task focus
Output length
70100 words
Output genre
Timing
18
Task focus
Output length
70100 words
Output genre
Subject areas
The writing prompt will be on one of the subjects for ISE Foundation. The
suggested subjects for ISE Foundation are:
Timing
Holidays
Shopping
School and work
Hobbies and sports
Food
Weekend and seasonal activities
Jobs
Places in the local area
Place of study
Home life
Weather
Free time
Times and dates
19
ISE Foundation
Paragraph 1
Albert Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames in London. It is a bridge for people and cars.
The bridge was built by Rowland Mason Ordish and it was opened on 23 August 1873. Later,
people found that the bridge was dangerous because it wasnt strong enough. So they added
some extra parts to it between 1884 and 1887. In 1973, they tried to make the bridge even
stronger. As a result, the bridge now has three different design styles.
Paragraph 2
When the bridge was first built, people paid money when they used it. There were little houses
called tollbooths, and they paid the money there. They didnt like paying, so they changed
the rules. From 1879, the bridge became free for everybody. But the tollbooths are still on the
bridge. Today they are the only bridge tollbooths in London.
Paragraph 3
The bridge wasnt ready for the arrival of cars during the 20th century. Some people wanted to
destroy the bridge. Other people wanted to keep it only for walking. But it stayed open to cars.
There are some limits for cars because it is dangerous and now many cars dont use the bridge.
Paragraph 4
The bridge has a nickname The Trembling Lady. It shakes when a lot of people walk over it.
They know that it is dangerous. But it has never been replaced with a stronger bridge. There
was not enough money, and many people wanted to save the old Albert Bridge.
Paragraph 5
In 1992, Albert Bridge was painted in different colours, like pink, blue and green. It was also
given a lot of electric lights. Now, ships can see it clearly in bad weather and at night, so they
dont crash into the feet of the bridge. At night, the bridge is very bright. It is one of west
Londons most beautiful landmarks.
page 2
20
asks.
ISE Foundation
SAMPLE
Paragraph 1
2. Paragraph 2
3. Paragraph 3
4. Paragraph 4
5. Paragraph 5
7.
8.
9.
10.
14. Albert Bridge was painted in bright colours, so that ships can see it clearly at night and
in
Albert Bridge..
page 3
21
ISE Foundation
SAMPLE
HOME
CONTACT
ABOUT US
Text B
There are now more mountain gorillas than there were in the year 2000. Before that, people still
hunted and killed these big, beautiful mammals or destroyed the forests where they live.
Wildlife groups worked hard to help the gorillas and now nearly half of them live safely in a
National Park in Rwanda, Central Africa.
These very social animals live in groups. Scientists and tourists can watch and study them.
page 4
22
ISE Foundation
SAMPLE
Text C
al Defence
ment
n
Ag
o
ir
e
v
n
y
nc
animal hab
it a
a fe
He
lp
ee p
ok
s
ts
asks.
V is
i t N A W F. o r g
A Our everyday human actions can make life much harder for wild animals.
B The number of mountain gorillas has increased over the past 10 years.
23.
24.
D The guards are catching more people who hunt and kill wild animals.
25.
E People can watch and study the mountain gorillas in the National Park
in Rwanda.
F Elephants, polar bears and seals are most affected by climate change.
G Wildlife groups have been successful in protecting some wild animals.
H Farming can destroy the places where wild animals live.
page 5
23
ISE Foundation
SAMPLE
Summary notes
Examples of large animals that are in danger today:
elephants
(26.)
polar bears
seals
Reasons why wild animals are in such danger:
oil production
difficulty finding food
(27.)
factory pollution
not enough fresh water
(28.)
Things people can do to change how they live:
drive their cars less often
visit a national park
look after wild places
(29.)
(30.)
enjoy learning about animals
Word bank
mountain gorillas
fishing at sea
big mammals
bad weather
join a wildlife group
scientists and tourists
cutting down trees
hunting and killing
heat their homes better
driving badly
page 6
24
asks.
ISE Foundation
SAMPLE
Now write your article of 70100 words on the lines below. Try to use your own words as far as
possible dont just copy sentences from the reading texts.
page 7
25
SAMPLE
page 8
26
ISE Foundation
asks.
ISE Foundation
SAMPLE
When you have finished your article, spend 23 minutes reading through what you have written.
