Part II

2.0 Information regarding questions and answers

2.1 Question paper I

2.1.1 Structure of the question paper I

* Time allocated for paper I is one hour.
* Paper I includes eight tests and all tests are compulsory.
* Total mark for paper I is 40.

Question
Area of testing Marks Distribution Total
(Test) No.
1 Vocabulary 1×5 05
2 Reading 1×5 05
3 Grammar 1×5 05
4 Writing 1×5 05
5 Reading 1×5 05
6 Writing C - 2, L - 3 05
7 Reading 1×5 05
8 Writing C - 2, L - 3 05

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2.1.2 Tests and expected answers, marking scheme, observations and comments

* Observations and comments for the given answers for all the questions in Paper I are based on
Graphs 1 and 3 given in page 8 and 11 respectively.

• Test 1 − Vocabulary

Objective : Assess the ability to use words appropriately and accurately to convey precise
meaning.
Technique : Binary choice.

 Test 1

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 Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 1 :
Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 1.
Marks distribution for the question
05 marks have been allocated for this test.
00-25 The candidates have scored as follows.
4%
00 - 25 range - 4%
26 - 50 range - 25%
51 - 75 range - 45%
76 - 100 range - 26%
26% of candidates have obtained more than 76 marks
76-100
26% 26-50 and 4% of candidates have obtained less than 25
25%
marks. Only 29% of candidates have scored below 50
marks.

51-75
45%

Observations and Comments on Test 1 :

Observations :
Facility for part of test 1
100
Test 1 is based on vocabulary. Facility recorded for parts
88%
90 of Test 1 is as follows.
80
67%
72%
Part (2) - 56%
70 63% Part (3) - 63%
56%
Part (4) - 67%
Facility

60
Part (5) - 72%
50
Part (6) - 88%
40

30 The highest facility of 88% is recorded for part 6, while

the lowest facility 56%, is for part 2.
20

10

0
2 3 4 5 6

Parts

COMMENTS :
More than 50% of the candidates have been able to perform all the parts fairly well. The lowest facility
is in part 2, which is 56%. The reason for this is the inability to distinguish between the words in
collocation.
Eg : still, yet

Candidates should be given more dialogue based activities which deal with words in collocation.

Eg : empty - blank
trust - believe
wipe - mop
speak - tell

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• Test 2 − Reading
Objective − Assess the ability to understand / interpret indirectly stated information.
Technique − Selection.

 Test 2 with expected answers :

a
b
f
d
e

Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 2 :

Marks distribution for the question

Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 2.
05 marks have been allocated for this test.
00-25 The candidates have scored as follows.
7%
00 - 25 range - 7%
26 - 50 range - 16%
51 - 75 range - 15%
76 - 100 range - 62%
26-50
62% of candidates have scored above 76 marks
16% and 07% of candidates have scored below 25
marks. 77% of candidates have scored above 50
51-75
marks.
15%
76-100
62%

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Observations and Comments on Test 2 :

Facility for parts of test 2 Observations :

100

90
87%
83%
Test 2 is based on Reading. Facility recorded for parts
82%
81% 80% of Test 2 is as follows.
80

70 Part (2) - 87%

Part (3) - 83%
60
Part (4) - 81%
Facility

50 Part (5) - 82%

40
Part (6) - 80%
100

30
Facility of all parts is over 80%.
20

10

0
2 3 4 5 6

Parts

COMMENTS :
The test 2 has been well attempted. The performance of students in this question is based on
the ability to read and understand indirectly stated information.
Eg : Promoda is kind and understanding. She …. is always ready to help others.
(in part 6)

The students should be exposed to a variety of reading materials which provide activities
for interpreting indirectly stated information. So that the students will be able to attempt
similar activities successfully.

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• Test 3 − Grammar

Objective − Assess the ability to identify the relationship between words in a sentences.
Technique − Re-ordering.

 Test 3 with expected answers :

to be a musician.
started following a course.
when I was young.
and a guitar too.
good way to relax.
continue with music.

Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 3 :

Marks distribution for the question Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 3.
5 marks have been allocated for this test.
The candidates have scored as follows.
76-100 00 - 25 range - 26%
12% 00-25
26% 26 - 50 range - 33%
51 - 75 range - 29%
76 - 100 range - 12%
51-75 12% of candidates have scored above 76 marks and
29%
26% of candidates have scored below 25 marks.
26-50
59% of candidates have scored below 50 marks and
33% 41% of candidates have scored above 50 marks.

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 Observations and Comments on Test 3 :

Observations :
Facility for parts of Test 3
Test 3 is based on Reading. Facility recorded for parts
100
of Test 3 is as follows.
90

80
Part (2) - 31%
68% Part (3) - 68%
70
Part (4) - 46%
60 Part (5) - 38%
Part (6) - 43%
Facility

50 46%
43%
38%
40 The facility is above 50% only in part 3. The highest
31%
30
facility is for part 3 whereas the lowest facility is for
part 2.
20

10

0
2 3 4 5 6

Parts

COMMENTS :
The candidates have not been able to perform well in reordering the words in a sentence
accurately though the first part of the sentences is given. Candidates should have the ability
to read and understand the meaning of words and phrases to identify the relationship between
words in a sentences.

The candidates should be given more activities to get more practice in word order to improve
the situation. The teachers should give more practice in reordering jumbled words to form
meaningful sentences as it helps to improve their writing skill too.

To improve students ability of reordering furthermore, basic sentences patterns should be

taught and similar exercises should be given, followed by proper feedback sessions to reinforce
students' responses.

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• Test 4 − Writing

Objective − Assess the ability to describe a picture using the past tense.
Technique − Guided writing.

 Test 4 with expected answers :

(2) Saliya / He went to the fair with his mother.

........................................................................................................

Saliya and his mother went to the fair.

........................................................................................................

(3) Saliya and his mother walked to the fish stall.

........................................................................................................

........................................................................................................
Saliya / He walked to the fish stall with his mother.

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(4) Saliya / He took an / the ice cream from his mother.
........................................................................................................

Saliya / He took an / the ice cream given by his mother.

........................................................................................................

Saliya / He took an / the ice cream for his mother.

........................................................................................................

Saliya / He took an / the ice cream that his mother gave.

........................................................................................................

(5) Saliya / He helped his mother to carry the bags to the bus stop.
..............................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................
Saliya and his mother carried the bags to the bus stop.

Saliya / He carried the bags to the bus stop.

.............................................................................................................................

(6) Saliya / He helped a / the man to cross the road.

........................................................................................................

