SPAN 1A
Spanish, Level I, First Semeste
r
# PR-7174, BK-7175 (v.3.0)
8/18
To the Student:
After your registration is complete and your proctor has been approved, you may take the Credit
by Examination for Spanish 1A.
WHAT TO BRING
several sharpened No. 2 pencils
You must bring a recording device for audiocassette tape or digital sound media. Please
contact your proctor for the correct device needed. For digital recordings, your device
must have sound-recording software already installed and able to record in .wav or .mp3
format.
You must also bring one blank audiocassette tape (full size only), CD-R or CD-RW (full
size only), or a small USB flash drive (depending on the proctor’s requirements) on
which to save your recording.
ABOUT THE EXAM
This test gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your mastery of the Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills as outlined by the Texas Education Agency.
The examination consists of seven parts, testing your skills in listening, grammar and structure,
vocabulary, reading comprehension, knowledge of Hispanic culture, writing, and speaking.
In Part I, Listening, you will listen to a recording and respond to a series of questions
that will test your ability to understand spoken Spanish. The recording is very similar to
the exercises you would find in the audio materials of any of the state-adopted textbooks
for Spanish I. You will answer questions or respond to cues and mark your answer
choices on a bubble answer sheet.
Part II is Grammar and Structure.
Part III is Vocabulary.
In Part IV, Reading, you will read passages, announcements, or charts and answer
questions about them.
In Part V, Culture, you will answer questions concerning the culture of different
Spanish-speaking countries.
In Part VI, Speaking, you will be required to make a recording of yourself speaking
Spanish. You will be asked to (1) read and record a selection provided with your exam,
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(2) write a letter and record yourself reading it, and (3) write and record your plans for a
vacation trip.
In Part VII, Writing, you will be required to translate six sentences from English into
Spanish.
Review the concepts and vocabulary covered by the practice exam that accompanies this
document. A Spanish I textbook from your local school is the best source for review. The
textbook used with our Spanish 1A course is Buen Viaje! (2005 Texas edition), Chapters 1-6.
A practice examination follows the list of Spanish 1A concepts in this document. The practice
exam will give you a model of the types of questions that will be asked on your exam. It is not a
duplicate of the actual exam. It is provided to illustrate the format of the exam, not to serve as a
review sheet. However, it may show you some areas you need to review more carefully.
Good luck on your examination!
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SPAN 1A CBE Concepts
These topics will be covered on the CBE. Make sure you review them before the exam.
present tense forms and uses of ser
present tense forms and uses of estar
understanding singular and plural nouns
present tense forms and uses of tener
present tense forms of regular -ar verbs
present tense forms of regular -er verbs
present tense forms of regular -ir verbs
forms and uses of gustar and interesar
use of a and de after verbs
telling time
ability to answer simple questions
present tense and uses of the verbs dar and ir
common adjectives used to describe persons
agreement of nouns and adjectives
possessive adjectives
vocabulary of personal descriptions, class schedules, numbers 0-30, telling time, weekend
pastimes, seasons, and weather expressions required to complete listening
comprehension, reading comprehension, and speaking portions of the exam, as well as
multiple-choice items
culture concepts that indicate a basic understanding of Hispanic schools, pastimes, food,
geography, and national capitals
Exam questions are designed to assess your ability to read, write, understand (by listening to
spoken Spanish), and speak Spanish. In addition to answering questions in writing, you will be
asked to make a recording in which you (a) read aloud a selection which will be provided, and
(b) create two original oral compositions on subjects which will be provided. The reading section
will be worth 10 points, and the two oral compositions will be worth 15 points each.
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These oral compositions will assess your ability to understand and use some of the concepts
listed above. The oral compositions will be scored using the following checklist. Each of these
criteria will count one to four points.
Completeness: Are all parts recorded as assigned?
Pronunciation: Are you pronouncing vowels and consonants correctly?
Correctness of grammar:: Are you using correct verb forms and tenses? Are you
following the rules for noun-adjective agreement? Are you using pronouns correctly? Are
you incorporating grammatical structure correctly?
Appropriateness of vocabulary: Are the words and sentences you are using related to
the assignment?
Comprehensibility: Could someone from a Spanish-speaking culture understand what
you are saying?
Be sure to complete every part of the exam. We will give you as much credit as possible for each
response; partial credit is given for responses that may not be totally correct but which show
some knowledge and understanding of Spanish. When you leave a portion blank, we have no
choice but to give zero credit. We want you to do well on this exam!