Make sure you have covered all three bullet points. Remember to check how you made use of the
reading texts, as well as the language and organisation of your writing.
page 9
27
ISE Foundation
SAMPLE
You should plan your essay before you start writing. Think about what you want to say and make
some notes to help you in this box:
Planning notes
page 10
28
asks.
ISE Foundation
SAMPLE
page 11
29
ISE Foundation
SAMPLE
When you have finished your essay, spend 23 minutes reading through what you have written.
Make sure you have covered both bullet points and remember to check the language and
organisation of your writing.
End of exam
Copyright 2015 Trinity College London
30
31
Task fulfilment
32
Score
Language control
33
Task fulfilment
Language control
34
ISE I
Format: A reading and writing exam with four tasks
Timing: 2 hours
Level: B1 of the CEFR
Input text
Genre: The text is of a factual, descriptive nature of the kind that would be
familiar to the candidate from their own educational context.
Subject areas:
Travel
Money
Fashion
Rules and regulations
Health and fitness
Learning a foreign language
Festivals
Means of transport
Special occasions
Entertainment
Music
Recent personal experiences
Textual features: The language is of B1 (of the CEFR) level with few lowfrequency words. Any topic-specific, low-frequency words will be glossed
(their meaning explained through the text).
The text is of the kind that would be familiar to candidates through their
educational context, for example the kind of texts used in schools and
colleges (eg textbook, article, review)
Number of items
Item types
Task focus
Each set of five items is testing a different reading skill (also known as a
construct).
Questions 15 are testing the ability to understand the main idea of each
paragraph.
Questions 610 are testing the ability to understanding specific, factual
information at the sentence level.
Questions 1115 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the word and/or phrase level.
35
Task focus
Each set of five items is testing a different reading skill (also known as a
construct).
Questions 15 are testing the ability to understand the main idea of each
paragraph.
Questions 610 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the sentence level.
Questions 1115 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the word and/or phrase level.
Assessment
Marking
Timing
36
Input text
Genre: The texts are of a factual, descriptive nature of the kind that would
be familiar to the candidate from their own educational context. One text
is a graphic representation of information with some writing (for example
a diagram, drawing, map, table).
Subject areas:
Travel
Money
Fashion
Rules and regulations
Health and fitness
Learning a foreign language
Festivals
Means of transport
Special occasions
Entertainment
Music
Recent personal experiences
All four texts are on the same topic and should be thematically linked.
Textual features: The language is of A2 (of the CEFR) level with very few
low-frequency words. Any topic-specific, low-frequency words will be glossed
(their meaning explained through the text).
The texts are of the kind that would be familiar to candidates through their
educational context, for example the kind of texts used in schools and colleges.
Number of items
Item types
Task focus
Each set of five items is testing a different reading skill (also known as
a construct).
Questions 1620 are testing the ability to understand the main idea and
purpose of each text.
Questions 2125 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the sentence level.
Questions 2630 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the word and/or phrase level across the texts and using this
to create a simple text-level representation.
Assessment
Marking
Timing
A writing task in which the four texts from task 2 are used to respond
to a prompt.
The prompt will have three content points that the candidate should
address in their response.
The response should only take information from the texts in task 2.
There is space for planning the response and a prompt to go back and
check the response once it is finished.
Task focus
Output length
100130 words
Output genre
Timing
37
Task focus
Output length
100130 words
Output genre
Subject areas
The writing prompt will be on one of the subjects for ISE I. The suggested
subjects for ISE I are:
Timing
38
Travel
Money
Fashion
Rules and regulations
Health and fitness
Learning a foreign language
Festivals
Means of transport
Special occasions
Entertainment
Music
Recent personal experiences
ISE I
Paragraph 1
Today there are underground train systems in over 40 countries. For example, you can take
underground trains in Paris, New York and Tokyo. Modern underground systems use electric
trains, and they are clean, safe and quiet. They usually arrive on time. There are no traffic jams.
Most people are happy to use them. But the first underground train systems were quite different
from the modern systems we see in big cities all around the world.
Paragraph 2
The first underground trains ran in London in 1863. It was a very busy city and the streets were
full of traffic. There were too many people, horse carriages, houses and buildings. There just
wasnt enough space above ground, and so people decided to put the trains underground. But
unlike today, there were no electric trains in 1863 and all of the trains used steam engines
which made power from fire and water.
Paragraph 3
In 1863, all of the trains used steam engines. Because these engines were powered by very hot water
and fire, the tunnels were smoky, steamy, and noisy. People wanted some fresh air, but it was difficult
to get it into the tunnels and stations. The tunnels were dark, too. The train cars and stations were
made of wood, and lighted with gas. Sometimes there were accidents because of fires.
