Estimating Your Score for the Speaking Section

Your instructor will need to estimate scores on each of the six speaking tasks using the rubrics
for Independent and Integrated Speaking tasks given below.

Independent Speaking Rubric

Score

Overall
Description of
Response
The response to
the prompt is
thorough and
complete. The
response is clear
and fluent and
demonstrates all
three of the
following
characteristics:

Delivery of the
Response

The response
adequately
answers the
prompt but may
not be completely
developed. The
response is
generally clear
and fluent but
may show
weaknesses in the
speakers ability
to communicate
ideas. The
response
demonstrates at
least two of the
characteristics on
the right:

The response is
generally smooth,
fluent, idiomatic,
and
comprehensible but
there are noticeable
problems with
pronunciation,
stress, and
intonation. These
problems, however,
generally do not
affect the speakers
overall
intelligibility.

The response is
fluent, smooth, and
highly
comprehensible.
There may be
minor problems
involving
pronunciation,
stress, and
intonation but these
do not affect the
speakers
intelligibility (the
ability to make
oneself
understood).

Use of Language
(Grammar/
Vocabulary)
The response shows
that the speaker has
an effective
command of highlevel grammatical
structures and uses
sophisticated
vocabulary and
idiomatic
expressions. There
may be some minor
grammatical or
vocabulary errors
but this does not
interfere with the
speakers overall
intelligibility.
The response shows
that the speaker can
use intermediatelevel grammatical
structures and
vocabulary use.
There will be some
grammatical errors
and problems with
vocabulary. These
problems, however,
generally do not
affect the speakers
overall
intelligibility.

Development of the
Topic
The response is
coherent and unified.
The speaker clearly
provides a topic
statement and
adequately supports
this statement with
specific reasons and
examples. The
speaker uses
transitional words to
connect parts of the
response.

The response
addresses the
question and is
generally coherent
and unified.
Development,
however, is limited
and the speakers
main ideas may not
be adequately
supported with the
use of concrete
examples. The
connection between
parts of the response
may not be perfectly
clear.

The response
attempts to
address the
prompt but lacks
adequate
development.
Speech is
generally clear
but problems
with the
speakers
delivery and
language use may
make the
response difficult
to fully
understand. The
response
demonstrates at
least two of the
characteristics on
the right:
The response is
not closely
related to the
prompt or the
speech is
generally
incomprehensible
. The response
demonstrates at
least two of the
characteristics on
the right:

The response is
comprehensible but
problems with
pronunciation,
stress, and
intonation may
make the speakers
speech seem
fragmented and
unnatural. In
places, problems
with delivery will
interfere with the
listeners ability to
understand the
speakers message.

The response shows

the speaker has
command of
spoken grammar
and vocabulary use
at the basic level.
Errors may make at
least parts of the
response difficult to
understand.

The response is
related to the prompt
but the number or
appropriateness of the
ideas presented is
limited. The response
may seem
incomplete, vague, or
repetitious.
Connections between
parts of the response
may not be clear.

Serious problems
Frequent errors in
Response may not be
with pronunciation, grammar and
connected to the
stress, and
vocabulary use
prompt. There is little
intonation make it
greatly limit or
or no development of
difficult to
completely prevent the topic. Few if any
understand the
the communication comprehensible ideas
speakers ideas.
of the speakers
are expressed and
There may be
ideas.
these ideas may not
many pauses and
be connected.
hesitations.
Speaker may not
Listeners may not
finish the task.
be able to
understand much
of the response and
then only with
great effort.
Test-taker does not give a response or the response is not related to the prompt.

Integrated Speaking Rubric

Score

Overall
Description of
Response
The response
addresses the task
in a complete and
well-organized
way. The entire
response is clear
and fluent and
demonstrates all
three of the
characteristics on
the right:

The response
adequately
addresses the task
but may not be
completely
developed. The
response is
generally clear
and fluent but may
show weaknesses
in the speakers
ability to
communicate
ideas. The
response
demonstrates at
least two of the
characteristics on
the right:

Delivery of the
Response
The response is
fluent, smooth,
and intelligible.
There may be
minor problems
involving
pronunciation,
stress, and
intonation, but
these do not
affect the
speakers
intelligibility.

The response is
generally smooth,
fluent, idiomatic,
and intelligible
but there are
noticeable
problems with
pronunciation,
stress, and
intonation. These
problems,
however,
generally do not
affect the
speakers overall
intelligibility.

Use of Language
(Grammar/
Vocabulary)
The response shows
that the speaker has
an effective
command of highlevel grammatical
structures and uses
sophisticated
vocabulary and
idiomatic
expressions. There
may be some minor
grammatical or
vocabulary errors but
this does not interfere
with the speakers
overall
intelligibility.
The response shows
that the speaker can
use intermediatelevel grammatical
structures and
vocabulary. There are
some grammatical
errors and problems
with vocabulary and
usage. These
problems, however,
generally do not
affect the speakers
overall intelligibility.

Development of
the Topic
The response is
coherent and
unified. The
speaker clearly
reports information
from the
lecture/reading.
The speaker
supports general
statements with
specific reasons and
examples. The
speaker uses
transitional words
to connect parts of
the response.
The response
addresses the task
and is generally
coherent and
unified.
Development,
however, is limited
and the speakers
main ideas may not
be adequately
supported with the
use of concrete
examples. The
connection between
parts of the
response may not
be perfectly clear.

The response shows

The response is
The response is
intelligible but
the speaker has
related to the task
command of
but the number or
there are
noticeable
grammar and
appropriateness of
problems with
vocabulary use at the the ideas presented
basic level. Errors
pronunciation,
is limited. The
stress, and
may make at least
response may seem
intonation which parts of the response incomplete, vague,
may make the
difficult to
or repetitious.
speakers speech
understand.
Connections
seem fragmented
between parts of the
response may not
and unnatural. In
places, problems
be clear.
with delivery will
interfere with the
listeners ability
to understand the
speakers
message.
Serious problems Frequent errors in
Response may not
with
grammar and
be connected to the
pronunciation,
vocabulary use
prompt. There is
stress, and
greatly limit or
little or no
intonation make it completely prevent
development of the
difficult to
the communication of topic. Few if any
understand the
the speakers ideas.
comprehensible
speakers ideas.
ideas are expressed
There may be
and these ideas may
many pauses and
not be connected.
hesitations.
Speaker may not
Listeners may not
finish the task.
be able to
understand much
of the response
and then only
with great effort.
Test-taker does not give a response or the response is not related to the prompt.

The response
attempts to
address the
prompt but lacks
adequate
development.
Speech is generally
clear but problems
with the speakers
delivery and
language use may
make the response
difficult to fully
understand. The
response
demonstrates at
least two of the
characteristics on
the right:
The response is
not closely related
to the task or the
speech is generally
incomprehensible.
The response
demonstrates at
least two of the
characteristics on
the right:

Record your Estimated Scores here: _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
Add the six Estimated Scores to get your Total Raw Score: ________
Using this chart and your Raw Score, calculate the Scaled Speaking Section Score.
Scaled Section Score _______

Speaking (all 4 tests)

Raw Section
Scaled Section
Score
Score
24
30
23
29
22
28
21
27
20
25
19
24
18
23
17
22
16
20
15
19
14
18
13
17
12
15
11
14
10
13
9
12
8
10
7
9
6
8
5
7
4
5
3
4
1
3
0
0