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 Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 4 :

Marks distribution for the question Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 4.
76-100 5 marks have been allocated for this test.
3%
51-75
9%
The candidates have scored as follows.
00 - 25 range - 71%
26 - 50 range - 17%
51 - 75 range - 09%
76 - 100 range - 03%
Only 03% of candidates have scored above 76
26-50 marks where as 71% of candidates have scored
17%
below 25 marks. 88% of candidates have scored
below 50 marks and only 12% of candidates have
00-25
71% scored above 50 marks.

Observations and Comments on Test 4 :

Facility for parts of test 4 Observations :

40
Test 4 is based on writing. Facility recorded for parts of Test
4 is as follows.
30
Part (2) - 20%
Part (3) - 14%
20% Part (4) - 6%
19%
Part (5) - 11%
Facility

20

14% Part (6) - 19%

11%

10 The facility of all the parts of the question 4 is below 30%.

6%
The highest facility of 20% is for part 2, where as the lowest
facility of 6% is recorded for part 4.
0

2 3 4 5 6

Parts

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COMMENTS :

Performing well in this task is mostly based on the ability to write simple sentences
accurately. The pictures given are clear and the 3 words given for each picture as clues are
helpful for writing sentences. Yet, the performance of candidates is very low.

Therefore more opportunities should be given to students in order to practise constructing

simple sentences. Picture based writing activities should also be done in the classroom with
more emphasis on tenses.

The candidates should be able to read and understand the instructions given. The teachers
should make the students aware of the clues given in the instructions in order to complete
the task well. Eg. (i) Bold / Highlighted words
(ii) Words given

Individual attention should be given during the writing lessons and they should be corrected
in the classroom itself. Students should be made aware of the mistakes that they make and
remedial measures should be taken.

Proper feedback should be given in the areas of

(a) Understanding instructions.
(b) Paying attention to clues.
(c) Use of the proper tense.
(d) Use of simple words.
(e) Spellings.

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• Test 5 − Reading

Objective − Assess the ability to read and understand simple messages.

Technique − Answering questions.

 Test 5 with expected answers :

at 7.10 a.m./ 7.10 a.m.

Amila
My Fair Lady
practise with the team
(to) [Link]'s office in Kandy /

(to) Kandy / (to) Chief clerk's office in Kandy

Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 5 :

Marks distribution for the question Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 5.
5 marks have been allocated for this test.
The candidates have scored as follows.
76-100
12% 00 - 25 range - 27%
26 - 50 range - 33%
00-25
27% 51 - 75 range - 28%
76 - 100 range - 12%
51-75 12% of candidates have scored above 76 marks
28%
while 27% of candidates have scored below 25
marks. 60% of candidates have scored below 50
26-50 marks while 40% of candidates have scored above
33%
50 marks.

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 Observations and Comments on Test 5 :

Observations :
Facility for parts of test 5
80 Test 5 is based on reading. Facility for parts of Test 5 is
67% as follows.
70

60 Part (1) - 39%

53%
Part (2) - 53%
50
42% Part (3) - 67%
Facility

40
39% Part (4) - 27%
Part (5) - 42%
27%
30

The highest facility of 67% is for part 3 whereas the

20
lowest facility of 27% is for part 4.
10

Parts

COMMENTS :

Although the facility of part 2 and 3 is above 50%, the overall performance of the candidates
is not satisfactory. This could be due to their inability to understand the given instructions as
well as read and understand the messages. The reason for low performance on part 4 may
be the difficulty to understand the given message relevant to part 4. It might have happened
due to three factors ;
(i) inability to understand the specific time of the day with 'a.m.' and 'p.m.'
(ii) inability to identify the last message.
(iii) inability to identify the indirectly stated information in the message.
This clearly shows that the candidates find it difficult to understand simple messages.

It is suggested that more exposure should be given to different types of messages and a
variety of questions types based on them.

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• Test 6 − Writing

Objective − Assess the ability to write a reply to a note asking / giving information.
Technique − Guided writing
 Test 6 :

Expected Answer :

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 Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 6 :

Marks distribution for the question Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 6.
76-100 5 marks have been allocated for this test.
2%
The candidates have scored as follows.
00 - 25 range - 49%
26 - 50 range - 31%
51 - 75 range - 18%
51-75 76 - 100 range - 2%
18%
Only 02% of candidates have scored above 76
00-25
marks whereas 49% of candidates have scored
49% below 25 marks. 80% of candidates have scored
below 50 marks and only 12% of candidates have
26-50 scored above 50 marks.
31%

Observations and Comments on Test 6 :

Observations :
Facility for Test 6
29%
Test 6 is a guided writing activity. The facility of test 6 is
30
29%. According to the second graph the candidates have
scored more marks for the content than language, although
more marks are allocated for language. The facility of content
20 is 40% whereas that of language is 18%.
Facility

10

0
Test 6

Facility for Test 6

60

50

68%
40
Facility

30

20 68%

10

0
C L
(out of 2 (out of 3
marks) marks)

Test 6

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COMMENTS :

Facility index shows that the candidates are more successful in content than the language
component. Candidates with the facility rate of 40% have been able to understand the
instructions.

As candidates show weakness in language, teachers should plan more writing activities in
the areas of writing simple notes. The students should be taught on how to write simple
sentences in attempting similar tasks. This should be done from grade 6 and reinforced in
each grade. For this, teachers should develop standard marking criteria as well as individual
feedback to improve their writing skill. In such marking criteria, format and organization
should also be included. Proper feedback should be given in the areas of vocabulary, writing
simple sentences, grammar, organization etc.
The students should be taught to use the given guidelines in writing the answer. More
practice should be given using supplementary materials a part from the existing text books
and work books.

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• Test 7 − Reading
Objective − Assess the ability to read and understand directly stated information in a text.
Technique − Answering Questions

 Test 7 with expected answers :

Observations and Comments on Test 7 :

Write an article.
(about their school)

Dushan grinned even though Chatu's comments was painful.

(to) write clearly and truthfully

the most amazing person
a

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 Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 7 :

Marks distribution for the question Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 7.
76-100 5 marks have been allocated for this test.
2%
The candidates have scored as follows.
00 - 25 range - 41%
26 - 50 range - 41%
51 - 75 range - 16%
51-75 76 - 100 range - 2%
16% Only 02% of candidates have scored above 76
00-25 marks while 41% of candidates have scored below
41% 25 marks. 82% of candidates have scored below
50 marks and only 18% of candidates have scored
above 50 marks.
26-50
41%

Observations and Comments on Test 7 :

Observations :
Facility for parts of Test 7
50
Test 7 is based on Reading. Facility for parts of Test 7 is
as follows.
40 37%
35% Part (1) - 30%
30%
Part (2) - 20%
Part (3) - 35%
Facility

30 26%
Part (4) - 26%
20% Part (5) - 37%
20

The highest facility of 37% is for part 5, and the lowest

facility of 20% is for part 2.
10

1 2 3 4 5

Parts

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COMMENTS :
In test 7 the overall performance of candidates is not satisfactory as the facility is below
37% for each part. The lowest facility rate, 20% is recorded for part 2. It could be due to the
fact that the students had not understood how to identify the full sentence. Further, part 4
which records a facility of 26% seems to have been difficult for students. In part 4. Students
are required to write four words. They had been unable to identify the four words due to
their inability to comprehend Part 5 records the highest facility which is 37%. Although the
facility rate is not satisfactory, it is an MCQ type allowing the students to guess the answer
through inference.

