Cambridge Assessment International Education has announced significant changes to the paper pattern and syllabus of Second Language Urdu (3248), effective from 2024. These changes aim to enhance the testing of reading, writing, grammar, and translation skills.
Paper 1: Reading and Writing (50 Marks, 1 Hour 45 Minutes)
Exercise 1 – Short-answer questions (Total marks: 8): Candidates answer questions based on a short text, testing skimming and gist-reading skills.
Exercise 2 – Multiple matching (Total marks: 9): Candidates match sentences to paragraphs after reading short passages.
Exercise 3 – Note-making (Total marks: 9): Candidates read a longer text, making brief notes under supplied headings.
Exercise 4 – Summary (Total marks: 10): Candidates write a paragraph-length summary (up to 100 words) of a given text.
Exercise 5 – Writing exercise (Total marks: 14): Candidates write a short piece of functional prose, following specified prompts and formats.
Paper 2: Grammar, Writing, and Translation (50 Marks, 1 Hour 30 Minutes)
Exercise 1 – Sentence transformation (Total marks: 5): Candidates transform short sentences using given prompts without changing their original meaning.
Exercise 2 – Multiple-choice cloze passage (Total marks: 10): Candidates fill gaps in a short text using multiple-choice options, testing grammatical usage in context.
Exercise 3 – Extended writing exercise (Total marks: 20): Candidates write a continuous prose of about 200 words based on given prompts.
Exercise 4 – Translation (Total marks: 15): Candidates translate a short passage of approximately 150 words from English to Urdu.
These changes are expected to provide a more comprehensive assessment of language skills, ensuring students are well-prepared for effective communication in Urdu.
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