Will my oral exam ruin my grade?

So i did awful in my Spanish oral exam in school last week, it's worth 15% of my final grade!! :cry2:

I'm hoping to achieve an A*/A in spanish, but think my speaking exam will ruin my final grade. I learnt my answers off by heart well... but when it came to the exam, my mind went blank :confused:

So say i got a C/D for my oral exam, will it hinder my chances of getting an A/A*

Thanks

Reply 1

Computerised

well lets say you can get a maximum of 100 marks. You got 55% of 15 marks so that about 8 marks. you need 80 to get an A so you need 72 marks in the exam which is out of the remaining 85 marks. So you need 85% on the exam (an A)

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2

Data

Original post by Hakuna_Matata

So i did awful in my Spanish oral exam in school last week, it's worth 15% of my final grade!! :cry2:

I'm hoping to achieve an A*/A in spanish, but think my speaking exam will ruin my final grade. I learnt my answers off by heart well... but when it came to the exam, my mind went blank :confused:

So say i got a C/D for my oral exam, will it hinder my chances of getting an A/A*

Thanks

I presume that you are talking about a controlled assessment that you did, in which case you will be able to do another one (or a different version of this one) before the end of the course and improve your grade that way. Do not worry!

Reply 3

Hakuna_Matata

Well i asked my teacher, and she said we don't have time to redo it, we're doing another one next year, also equalling 15%.
Making a total of 30 % of my total GCSE.

Any advice on how to do better next year, even though i worked so bloody hard on this one!!!

Reply 4

Data

Original post by Hakuna_Matata

If you've got a year and a half to go before the end of the course and you've really bombed them I'm sure that if you ask nicely she will find the time to let you re-do it.

The only advice I can give is to try practising doing it - not just muttering phrases to yourself, but actually talking the right way to someone, even if it's only a friend. That helps to get over the panic/embarrassment factor of the real thing.

Reply 5

InadequateJusticex

Original post by Hakuna_Matata

So i did awful in my Spanish oral exam in school last week, it's worth 15% of my final grade!! :cry2:

I'm hoping to achieve an A*/A in spanish, but think my speaking exam will ruin my final grade. I learnt my answers off by heart well... but when it came to the exam, my mind went blank :confused:

So say i got a C/D for my oral exam, will it hinder my chances of getting an A/A*

Thanks

What exam board is it and what percentage is your overall coursework (writing AND speaking I think) worth?

Reply 6

Hakuna_Matata

Original post by InadequateJusticex

What exam board is it and what percentage is your overall coursework (writing AND speaking I think) worth?

It's AQA
And speaking = 30% (2 assessments)
Writing = 30% (2 assessments)
Reading = 20% - exam
Listening = 20% -exam

So 60% coursework, 40% exams :afraid:

Reply 7

Salmaa!

not if you practise on a cucumber

Reply 8

JollyGreenAtheist

Did you spit or swallow?

Reply 9

Hakuna_Matata

Original post by Salmaa!

not if you practise on a cucumber

Original post by JollyGreenAtheist

Did you spit or swallow?

How did i know this thread will turn sexual at one point :colone:

At least it lightened the mood a bit haha

Reply 10

InadequateJusticex

Original post by Hakuna_Matata

It's AQA
And speaking = 30% (2 assessments)
Writing = 30% (2 assessments)
Reading = 20% - exam
Listening = 20% -exam

So 60% coursework, 40% exams :afraid:

Oh I did AQA too :smile:

A high mark in the coursework is essential if you want an A*. An A...not so much. It's not too difficult to score full marks in the exams (since boundaries are extremely low) but that's a little risky. You can still get an A if your speaking is a B but your writing is an A. You can't get an A* if you get less than an A for both unfortunately.

Reply 11

Hakuna_Matata

Any tips on how to not crack under pressure during the oral exam??
I can recall it really well to my teacher before the exam, but as soon as it's the real thing, my mind goes blank and tells me i can't do it -_-

Reply 12

elitepower

Original post by Hakuna_Matata

Practise is the only way. I did my german GCSE with AQA and for the speaking, I wrote down what I was going to say then just practised. Eventually you will get more confident and remember it. The more you practise, the more confident you feel and the easy you will find it. Try saying it to someone so they can point out any pronunciation mistakes.

Plus don't just learn it in a set order - they may mix it up and this can be confusing! For the unexpected question at the end, we were told you were only expected to know a sentence, so just learn a good one. Also make sure the timing is correct as you don't want to drone on for half the time on one question with five left to do.

Reply 13

JOR2010

Original post by Hakuna_Matata

So i did awful in my Spanish oral exam in school last week, it's worth 15% of my final grade!! :cry2:

I'm hoping to achieve an A*/A in spanish, but think my speaking exam will ruin my final grade. I learnt my answers off by heart well... but when it came to the exam, my mind went blank :confused:

So say i got a C/D for my oral exam, will it hinder my chances of getting an A/A*

Thanks

You should be able to redo it. Anyway, I hate to sound annoying, but you should be able to make up for it on the reading/writing/listening papers. I mean, I've never done Spanish, and I got 96% on a GCSE Higher reading paper. :')

Reply 14

Hakuna_Matata

Original post by JOR2010

How did you manage that, if you've never done spanish?? :s-smilie:

Reply 15

JOR2010

Original post by Hakuna_Matata

How did you manage that, if you've never done spanish?? :s-smilie:

I speak Italian, I was able to guess 90% of the content, luckily, I didn't have to write anything in Spanish! I'm hoping to learn Spanish by myself soon, anyway! For your oral exams, I'd recommend you don't get nervous - even if you do, just talk slowly - take TIME to respond to the question, don't blurt out. Use a few tenses, try to sound natural with your intonation. Make stuff up if you want to!