• Teachers should provide opportunities for students to engage in reading habit.

• Students should be guided to identify the directly and indirectly stated information
from the text without writing unnecessary details.
• Practice should be given to write short answers to the questions.
• Teachers should provide clear instructions to students as how to write the full sentence
from the text.
• More support should be given to the students to read and understand the questions.
Teachers are suggested to use variety of questions to make them familiar with the
different types of questions as well as the texts.
• Teachers should teach students to identify idiomatic expressions of language.
eg: 'A smile is a mile long'
 Teachers should guide students to extract information from the context.
 Teachers should instruct students to read the text several times by paying attention
to questions asked.

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• Test 8 − Writing
Objective − Assess the ability to write a paragraph on a given topic.
Technique − Free writing

 Test 8 :

Expected Answer :

Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 8 :

Marks distribution for the question Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 8.
76-100 5 marks have been allocated for this test.
2%
The candidates have scored as follows.
00 - 25 range - 49%
26 - 50 range - 32%
51 - 75 range - 17%
51-75 76 - 100 range - 2%
17%
Only 02% of candidates have scored above 76
marks while 49% of candidates have scored below
00-25
49%
25 marks. 81% of candidates have scored below
50 marks and only 19% of candidates have scored
26-50 above 50 marks.
32%

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 Observations and Comments on Test 8 :

Facility for Test 8 Observations :

40

Test 8 is a based on Writing. Facility of test 8 is 29%. The

second graph shows that facility of content is 41% and the
29% language is just 17%. The candidates have scored more
30
marks for the content than the language even though more
marks are allocated for language.
Facility

20

10

Test 8

Facility for test 8

50

41%
40

30
Facility

20 17%

10

0
Content Language
(out of 2 (out of 3
marks) marks)
Part of Test 8

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COMMENTS :

Test 8 is a free writing task which seems fairly difficult for the students. The students have
displayed their common weaknesses in providing accurate language in this writing task.
Although they try to write a relevant answer they have not been able to express themselves
accurately in the target language. That seems to be the main reason for higher facility for content
over language.

This problem should be identified in early stages and more simple writing activities should be
given. The students should be taught to use simple language and select correct vocabulary to
increase their performance in the writing tasks. Students’ skill in writing should be analyzed and
their strengths and weaknesses should be identified beforehand. Teachers should spend more
time to address the weakness of the students and correct it in the early stages, specially in junior
secondary classes.

 We suggest the teachers to help students use mind mapping in writing paragraphs, so that
the students will be able to write a simple organized piece of writing.

 Special attention should be given to help the students to write simple grammatically
correct meaningful sentences.

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2.2 Question paper II

2.2.1 Structure of the question paper II

* Time allocated for paper II is two hours.

* Paper II includes eight tests and all tests are compulsory. Test 14 has two choices
whereas test 16 has four.
* The total mark for paper II is 60.

Question (Test)
Area of testing Marks Distribution Total
No.
9 Grammar 1×5 05
10 Vocabulary 1×5 05
11 Reading 1×5 05
12 Grammar ½ × 14 07
13 Grammar 1×5 05
14 Writing C - 3, L - 3, O - 2, M - 2 10
1 - ½×4 02
2 - 1×1 01
3 - 1×1 01
4 - 1×1 01
15 Reading
5- 1×1 01
6- 1×1 01
7 -½×2 01
08
16 Writing C - 5, L - 5, O - 2, M - 3 15

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2.2.2 Tests and expected answers, marking scheme, observations and comments

* Observations and comments on answering all the questions in Paper II are based on Graphs 2(a), 2(b) and 3.

• Test 9 − Grammar

Objective − Assess the ability to edit a notice.

Technique − Error correction.
 Test 9 with expected answers :

Be prepared to stay after school.

Parent's letter of permission is needed.

Lunch is provided at the hostel.

Meet at / in the main hall at 2.00 p.m.

The principal will address the students.

Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 9 :

Marks distribution for the question Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 9.
5 marks have been allocated for this test.
The candidates have scored as follows.
00 - 25 range - 51%
26 - 50 range - 37%
51 - 75 range - 10%
76 - 100 range - 2%
Only 02% of candidates have obtained more than
76 marks and 51% of candidates have scored below
25 marks. 88% of candidates have scored below
50 marks and only 12% of candidates have scored
above 50 marks.

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Observations and Comments on Test 9 :

Observations :
Facility for parts of Test 9
50
The test 9 is based on Grammar. The facility recorded for
parts in Test 9 is as follows.
40 36%
Part (2) - 27%
Part (3) - 15%
30 27% Part (4) - 14%
Part (5) - 36%
Facility

20
Part (6) - 12%
15% 14%
12%
The maximum facility of 36% is recorded for part 5 and
10
the second highest facility is recorded for part 2 which is
27%. The facility for all the other parts are below 20%. The
0 lowest facility of 12% is for part 6.
2 3 4 5 6

Parts

COMMENTS :

The candidates seem to be very weak in their performance. This shows that the candidates are
weak in error correction.

In order to do editing, they need to identify the mistakes of each sentence. They could
identify the mistakes only if they had a fair knowledge of the language structure.

Part 6 records the lowest facility rate, which is 12%. It shows the inability of the candidates
to identity the relevant word for the given context. It is suggested that the teachers should
teach a collection of homophones (principal - principle pear - pair, male - mail) and should
provide activities to be used in meaningful context. Students should be taught passive voice
structures systematically.

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• Test 10 − Vocabulary

Objective − Assess the ability use words appropriately to complete a factual text.
Technique − Fill in the blanks.

 Test 10 with expected answers :

healing
beliefs

diagnose

treatment
moral

Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 10 :

Marks distribution for the question

Almost all the of candidates have attempted Test
10. 5 marks have been allocated for this test.
The candidates have scored as follows.
00 - 25 range - 46%
26 - 50 range - 42%
51 - 75 range - 9%
76 - 100 range - 3%
Only 03% of candidates have obtained more than
76 marks and 46% of candidates have scored below
25 marks. 88% of candidates have scored below
50 marks and only 12% of candidates have scored
above 50 marks.

