Perceptions of examiners on the role of examiner training in assessment in the advanced level matura exam in English

A questionnaire study in the Hungarian context

Abstract

This paper investigates language assessment, specifically the impact of examiner training on the assessment process of the Hungarian secondary school advanced level Matura examination in English. The study employs a quantitative research methodology to evaluate how examiners’ professional and theoretical background knowledge, along with their training, affect the consistency of the assessment of productive skills. The research is based on a questionnaire adapted from the Language Assessment Literacy Survey by Kremmel and Harding (2012). A diverse sample of 64 teacher-examiners from various professional backgrounds (secondary grammar schools and technical schools) and geographic regions in Hungary offers valuable insights into the assessment procedure of writing and speaking skills. The results show that most participants were older teachers, with an equal distribution of teaching experience and involvement in high-stakes exam assessments. The study reveals the factors that influence language assessment in the Matura exam in English and highlights the complexity of language assessment, the importance of examiner background knowledge and the necessity of continuous training and standardisation initiatives to ensure the reliability and validity of assessment results.