AQA GCSE GERMAN 8668/SH Paper 2 Speaking Higher Tier
Combined Question Paper and Mark Scheme
GCSE
GERMAN
8668/SH
Paper 2 Speaking Higher Tier
Mark scheme including guidance for Photo cards
Version: 1.0 Final
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE GERMAN – 8668/SH – JUNE 2025
For the question task, if the student does not ask the question after the teacher’s initial prompt, it is fine
for the teacher to prompt with something like Und die Frage?
For the question task, it is permissible for the student to ask a question by giving a statement using a
verb followed by Und du? For example, where the prompt on the candidate’s card is die Schule: Ich
mag die Schule. Und du?
This way of asking a question will not suit all question tasks and the question must make sense for the
award of two marks.
For extra guidance on the question task in the role-play, look at points 15, 16 and 17 of the General
Principles for marking the role-play.
Knowledge and use of language for the role-play overall
Mark Knowledge and use of language
5 Very good knowledge and use of language.
4 Good knowledge and use of language.
3 Reasonable knowledge and use of language.
2 Limited knowledge and use of language.
1 Poor knowledge and use of language.
0 No language produced is worthy of credit.
Additional guidance on application of the assessment criteria for Knowledge and use of
language
The guidance below is provided to describe the key features of a performance scoring each particular
mark at Higher tier and should be applied on the basis of a ‘best fit’ approach.
Minor errors are errors which have no bearing on effective communication, such as incorrect adjectival
agreement or gender.
For a student scoring five marks, the language used is very accurate, although there may still be the
very occasional minor error which has no effect on communication, such as incorrect adjectival
agreement or gender. Verbs are handled with confidence and tense usage is always accurate.
For a student scoring four marks, the language used is generally accurate. However, there may still
be minor errors which have no effect on communication, such as incorrect adjectival agreement or
gender, and/or a more serious error, such as a lapse in verb formation, which affects communication.
Verbs are handled with confidence and tense usage is nearly always accurate.
For a student scoring three marks, there are linguistic errors, some of a minor nature which have no
effect on communication, and others which are more serious, such as lapses in verb formation or
instances where the verb is omitted entirely. Imprecise tense usage may lead to problems with
communication. There may be a task which the student cannot attempt because of a lack of linguistic
knowledge.
For a student scoring two marks, the student shows some ability to use verbs effectively. On other
occasions, the language used in relation to the tasks is ambiguous or incomprehensible. There may be
tasks which the student cannot attempt because of a lack of linguistic knowledge.
8
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE GERMAN – 8668/SH – JUNE 2025
Section 2: Discussion of photo card
This part of the test consists of a photo card which has been prepared by the candidate in the
preparation time. The teacher-examiner will ask five prescribed questions; three of these questions are
printed on the candidate’s card and will have been prepared during the preparation time. The remaining
two questions are printed in the Teacher’s Booklet.
Assessment criteria
The candidate’s responses to the five questions are assessed for Communication only, according to the
criteria below.
Level Mark Communication
The speaker replies to all questions clearly and develops most answers.
5 13–15
He/she gives and explains an opinion.
The speaker replies to all or nearly all questions clearly and develops some
4 10–12
answers. He/she gives and explains an opinion.
The speaker gives understandable replies to most questions and develops at
3 7–9
least one answer. He/she gives an opinion.
The speaker gives understandable replies to most questions but they may be
2 4–6
short and/or repetitive.
The speaker replies to some questions but the answers are likely to be short
1 1–3
and/or repetitive.
0 0 Communication does not meet the standard required for Level 1 at this tier.
Notes
a) At least one question on each photo card asks students to give and explain an opinion.
b) Students who do not understand a question may show repair strategies* in seeking clarification. If
they are then able to respond to the question successfully, they should be awarded the same mark as
if they had understood it originally.
*‘Repair strategies’ include asking questions for clarification, requests for repetition, requests for
definition or explanation, self-correction, etc in the target language. If the candidate asks for repetition in
English, the teacher can repeat what has been said, but this has to be taken into account when awarding
the mark.
The photo card task must be timed. Timing begins as soon as the teacher-examiner begins to ask the
first question ‘What is there in the photo?’. The maximum time for Higher tier is three minutes and
marking will stop at this point. However, if the teacher-examiner has started to ask a question on three
minutes, the candidate is allowed to complete their answer and this is eligible for credit. If the candidate
is speaking at this point, they also are permitted to complete their answer and again this is eligible for
credit.
Only the questions on the candidate card and in the Teacher’s Booklet can be asked. No supplementary
questions are permitted, even if the test falls short of the recommended maximum time or if candidates
fail to develop enough answers to gain access to the higher mark bands in the assessment criteria.