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Observations and Comments on Test 10 :

Observations :
Facility for parts of Test 10
The test 10 is based on Vocabulary. The facility of parts
50
in Test 10 is as follows.

40 Part (1) - 17%

Part (2) - 29%
29%
30
27% Part (3) - 21%
Part (4) - 27%
Facility

20% 20% Part (5) - 20%

20 17%

The highest facility of 29% is recorded for part 2 and the

10 lowest facility of 17% is recorded for part 1. Facility of
all the other parts in test 10 is between 17% to 29%
0
1 2 3 4 5

Parts

COMMENTS :

This test seems to be difficult for the candidates as they have to select the word that matches
the meaning of the phrase given in brackets. Low performance of this test gives evidence to
the candidates lack of exposure to the target language. They need to understand the context
of the passage in order to understand the words.

So, the teachers need to provide a variety of texts to improve their ability to read. Exercises
on matching words with their meanings should be given to students. Students should be
guided to guess the meanings of words and phrases from the context. The skill of using the
dictionary (English - English) should be encouraged among students by giving them several
activities and assigning home work tasks.

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• Test 11 − Reading
Objective − Assess the ability to identify the specific information.
Technique − Answering questions.

 Test 11 with expected answers :

banner
bannock

to make a lot of unpleasant noise (by shouting or crying)

Baptist
Bantu

Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 11 :

Marks distribution for the question

Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 11.
5 marks have been allocated for this test.
The candidates have scored as follows.
00 - 25 range - 25%
26 - 50 range - 30%
51 - 75 range - 33%
76 - 100 range - 12%
Only 12% of candidates have obtained more than
76 marks and 25% of candidates have scored below
25 marks. 55% of candidates have scored below 50
marks.

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 Observations and Comments on Test 11 :

Observations :
Facility for parts of Test 11
80 The test 11 is based on Reading. The facility for parts of
70
70%
64% Test 11 is as follows.
60
52% Part (1) - 70%
50 Part (2) - 34%
38% Part (3) - 52%
34%
40
Part (4) - 38%
Facility

30 Part (5) - 64%

20
The facilities of all parts in test 11 is between 34% to 70%.
10 The facility of the parts 1, 3 and 5 are above 50%. The
maximum facility of 70% is recorded for part 1 while the
0
1 2 3 4 5
minimum facility of 34% is recorded for part 2.

Parts

COMMENTS :

The candidates have shown an average performance for test 11. Performance for part 1, 3 and 5
are better than the other two. The answers to these 3 questions can be found directly and it may
have increased their performance.

The students' performance can be improved by giving exposure to similar texts in the class.
Often use of dictionary in the class by the students could improve this situation.

Students should be given tasks to develop the skills of skimming and scanning. On the other
hand answers to part I, 3 and 5 are directly stated in the dictionary page. Students should also be
taught to identify words stated in the dictionary in different word classes.
eg : Part 4 where students have to understand that the stated word is used as a noun and as an
adjective.

 Teachers should expose the students to use the dictionary to find a specifie word and
identify the word class.
 Regular use of dictionaries in the classroom will help the students to be familiar with the
page in the dictionary which could help them in variety of ways to improve their English
Language in the long run.

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• Test 12 − Grammar
Objective − Assess the overall proficiency of the language.
Technique − Modified close.

 Test 12 with expected answers :

dishonesty world
the

stepped ordered
me astonished
but water
is
replied that
your honestly

Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 12 :

Marks distribution for the question Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 12.
7 marks have been allocated for this test.
The candidates have scored as follows.
00 - 25 range - 52%
26 - 50 range - 27%
51 - 75 range - 11%
76 - 100 range - 10%
Only 10% of candidates have obtained more than
76 marks and 52% of candidates have scored below
25 marks. 79% of candidates have scored below
50 and 21% of candidates have scored above 50
marks.

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 Observations and Comments on Test 12 :

OBSERVATIONS :
Facility for parts of Test 12
70 The test 12 is based on Grammar. Facility for parts of
Test 12 is as follows.
60
52%

50
47% Part (1) - 29% Part (8) - 47%
41%
42% Part (2) - 52% Part (9) - 34%
40
33% 34% 33%
37%
Part (3) - 41% Part (10) - 33%
29% 31% 32% 31%
Part (4) - 33% Part (11) - 32%
Facility

30 26% 27%
Part (5) - 31% Part (12) - 27%
20 Part (6) - 42% Part (13) - 31%
Part (7) - 26% Part (14) - 37%
10

0
The highest facility of 52% is recorded for part 2 and
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
the lowest facility of 26% is for the part 7. Part 2, 3,
6 and 8 are above 40% and only part 1, 7, and 12 are
Parts below 30%.

COMMENTS :

The performance for Test 12 was poor. The facility varies from 26% - 52%. This reflects the
inadequate proficiency of the language of the candidates.

It is necessary to give enough exposure to the students to read extensively. So, the teachers
are advised to select suitable texts outside the prescribed books and use them in classroom
activities. Similar cloze passages should be selected from newspaper articles and journals.
Students should be taught to guess the meanings of difficult words from the context of words
which are known to them. Constant practice in similar tasks will help students to increase their
overall language proficiency.

We suggest teachers to use variety of cloze texts from Grade Six starting with the simple
passages to the difficult.

 Teachers can make their own cloze texts using the passages in the text books.

eg : (1) Find a passage

(2) Leave the 1st and the last sentence as it is
(3) Take out every 4th or 5th word of the text
(4) Jumble the words taken out and put them in a box

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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• Test 13 − Grammar

Objective − Assess the ability to use the correct verb forms to complete a dialogue.
Technique − Completion.

 Test 13 with expected answers :

are launching /
are going to launch / will be launching
.............................................................................................................................

have done
have been provided

are earning / earn

were given

Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 13 :

Marks distribution for the question Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 13.
5 marks have been allocated for this test.
The candidates have scored as follows.
00 - 25 range - 80%
26 - 50 range - 17%
51 - 75 range - 02%
76 - 100 range - 01%
Only 01% of candidates have obtained more than
76 marks and 80% of candidates have scored below
25 marks. 97% of candidates have scored below
50 and 03% of candidates have scored above 50
marks.

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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 Observations and Comments on Test 13 :

Observations :
Facility for parts of Test 13
20
The test 13 is based on Grammar. The technique used
15%
is completion. The facility of parts in Test 13 is as
follows.

9%
Part (2) - 15%
10 Part (3) - 04%
Facility

Part (4) - 1%
6%
Part (5) - 9%
4% Part (6) - 6%
1%
The highest facility of 15% is for part 2 and the lowest
0
facility of 1% is recorded for part 4. The second highest
2 3 4 5 6
facility of 9% is for part 5 and the next to follow is 6%
Parts for part 6.

