What do the words used in TestFLE mean (step, band, lightning mode…)?

The words are grouped by topic. When the student and the teacher do not use the same word for the same thing, the definition gives both. Practice and library terms only appear if the school has chosen these options.

The test

Class session

A class session is a time slot, with a day and times, during which the whole class takes the test. The teacher schedules it. The student’s screens and the teacher’s screens use the same word: “session”. During the session, it is the session that counts, even if the student has an individual opening. See when to take the test.

Individual opening

An individual opening is access to the test opened for a single student, independently of their class. It lets the student take the test “once only” (the teacher’s screen says “One-time attempt”) or “as many times as you like”, with or without an end date. See when to take the test.

Lightning mode

In lightning mode, each question lasts one minute at most and the test lasts 35 minutes at most. When the minute is up, the next question appears on its own. See lightning mode or precise mode.

Precise mode

In precise mode, no question is timed: the student takes the time they need. During a class session, however, the test stops at the session’s end time. See lightning mode or precise mode.

In person and remote

These two words are the teacher’s: the student does not see them. In person, the teacher is in the room, and a student who leaves the page has their test paused. Remotely, the student resumes on their own, the exit is counted and a reminder appears: “You left the test page. Please stay on this page until the end.” See the paused test.

Paused (frozen)

When the student leaves the test page in person, the screen says “Your test is paused.” Only the teacher can restart it, and nothing is lost. The teacher’s screen says “Blocked”: it is the same thing. See the paused test.

Blocked

“Blocked” is the teacher’s word for a test the student sees as paused. The teacher unblocks it from the live view of the session. See paused.

Question bank

The question bank is the set of questions the test draws from. The student and their family do not have to choose it: TestFLE takes the student’s bank if the school has given them one, otherwise their class’s, otherwise the school’s. If none is available, the screen says “No question bank is available for you. Please contact your teacher.” See when to take the test.

Standard form and no-reading form

These two words are the teacher’s. The standard form is the usual test. The no-reading form is designed for a child who cannot read yet: reading comprehension is not assessed, and grammar and conjugation are assessed orally. See the no-reading test.

Non-reader

“Non-reader” is a setting on the student’s sheet, set by the school (the class teacher or the administrator). A student declared a non-reader takes the no-reading form. See the no-reading test.

Results

Step

A step is one of the levels of the TestFLE scale. There are nine from A0 to B2.2, and one step beyond, B2.2++. The steps extend the CEFR levels by splitting each level from A1 to B2 in two: A1.1 and A1.2, A2.1 and A2.2, and so on. See understanding the global level.

Band

The band is the range of steps, for example “A2.1 to A2.2”, in which the student sits. TestFLE gives a range rather than a single point, because the test asks a limited number of questions. See understanding the global level.

TestFLE global level

The global level is the student’s overall level. It combines comprehension, interpretation and linguistic resources, with comprehension weighing the most. The badge shows the letter in large type, for example A2, and the band in small type below. See understanding the global level.

CEFR

The CEFR is the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, with which TestFLE levels are aligned. TestFLE uses the half-level convention: the European framework writes “A2+” for what TestFLE writes A2.2. See understanding the global level.

The seven skills

TestFLE assesses seven skills: “Listening comprehension”, “Reading comprehension”, “Sounds and spelling”, “Vocabulary”, “Grammar and syntax”, “Conjugation” and “Logic and interpretation of the language”. Each one gets its own level. See reading the results.

Radar

The radar is the chart that draws the seven levels. It shows the last test and, in a second colour, the previous test. Under the drawing, a legend names each side: “what the student does with French” and “what they rely on”. See reading the results.

Comprehension level

This is the level drawn from listening and reading, written “French comprehension level (CEFR scale)”. For a test taken without reading, it becomes “Listening comprehension level (CEFR scale)”: only listening counts. See the no-reading test.

Measured, indicative, not assessed

These three words give the state of a skill. With “measured”, the skill received enough questions. With “indicative”, it received few, and the level should be read with caution. With “not assessed”, no level could be established. See reading the results.

Global level not computable

“Global level not computable” replaces the badge when the test does not allow a level to be published: fewer than fifteen scored answers, listening comprehension not measured enough, or fewer than three skills measured. It is not a failure on the child’s part. See understanding the global level.

Stopped a little early

The message “The test stopped a little early, because the end was becoming difficult. The results are given with caution. They can be refined another time.” means that the test stopped before the level was well established. Another attempt will make the results more precise. See understanding the global level.

Learning report

The learning report is the three-page PDF document that the teacher or the school office produces from the student’s sheet, then gives to the family. The student cannot generate it themselves. See reading the PDF report.

The account

School reference

The school reference is the identifier the school gives each student. At the first connection, it proves that the account really is the child’s. It can also be used to sign in, in the “Email, username or school reference” field. See the first connection.

First connection

The first connection is the activation of the account by the student. They enter their email address and their school reference, choose their username and their password, then finish with “Complete first connection”. The same screen is used after a password reset. See the first connection.

Username

The username is the name the student chooses at the first connection. It contains no @ sign and nobody else in the school has it. It appears in “Welcome, …!” on the “Home” screen. See the first connection.

Pending account

A pending account is an account created by the school but not yet activated, or whose password has just been reset. It cannot sign in before the first connection. See if sign-in is refused.

Practice and the library

One attempt and unlimited

In Practice, a test marked “One attempt” can be taken only once. A test marked “Unlimited” can be taken again. See taking a practice test.

Timed and untimed

A test marked “Timed” counts the total time, for example “Timed, 20 min”. A test marked “Untimed” has no time limit. See taking a practice test.

Instant and deferred correction

With instant correction, the screen says straight away whether the answer is right (“Correct!” or “Incorrect.”). With “Deferred correction”, it only saves the answer (“Answer saved.”). See taking a practice test.

Proctoring

Proctoring is a teacher’s setting for a one-attempt Practice test. If the student leaves the page, their test is paused, as for the placement test, until the teacher restarts it. See the paused test.

Review

The review is the screen that shows, question by question, the student’s answer and the correct answer for a Practice test. It opens with “Review my answers”. For a one-attempt test given to a whole class, it only opens once the whole class has finished, the window has closed, or the teacher has shown the corrections. See taking a practice test.

Writing task

A writing task is a writing prompt set by a teacher. The student writes, their text saves itself, then they submit it; the teacher only reads it once it has been submitted. The student then reads the correction. See doing a writing task.

Assessment

The assessment is the mark the teacher gives a writing task. There are four: “Very good”, “Good”, “OK” and “Could do better”. See reading the correction and revising your copy.

Version of a copy

When the teacher returns a writing task marked “To revise”, the student corrects it and submits a new version. A copy has three versions at most. See reading the correction and revising your copy.

Material

A material is a library document that a teacher has opened to the student: a PDF, an image, a sound or a video. Some carry the note “Available until …”, which gives the date until which they stay open. See opening a library document.

Card deck

A card deck is for revising: the student flips each card, and can print their cards with “Print your cards”. See revising with cards.

Picture to explore

A picture to explore is a picture on which zones hide words. The student touches the picture to uncover them, and can listen to each word. See revising with cards.