Abstract
Some Aspects of the Written Exam 10th Grade in English
The overall purpose of the thesis is to study the evaluation of reading skills and writing skills in English, at the end of the last year of the lower secondary school from 1990 to 2004. The work is based on the 1987- and 1997-syllabuses, and the exams according to these.
The thesis discusses briefly the theoretical background to teaching English as a foreign language, as well as presenting and discussing the syllabuses from 1987 to 1997. In addition, the thesis gives a description of teaching and testing of reading and writing. The thesis contains a description of the exams from 1990 to 2004, and an analysis of the exams with a focus on which of the aims and targets laid down in the syllabuses have been tested in the exams; how reading and writing skills, in addition to cultural knowledge have been tested. In addition, the thesis gives a description of the evaluation forms and the examiners reactions.
As an overall conclusion, the findings show that the exams have gradually become more in accordance with the dominant testing theory. But the validity of the present exams concerning reading may be questioned.