Paragraph 4
Before the London Underground opened, people were very scared about the idea of going into
underground tunnels. Many were afraid of the tunnels full of the smoke, the steam and the noise
from the train engines. And indeed, travelling in the tunnels of the first underground system was
a very noisy, dark, and smelly experience. But on the first day, the new London Underground
carried 40,000 passengers. It was very quick, and the trains ran every 10 minutes. The people of
London fell in love with their new train system.
Paragraph 5
The London Underground had three classes of travel. First class was the most expensive and
most comfortable. Second class was less expensive but still comfortable. Third class was the
opposite of first class. When the London Underground opened, the third class tickets were the
most popular. About 70% of the tickets sold were these cheap tickets for ordinary working
people. Nowadays the prices have gone up, but the underground experience around the world is
definitely cleaner and quieter!
page 2
39
ISE I
SAMPLE
Paragraph 1
2. Paragraph 2
3. Paragraph 3
4. Paragraph 4
5. Paragraph 5
A The stations and tunnels of the first underground system were smoky.
7.
8.
C There were three types of tickets for the first underground trains.
9.
10.
E At first, people were worried about using the first underground trains.
F The first underground train stations were made of wood.
G Ordinary working people could not buy first class underground tickets.
H The ticket prices today are still cheap for ordinary working people.
40
page 3
SAMPLE
ISE I
Text B
The River Tollen: Yearly report on the results of pollution
20
Waste from
factories
up 6.4%
page 4
Oxygen (O2)
levels in water
down 3.5%
Fish numbers
down 3%
Water birds
down 2.4%
Rubbish
up 14%
Chemicals from
farms in riverbed
up 5.5%
41
ISE I
SAMPLE
Text C
The city is getting millions from the government to improve the River Lamm! How should it
spend the money?
Paul: Ive always thought that the river would be great for kayaking so how about a
watersports centre for people to do things like that?
Marcus: It would be great to see people using the river for transport, like in the old days.
Divna: Fear stops a lot of people going to the river! Even a little lighting along the
riverbank would help people to feel safe.
Alex: Id like to see one of the old factories become a museum of the citys
industrial history.
Inge: @Alex And some quality waterside cafs would attract visitors too.
Simone: @Divna I agree security cameras too, to protect people from criminals!
Alex: @Inge Hopefully theyll close that fast food place that would mean less litter
on the ground!
Text D
42
page 5
SAMPLE
ISE I
page 6
43
ISE I
SAMPLE
Now write your essay of 100130 words on the lines below. Try to use your own words as far as
possible dont just copy sentences from the reading texts.
44
page 7
SAMPLE
page 8
ISE I
45
ISE I
SAMPLE
When you have finished your essay, spend 23 minutes reading through what you have written. Make
sure you have answered the task completely. Remember to check how you made use of the reading
texts, as well as the language and organisation of your writing.
46
page 9
SAMPLE
ISE I
You should plan your article before you start writing. Think about what you want to say and make
some notes to help you in this box:
Planning notes
page 10
47
ISE I
SAMPLE
48
page 11
SAMPLE
ISE I
When you have finished your article, spend 23 minutes reading through what you have written.
Make sure you have covered both bullet points and remember to check the language and
organisation of your writing.
End of exam
Copyright 2015 Trinity College London
49
50
Task fulfilment
51
Score
Language control
52
Task fulfilment
Language control
Overall achievement of
communicative aim
Awareness of the writer-reader
relationship (style and register)
Adequacy of topic coverage
53
ISE II
Format: A reading and writing exam with four tasks
Timing: 2 hours
Level: B2 of the CEFR
54
Input text
Genre: The text is complex with factual ideas, opinions, argument and/or
discussion.
Subject areas:
Society and living standards
Personal values and ideals
The world of work
Natural environmental concerns
Public figures past and present
Education
National customs
Village and city life
National and local produce and products
Early memories
Pollution and recycling
Textual features: The language is of B2 (of the CEFR) level with few lowfrequency words. Any topic-specific, low-frequency words will be glossed
(their meaning explained through the text).
The text is of the kind that would be familiar to candidates through their
educational context, for example the kind of texts used in schools and
colleges (eg textbook, article, review).
Number of items
Item types
Task focus
Each set of five items is testing a different reading skill (also known as a
construct).