COMMENTS :

In this test, the students are asked to use correct forms of the verb to complete the dialogue.
A staggering percentage of students has not understood the proper use of grammar in the
sentence, which is a common underlying error in the performance of most the students.

Part 4 which is the lowest recorded answer with the percentage of 1% shows that the students
have not understood the use of passive form. It is a complex passive voice form because it
is in present perfect tense. Comparatively part 6 also deals with passive, on the whole, the
students are mystified in the use of correct verb forms. Special attention should be given to
these kinds of activities, where the students will be able to identify and use different kinds
of verb forms. Most of all, they have to understand when and how to use them.

Similar exercises (dialogues as well as prose texts) should be introduced to students where
all the tenses are used in both active and passive voice.

Test 13 assesses the ability of the candidates to use the correct verb forms to complete a
dialogue. As the analysis depicts the performance of candidates in this test is extremely
poor. The facility varies from 1% to 15% candidates have not understood the proper verb
forms to suit the situation. Students should be given constant practice in this type of test
items using a variety of texts.

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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• Test 14 − Writing

Objectives − (1) Assess the ability to write an informal letter.

(2) Assess the ability to interpret a bar chart and write a description.

Technique − Guided writing

 Test 14 :

Test 14 : Selection of options

Selection of options

Not attempted

In choosing options for Question 14

14 (a) - writing a letter
14 (b) - writing a description about the given bar chart

The majority of candidates (48%) opted for 14 (a) and 24% of the candidates had chosen 14 (b), which
naturally shows that the candidates find it easier to write formal / informal letters than interpreting statistical
data.

There is a considerable percentage, 28% of the candidates who have not attempted this question. Pro mot
remedial action should be taken to improve the writing skill of students to reduce this percentage.

The format of the letter has been practiced for a long time and so large number of candidates is familiar
with it and hence the choice is for the same. The same should be done for writing about statistical data, the
students should be made familiar with all kinds of writing.

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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Expected Answer :

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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Expected Answer :

No : 38,
Araliya Mawatha,
Battaramulla,
Sri Lanka.
18th December 2015
Dear Amal,

How are you? I'm keeping fine. Hope you are enjoying your life in Australia.

I couldn't write to you earlier as I was busy organizing a special programme in our school to
promote the saving habit among school children. It was held on the 25 th November 2015 and was organized
by the commerce society. Students of grade 10 - 13 participated in it.

One activity we had was a speech on "The value of saving" done by the Guest Speaker of the
programme, The manager of the ''Surakum" bank, Battaramulla. The speech was very interesting and
students were highly motivated.

The next activity was a drama little "My little Saving till" a story of a little girl who saved money
in a till and finally won a lottery after opening an account.

Being a member of the commerce society, I'm happy that we have done a good deed.

Please reply me soon. God bless you.

Your friend
Yohan

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Expected Answers :

Expected Answer :

This bar Chart shows the sale of five different items available in our school book shop. The horizontal axis
of the chart shows the items sold. The vertical axis shows the percentage of the sale. The five items sold are
ball point pens, story books, pencils boxes, colouring pencils and exercise books.

The percentage of the sale of exercise books is sixty, and it is the maximum number. The sale of pencil
boxes shows the minimum number and it is 20%. Colouring pencil and story books have been sold in equal
amounts. The bar graph shows the proportion of items purchased by the students of the school.

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 14 :

Marks distribution for the question Almost all the candidates have attempted Test 14.
10 marks have been allocated for this test.
The candidates have scored as follows.
00 - 25 range - 59%
26 - 50 range - 27%
51 - 75 range - 10%
76 - 100 range - 4%
Only 04% of candidates have obtained more than
76 marks and 59% of candidates have scored below
25 marks. 86% of candidates have scored below
50 and 14% of candidates have scored above 50
marks.

Observations and Comments on Test 14 :

Observations :
Facility for Test 14
29%
Test 14 is based on guided writing. It has 2 options and
30
27%
overall facility of each items is,

Option (a) - 27%

Option (b) - 29%
Facility

20
This chart shows that the difficulty level of question 14 (a)
and 14 (b) are almost the same.

Option of Test 14

Observations :
Facility for Test 14 (a)
30
27% Test 14 (a) is based on guided writing. Facility of
Test 14 (a) in this question is 27%.
20
According to the 2 nd graph, facility shown under
all criteria are as follows,
Facility

10
Content - 38%
Language - 21%
0 Format and Organization - 23%
Test 14 Mechanics of Writing - 27%

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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 Facility for Test of 14 (a)
50

38%
40

30 27%
23%
21%
Facility

20

10

0
Organization
Format and

Mechanics of
Writing
Language
Content

(out of 5 (out of 5 (out of 2 (out of 3

marks) marks) marks) marks)
Criteria for marking Test 14

COMMENTS :
The low facility indicated in test 14 (a) shows that the test had been difficult for the candidates.
According to the criteria for marking Test 14 (a) distribution of marks for content and language
is the same. But as the graph shows, the candidates have scored more marks for the content than
the language. Facility of 38% for content indicates that the majority of students have not included
all the points necessary in the answer. Facility for language indicates that only 21% of candidates
have performed well in language. This shows that most of the students were not able to construct
grammatically correct meaningful sentences and they were not familiar with the format of a
letter.

Simple informal letter writing should be introduced from grade 6 and the teachers should organize
their teaching to start with parallel writing and then do guided writing in their classrooms.

Teachers need to pay special attention to the grammatical accuracy of the students' writing. It is
advised that the teachers need to correct their writing in the class room giving individual attention
to their writing and give immediate feed back to the students.

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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 Observations and Comments on Test 14 (b) :

Facility for Test 14 (b) Observations :

29%
Test 14 (b) is based on guided writing. Facility for
30
Test 14 (b) is 29%.

20
According to the 2 nd graph, facility for,
Facility

Content - 45%
10
Language - 25%
Format and Organization - 25%
Mechanics of Writing - 33%
0

Test 14

Facility for Test 14 (b)

50

40

30

20
Facility

10

0
Organization
Format and

Mechanics of
Writing
Language
Content

(out of 5 (out of 5 (out of 2 (out of 3

marks) marks) marks) marks)

Criteria for making Test 14

COMMENTS :

The low facility of 29% shows that the candidates were not successful in their attempts to answer
the question 14 (b) The low facility for language, format and organization shows that their
inability to construct grammatically correct sentences and also to organize the ideas properly.

