Singapore

International English Competion for Schools

Competition date: Tuesday 19 July 2005

If you have difficulties with this date, please contact IEEAC immediately.

Entries close: Monday 20 June

Entry Fee: SGD$7.00 per student.

Aims of the Competition

The aims of the International Competitions for Schools (English) are to:
 

• provide an opportunity for all students to gain a measure of their own achievement in an external assessment situation
• monitor individual progress across a range of skills and knowledge in English
• recognise and reward achievement at all levels
• provide students, parents, teachers and schools with a comprehensive analysis of student performance.

How many years are assessed?

There are eight papers:

• P3: 45 items/45 minutes
• P4: 50 items/50 minutes
• P5: 60 items/1 hour
• P6: 60 items/1 hour
• Sec 1: 80 items/1 hour 15 minutes
• Sec 2: 80 items/1 hour 15 minutes
• Sec 3, 4 & 5: 80 items/1 hour 15 minutes
• JC1 & JC2: 80 items/1 hour 15 minutes

All students should sit the paper for the Year in which they are currently enrolled.
If you are unsure about the appropriate paper for your students, please contact IEEAC.

Each Year Level is marked as a separate group.
The Competition is comprised of a variety of multiple-choice items.

Each question is worth one mark. The total score is the number of correct answers. No marks are deducted for wrong answers.

How are the assessments structured?

Each assessment covers a wide range of skills in reading, language and spelling across both literary and factual genres and text types. The skills are clearly specified to enable schools to relate student results to curriculum outcomes.

The following is a sample range of International English Competitions for Schools test specifications which indicates the range of skills in the various assessment strands.

Reading: Factual texts

Identifies:

• temporal sequencing
• broad textual form (literary/factual)
• generic textual purpose
• textual conventions (author, title, etc)
• classification
• aspects of description
• image sequencing
• single pieces of information

Spelling

Spells accurately:

• high frequency words with simple/common spelling patterns
• commonly used homonyms
• all digraphs
• three-letter consonant blends
• compound words
• basic sight and function words
• alphabetical order

Reading: Literary texts

Identifies:

• main characters
• setting
• simple theme
• point of view
• audience
• related information
• figurative language
• main idea
• events

Language: Syntactical

Identifies:

• tense
• main clause
• pronoun
• functions of clauses
• correct modality
• grammatical usage
• grammatical function
• pnctuation

Language: Textual

Identifies:

• figures of speech
• point of view
• literary devices
• technical language
• stylistic elements
• meaning of words in context
• varied use of tense

Can the assessments be compared between years?

There are common items in each assessment that enable each year to be compared with the years above and below it. This means that schools can compare the relative performance of students both in and between years.

Can the assessments cater to a wide range of student ability?

The assessments have been developed so that all students will be able to participate successfully in each paper. Papers are ordered from the easiest items to the most difficult items. This means that all students will complete enough of the paper so that diagnostic data can be provided on their performance. However, there will be a sufficient range of more difficult items to discriminate the performances of the very best students.

Will the assessments still be able to rank and identify high levels of student performance?

Yes, as always the International English Competitions for Schools  will identify all levels of student performance and provide certificates of relative achievement and medals for the highest performing students.

Awards

Medals are awarded to the top student in each year level in Singapore, at the discretion of IEEAC.

Certificates are awarded on the following basis:

• High Distinction (to the top 1% of entrants in each year level in Singapore)
• Distinction (to the next 10% of entrants in each year level in Singapore)
• Credit (to the next 20% of entrants in each year level in Singapore)
• Participation (to all students who do not qualify for one of the above Certificates.)

Eligibility for Awards

To be eligible for the award of a Medal, candidates must generally have sat the paper on the official date. In special circumstances, permission may be given to sit on an alternate date. In this case, students will receive Certificates but may not be eligible to receive a Medal.

Candidates must have been supervised as for an external examination. Neither the supervisor, nor any invigilator assisting, should be a family member or relative of any candidate attempting the Competition.

To ensure the integrity of the Competition, IEEAC reserves the right to investigate any factors which may affect student performance and eligibility for awards.

Results

All students receive a diagnostic report on their performance and a Certificate suitable for inclusion in a portfolio.

Schools receive valuable statistics which will enable them to compare their students' achievements with the rest of their country.

Each Year Level is marked separately. For this reason students should enter the Year Level in which they are currently enrolled in Singapore schools.

Confidentiality of school statistics is maintained at all times and, as with all School Competitions, IEEAC does not use these statistics to draw comparisons between schools or school systems.

General enquiries to:
E–mail: ieeac@ieera.org