Questions 15 are testing the ability to understand the main idea of
each paragraph.
Questions 610 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the sentence level.
Questions 1115 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the word and/or phrase level OR inferring and understanding
across paragraphs (eg writers attitude, line of argument etc).
Assessment
Marking
Timing
Input text
Genre: The texts are complex with factual ideas, opinions, argument and/or
discussion of the kind that would be familiar to the candidate from their own
educational context. One text is a graphic representation of information with
some writing (for example a diagram, drawing, map or table).
Subject areas:
Society and living standards
Personal values and ideals
The world of work
Natural environmental concerns
Public figures past and present
Education
National customs
Village and city life
National and local produce and products
Early memories
Pollution and recycling
All four texts are on the same topic and should be thematically linked.
Textual features: The language is of B2 (of the CEFR) level with few lowfrequency words. Any topic-specific, low-frequency words will be glossed
(their meaning explained through the text).
The texts are of the kind that would be familiar to candidates through their
educational context, for example the kind of texts used in schools and colleges
(eg textbooks, encyclopaedia, and online discussion).
Number of items
Item types
55
Task focus
Each set of five items is testing a different reading skill (also known as
a construct).
Questions 1620 are testing the ability to understand the main idea and
purpose of each text.
Questions 2125 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the sentence level.
Questions 2630 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the word and/or phrase level across the texts and using
this to create a text-level representation.
Assessment
Marking
Timing
56
A writing task in which the four texts from task 2 are used to respond to
a prompt.
The response should only take information from the texts in task 2.
There is space for planning the response and a prompt to go back and
check the response once it is finished.
Task focus
Output length
150180 words
Output genre
Timing
Task focus
This section assesses the ability to produce a clear and detailed text following
the instructions. The target language functions that the candidates are
expected to use are: express opinions, evaluation, making suggestions.
Output length
150180 words
Output genre
Subject areas
The writing prompt will be on one of the subjects for ISE II. The suggested
subjects for ISE II are:
Timing
57
SAMPLE
page 2
58
SAM
ISE II
asks.
ISE II
SAMPLE
Paragraph 1
2. Paragraph 2
3. Paragraph 3
4. Paragraph 4
5. Paragraph 5
A
B
C
D
E
12. As well as practical problems, having difficulty with basic maths can also affect ones
.
13. People are more likely to say they cant add up than to say they cant
.
14. In the writers view, poor numeracy may be due to the fact that its difficult to recruit
of maths.
15. The writer argues that people need to see the
of maths in daily life.
page 3
59
ISE II
SAMPLE
Mnemonics are really cool tools to help you remember facts. Theyre techniques or strategies
consciously used to improve your memory, and are especially useful if, like me, you often
forget things. One of these strategies, which is specifically used for language learning, is called
LinkWord Technique. It uses a visualised image to link a word in one language with a word in
another; for example, in Thai, the word khao means rice, so you would have to imagine a cow
eating a bowl of rice! The funnier the image, the more memorable it is! But the system does
have drawbacks creating a scene for every new word you learn can take up a lot of time. You
might also have problems finding similarities between the two languages. Still, give it a try!
Text B
Memory
Our senses play an important part in memory creation, starting with a biological process known
as encoding, which can involve all five. For example, when you first meet someone, your sense
of sight will capture what they look like, while your ears will register the sound of their voice. Your
sense of smell may pick up some perfume. Perhaps you shake hands, thus bringing in the sense
of touch. Going for a coffee together could even mean that taste is involved.
Each of these separate sensations is immediately sent to a part of your brain called the
hippocampus, which combines them into your experience, or memory, of that particular person.
Whether or not that experience will be moved from your short-term to your long-term memory is
also believed to depend on the hippocampus, which processes its importance and decides if its
worth remembering. Exactly how it does this is not yet understood, but its role is vital: if it did not
discard most of our daily experiences, our memories would be too full to function.
page 4
60
SAM
ISE II
asks.
ISE II
SAMPLE
Text C
We remember:
25% of what we see
and hear
30% of what we
demonstrate to others
35% of what we read
50% of the things we discuss with others
70% of what we learn by physically doing things
90% of what we teach to others!
Text D
New research from a leading US university has
uncovered an unconscious form of memory which
could mean that people are capable of learning while
theyre asleep. As researcher Vally Pugland told us:
Weve found evidence that the brain continues to
process information without our knowing it, and this
ability may aid our waking memory.