10
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE GERMAN – 8668/SH – JUNE 2025
Unlike in the role-play, in the photo card task a question may be paraphrased rather than simply
repeated. A paraphrase must keep to the same meaning as the printed question. In all likelihood, this
will be a vocabulary item for which there are two words in the target language and the one that is printed
is the one with which candidates are least familiar. The teacher-examiner may then change that word for
the more familiar one. In Spanish, an example would be Internet instead of Red; in French, ami(e) for
copain/copine; in German Job for Beruf.
If there is no answer from the student when the teacher asks the question as it is printed on the card, it is
fine to paraphrase. For example:
Wie findest du die Stadtmitte?
(No reply)
Wie findest du das Stadtzentrum?
When responding to the first question ‘What is there in the photo?’, candidate responses must be rooted
in the content of the photo. Merely to say ‘I like the photo’ without any justification would not constitute,
on its own, an answer to the first question because it does not relate to the content of the photo.
Remember candidates must only describe what is in the photo, not what isn’t. Conjecture is
appropriate, eg ‘I think the weather is hot because the people are wearing shorts.’
If a question asks for an opinion and a reason and the student answers both parts, using a verb each
time, this would be annotated as a circled Op plus a circled J. For example:
Wie findest du Sport? … Warum?
Ich mag Sport … Es ist gesund.
If a question asks if the student likes a particular thing and the reply is ‘Yes/no’ plus a reason, this would
be annotated as Op with a circled J. For example:
Magst du Sport?
Ja, es macht Spaß.
The following information relates to the number of questions answered by the candidate:
All Defined as all five questions
Nearly all Defined as four questions
Most Defined as three questions or more
Some Defined as two questions
A student who answers only one question can be awarded a mark in the 1–3 band, depending on the
development of the response.
Any development of an answer has to be in the form of a clause, ie it must include a verb. It is expected
that, for the top band, at least three (‘most’) answers will be developed by using at least three clauses.
• To score in the 13–15 band, a candidate must develop at least three (‘most’) replies, as well as
answering all five questions clearly and giving and explaining an opinion.
• To score in the 10–12 band, a candidate must develop at least two (‘some’) replies, as well as
answering at least four (‘nearly all’) questions clearly and giving and explaining an opinion.
• To score in the 7–9 band, a candidate must develop at least one reply, as well as answering at least
three (‘most’) questions understandably and giving an opinion.
• If there is no development on any question, the maximum mark is 6.
11
Combined Question Paper and Mark Scheme
GCSE
GERMAN
8668/SH
Paper 2 Speaking Higher Tier
Mark scheme including guidance for Photo cards
Version: 1.0 Final
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE GERMAN – 8668/SH – JUNE 2025
For the question task, if the student does not ask the question after the teacher’s initial prompt, it is fine
for the teacher to prompt with something like Und die Frage?
For the question task, it is permissible for the student to ask a question by giving a statement using a
verb followed by Und du? For example, where the prompt on the candidate’s card is die Schule: Ich
mag die Schule. Und du?
This way of asking a question will not suit all question tasks and the question must make sense for the
award of two marks.
For extra guidance on the question task in the role-play, look at points 15, 16 and 17 of the General
Principles for marking the role-play.
Knowledge and use of language for the role-play overall
Mark Knowledge and use of language
5 Very good knowledge and use of language.
4 Good knowledge and use of language.
3 Reasonable knowledge and use of language.
2 Limited knowledge and use of language.
1 Poor knowledge and use of language.
0 No language produced is worthy of credit.
Additional guidance on application of the assessment criteria for Knowledge and use of
language
The guidance below is provided to describe the key features of a performance scoring each particular
mark at Higher tier and should be applied on the basis of a ‘best fit’ approach.
Minor errors are errors which have no bearing on effective communication, such as incorrect adjectival
agreement or gender.
For a student scoring five marks, the language used is very accurate, although there may still be the
very occasional minor error which has no effect on communication, such as incorrect adjectival
agreement or gender. Verbs are handled with confidence and tense usage is always accurate.
For a student scoring four marks, the language used is generally accurate. However, there may still
be minor errors which have no effect on communication, such as incorrect adjectival agreement or
gender, and/or a more serious error, such as a lapse in verb formation, which affects communication.
Verbs are handled with confidence and tense usage is nearly always accurate.
For a student scoring three marks, there are linguistic errors, some of a minor nature which have no
effect on communication, and others which are more serious, such as lapses in verb formation or
instances where the verb is omitted entirely. Imprecise tense usage may lead to problems with
communication. There may be a task which the student cannot attempt because of a lack of linguistic
knowledge.
For a student scoring two marks, the student shows some ability to use verbs effectively. On other
occasions, the language used in relation to the tasks is ambiguous or incomprehensible. There may be
tasks which the student cannot attempt because of a lack of linguistic knowledge.
