International Advanced Level Modern Foreign Languages (French, German & Spanish) - Oral Training Guide

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Rizky

Guide for teachers on preparing candidates for International Advanced Subsidiary (IAS) and International Advanced Level (IAL) Modern Foreign Languages oral examinations for Units 1 and 3. Covers essential preparation steps, including familiarity with unit descriptions, assessment requirements and criteria, and guidance on conducting the oral exam. Provides a generic overview of oral assessment, then details IAS Unit 1 Spoken Expression and Response, including General Topic Areas, subtopic choice, stimulus card allocation, supervised preparation, test structure sections, and rules for using stimulus and notes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time1 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Part 1 – Generic overview of oral assessment

Preparing students for oral tests

Assessment Criteria – Unit 1

Assessment Criterial – Unit 3

Part 2 – Language specific commentaries on exemplar tests

French IAS Unit 1 exemplar test commentary

German IAS Unit 1 exemplar test commentary

Spanish IAS Unit 1 exemplar test commentary

French IAL Unit 3 exemplar test commentary

German IAL Unit 3 exemplar test commentary

Spanish IAL Unit 3 exemplar test commentary

Part 1: Generic overview of oral assessment

IAS Unit 1: Spoken Expression and Response

Choice of IAS Unit 1 General Topic Area

Supervised preparation time

International Advanced Level Modern Foreign Languages (French, German & Spanish) Oral Training Guide | Contents | | Page | | --- | --- | --- | Introduction 3 Part 1 – Generic overview of oral assessment 4 Preparing students for oral tests 7 Assessment Criteria – Unit 1 14 Assessment Criterial – Unit 3 16 Part 2 – Language specific commentaries on exemplar tests 18 French IAS Unit 1 exemplar test commentary 18 German IAS Unit 1 exemplar test commentary 21 Spanish IAS Unit 1 exemplar test commentary 23 French IAL Unit 3 exemplar test commentary 25 German IAL Unit 3 exemplar test commentary 28 Spanish IAL Unit 3 exemplar test commentary 31 Introduction This guide is to advise teachers on how best to prepare students for examination in International Advanced Subsidiary (IAS) and International Advanced Level (IAL) Modern Foreign Languages Units 1 and 3, and how to conduct the oral exam. This guide is not prescriptive. Part 1 of the guide outlines a generic overview for oral assessment whilst Part 2 gives more detailed subject specific commentaries on exemplar oral assessment. Essential preparation Teachers should familiarise themselves with the details of the IAS and IAL oral examinations (Units 1 and 3) including the unit description, assessment requirements and assessment criteria in each specification. Teachers should also refer to the Oral Training Guide section in the MFL Getting Started guide on the website here. Related documents can be downloaded from the Pearson Edexcel website here. It is essential that teachers are aware of the requirements of each unit, any incorrectly conducted tests can adversely affect candidates’marks. Part 1: Generic overview of oral assessment IAS Unit 1: Spoken Expression and Response This unit rewards students for their ability to converse in French, German or Spanish on a general topic area (GTA) they have chosen in advance. Students will need to demonstrate they can engage in a discussion in the respective target language that relates to a chosen GTA and allied subtopics. They will be expected to give relevant and appropriate information, convey opinions, interact and respond to a range of questions. Choice of IAS Unit 1 General Topic Area Before the test, students must choose two of the following four GTAs: 􀁸 Youth matters 􀁸 Lifestyle, health and fitness 􀁸 Environment and travel 􀁸 Education and employment. Students are free to choose any two of these four general topic areas, depending on their preference and interests. A definitive list of the subtopics linked to each of these general topic areas is provided below: Youth matters Family relationships and friendships Peer pressure and role models Music and fashion Technology and communication Lifestyle, health and fitness Food and diet Sport and exercise Health issues Urban and rural life Environment and travel Tourism, travel and transport Natural disasters and weather Climate change and its impact Energy, pollution and recycling Education and employment Education systems and types of schooling Pupil/ student life Volunteering and internships Jobs and unemployment It is anticipated that students from the same centre will choose to prepare different general topic areas, in order to reflect the range of their individual interests. Some overlap of topic choice is, however, expected. Students will inform the Teacher-Examiner no more than three weeks before the assessment which two general topic areas they have chosen. They will then be examined on one of their two chosen GTAs. They will learn which GTA they have been allocated only when they arrive for their preparation time. Teacher-Examiners must refer to the Sequence of Oral Tests (in the Teacher-Examiner booklet) to determine which GTA the candidate will be allocated. Unit 1 tests will be set on each of the four topic areas. The tests will be in the form of a short stimulus text in t

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Oral Training Guide?

It advises teachers how to prepare students for IAS and IAL Modern Foreign Languages Units 1 and 3 oral exams and how to conduct the oral assessment.

How do students choose the General Topic Areas for IAS Unit 1?

Students select two of four General Topic Areas before the test: Youth matters; Lifestyle, health and fitness; Environment and travel; Education and employment.

What happens during supervised preparation time for the oral test?

Students receive a randomly allocated stimulus card and have 15 minutes to study it, without using a dictionary or other resources; they may make notes and must bring both stimulus and notes into the examination.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Rizky