Exam Categories
Considering the wide variety of students language background and the impact that it might have on the exam results, the NIE presents a series of categories for each of the exam levels. The correct placement of students in the appropriate category is crucial to obtaining reliable and valid results.
- Teachers and test administrators are encouraged to verify the accuracy of students’ placement and refer it to the exam director who may elect to verify. Whenever there are borderline cases, the teacher and the administrator will decide on the basis of good judgement and consistency or contact the Exam director.
- Students will also respond to a personal questionnaire that will help the NIE committee to verify the correct placement and possibly decide to modify the category selection accordingly.
CATEGORY |
DESCRIPTION |
A |
A student who has studied Italian only in the classroom. |
B |
A student:
|
C |
A student who:
|
Students' Language Background
Measuring proficiency by levels is particularly challenging when students coming from different educational contexts participate in the same competition. In order to provide fair scoring, certain types of students should follow the guidelines below. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in disqualification.
Home-schooled students
Students who have studied Italian outside a traditional school setting, and college students can participate in the competition, but should contact the NIE director to determine the exam level ([email protected]).
Native Italian Speakers
The National Italian Exam is used to measure language performance of students who are studying Italian as a foreign language, hence native Italian speakers (i.e. foreign exchange students and students who were born in and who have studied the Italian language formally in their native Italy and moved to the United States) are ineligible to take the NIE.
AP Italian and IB (International Baccalaureate) Students
Students enrolled in an Italian AP or IB course should register to take the current year’s NIE exam at one level higher than the course in which they were enrolled the previous year. For example, if a student is enrolled in Italian AP this year and took Italian 4 last year, will take the Level 5 exam this year. If a student who is enrolled in AP Language this year and took Italian 3 last year, would take the Level 4 exam this year. An AP Language / IB HL student cannot take the NIE at a level lower than 4.
Dual Immersion and/or International Studies Program Students
Students enrolled in dual immersion and/or an international studies program will register in Category B.
Dual Enrollment Students
Students in a Dual Enrollment Program (high school students who are taking an Italian language course in a local college) should take the level of Exam that corresponds to the year of study.
Changes to Categories
If students are enrolled in the wrong level or category, they can be disqualified or the Committee can change their category. This typically happens when the selection of the category or of the level is compared with the information gathered in the students' demographics questionnaire and from the teachers' registration. For this reason it is extremely important that both teachers and students verify the information when they register the exam and respond to the questionnaire. In some cases we might contact teachers to obtain additional details and verify the information.
Disqualifications
Students will be disqualified:
Measuring proficiency by levels is particularly challenging when students coming from different educational contexts participate in the same competition. In order to provide fair scoring, certain types of students should follow the guidelines below. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in disqualification.
Home-schooled students
Students who have studied Italian outside a traditional school setting, and college students can participate in the competition, but should contact the NIE director to determine the exam level ([email protected]).
Native Italian Speakers
The National Italian Exam is used to measure language performance of students who are studying Italian as a foreign language, hence native Italian speakers (i.e. foreign exchange students and students who were born in and who have studied the Italian language formally in their native Italy and moved to the United States) are ineligible to take the NIE.
AP Italian and IB (International Baccalaureate) Students
Students enrolled in an Italian AP or IB course should register to take the current year’s NIE exam at one level higher than the course in which they were enrolled the previous year. For example, if a student is enrolled in Italian AP this year and took Italian 4 last year, will take the Level 5 exam this year. If a student who is enrolled in AP Language this year and took Italian 3 last year, would take the Level 4 exam this year. An AP Language / IB HL student cannot take the NIE at a level lower than 4.
Dual Immersion and/or International Studies Program Students
Students enrolled in dual immersion and/or an international studies program will register in Category B.
Dual Enrollment Students
Students in a Dual Enrollment Program (high school students who are taking an Italian language course in a local college) should take the level of Exam that corresponds to the year of study.
Changes to Categories
If students are enrolled in the wrong level or category, they can be disqualified or the Committee can change their category. This typically happens when the selection of the category or of the level is compared with the information gathered in the students' demographics questionnaire and from the teachers' registration. For this reason it is extremely important that both teachers and students verify the information when they register the exam and respond to the questionnaire. In some cases we might contact teachers to obtain additional details and verify the information.
Disqualifications
Students will be disqualified:
- Enrolling in the wrong level or category.
- Failing to respond to their demographic questionnaire.
- Teachers responding to their students’ demographic questionnaires on their behalf.
- Taking the same level exam more than once without valid special circumstances (e.g., a student retaking the same level exam the following year).
- Using an automatic translator (as tracked by Lingco).
Disqualified students will not receive a report card and their results will not be factored into the national calculations.
