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How to Evaluate and Score the Oral Placement Test
During the test
- It is important to consider content as well as accuracy when evaluating a student’s response. Performance is rated with a plus sign (+), a check (
 ), or a minus sign (─), as follows:
+ = very good to excellent response
= appropriate or adequate response
─ = inadequate response
- After a student has answered a question, rate him or her in the rating column on the test.
After the test
- Look at the ratings within each function; then assign a single, overall rating for each one. Find the level (Connect 1, 2, 3, or 4) at which the student received mostly ’s for the overall ratings. This indicates the appropriate level of Connect.
- Using the chart below, assign a score at the low or high end of the appropriate level. Base the score on your impression of a student’s ability in that level. Determine final placement by combining the scores of the Objective Placement Test, the Oral Placement Test, and the Written Placement Test.
Oral Placement Test Scoring Guidelines |
Level |
Functions |
Score |
Connect 1 |
1, 2, 3 |
Low: 1–2
High: 3–4 |
Connect 2 |
4, 5, 6 |
Low: 5–6
High: 7–8 |
Connect 3 |
7, 8, 9 |
Low: 9–10
High: 11–12 |
Connect 4 |
10, 11, 12 |
Low: 13–14
High: 15–16 |
Above Connect 4 |
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17–20 |
Examples of Evaluating and Scoring Students’ Oral Skills
The following examples illustrate the process of evaluating students’ oral skills using the Oral Placement Test. Each example includes: (a) the specific functions selected, (b) the rating for the student’s performance on each function, (c) the overall oral skills score, and (d) a brief description of the evaluation process (comments).
Example A
| Function |
Level |
Description |
Overall Rating |
1 |
1 |
Talking about things |
+ |
4 |
2 |
Describing routines |
|
5 |
2 |
Describing activities |
─ |
6 |
2 |
Talking about sports and entertainment |
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Score: 6 |
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Comments: The student performs well on the first function (Talking about things), so is given questions from a Level 2 function. This function is rated “adequate,” so the student receives questions from two more functions at the same level. Since the student receives one “inadequate” and one “adequate” rating for these functions, he is given a score of 6, which corresponds to the lower end of Level 2. |
Example B
| Function |
Level |
Description |
Overall Rating |
3 |
1 |
Describing favorite people and things |
+ |
5 |
2 |
Describing activities |
+ |
7 |
3 |
Describing a trip or vacation |
|
8 |
3 |
Talking about health |
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Score: 10 |
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Comments: This student responds very well to both a Level 1 and a Level 2 question, so she is tested at Level 3. Since the student performs reasonably well on two functions at this level, she is given an oral skills score of 10 which corresponds to the lower end of Level 3. |
Example C
| Function |
Level |
Description |
Overall Rating |
1 |
1 |
Talking about things |
|
2 |
1 |
Describing where something is |
─ |
3 |
1 |
Describing favorite people and things |
─ |
Score: 2 |
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Comments: Since the student receives only an adequate rating on the first Level 1 function, he is tested on two more functions at the same level. When the student provides inadequate responses to functions 2 and 3, he is given a score of 2 which corresponds to the lower end of Level 1. |
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