Researchers played notes, then released certain
scents, to sleeping participants. Later, the same notes
page 5
61
ISE II
SAMPLE
Summary notes
The power of memory
starts with a biological process: (26.)
different senses can be involved
area of the brain that processes physical sensations:
(27.)
understanding of short-term memory versus long-term memory
discovery of conscious versus unconscious forms of memory
based on research recently undertaken at a (28.)
involving two particular senses: (29.)
and
page 6
62
SAM
ISE II
asks.
ISE II
SAMPLE
Now write your article of 150180 words on the lines below. Try to use your own words as far as
possible dont just copy sentences from the reading texts.
page 7
63
SAMPLE
page 8
64
ISE II
SAM
ISE II
asks.
ISE II
SAMPLE
When you have finished your article, spend 23 minutes reading through what you have written.
Make sure you have answered the task completely. Remember to check how you made use of the
reading texts, as well as the language and organisation of your writing.
page 9
65
ISE II
SAMPLE
page 10
66
SAM
ISE II
asks.
ISE II
SAMPLE
page 11
67
ISE II
SAMPLE
When you have finished your essay, spend 23 minutes reading through what you have written.
Make sure you have answered the task completely and remember to check the language and
organisation of your writing.
End of exam
Copyright 2015 Trinity College London
68
69
Task fulfilment
Inaccurate and limited understanding of most source materials Poor achievement of the communicative aim (ie difficult to follow
Inadequate and inaccurate selection of relevant content from and unconvincing for reader)
the source texts (ie fewer than half of the relevant ideas are Poor awareness of the writer-reader relationship
selected and most of the selected ideas are irrelevant)
Most requirements (ie genre, topic, reader, purpose and number
of words) of the instruction are NOT met
Poor ability to identify common themes and links within
and across the multiple texts and the writers stances
(ie misunderstanding of the common themes and links
is evident)
Poor adaptation of content to suit the purpose for writing
(ie does not use the source texts content to address the
purpose for writing)
Poor paraphrasing/summarising skills of factual ideas,
opinions, argument and/or discussion (with heavy lifting
and many disconnected ideas)
70
Score
Language control
71
Language control
72
ISE III
Format: A reading and writing exam with four tasks
Timing: 2 hours
Level: ISE III is at level C1 of the CEFR
Input text
Genre: The text is complex with information, ideas and/or opinions at detail
level, and implied writers attitude.
Subject areas:
Independence
Ambitions
Stereotypes
Role models
Competitiveness
Young peoples rights
The media
Advertising
Lifestyles
The arts
The rights of the individual
Economic issues
Roles in the family
Communication
The school curriculum
Youth behaviour
Use of the internet
Designer goods
International events
Equal opportunities
Social issues
The future of the planet
Scientific developments
Stress management
Textual features: The language is of C1 (of the CEFR) level with few
low-frequency words. Any topic-specific, low-frequency words will be
glossed (their meaning explained through the text).
The text is of the kind that would be familiar to candidates through their
educational context, for example the kind of texts used in schools and colleges
(eg textbook, article, review, newspaper article, online content) and in their
own language learning experience.
Number of items
73
Item types
Task focus
Each set of five items is testing a different reading skill (also known as
a construct).
Questions 15 are testing the ability to understand the main idea of
each paragraph.
Questions 610 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the sentence level.
Questions 1115 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the word and/or phrase level OR inferring and understanding
across paragraphs (eg writers attitude, line of argument etc).
Assessment
Marking
Timing
Input text
Genre: The texts are complex with information, ideas and/or opinions
at detail level, and implied writers attitude. One text is a graphic
representation of information with some writing (for example a diagram,
drawing, map, table).
Subject areas:
Roles in the family
Independence
Communication
Ambitions
The school curriculum
Stereotypes
Youth behaviour
Role models
Use of the internet
Competitiveness
Designer goods
Young peoples rights
International events
The media
Equal opportunities
Advertising
Social issues
Lifestyles
The future of the planet
The arts
Scientific developments
The rights of the individual
Stress management
Economic issues
All four texts are on the same topic and should be thematically linked.
Textual features: The language is of C1 (of the CEFR) level with few lowfrequency words. Any topic-specific, low-frequency words will be glossed
(their meaning explained through the text).
The texts are of the kind that would be familiar to candidates through their
educational context, for example the kind of texts used in schools and
colleges (eg textbook, article, review, newspaper article, online content) and
in their own language.
74
Number of items
Item types
Task focus
Each set of five items is testing a different reading skill (also known as
a construct).
