Assessment Type 3: Examination (30%)

Students complete a 160‑minute external examination that is divided into two sections:

• Section 1: Comprehending Multimodal Texts
• Section 2: Extended Response.

Section 1: Comprehending Multimodal Texts

This section is divided into two parts. In both parts students respond to aural and/or visual texts. In their answers to questions, students must use information from the texts. Texts may be drawn from a range of oral and visual text types such as discussions, interviews, broadcasts, podcasts, lectures, and advertisements.

Part A

The text for Part A will be heard twice. There will be no set pause times before or after the listening text. Students can spend as much or little time on the answers as needed.

In answering the questions, students may be required to, for example:

• take notes from a lecture
• insert information in a table, chart, or diagram
• respond to cues in the text or texts
• provide a summary of the text
• plan the structure of an extended response.

Part B

For Part B, students analyse two texts. One of these texts will have an aural component (.g. excerpt from a radio broadcast, recording of an interview, aural advertisement) or an aural and visual component (e.g. film trailer, television interview, video recording of a lecture, YouTube). Students demonstrate an understanding of the text(s) and analyse how language is used to persuade an audience.

The listening text(s) will be heard twice. There will be no set pause times before or after the listening text(s). Students can spend as much or as little time on the answers as needed.

Students may be required, for example, to:

• analyse the texts
• evaluate how successfully the texts achieve their intended purpose
• consider the techniques (for example, persuasive language in an advertisement or arguments in a short debate)
• focus on the language, purpose, audience, or context.

Section 2: Extended Response

Students are required to read and interpret related texts. Texts presented could contain information, opinions, and descriptions of experiences. The texts could also include information in the form of graphs, diagrams, or pictures.

Students use the information and opinions in the texts to produce an extended written response in the form of an essay, a persuasive piece, or a report.

For this assessment type, students provide evidence of their learning in relation to the following assessment design criteria:

• communication
• comprehension
• analysis
• application.