The CBE will follow the design of the practice exam, but will be longer and cover more material.
For the actual exam, you will answer the questions in Parts II, III, IV, and V on a bubble answer
sheet; for this practice exam, just write your answers on your own paper. When you finish the
practice exam, you can check your answers with the key that follows.
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SPAN 1A Practice Exam
PART I: LISTENING
In the first part of the exam, you will listen to the Spanish recording that comes with your exam
and complete activities following the instructions given. There are approximately 40 questions
on this part of the exam.
PART II: GRAMMAR AND STRUCTURE
Complete the conversation with the correct form of ser.
1. !Hola! Yo __________ de Nueva York.
A. soy
B. eres
C. es
D. somos
E. son
2. ¿Y tú? ¿__________ de Nueva York también?
A. soy
B. eres
C. es
D. somos
E. son
3. Carmen __________ una muchacha chilena.
A. soy
B. eres
C. es
D. somos
E. son
Make each sentence plural.
4. El amigo de Maria le gusta jugar básquetbol.
A. Los amigos de Maria le gusta jugar básquetbol.
B. Los amigos de Maria les gusta jugar básquetbol.
C. Los amigos de Marias les gusta jugar básquetbol.
D. Los amigos de Maria nos gusta jugar básquetbol.
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5. El alumno necesita una mochila.
A. Los alumno necesita una mochila.
B. Los alumnos necesita unas mochilas.
C. Los alumnos necesitan unas mochilas.
D. Los alumno necesitan unas mochilas.
Complete each sentence with the correct form of each verb in bold in the present tense.
dar
6. Yo __________ una fiesta el sábado para mis abuelos.
A. das
B. doy
C. dar
D. damos
7. ¿Tú __________ una fiesta a tus abuelos, por qué?
A. doy
B. das
C. da
8. Les voy a __________ una fiesta porque van a cumplir cincuenta años de casados.
A. damos
B. dar
C. dan
D. dar
escribir
9. Manuel __________ una carta a su novia.
A. escribio
B. escribes
C. escribe
D. escribir
comprender
10. ¿Maria y tú __________ la lección?
A. comprendieron
B. comprenden
C. comprendes
D. comprender
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interesar
11. No __________ las ciencias.
A. me interesan
B. me interesa
C. te interesa
D. me interesar
gustar
12. ¿__________ el fútbol?
A. Me gusta
B. Te gustan
C. Te gusta
D. Le gusta
13. No __________ leer.
A. me gustan
B. me gusta
C. se gusta
D. le gustan
Choose the appropriate form of the verb tener to complete each sentence.
14. Maria y Juan __________ un amigo que se llama
Pedro.
15. Nosotros __________ que salir para Puerto Rico.
16. ¿Cuántos años __________?
A. tengo
B. tienes
C. tiene
D. tenemos
E. tienen
Choose the correct possessive adjective to complete the sentence.
17. Yo tengo __________ zapatos en mi casa.
18. __________ abuela se llama Flora.
19. Maria y __________ perros les gusta caminar en las
tardes.
A. mi
B. sus
C. tu
D. mis
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PART III: VOCABULARY
Mark the letter of the best possible answer.
20. ¿Cómo te llamas?
A. Te llamas Pedro.
B. Me llamos Pedro.
C. Me llama Pedro.
D. Me llamo Pedro.
21. ¿Dónde vives?
A. Vivo en Madrid.
B. Vives en Madrid.
C. Vivemos en Madrid.
D. Vivir en Madrid.
22. ¿Que hora es?
A. Son las dos y cuarto.
B. Son las dos.
C. Son las dos y catorce.
D. Son las doce.
For each of the following, match the Spanish word with its English meaning.
23. 60
A. setenta
B. cincuenta
C. cien
D. sesenta
24. blue
A. azul
B. morado
C. negro
D. amarillo
25. invierno
A. fall
B. winter
C. spring
D. summer
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¿A donde van? Complete each sentence by selecting the correct form of the a or de+ definite
article.
26. Juan va __________ cine.
A. a
B. al
C. de
D. del
27. Nosotros venimos __________ museo.
A. del
B. de
C. de la
D. a los
PART IV: READING
Read the following passage and answer the questions based on it.