Questions 1620 are testing the ability to understand the main idea and
purpose of each text.
Questions 2125 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the sentence level.
Questions 2630 are testing the ability to understand specific, factual
information at the word and/or phrase level across the texts and using this
to create a text-level representation.
Assessment
Marking
Timing
A writing task in which the four texts from task 2 are used to respond to
a prompt.
The response should only take information from the texts in task 2.
There is space for planning the response and a prompt to go back and
check the response once it is finished.
Task focus
Output length
200230 words
Output genre
Timing
Task focus
Output length
200230 words
Output genre
Subject areas
The writing prompt will be on one of the subjects for ISE III. The suggested
subjects for ISE III are:
Timing
76
Independence
Ambitions
Stereotypes
Role models
Competitiveness
Young peoples rights
The media
Advertising
Lifestyles
The arts
The rights of the individual
Economic issues
SAMPLE
ISE III
SAM
77
SE III
ISE III
SAMPLE
Paragraph 1
2. Paragraph 2
3. Paragraph 3
4. Paragraph 4
5. Paragraph 5
7.
B The writer is now convinced that he should help to make people aware
of the issue.
8.
9.
D Languages are always dying out and new ones are born.
10.
E Some languages are lost along with the people because of natural disasters.
F A researcher who returned to study a new language found there were
no speakers left.
G The writer used to think that language death was not a problem.
H Its thought that 3,000 languages will disappear in a century.
of languages is
without commitment
asks.
78
down.
page 3
ISE III
SAMPLE
SAM
We rely on
pollination by
honeybees and other
species of bee for around
one third of the food we grow.
The waggledance
communicates the distance and
location of nectar to other bees.
Text B
79
SE III
ISE III
SAMPLE
Text C
Starting out
After studying a few books, I bought my first hive a new one (its best to avoid second-hand ones
because of risk of disease) and a small colony of workers with a queen. I found a second-hand veil and
jacket, and a cheap smoker for calming down the bees before opening the hive the smoke makes them
think they need to evacuate the hive, so they quickly eat as much honey as they can, which makes them
sleepy and slow. A local farmer was happy to have the hive on his land as long as it was away from his
horses, as for some reason bees dont like them.
I got stung a lot more than I expected at first, until an experienced beekeeper watched me open the hive,
and advised me to keep my movements much more calm and gentle. Oh, and to zip up my veil all the way
I learned that lesson the hard way!
Questions 2125 (one mark per question)
Choose the five statements from AH below that are TRUE according to the information given
in the texts above. Write the letters of the TRUE statements on the lines below (in any order).
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
A There is an old tradition that you should share news of the family with the bees.
B Research studies have shown that bees only sting people during the daytime.
C A certain proportion of the beehive colony will not survive from one year
to another.
D The spread of CCD risks causing a major problem for the UKs farm and
food production.
E The smell that the bee colony produces is determined by the specific
flowers which they visit.
F More research is needed to confirm whether the varroa mite is the main
cause of CCD.
G Anecdotal and scientific evidence suggest bees can recognise human
facial features.
H CCD means that beehives now have to be moved around the country
for pollination.
asks.
80
page 5
ISE III
SAMPLE
SAM
Summary notes
How to keep bees
Essential equipment needed:
a beehive, ideally a: (26.)
one
getting advice from experienced beekeepers keeping up-to-date with the latest research
page 6
81
SE III
ISE III
SAMPLE
Now write your article of 200230 words on the lines below. Try to use your own words as far as
possible dont just copy sentences from the reading texts.
asks.
82
page 7
SAMPLE
page 8
ISE III
SAM
83
SE III
ISE III
SAMPLE
When you have finished your article, spend 23 minutes reading through what you have written.
Make sure you have answered the task completely. Remember to check how you made use of the
reading texts, as well as the language and organisation of your writing.
asks.
84
page 9
ISE III
SAMPLE
SAM
page 10
85
SE III
ISE III
SAMPLE
asks.
86
page 11
ISE III
SAMPLE
When you have finished your essay, spend 23 minutes reading through what you have written.
Make sure you have answered the task completely and remember to check the language and
organisation of your writing.
End of exam
Copyright 2015 Trinity College London
87
88
Task fulfilment
89
Score
Language control
90
Task fulfilment
Language control
91
92
Appendices
93
ISE II
(NB the functions are cumulative through the levels)
ISE III
(NB the functions are cumulative through the levels)
94
96
97