ACCESS Speaking Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: On the ACCESS Speaking test, what does a score of 1 on the oral language proficiency scale typically indicate?
- The student can engage in extended academic conversations with ease
- The student produces little or no English speech and relies heavily on gestures (Correct answer)
- The student can retell a story with minor grammatical errors
- The student uses complex sentence structures fluently
Correct answer: The student produces little or no English speech and relies heavily on gestures
A score of 1 on the ACCESS Speaking scale indicates a student at the Entering level who produces minimal English and relies on non-verbal communication.
Question 2: Which speaking task type is most commonly assessed in the ACCESS Speaking section for upper grade bands?
- Repeating isolated words
- Labeling pictures with single words
- Presenting an argument with supporting details (Correct answer)
- Counting objects in a picture
Correct answer: Presenting an argument with supporting details
Upper grade band speaking tasks on ACCESS require students to present arguments and support them with details, reflecting academic language demands.
Question 3: A student is asked to describe a sequence of events from a picture series. Which speaking skill is primarily being assessed?
- Pronunciation of individual phonemes
- Narrative discourse organization (Correct answer)
- Reading aloud with expression
- Memorization of vocabulary lists
Correct answer: Narrative discourse organization
Describing a sequence of events tests narrative discourse organization, which is a key speaking skill on ACCESS.
Question 4: How does the ACCESS Speaking test accommodate students at the Entering proficiency level?
- It requires full paragraph responses
- It uses tasks that allow one-word or very short phrase responses (Correct answer)
- It eliminates all visual supports
- It asks students to read long passages aloud
Correct answer: It uses tasks that allow one-word or very short phrase responses
Entering-level tasks are designed to accept one-word or short phrase responses, making them accessible to beginners.
Question 5: What is the purpose of picture prompts in the ACCESS Speaking test?
- To test students' ability to draw
- To provide context that supports spoken language production (Correct answer)
- To assess reading comprehension
- To measure students' artistic vocabulary
Correct answer: To provide context that supports spoken language production
Picture prompts give students contextual support to help them generate spoken language, especially at lower proficiency levels.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the Developing level on the ACCESS Speaking rubric?
- Student speaks fluently with no noticeable errors
- Student uses phrases and simple sentences with some inconsistency (Correct answer)
- Student is completely silent during the assessment
- Student produces academic vocabulary effortlessly
Correct answer: Student uses phrases and simple sentences with some inconsistency
At the Developing level, students use phrases and simple sentences but show inconsistency in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
Question 7: Which ACCESS Speaking task requires a student to compare and contrast two items shown in images?
- Single-word labeling task
- Compare/contrast extended speaking task (Correct answer)
- Phonics repetition drill
- Silent reading task
Correct answer: Compare/contrast extended speaking task
Compare/contrast tasks on ACCESS ask students to identify similarities and differences between images, requiring more complex language production.
ACCESS Speaking Skills 2
On the ACCESS Speaking test, what does a score of 1 on the oral language proficiency scale typically indicate?