The candidates should be given enough practice to interpret statistical information and put
them in order logically into grammatically correct and meaningful sentences. They should
be given special attention to their spelling and punctuation. Students should be exposed to
different graphs, pie - charts, tables etc and get them to write short reports in their classroom.
The teachers should make them familiar with the vocabulary and the phrases to be used in
describing charts, graphs & tables.

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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• Test 15 − Reading
Objective − Assess the ability to read, understand / interpret directly / indirectly stated information in a
long descriptive text.
Technique − Answering questions.

 Test 15 with expected answers :

F
T
F
T

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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 any
financial benefits

(because) he was a good man / he was good

(just) before nightfall

opened the gate carried his bag

(any two of the following) magnificent bunch, marvel of nature, the finest

The poor man's

The guard

Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 15 :

Marks distribution for the question Almost all the of candidates have attempted Test 15.
8 marks have been allocated for this test.
The candidates have scored as follows.
00 - 25 range - 71%
26 - 50 range - 19%
51 - 75 range - 7%
76 - 100 range - 3%
Only 03% of candidates have obtained more than
76 marks and 71% of candidates have scored below 25
marks. 90% of candidates have scored below 50 and
14% of candidates have scored above 50 marks.

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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 Observations and Comments on Test 15 :

Observations :
Facility for parts of Test 15
70
The test 15 is based on Grammar. The technique used is
60 completion. The facility for parts in Test 13 is as follows.
52%

50 Part (1) - 52% Part (5) - 14%

40
Part (2) - 30% Part (6) - 7%
30% Part (3) - 19% Part (7) - 19%
Facility

30 Part (4) - 11%

19% 19%
20
11%
14%
The highest facility, 52% is for part 1 and lowest 7% is for
10 7% part 6. Only part 1 and 2 show facility which is more than
30% and the rest of them are below 25%
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Parts

COMMENTS :

Test 15 assesses the ability to read and understand / interpret, directly / indirectly stated
information in a descriptive text. Though the subparts are reduced in number, the candidates
still find it difficult to score marks in this test item. The lowest facility is for part 6, in which
the candidates were asked to write specified phrases from the texts. It shows that the candidates
have not understood what a phrase is, which led to the lowest facility of 7%. Even part 3 and 4,
which deals with 'wh' questions, record 19% and 11% respectively.

Reading and understanding the passage is below the expected level. Teachers should concentrate
on making reading an enjoyable activity for students. Reading should be considered as a pleasant
experience, rather than an activity which is only used for scoring marks. Giving activities from
lower grades to the students who are weak in reading will help them.

A variety of reading activities can be given to the students for their improvement. It should be
noted that reading helps candidates to improve their language skills too.

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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• Test 16 − Writing
Objective − Assess the ability to write a speech / an article / a story / a dialogue on a given topic
Technique − Guided / Free writing

 Test 16 :

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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Test 16 : Selection of options

Selection of options

36%

Not attempted

Test 16 offers a wide range of choice for the candidates. The test carries equal marks (15) for each
choice. The selection of choice is as follows.

1. Writing an article - 26%

2. Writing a speech - 2%
3. Writing an essay - 13%
4. Completing a dialogue - 23%
5. Not attempted - 36%
Comments :
According to the graph, the highest percentage of candidates (26%) have selected 16 (a) which is
writing an article on 'Value of reading'. Most probably students might have thought that writing about
Reading was easy for them. They must have thought that they had enough vocabulary and content
regarding this topic.

The second highest percentage is for 16(d) where candidates had to complete a dialogue. The starting
sentence given is also relating to their experience. Further, students might have thought that handling
a dialogue was much easier.

Only 13% of the students have selected the essay, even though the guidelines were given.

Fewer candidates had chosen part 16(b) many students might have thought that writing a speech was
rather difficult because they were not competent enough with the language style that should be adopted
in writing speeches.

36% of the candidates which is more than one third of the scenario test takers have not attempted to
answer the question. This should be seriously taken into consideration and prompt action should be
taken to develop the writing skills in students.

Teachers should select variety of topics for students to write long essays. Using different writing
styles.
Such as
1. Description writing
2. Expository writing
3. Argumentative writing
4. Narrative writing

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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 Expected Answer :

(4)

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015
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 Overall observations, conclusions and suggestions regarding the answer to Question 16 :

Marks distribution for the question Nearly all the candidates have attempted Test 16.
15 marks have been allocated for this test.
The candidates have scored as follows.
00 - 25 range - 69%
26 - 50 range - 19%
51 - 75 range - 9%
76 - 100 range - 3%
Only 03% of candidates have obtained more than
76 marks and 69% of candidates have obtained
less than 25 marks. 88% of candidates have scored
below 50 and only 12% of candidates have scored
above 50 marks.

Observations and Comments on Test 16 :

Observations :
Facility for Test 16
30 Test 16 is based on guided writing and free writing. It has 4
options and the overall facility of each option is,

20
19% Option (1) - 14%
17% Option (2) - 5%
14% Option (3) - 19%
Facility

Option (4) - 17%

10
5% The option 3 has the highest facility rate where the option
2 has that lowest facility rate. This chart shows that 16 (b)
writing a speech is more difficult for the candidates than the
0 other 3 writing tasks.
16(a) 16(b) 16(c) 16(d)

Options

Facility for Test 16 (a)

30

20

14%
Facility

10

0
16 (a)
Option

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 Facility of Test 16 (a) Observations:
30
25%
23% Test 16 (a) is based on a guided writing. The facility for
20%
20
15%
test 16 (a) is 14%. The candidates have performed as
shown below.
Facility

10

0 Content - 25%

Mechanics of
Writing
Language - 15%
Organization
Content

Language

Format and
Format & Organization - 23%
(out of 5 (out of 5 (out of 2 (out of 3 Mechanics of Writing - 20%
marks) marks) marks) marks)
16 (a)

COMMENTS :

In option 1 the candidates have to write an article to the newspaper about 'Value of Reading" with the
guidelines given. Even with the provided guidelines candidates have not been able to produce a good
piece of writing.

The facility of four criteria of assessment shows that there isn't much gap between each criterion.
The content shows the highest facility while language shows the lowest facility. According to the
criteria for marking, both of these criteria carry equal marks. Yet, overall performance of the candidates
seemed to be very low.

The teachers should provide more guidance for students to practice their writing. It is advised that
the teachers should use different methods to improve the writing skill of the students from grade 6
onwards.

The following guidelines will help students to write a good article.

- An article with required length.

