Test Information Guide
Field 32: Portuguese
Written Expression
The following materials contain:
- Sample test directions for the written expression assignment
- A description of the written expression assignment
- The performance characteristics and scoring scale
Sample Test Directions for the Written Expression Assignment
This section of the test consists of a writing assignment to which you must respond in the target language. The assignment appears on the following screen. A list of suggestions is provided to help direct your writing for the assignment. It is not necessary that you cover every point on the list, nor are you limited in your response to those points indicated. You are, however, required to write about the general assignment that you are given, and part of your score will be based on the degree to which you elaborate on the assignment by addressing either the suggested points or points of your choosing.
You may use the erasable notebooklet to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response. However, your final response to each assignment must be typed in the response box provided for the assignment.
Please note that special characters (such as letters with accents or other diacritical marks) cannot be entered using the keyboard but are available for insertion in the on-screen response box. To access these characters, click on the
button that appears in the upper left corner of the screen. Using the mouse, click on the character you wish to include in your response and then select "Insert." The character will be inserted where the cursor is positioned in the response box.
Your response to the assignment will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- PURPOSE: the extent to which the objective of the assignment is achieved and the response is appropriate for the intended audience
- COHERENCE: organization and clarity of ideas
- CONTENT: development of ideas and relevance of supporting details
- GRAMMAR: accuracy of grammatical forms and syntax
- VOCABULARY: command of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions
- MECHANICS: accuracy of spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation
Be sure to write about the assigned topic and use MULTIPLE PARAGRAPHS. You may not use any reference materials during the test. This should be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes you think will improve your written response.
Select the Next button to continue.
Description of the Written Expression Open-Response Item
In this section of the test, the candidate is required to produce a written response in the target language in response to a prompt. Each assignment will specify a particular type of written product (e.g., a letter, a narrative description, etc.) that the candidate is expected to generate and an audience for whom the written product is intended. The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to communicate in an appropriate register that displays cultural knowledge and sensitivity, organize ideas, and use a range of vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and simple and complex linguistic structures.
Sample questions are provided in the Portuguese sample items .
Scoring Rubric
Performance Characteristics
The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the written expression assignment.
Purpose | The extent to which the objective of the assignment is achieved and the appropriateness of the response for the intended audience. |
---|---|
Coherence | Organization and clarity of ideas. |
Content | Development of ideas and relevance of supporting details. |
Grammar | Accuracy of grammatical forms and syntax. |
Vocabulary | Command of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. |
Mechanics | Accuracy of spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation. |
Scoring Scale
The scoring scale below, which is related to the performance characteristics for the tests, is used by scorers in assigning scores to responses to the written expression assignment.
Score Point | Score Point Description |
---|---|
4 |
The "4" response reflects a thorough application and strong command of the performance characteristics for the written
assignment.
|
3 | The "3" response reflects an adequate application and satisfactory command of the performance characteristics for the
written assignment.
|
2 | The "2" response reflects a partial application and limited command of the performance characteristics for the written
assignment.
|
1 | The "1" response reflects an inadequate application and a lack of command of the performance characteristics for the
written assignment.
|
U | The response is unrelated to the assigned topic, illegible, not written in the required language, not of sufficient length to score, or merely a repetition of the assignment. |
B | There is no response to the assignment. |