Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education

0530 Spanish March 2022

Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

SPANISH

Paper 0530/12
Listening (Multiple Choice)

Question Question Question

Key Key Key
Number Number Number

1 B 9 B 15 E

2 C 10 A 16 C

3 B 11 D 17 D

4 A 12 B 18 F

5 D 13 C 19 B

6 B 14 A

7 D

8 C

Question Question Question

Key Key Key
Number Number Number

20 A 29 D 35 A/D

21 B 30 C 36 B/C

22 C 31 C 37 C/E

23 C 32 D

24 A 33 A

25 C 34 B

26 C

27 B

28 A

General comments

The extracts in the paper heard by candidates gradually increased in terms of length and complexity and
featured simple transactional exchanges, short monologues, conversations, and interviews. The emphasis of
the questions moved from assessing the candidates’ ability to identify information contained in short factual
pieces to testing their ability to understand specific information, descriptions of events, opinions, emotions,
and explanations in longer extracts.

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 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

Comments on specific questions

Questions 1–8

The extracts were short, straightforward, contextualised interactions, in which it was necessary to focus on a
single sentence. The exercise, overall, caused little difficulty to candidates. The first question was answered
correctly by all. On Questions 2–4 and 7, nearly all candidates chose the correct response. Questions 5
and 6 were very slightly less well answered, but there was no particular option in any question that appeared
to cause candidates particular difficulty. Question 8, however, appears to have presented problems to a
significant proportion of candidates, who chose B (a scarf), over the correct answer, C (su cambio).

Questions 9–14

Here candidates heard a short piece of continuous prose advertising a restaurant. Questions focused on
various aspects of the restaurant and its offer to customers. Questions 9–12 and 14 appear to have been
answered with little difficulty overall – although none of these questions was answered correctly by all
candidates. Question 13 seems to have proven slightly more demanding but there was no obvious pattern in
the incorrect responses.

Questions 15–19

This was a matching exercise in which candidates heard a conversation between two friends about their
opinions of recent television programmes. Questions 15 and 16 appear to have been slightly more
challenging than the remainder, but even here the number of candidates choosing correctly was between a
half and two thirds. On each of the remaining questions, over three quarters chose the correct answer.
Overall, candidates performed well in this exercise.

Questions 20–28

In this exercise, candidates heard an interview in two parts with the organiser of a village reading group. The
content and format of the exercise represented a step up in the incline of difficulty, and this was reflected in
the performance of the candidates.

On Question 20, just under half of the candidates responded correctly, with a majority opting for the
distractor B, which mentioned that Muchas personas mayores viven solas.

Question 21 was better handled, although a quarter of candidates were attracted to the mention of
biblioteca in distractor option C.

On Question 22, a majority of candidates chose distractor A – which included the words cada mes (the last
words in the relevant speech for this question) over the correct answer, C.

On Question 23, although half of candidates responded correctly, distractor A (vio un anuncio, while the
wording in the extract was Puse un anuncio) attracted almost as many.

On Question 24 although most candidates answered correctly, over a third heard chose distractor B (a la
hora de comer), presumably fluenced by después de comer in the extract.

Question 25 was well handled by most, although more than a quarter chose distractor A, perhaps failing to
link temas variados in the extract to libros diferentes in option C.

Question 26 caused comparatively little difficulty.

Question 27 proved more demanding, and only half of the candidates were able to connect the idea of
crecer with más gente en el grupo in option B.

Finally, Question 28 seemed demanding, with fewer than half responding correctly. Most were attracted to
the plausible idea in distractor option B – which is not mentioned in the extract.

© 2022
 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

Questions 29–34

Candidates heard an interview with a Chilean photographer.

Question 29 proved an accessible introduction, with over two thirds choosing the correct option, and option
C by far the most popular distractor.

Question 30 was more challenging; fewer than a third of candidates linked sabía que no era como ellos to
option C (distinto). Distractors A and D were both popular choices.

On Question 31, nearly two thirds chose correctly, connecting me salieron muy bien, the last words in the
relevant speech, to unas fotos estupendas: distractor B was the most popular incorrect choice.

Question 32 worked similarly to 31. Two thirds chose correctly. Distractor B was the most popular incorrect
choice.

Question 33 proved challenging, requiring candidates to grasp an overall idea from two sentences. Over half
the candidates were unable to do so, and chose distractor B, which was plausible (although clearly not
correct) given the overall context of a tourism initiative.