Soy Alejandro Casares. Roberto García y yo somos amigos y somos alumnos en
la Universidad. Todos los sábados vamos a la casa de otro amigo a las diez de la
mañana y estudiamos. Por la noche damos una fiesta. Invitamos a los amigos.
Llegan veinte o treinta amigos. Llega también Diana Borges. Diana es una amiga
muy buena de Roberto. Diana es muy graciosa. Ella trabaja en la televisión.
Durante la fiesta ella canta y baila.
Hoy no damos una fiesta. Yo no estoy bien. Estoy enfermo. Roberto prepara un
merienda. Roberto y yo miramos un video. Y Roberto habla por teléfono. ¿Con
quién habla? Pues, habla con Diana.
28. ¿Quiénes son amigos?
A. Alejandro y Roberto
B. Diana y Alejandro
C. No hay amigos.
29. ¿Dónde estudian los dos muchachos?
A. en una escuela secundaria
B. en una universidad
C. en un colegio
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30. ¿Qué dan los muchachos los sábados por la noche?
A. un video
B. la televisión
C. una fiesta
31. ¿Quién es Diana Borges?
A. una compañera de la universidad
B. una amiga de Roberto
C. una profesora
PART V: CULTURE
The following statements concern cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries. Choose A if
the statement is true or B if it is false.
32. Muchas escuelas privadas no son mixtas.
A. cierto
B. falso
33. Los alumnos van de un salón a otro. La clase de algebra es en un salón y la clase de
español es en otro salón.
A. cierto
B. falso
PART VI: SPEAKING
In this part of the exam, you will make a recording of your spoken Spanish on your own
recording medium (see “What to Bring” on the first page of this document).
PART VII: WRITING
You will be asked to translate six sentences, similar to the ones given here, into Spanish. Make
sure you focus on punctuation, capitalization, accent marks, and spelling.
34. Maria and Juan like to dance.
35. We study Spanish at 3:00 in the afternoon.
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SPAN 1A Practice Exam Answer Key
Part II: Grammar and Structure
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. C
6. B
7. B
8. B
9. C
10. B
11. A
12. C
13. B
14. E
15. D
16. B
17. D
18. A
19. B
Part III: Vocabulary
20. D
21. A
22. A
23. D
24. A
25. B
26. B
27. A
Part IV: Reading
28. A
29. B
30. C
31. B
Part V: Culture
32. A
33. B
34. Maria y Juan les gusta bailar.
35. Nosotros estudiamos español a las 3:00 en la tarde.
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Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
SPAN 1A – Spanish, Level I, First Semester
§114.39. Level I, Novice Mid to Novice High Proficiency (One Credit), Adopted 2014.
(a) General requirements.
(1) Level I can be offered in elementary, middle, or high school. At the high school level,
students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course. There is no
prerequisite for this course.
(2) Students of logographic languages such as Chinese and Japanese and non-Romance and
non-Germanic languages such as Arabic and Russian will require more time to achieve
proficiency, especially in reading and writing. Initially, the skill focus should be placed on
speaking and listening without ignoring reading and writing in the target language's writing
system. As the students become more proficient, a balanced emphasis of all four skills
becomes more attainable.
(3) Districts may offer a level of a language in a variety of scheduling arrangements that may
extend or reduce the traditional schedule when careful consideration is given to the
instructional time available on a campus and the language ability, access to programs, and
motivation of students.
(b) Introduction.
(1) The study of world languages is an essential part of education. In the 21st century
language classroom, students gain an understanding of two basic aspects of human existence:
the nature of communication and the complexity of culture. Students become aware of
multiple perspectives and means of expression, which lead to an appreciation of difference
and diversity. Further benefits of foreign language study include stronger cognitive
development, increased creativity, and divergent thinking. Students who effectively
communicate in more than one language, with an appropriate understanding of cultural
context, are globally literate and possess the attributes of successful participants in the world
community.
(2) Communication is the overarching goal of world language instruction. Students should be
provided ample opportunities to engage in conversations, to present information to an
audience, and to interpret culturally authentic materials in the language of study. The
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) identifies three modes of
communication: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational.
(A) In the interpersonal mode of communication, students engage in direct oral or written
communication with others. Examples of this "two-way" communication include but are
not limited to conversing face to face, participating in digital discussions and messaging,
and exchanging personal letters.
