Assessment criteria

The oral is marked out of 30 on THREE criteria: The Individual Oral is marked out of 30, on three criteria: Criterion A — Language (/12), Criterion B — Message (/12), and Criterion C — Interactive & receptive skills (/6). A rewards your Spanish (range, accuracy, pronunciation); B rewards your ideas (how well you describe, interpret and develop the message); C rewards your interaction (understanding the teacher and keeping the conversation going). Knowing exactly what each criterion rewards tells you where the marks are — and how to get them.

los criterios de evaluación

the assessment criteria — the three things you're marked on

Criterio A — Lengua (/12)

Criterion A — Language: variety and accuracy of your spoken Spanish, plus clear pronunciation

Criterio B — Mensaje (/12)

Criterion B — Message: relevance and development of your ideas about the stimulus and in the conversation

Criterio C — Comprensión e interacción (/6)

Criterion C — Interactive & receptive: understanding the teacher and sustaining the conversation

la nota total

the total mark — A + B + C add up to /30

describir, interpretar y discutir

to describe, interpret and discuss — the three things your message must do

Aim to score on all three, not just A: Strong spoken Spanish (A) is not enough on its own. You also need developed ideas (B) and good interaction (C). Plan to describe AND interpret, develop every answer, and respond naturally to your teacher — that way you earn marks across all three criteria.

What each criterion rewards: Each criterion rewards something different. Match what you say to what's being marked: show off your Spanish for A, develop your ideas for B, and interact well for C. Here's exactly what each one looks for.

Lock in the split: Memorise the split: A Language /12 · B Message /12 · C Interactive & receptive /6 = /30. A and B carry the most marks, so a varied, accurate message with well-developed ideas matters most — but never neglect C, because understanding the teacher and keeping the conversation alive is worth real marks too.

Five moves that hit all three criteria: You don't have to choose between the criteria — the right habits earn marks on all three at once. Run through these five moves and you'll be scoring on A, B and C together: show a range of language, develop your ideas, describe AND interpret, understand and respond, and keep things flowing.

Every habit maps to a criterion: Before the oral, learn which habit feeds which criterion: range → A, developed ideas → B, understanding & flow → C. Then in the room you can think «I've described it (B), now let me interpret it (B) and use a richer structure (A)» — and consciously chase marks on each one.

One exchange, all three criteria: Here's a short model exchange between teacher and student. As you listen, notice how each feature earns a specific criterion — understanding the question (C), developing the idea (B), using varied Spanish (A) and keeping the conversation going (C). This is a model spoken answer — tap 🔊 to hear the Spanish, or Ver traducción for the English explanation.

Chase marks on every criterion: Notice that one good answer can score on all three criteria at once: a developed idea (B), said in varied accurate Spanish (A), in response to the teacher and with a question back (C). Don't settle for a correct but flat reply — make every answer work for all three.

Good decisions vs costly mistakes: Most marks are lost not from weak Spanish but from ignoring a whole criterion — using repetitive language (A), listing without developing (B), or giving one-word answers and not engaging (C). Here's the contrast, criterion by criterion.

Don't sacrifice one criterion for another: A common trap is pouring everything into one criterion — perfect grammar (A) but flat ideas (B), or lots of ideas (B) in repetitive Spanish (A). The best candidates balance all three: varied language, developed ideas, and lively interaction throughout.