The Second Language Proficiency Exam is an exam which validates on a state level that students have achieved high school level 1, known as Checkpoint A.
More information on this exam can be found by going to the New York State Education web site at:
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/pub.html#cat3
The exam is comprised of 4 parts:
Part 1: Speaking (30 credits)
Part 1a: Informal Speaking (10 credits) This part of the exam is an evaluation of your everyday oral performance in class throughout the school year. How well a student speaks as well as the frequency with which a student speaks will factor into the scoring for this section.
Part 1b: Formal Speaking (20 credits) This part consists of 4 conversations with your teacher which will fall under the following categories:
Part 2: Listening (40 credits)
Part 2a: (20 credits) There are 10 questions in this part. For each question, students will hear some background information in English. Then they will hear a passage in French twice, followed by a question and 4 answers in English.
Part 2b: (10 credits) There are 5 questions in this part. For each question, students will hear some background information in English. Then they will hear a passage in French twice, followed by a question and 4 answers in French.
Part 2c: (10 credits) There are 5 questions in this part. For each question, students will hear some background information in English. Then they will hear a passage in French twice, followed by a question in English. Students will then choose a picture that best answers the question.
Part 3: Reading (20 credits)
Part 3a: (12 credits) There are 6 questions in this part. For each, students must answer a question in English based on a reading selection in French.
Part 3b: (8 credits) There are 4 questions in this part. For each, students must answer a question in French based on a reading selection in French.
Part 4: Writing (10 credits)
Students will write 2 out of 3 notes, each one worth 5 credits.