8
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE GERMAN – 8668/SH – JUNE 2025
Section 2: Discussion of photo card
This part of the test consists of a photo card which has been prepared by the candidate in the
preparation time. The teacher-examiner will ask five prescribed questions; three of these questions are
printed on the candidate’s card and will have been prepared during the preparation time. The remaining
two questions are printed in the Teacher’s Booklet.
Assessment criteria
The candidate’s responses to the five questions are assessed for Communication only, according to the
criteria below.
Level Mark Communication
The speaker replies to all questions clearly and develops most answers.
5 13–15
He/she gives and explains an opinion.
The speaker replies to all or nearly all questions clearly and develops some
4 10–12
answers. He/she gives and explains an opinion.
The speaker gives understandable replies to most questions and develops at
3 7–9
least one answer. He/she gives an opinion.
The speaker gives understandable replies to most questions but they may be
2 4–6
short and/or repetitive.
The speaker replies to some questions but the answers are likely to be short
1 1–3
and/or repetitive.
0 0 Communication does not meet the standard required for Level 1 at this tier.
Notes
a) At least one question on each photo card asks students to give and explain an opinion.
b) Students who do not understand a question may show repair strategies* in seeking clarification. If
they are then able to respond to the question successfully, they should be awarded the same mark as
if they had understood it originally.
*‘Repair strategies’ include asking questions for clarification, requests for repetition, requests for
definition or explanation, self-correction, etc in the target language. If the candidate asks for repetition in
English, the teacher can repeat what has been said, but this has to be taken into account when awarding
the mark.
The photo card task must be timed. Timing begins as soon as the teacher-examiner begins to ask the
first question ‘What is there in the photo?’. The maximum time for Higher tier is three minutes and
marking will stop at this point. However, if the teacher-examiner has started to ask a question on three
minutes, the candidate is allowed to complete their answer and this is eligible for credit. If the candidate
is speaking at this point, they also are permitted to complete their answer and again this is eligible for
credit.
Only the questions on the candidate card and in the Teacher’s Booklet can be asked. No supplementary
questions are permitted, even if the test falls short of the recommended maximum time or if candidates
fail to develop enough answers to gain access to the higher mark bands in the assessment criteria.
10
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE GERMAN – 8668/SH – JUNE 2025
Unlike in the role-play, in the photo card task a question may be paraphrased rather than simply
repeated. A paraphrase must keep to the same meaning as the printed question. In all likelihood, this
will be a vocabulary item for which there are two words in the target language and the one that is printed
is the one with which candidates are least familiar. The teacher-examiner may then change that word for
the more familiar one. In Spanish, an example would be Internet instead of Red; in French, ami(e) for
copain/copine; in German Job for Beruf.
If there is no answer from the student when the teacher asks the question as it is printed on the card, it is
fine to paraphrase. For example:
Wie findest du die Stadtmitte?
(No reply)
Wie findest du das Stadtzentrum?
When responding to the first question ‘What is there in the photo?’, candidate responses must be rooted
in the content of the photo. Merely to say ‘I like the photo’ without any justification would not constitute,
on its own, an answer to the first question because it does not relate to the content of the photo.
Remember candidates must only describe what is in the photo, not what isn’t. Conjecture is
appropriate, eg ‘I think the weather is hot because the people are wearing shorts.’
If a question asks for an opinion and a reason and the student answers both parts, using a verb each
time, this would be annotated as a circled Op plus a circled J. For example:
Wie findest du Sport? … Warum?
Ich mag Sport … Es ist gesund.
If a question asks if the student likes a particular thing and the reply is ‘Yes/no’ plus a reason, this would
be annotated as Op with a circled J. For example:
Magst du Sport?
Ja, es macht Spaß.
The following information relates to the number of questions answered by the candidate:
All Defined as all five questions
Nearly all Defined as four questions
Most Defined as three questions or more
Some Defined as two questions
A student who answers only one question can be awarded a mark in the 1–3 band, depending on the
development of the response.
Any development of an answer has to be in the form of a clause, ie it must include a verb. It is expected
that, for the top band, at least three (‘most’) answers will be developed by using at least three clauses.
• To score in the 13–15 band, a candidate must develop at least three (‘most’) replies, as well as
answering all five questions clearly and giving and explaining an opinion.
• To score in the 10–12 band, a candidate must develop at least two (‘some’) replies, as well as
answering at least four (‘nearly all’) questions clearly and giving and explaining an opinion.
• To score in the 7–9 band, a candidate must develop at least one reply, as well as answering at least
three (‘most’) questions understandably and giving an opinion.
• If there is no development on any question, the maximum mark is 6.
11
