National Qualifications 2017
Gàidhlig and Gaelic (Learners)
National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher
Listening test
Instructions to person nominated to operate sound equipment
1 Arrangements for the test
a) (i)
Candidates should be briefed beforehand on the format of the test. For Gaelic
(Learners) this will include information that candidates at National 5 level will
hear each item three times, whereas candidates at Higher and Advanced Higher
levels will hear each item twice.
(ii) For Gàidhlig at National 5 and Higher levels, there is the inclusion of 1 minute
of ‘dead air’ before the first playing of the recorded item. During this time
candidates should look over the questions.
(iii) For Gaelic (Learners) at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher levels, there is
the inclusion of 1 minute of ‘dead air’ before the first playing of item number 1
and item number 2. During this time candidates should look over the questions.
(iv) Before the test begins, candidates should be told to read the instructions printed on
their question paper carefully.
b) Recordings will be supplied on CD.
c) You should check the sound equipment before the test to ensure that it is in satisfactory
working order. The equipment should be suited to the size of the room(s) used and/or to
the number of candidates in a group. The optimum number of candidates in each group,
and the best position for the player so that all candidates can hear clearly, should be
determined by practical experiment beforehand.
d) You will need to be in the examination room approximately 20 minutes before the start of
the test, to set up the equipment in readiness for the test and to carry out a check of the
recording.
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e) When you receive the CD from the invigilator, check to ensure that it is appropriately
labelled. Then play a short section of the recording in the presence of the invigilator, on
the equipment and in the room to be used for the test, to check for any faults and to
adjust the volume and tone as necessary.
When the check has been completed satisfactorily, return the recording to the start in
readiness for the test.
f) No candidate is to be present or within earshot during the recording check or admitted to
the room until the check has been completed. No communication should be made with
candidates on the content of the test.
g) After the recording check, remain in the examination room to operate the equipment for
the test.
NB: While you are in the examination room you must not communicate with the candidates
and you must not have access to a question paper until after the test is completed.
2 Emergency procedure
If there is an issue playing the CD it must first be tried on another machine. If the CD proves
to be faulty and unusable, an electronic copy (MP3) is available from SQA and the centre
must follow the normal ‘on-the-day’ procedure to obtain a copy of the listening test. The
centre must contact the Question Paper Quality Assurance and Logistics Team on 0345 213
6779.
In case of an emergency, a printed version of each listening test is provided (eg if the audio
equipment is faulty and no other equipment is available).
In the interests of uniformity, the CD must be used wherever possible: candidates are not to
be offered the choice of CD or teacher reading.
It is recommended that centres make prior arrangements to have readers on stand-by in
case their services should be required.
3 Conduct of the test
a) Start playing the CD when the invigilator asks.
The repeated playing of each item and appropriate periods of silence are all incorporated
in the recording. Therefore the recording should be played through without interruption.
b) When the final wording has been delivered, you should stop the CD, switch off the
equipment and leave the room.
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4 Late-comers
a) For Gàidhlig and Gaelic (Learners) at National 5 level, no candidate may be admitted
to the examination after the recording has started playing.
b) For Gàidhlig at Higher level, no candidate may be admitted to the examination after the
recording has started playing.
c) For Gaelic (Learners) at Higher and Advanced Higher levels, the listening test
(section 1) is in two parts, item 1 and item 2. Under no circumstances will late-comers be
admitted to the examination room during either part of the listening test. Candidates who
arrive late may only be admitted after the end of the second playing of item 2, in which
event they will forfeit the marks for section 1 of the question paper, unless there is a good
reason for the lateness that can be substantiated to the satisfaction of SQA. No part of
the recorded material may be repeated later for the benefit of late-comers.
5 Procedure after the test
CDs are to be retained by the centre. However, faulty CDs should be returned to SQA
enclosing a note signed by the invigilator, stating the centre name and number, listing the
names of the candidates involved, describing briefly the exact nature of the fault, which
question(s) were affected and reporting the action taken.
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