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(B) In the interpretive mode of communication, students demonstrate understanding of
spoken and written communication within appropriate cultural contexts. Examples of this
type of "one-way" reading or listening include but are not limited to comprehension of
digital texts as well as print, audio, and audiovisual materials.
(C) In the presentational mode of communication, students present orally or in writing
information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers with whom there is
no immediate interaction. Examples of this "one-to-many" mode of communication
include but are not limited to presenting to a group; creating and posting digital content;
or writing reports, compositions, or articles for a magazine or newspaper.
(3) The use of age-level appropriate and culturally authentic resources is imperative to
support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills for languages other than English
(LOTE). The use of culturally authentic resources in world language study enables students
to make connections with other content areas, to compare the language and culture studied
with their own, and to participate in local and global communities.
(4) Students recognize the importance of acquiring accuracy of expression by knowing the
components of language, including grammar, syntax, register, appropriate discourse level,
and text type.
(5) Students in Level I are expected to reach a proficiency level of Novice Mid to Novice
High, as defined in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012 and the ACTFL Performance
Descriptors for Language Learners.
(A) Students at the Novice Mid proficiency level express meaning in highly predictable
contexts through the use of memorized and recalled words and phrases. They are best
able to understand aural cognates, borrowed words, and high-frequency, highly
contextualized words and phrases with repetition. Novice Mid students may be difficult
to understand by the most sympathetic listeners and readers accustomed to dealing with
language learners. Novice Mid students are inconsistently successful when performing
Novice-level tasks.
(B) Students at the Novice High proficiency level express meaning in simple, predictable
contexts through the use of learned and recombined phrases and short sentences. They are
best able to understand sentence-length information within highly contextualized
situations and sources. Novice High students may generally be understood by
sympathetic listeners and readers accustomed to dealing with language learners. Novice
High students are consistently successful when performing Novice-level tasks. Novice
High students show evidence of Intermediate Low proficiency but lack consistency.
(C) By the end of Level I, students of logographic languages should perform on a Novice
Mid proficiency level for reading and writing. In listening and speaking, students of
logographic languages should perform on a Novice Mid to Novice High proficiency
level.
(D) Students who have fully or partially acquired the skills required at each proficiency
level through home or other immersion experiences are known as heritage speakers.
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Heritage speakers may be allowed to accelerate based on their ability to demonstrate a
proficiency in the Texas essential knowledge and skills for LOTE across all modes of
communication at the prescribed proficiency level.
(6) Statements containing the word "including" reference content that must be mastered,
while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Interpersonal communication: speaking and writing. The student negotiates meaning
through the spoken and written exchange of information in rehearsed and unrehearsed
situations in a variety of contexts. The student uses a mixture of words and phrases and some
simple sentences with appropriate and applicable grammar structures and processes at the
specified proficiency levels. The student is expected to:
(A) ask and respond to questions about everyday life in spoken and written conversation;
(B) express and exchange personal opinions or preferences in spoken and written
conversation;
(C) ask and tell others what they need to, should, or must do in spoken and written
conversation;
(D) articulate requests, offer alternatives, or develop simple plans in spoken and written
conversation;
(E) participate in spoken conversation using culturally appropriate expressions, register,
and gestures; and
(F) participate in written conversation using culturally appropriate expressions, register,
and style.
(2) Interpretive communication: reading and listening. The student comprehends sentence-
length information from culturally authentic print, digital, audio, and audiovisual materials as
appropriate within highly contextualized situations and sources. The student uses the
interpretive mode in communication with appropriate and applicable grammatical structures
and processes at the specified proficiency levels. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate an understanding of culturally authentic print, digital, audio, and
audiovisual materials in everyday contexts;
(B) identify key words and details from fiction and nonfiction texts and audio and
audiovisual materials;
(C) infer meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases in highly contextualized texts, audio,
and audiovisual materials; and
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(D) identify cultural practices from authentic print, digital, audio, and audiovisual
materials.
(3) Presentational communication: speaking and writing. The student presents information
orally and in writing using a mixture of words and phrases and some simple sentences with
appropriate and applicable grammar structures and processes at the specified proficiency
levels. The student is expected to:
(A) state and support an opinion or preference orally and in writing; and
(B) describe people, objects, and simple situations orally and in writing using a mixture
of words, phrases, and simple sentences.
Source: The provisions of this §114.39 adopted to be effective July 15, 2014, 39 TexReg 5385.