- Clear introduction and a conclusion.
- Well connected sentences with good range of vocabulary.
- Should have suitable writing style of language.
- Grammatically correct, meaningful sentences.
- Correct spelling, punctuation and clear handwriting.
- Including all the points in well organized separate paragraphs

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 Facility for Test 16 (b)
10

5%
Facility

0
16 (b)
Option

Facility of Test 16 (b) Observations:

10

Test 16 (b) is based on a speech. The facility for

7%

5%
this guided writing task is 5%. The candidates have
4%
3% performed as shown below.
Facility

0 Content - 7%
Mechanics of
Writing
Organization
Content

Language

Format and

Language - 3%
Format & Organization - 4%
(out of 5 (out of 5 (out of 2 (out of 3 Mechanics of Writing - 5%
marks) marks) marks) marks)
16 (b)

COMMENTS :

In option (b) of Test 16, candidates have to write a speech on "If I could go back in time". It is also a
guided writing task. It records the lowest overall facility which is only 5%. It shows that most of the
candidates who attempted this task had not been successful.

The facility for content is the highest one which is 7%. Further, Language, Format and Organization,
Mechanics of writing also record very low facility. Generally candidates are very weak in writing tasks
related to speech.

- Students should be taught the correct format of a speech, with, the start, body and the
conclusion.
- They should be given similar writing tasks to write speeches relating to their daily
situations.
- They should be taught how to use cohesive devices to maintain the clarity the flow of the
ideas within the paragraph of the speech.
- They should be given opportunities to develop grammatically correct, meaningful sentences.
- They should be taught the importance of writing according to the guidelines.

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 Facility of Test 16 (c)
30

19%
20
Facility

10

0
16 (c)
Option of Test 16 (c)

Facility of Test 16 (c)

Observations:
60

50
41% 42% Test 16 (c) is based on guided writing. The facility for
40
26%
35%
test 16 (c) is 19%. The candidates have performed as
30
shown below.
Facility

20

10

0 Content - 41%
Language - 26%
Mechanics of
Writing
Organization
Content

Language

Format and

Format & Organization - 42%

(out of 5 (out of 5 (out of 2 (out of 3
Mechanics of Writing - 35%
marks) marks) marks) marks)
16 (c)

COMMENTS :

In test 16 (c), the candidates are asked to write an essay on the topic "Computers: do we need them"?.
Even though this topic is widely discussed in day to day life, the candidates' use of language is much
to be improved. The facility for content which is 41% is more than the facility for language which is
26%. It shows that even if the candidates know the content, they don't have the language to express
themselves properly in writing essays.

Overall, writing has stunted the candidates' ability to score in the paper. The candidates inability
to master the choice of vocabulary and the use of language greatly impair the performance of the
candidates to score easily in the writing activities.

Teachers are advised to give more activities in writing and it should be started from grade 6 onwards.
practice in writing in the Last minute won't help the candidates, as language learning is a lengthy
process. Teachers should have this in their mind during the process of language teaching.

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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 Facility of Test 16 (d)
30

20
16%
Facility

10

0
16 (d)
Option of Test 16 (d)

Facility of Test 16 (c)

Observations:
40

30
29% 29% Test 16 (d) is based on a free writing. The facility for
21% test 16 (d) is 16%. The candidates have performed as
20 16%
shown below.
Facility

10

0 Content - 29%
Language - 16%
Mechanics of
Writing
Organization
Content

Language

Format and

Format & Organization - 29%

(out of 5 (out of 5 (out of 2 (out of 3
Mechanics of Writing - 21%
marks) marks) marks) marks)
16 (c)

COMMENTS :

In Test 16 (d), the candidates are asked to complete a dialogue. The overall facility shows that most of
the students who have attempted this question have not been successful. The facility for both content
and the organization is the same. That is 29% Language records the lowest facility and Mechanics
of writing records a facility of 21%. Language seems to be the most difficult criterion for them. That
means majority of students have problems in understanding the context and constructing grammatically
correct meaningful sentences.

- Students should be given proper guidance to write dialogues paying attention to contracted
forms and cohesion etc.
- In addition to affirmative forms, interrogative forms relating to dialogues should be taught to
students.
- Vocabulary related to conversation should also be taught.
- Students should be exposed to various simple and complex situations where dialogue form is
used.
- Individual attention and proper feedback should be provided to students while they are
engaged in similar writing tasks.

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(1) Expected Answer

Test 16 - (a)

Value of Reading
"Reading makes a full man"

The famous quote tells us the value of reading just in one simple phrase, Reading makes man
complete by providing him knowledge and experience gathered from all around the world.

There are various types of texts and literature we come across to read, such as books,
magazines, newspapers, novels, fiction and poetry etc. We can read about famous people
around the world in their biographies. We can read and learn about technology and science in
different magazines. Newspapers bring us various types of news around the world. Reading
these different kinds of information helps us gain a lot of knowledge in many different fields.

It is a fact that we also improve our language through reading different types of literature.
For instance, in novels we find a lot of new words, that belong to various fields. Reading novels,
fiction and other literature helps any child to improve his / her language and creativity as well.
They also bring us experience from different social classes, countries, tribes, individuals and
ethnic groups etc.

Reading not only helps us improve our knowledge but also helps us relax ourselves. It is a
popular leisure time activity. Reading helps you feel entertained. Moreover, a good reader can
also become a good writer.

In conclusion, we can say that reading is important in our lives, and the value of reading is
immeasurable.

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(2) Expected Answer

Test 16 - (b)

Honourable Sir / Madam

Honourable Chairman, Honourable Secretary and my dear brothers and sisters,

It is a great pleasure for me to speak a few words on the topic "If I could go back in time"

First of all, I must say that I would be glad and it would be nice to experience events again that
I had already faced in my life. The day that is still in my memory is the first day I entered the
school. That day I was crying all the time and clinging to the saree of my mother. If I could
become a child again to enter the school I would not cry and cling to the saree of my mother. I
would boldly step in to the classroom and enjoy the first day without grief.

The second wonderful experience in my life was the day I got the results of grade five scholorship
examination and came first in the school list. My friends came to me and congratulated me on
my achievement. If I could go back to my Grade five class again, I would love to experience that
wonderful moment again. My teachers and the Principal would praise me again in the morning
assembly. My parents would buy me gifts. My relatives would send me their good wishes.
I would get a new school and new friends.

Finally, I would like to say to you all that I can't go back in time. But I would be the happiest
and luckiest person If I could do so.

Thank you.

G.C.E. (O.L) English Language Evaluation Report 2015

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(3) Expected Answer

Test 16 - (c)

"Computers : do we need them?"

Computers are modern equipment Modern man cannot survive without computers. Computers
are the results of modern science and technology.

Today we use computers for many purposes. At present we live in an era where information
technology plays a leading role in making our lives successful. We have so many sources to
obtain information. Computers come under electronic category. The world is fast changing
producing a lot of information in various fields. Computers, especially world - wide - web and
internet help us to have access to such sources.

