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Tests

Speaking Tests

Zoom provides a natural platform for speaking tests, with several advantages over F2F oral testing.

Depending on the instructor's preferences, speaking tests administered in Zoom may be preferable to F2F testing for a number of reasons:


A few technical pointers:

To activate the “Waiting Room” function:

Once this is done, a student who clicks on the meeting ID will see a window informing them they are in a “Waiting Room” rather than in the actual meeting, and that the host (i.e., the instructor) will let them in when ready.

(NB: Instructors who want students to join the class meeting early so they can chat casually must disable the Waiting Room feature in the Settings prior to class meetings, and then re-engage it for speaking tests.)

Dual Speaking Tests

Zoom can also be used for dual speaking tests, i.e., tests involving pairs of students whose interactions form part of the assessment. Jamie Rankin (GER) made use of this format in GER 102, where students being tested engaged in interviews and “information-gap” tasks.

To set up these tasks:

(As complicated as this may sound, it takes very little effort or time during the test itself, and it ensures spontaneous responses from the students.)