The performance expectations of a candidate for the Exaver Level Three exam correspond to ALTE 3 which, in turn, derives from the Council of Europe’s B2 or upper intermediate level as expressed in documents such as The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (latest edition, September 2008) and Vantage (J.A. van Ek and J.L.M. Trim, published by the Council of Europe & Cambridge University Press, 2001). At this level learners are able to cope with transactional situations in everyday life, and are able to deal with these when they are problematic or take an unexpected direction. They are thus able to ask for repetition, clarification and explanation in these unpredictable transactions. They can also analyse people’s opinions and argue for or against them, summarise discussions, express conclusions and explain reasons for maintaining or altering their own arguments, on the basis of reading or discussion.
The examination papers for EXAVER 3
There are three examination papers for the Exaver Three exam.
Paper 1
Skill: Reading and writing comprehension Description: Paper One consists of five parts. Candidates need to demonstrate comprehension of the main ideas and/or specific details of a variety of written texts, as well as their understanding of and use of vocabulary and grammatical structures within a text. Number of questions: 57 Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Paper 2
Skill: Listening comprehension Description:Paper Two consists of four parts. Candidates need to demonstrate comprehension of the main ideas and/or specific details of a variety of spoken texts, as well as the mood(s), opinion(s) and/or attitude(s) of the speaker(s) in a spoken text. In some instances they may also need to deduce the meaning of something from the specific context of a spoken text. Number of questions: 25 Time: 40 minutes.
Paper 3
Skill: Speaking (Comprehension and Production) Description: Paper Three consists of three parts. Candidates take this part of the exam with another candidate or, in some instances, with two candidates. Candidates need to demonstrate their ability to speak about a range of topics with the candidate(s) they are paired with, with an examiner and by themselves. *Note: While, the actual Speaking Test takes approximately 15 minutes per pair, candidates should nevertheless plan to wait up to 2 hours to take the test, depending on the total number of candidates taking the Exaver 3 exam that day.
1) Language purpose
Topics
Personal information
House and home
Ecology and environment
Daily activities, including work and study
Leisure activities
Cinema and theatre
Travel and holidays
Family, friends and other relationships
Health
Education
Food and Drink
Clothing
Shopping
Giving directions to places
Language
Public and private services
Weather
Transactions
Contacts with officials
Arrangements for accommodation
Arrangements for meals
Shopping: buying consumer goods
Using public transport
Using private transport
Using information services
Visiting public places
Using public services
Educational services
Finding the way
Communicating at work
Private hospitality
2) Language structures
VERB FORMS (includes affirmative, negative and interrogative forms unless otherwise stated) Lexical Verbs
Past Tense
Present Tense Simple: for past events Continuous: for interrupted actions, parallel past actions
Simple Future: for offers, promises, predictions
Going To (Idiomatic Future): for future plans / intentions
Future Perfect and Future Continuous Present perfect: recent past, general experience, unfinished past Simple Continuous
Past perfect: for narrative, reported speech Simple/ Continuous
Auxiliary Verbs
Non-modal (BE, DO, HAVE): all forms (includes “tenses”)
Modal Verbs
Other Verb Forms
Passive voice structures: all tenses
Reported statements and questions using a full range of reporting verbs
Conditional structures
Gerunds and infinitives
Wish/it‟s time/I‟d rather/as if/though
Causative have
Word order – adverbs and adjectives
Adjectives/nouns/verbs/followed by prepositions
Prepositions preceding nouns and adjectives
Linkers
Phrasal Verbs
Summary: ALL USES OF TENSES LISTED
PRONOUNS
Subject pronouns
Object pronouns
Reflexive pronouns
Possessive pronouns
Indefinite pronouns
Relative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns
Impersonal pronouns:
there is / there are
DETERMINERS
Definite
Indefinite
Demonstrative
Possessive
Relative
Interrogative
Quantitative
Identifying
Pre-determiners
Post-determiners
PREPOSITIONS
Time
Place
Distance
Direction
Origin
Arrangement
Duration
Manner
Instrumentality
Inclusion
Similarity
ADJETIVES
Color, size, shape, quality, nationality
Cardinal and ordinal numbers
Possessive adjectives
Quantitative some / any / many / much/ a few / a lot of / all
Comparative forms of adjectives
Superlative forms of adjectives
Participial
ADVERBS
Manner
Frecuency
Time
Degree
Direction
Sequence
Comparative and superlative forms
3) Language functions for EXAVER 3
Candidates at this level able to converse on a variety of topics related to their own lives and experiences, opinions, views, attitudes, emotions and wishes. They are also able to negotiate joint action. General categories of interaction
Giving and getting factual information (identifying, stating, correcting, asking, answering)
Expressing and finding out attitudes (agreeing, disagreeing, expressing knowledge, expressing degrees of probability & certainty, expressing and asking about likes, dislikes, preferences and intention, expressing and asking about emotions: regret, sympathy, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, fear, surprise, disappointment, approval, gratitude)
Getting things done (suggesting, advising, warning, instructing, asking for help, inviting, accepting and declining invitations)
Structuring and repairing communication (asking for clarification, introducing a topic, correcting oneself, summarising, exemplifying, asking for help, paraphrasing, asking for spelling, closing a conversation)
let’s para sugerencias
auxiliares: can, could, may, must: like + -ing/ ( i like swimming / to swim)
there is/are
Some specific examples of interaction
language learning
personal life/activities
possessive adjectives (her/ their )
living conditions and household activities
professions, trades and occupations
education
traveling
shopping & consumer products
eating out
social relations
For more information about the language purposes, structures and functions that candidates should expect to encounter in the Exaver Level Three exam, please see below. For a more complete list, please see Vantage and The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (specifically, the descriptors for level B2).
Summary of Functions for EXAVER Level 3 Speaking Test