Lastly, on Question 34 nearly two thirds answered correctly, identifying posibilidades en el extranjero and
linking it to oportunidades fuera de su país in option B. Distractor option A was the next most popular.

Questions 35–37

In this exercise, candidates heard an interview with a professional cyclist about his career. For each question
in this final exercise, candidates had to identify two correct statements from a choice of five. Candidates
need to take care, in that the answers can occur can in any part of the speeches in the relevant section of
the extract.

On Question 35 fewer than half selected correct option A, linking it to the global content of Miguel’s first
speech. The correct option D (which referred to the first sentence of the second speech) was chosen by two
thirds.

Identifying the two correct options on Question 36 was also quite challenging for candidates, and fewer than
half managed to do so. Both answers (and the reference for distractor A) were to be found in the first speech
by Miguel in the section, while distractors D and E were both based on material in the second speech.

The first answer in Question 37 was identified by only just over a quarter of the candidates: it depended on
the correct understanding of pero el medico dirá at the end of the first speech. The second answer came at
the end of the second speech, and, although based on a paraphrase, seems to have been slightly more
accessible.

© 2022
 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

SPANISH

Paper 0530/22
Reading

Key messages

To maximise their chances of success on this paper, candidates should:

• ensure that they answer the question asked and avoid giving additional information that is not required
and can invalidate the answer.
• bear in mind that answers in the first person in Questions 4 and 6 are unlikely to be correct
• aim to attempt all questions, as there are some questions which are designed to be accessible to the
whole ability range. Leaving questions blank offers no chance of scoring a mark.
• remember that the questions follow the order of the text.
• plan their time carefully so that they have enough time to deal with the longer, more demanding
questions, and allow time at the end to check their answers or check them as they work through the
paper.

General comments

Many candidates demonstrated a good level of understanding of the texts and attempted all the questions.

In the exercises which required short written answers, the strongest responses were those which were
concise and focused on the precise piece of information required to answer the question. Weaker responses
included whole sentences which were copied from the text, and this often resulted in inappropriate
information being included in the answer, and the mark could therefore not be awarded.

Candidates need to be unambiguous in their answers and be able to correctly manipulate verbs, personal
pronouns and possessive adjectives in order to make their answers clear.

Candidates who have a wide range of vocabulary and are able to recognise synonyms will be well equipped
to tackle the exercises in this paper, in particular Question 5.

Candidates who can correctly recognise interrogative question words usually provide more appropriate
answers.

Comments on specific questions

Question 1

In this question, candidates needed to match short sentences in Spanish with the correct picture. All the
pictures and sentences were related to food. Candidates need to remember that one of the pictures is
surplus to requirements. In general, candidates attempted all questions, and most gained full marks. Some
candidates did not know fresas; option D was a common incorrect answer that was the distractor. There
were no other particular issues in this exercise, as almost all candidates understood the phrases A Luisa le
encanta comer pescado, Marina desayuna tostadas todos los días and Pilar bebe mucho zumo de naranja.

© 2022
 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

Question 2

In this question, candidates read five sentences in Spanish and needed to match each sentence with the
correct option from eight signs/notices that could be seen at school. Most candidates attempted all the
questions, and many gained full marks. Question 2 (a) Vamos a jugar al baloncesto en el recreo was
challenging and some candidates went for G (Aula de dibujo) instead of D (Patio). Many candidates were
able to link Todos los días busco libros para llevarme a casa with Biblioteca, and Tengo mucha sed. Voy a
comprar una bebida with Cantina. Some candidates struggled with Question 2(c) Aquí tenemos clases de
informática los jueves, which tested Sala de ordenadores. Weaker candidates tended to choose option E
(Sala de profesores). The most challenging question was ¿Dónde puedo lavarme las manos? Strong
candidates chose B for Servicios but many went for G (Aula de dibujo) or C (Piscina).

Question 3

The text was in the form of a letter from a boy talking about his house and family. Candidates answered a set
of seven multiple-choice questions, each of which had three options. In most cases, candidates answered all
the questions, and many gained full marks. Where errors did occur, this was most usually because
candidates had not read the text carefully enough, and sometimes relied on what they thought they knew
about life in general rather than on what was written in the text.

(a) This was the question that was answered best in this exercise. Most candidates read the text
carefully and were able to work out that the answer was C (mediana).