Further, computers are a rich source for educational purposes. Students are free to use computers
and obtain information about various subjects. Hence they can update their knowledge with new
trends. Not only for students, even for teachers computer helps a lot in obtaining information
for lessons. Even the modern man finds computers as a tool to make his life easier. He uses
computers to do his day to day activities efficiently and accurately.

Although computers are useful machinery, so many bad things have been reported in the recent
time. One such problem is that some people have become addicted to computers neglecting
their normal lives and duties. This is especially, a serious mater when we consider our school
children. Parents complain that their children use the computer wasting their time and neglecting
their studies. Recent studies have proved that computers have negative effects on our health.
For example our eye - sight is affected due to the use of computer for a long time.

Therefore we can conclude that computers are useful to modern man. But we have to control
ourselves in using them to minimize bad effects.

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(4) Expected Answer

Test 16 - (d)

Thamara : Yes, vegetable are on the other side of the garden near the paddy field?
Nadeesha : Oh! Can I see them ?
Thamara : Of course, come let's go there.
Nadeesha : Lovely, vegetable every where, cabbages, capsicum ladies fingers, tomatoes
and many more. Does your father do all these ?
Thamara : Oh! No, my father is busy with the office work but my mother does all these.
Nadeesha : I can't believe. Is there anybody to help her?
Thamara : My mother manages every thing with the help of my uncle. Sometimes she get
the help of one or two workmen too.
Nadeesha : By the way, what do you use as manure ?
Thamara : We use all the natural things. Mainly cow dung and compost.
Nadeesha : Well, from where do you get them ?
Thamara : We have a small animal farm too. So, we make the compost by ourselves.
Look! We have our compost bins and also pits.
Nadeesha : Amazing..
Do you use insecticides & pesticides in gardening ?
Thamara : Oh, No, we use cow dung, kohomba leaves, soap water, ash etc.
Nadeesha : Cow dung ! as an insecticide ?
Thamara : Yes, we make it as a liquid and use it. Look at those golden colour flowers in
the vegetable garden. My mother says they keep the insects away from the
vegetable beds.
Nadeesha : It's news for me.
Thamara : We eat fresh vegetable, yams, fruits every day. Almost all the meals we have
directly taken from our garden ?
Nadeesha : Do you sell them ?
Thamara : Yes we sell vegetables, fruits, flowers, milk ... every thing. Its a good income.
Nadeesha : Great ! Do you also work in the garden ?
Thamara : Only when I have time. My mother tells me to study well & get a degree in
agriculture. So that I can improve the garden.
Nadeesha : It's a good idea.
Any way I don't have a big garden, but I also like to have some vegetables in
my garden. Will you help me ?
Thamara : Of course. I'll give you some plants to take home.
Nadeesha : Thank you Thamara. It's so nice of you.

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 Part III

3.0 Factors to be considered when answering questions and suggestions for improvement

3.1 Factors to be considered by the candidates when answering questions

General Instructions for the candidates :

* The index number of the candidate should be written clearly and accurately in the spaces
provided for it.

* Candidates should always use a blue or black pen to answer questions. They should
never answer using a red pen or a pencil.

* Correction fluid should not be used in the answer sheet.

* Handwriting should be legible and clear.

* Each question should be read carefully and the candidates should adhere to the instructions
given in the question paper.

* The candidates have to answer all the tests in the question paper itself.

* The candidates are expected to utilize the full time allocated for the paper at the
examination.

* The space allocated for the writing tests provides guidance to the candidates about the
required length of the answer.

Specific Instructions :
* The candidates must pay their attention to the examples given when answering
questions.
* Attention should be paid to spelling when transferring information from a text and
copying it as the answer. Candidates will lose marks for spelling errors.

* In reading tasks, the candidates must understand the main idea of the text before
answering questions.

* The candidates must apply the reading techniques like scanning, skimming and inferring
when attempting to answer questions related to reading.

* The candidates must not copy chunks from the passages as answers when one specific
answer (a sentence, a phrase or a word) is expected. Marks will not be awarded for such
answers.

* The candidates should be able to guess the meaning of a new word according to the
context.

* In writing tasks the candidates must pay their attention to the grammatical accuracy,
appropriateness (relevance), mechanics of writing and organization.

* When the options are available for the writing tests, the candidates are advised to follow
the instructions thoroughly.

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3.2 Comments and suggestions regarding the teaching - learning process

* The teachers should be familiar with the syllabus, the textbooks and the Teachers'
Instructional Manual (TIM).

* The teachers should plan their lessons well to make teaching more interesting and
productive.

* The teachers should use resources available to them to facilitate the teaching
learning process.

* The candidates should be given more opportunities to read and write and listen and speak
English in the classroom.

* The teachers should encourage maximum pupil interaction in English in the classroom
through group work and pair work.

* The teacher's questioning techniques in classroom teaching helps the performance of the
candidates in the examination.

* The teachers who prepare students for the G.C.E.(O/L) examination should read the
'Examination and Assessment Guidelines' issued by the Department of Examinations and
follow the instructions.

* If there are candidates with weak performance, the teachers should help them to reach at
least the basic level performance standards mentioned in the 'Examination and Assessment
Guidelines'.

* In teaching vocabulary, the teachers should go beyond the level of memorizing the spelling
and practising pronunciation making students aware of word classes and their use.

* The teachers should use new strategies to make teaching more interesting.

* In teaching reading, the teachers should expose pupils to a variety of authentic text types
to develop their reading skills.

* In answering reading tests, pupils should be informed that short and grammatically correct
answers can earn full marks.

* In answering 'Wh' questions (especially in test 15), the students should be advised not to
copy the full sentences unnecessarily from the reading passage. Copying chunks from
passages will be a waste of time.

* Teachers should encourage students to attempt all the writing activities of the question
paper. Most of the students do not even attempt the basic writing tests in paper I.

* The teachers should use the same criteria used in the marking scheme, in their classroom
tests and term tests too.

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* The teachers should pay individual attention to the students, especially in teaching
writing and they should make sure that all writing activities of every child are marked and
comments given. It is always better to ask students to rewrite the tasks after the teachers'
comments.

* Grammar should be taught and tested not in isolation but in context.

* Attention should be paid to 'Language Focus' and 'Language Expressions' given at the
beginning of each unit.

* The candidates should be made aware that marks are awarded for spelling, grammatical
accuracy, mechanics of writing, format and organization, and that a simple mistake would
result in losing marks.

* Every teacher who prepares the students for G.C.E.(O/L) examination should be thorough
with the question paper and the marking criteria every year so that he/she would be able to
improve the performance level of the students.

* The teachers must get their knowledge updated to be competent in teaching the subject
using correct methodology to facilitate and motivate the learners.

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