Even though the FCICE website emphasizes that no printed communication will be sent to candidates, I did receive my results via the postal service. I took the exam on a computer at Prometric testing center, so I am a bit puzzled why it takes two months to grade a standardized non-essay exam, but I digress.
I was delighted by the results, even though I was shaking when I opened the very thin envelope which I thought meant bad news. It did not! Dagy, my twin sister, is here from Europe and we are working from the US for a month, and I was so happy I did not have to open the envelope on my own!
Candidates need to score at least 75% on both the English and the Spanish section to pass the exam and to qualify to sit for the oral exam, which will be held in 2013 (dates to be announced).
I usually score higher on the Spanish section than on the English section, but as I'd previously mentioned, I thought the register for the Spanish section was higher than the English portion.
My overall scores:
English: 89%
Spanish: 85%
There are 10 individual sections (five for each language; I am indicating my scores next to the sections). The sections are:
- Reading comprehension (English 100%/Spanish 94%)
- Usage (English 100%/Spanish 81%)
- Error detection (English: 88%/Spanish 88%)
- Synonyms (English 94%/Spanish 69%)
- Best translation (English 81%/Spanish 100%)
I was quite floored to see that I scored 100% on three of the sections. Overall, my lowest score was 69%, which I am a bit embarrassed to admit. I scored that low in the section I perceived to be the most challenging: Spanish-language synonyms. I am a voracious reader in my three languages, and I thought I had a pretty extensive vocabulary, but there's always much room for improvement. I think that some of the Spanish-language terms were a bit archaic, and some I simply didn't know, so I guessed (mostly incorrectly).
The official results letter came with disclaimer warning me not to use the results from the individual sections as a diagnostic tool, as the sample is too small, but I am doing so anyway, as it's an interesting exercise. I am very pleased with my performance on the Spanish-language best translation section and scored exactly the same (88%) in English and Spanish error detection. I thought the Spanish-language reading comprehension was quite challenging, and was surprised to see that I scored 94%. I think the English-language reading comprehension was probably the easiest for me, and my score (100%) reflects it.
Overall, I am very happy with the results, but I keep learning and improving on all fronts every day. What about you, dear colleagues? Did you get good or bad news? Feel free to share as much or as little as you'd like. What's your overall assessment of the test? I think it's fair, straightforward and well-balanced.
4 comments:
Congratulations, what a huge accomplishment!! That is an incredibly challenging test and you clearly prepared well. A post on your preparation methods would be most welcome!
@Corinne: Thanks girl! Excellent idea on a post about how I prepared. I will be sure to post that soon. :)
Congratulations to Judy! You did a wonderful job at this super-challenging test! Agree with Corinne, it would be great if you shared about your preparation methods, too!
@Olga: thank you so much for your sweet comment. Yes, I will definitely share my approach. It's much less structured than you'd think, and I will be sure to post it in the next few months.
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