(b) Almost all candidates linked con el periódico in the text with the correct answer B (leer). Some
candidates chose C (pasear), perhaps because it was a possible thing to do in the garden.

(c) The candidates who recognised es precioso were able to choose the correct answer (C). Those
who went for B (tranquilo) was probably because he said he liked to be there. Some also went for
A.

(d) Many candidates were able to identify C (la cocina) in the text. Some candidates went for the
distractor la entrada and chose B.

(e) There was a mixed response to this question. Candidates needed to read the text carefully to
discard options A and C. Option C was a common incorrect answer. Stronger candidates went for
Option B (el padre de Julio).

(f) This was the most challenging question and many chose option B (un dulce) instead of the correct
option A (una fruta).

(g) Almost all candidates were able to make the connection between entradas para un concierto in the
text and option A (escuchar música).

Question 4

In Question 4 candidates are required to answer questions on a longer text, which in this case was an
account by Ana about her stay in Austria. Candidates were required to write short responses in Spanish. The
text was written in the first person; candidates needed to take care to change the first person to the third
person when required in order to make their answers unambiguous. Many of the answers could be answered
with a precise lift from the text, but responses needed to be succinct and unambiguous to demonstrate
sufficient comprehension.

(a) Many candidates read the question carefully and understood the information that they needed to
provide. The interrogative ¿para qué? required a reason in the answer. The right answer was
Aprender el idioma/alemán, hizo/hacer un curso de alemán. Many candidates misread the
question and answered sus padres decidieron enviarla a Austria.

(b) This was the question that was answered best in this exercise, with most candidates writing the
succinct answer trabajará en el mundo del turismo or simply turismo. Most candidates could use
the future tense correctly in this case.

© 2022
 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

(c) Most candidates understood the interrogative ¿por qué? and therefore knew that the answer would
be a reason. The majority wrote es la mejor forma de practicar la lengua. Weaker candidates
answered había diferentes posibilidades para el alojamiento which did not answer the question.

(d) The strongest candidates simply answered tristeza and alegría expressing Ana’s feelings. Some
wrote the whole sentence Les dijo adiós con mucha tristeza, pero no podía evitar sentir alegría por
su viaje también. It was correct because the ending of the verb and the possessive pronoun were
changed to the third person. When they did not, the marks were lost. Some candidates answered
(i) sus padres la llevaron al aeropuerto because they misunderstood qué sintió Ana in the question.

(e) Strong candidates understood the question ¿Qué hizo Ana…? and gave the straightforward
answer llamó por teléfono. Some weaker candidates lifted Llamé por teléfono which was
ambiguous as it was in the first person the mark was not credited. Some candidates also answered
llamó por teléfono con Otis which was not an acceptable answer because it meant they phoned
together. Other common wrong answers were pasaba el tiempo and llega a Viena de noche.

(f) Stronger candidates lifted había mucho tráfico directly from the text. Hay mucho tráfico or es
mucho tráfico were incorrect responses as they did not use the appropriate verb or tense.

(g) Stronger candidates who understood the question word ¿cuándo? Answered with the succinct
answer después de cenar. Some candidates answered 20 minutos which was the time it took them
to get home. Candidates who did not understand the interrogative ¿cuándo? answered giving the
name of the children Tobias y Emma.

(h) Candidates needed to recognise the interrogative ¿cómo? to answer how the father had helped
Ana. Many just lifted Otis y yo subimos el equipaje a la habitación. Stronger candidates answered
correctly either Otis y Ana subieron el equipaje a la habitación or Otis subió el equipaje a la
habitación. There was confusion about the conjugation of the past tense, many using second
person plural endings. A number of candidates that manipulated the verb to answer the question
did not know the proper conjugation of the past tense third person singular or plural. A number of
candidates did not understand the question and answered Estaba cansada, y por eso enseguida
me acosté.

(i) All that was needed to answer this question was the word en una plaza, elegante could be added
but was not necessary. The interrogative ¿Dónde? was known by most.

(k) In this question ¿por qué? required a reason. Many candidates located the correct response in the
text, enseñaban muy bien and got the mark. Some candidates answered that she wanted to go to
Japan to study. This did not answer the question of why she liked her courses. A more careful
reading of the question was required here.

(j) This question was the one that was tackled least well in this exercise. Candidates needed to fully
understand the question and read the text carefully to produce the answer (está tan lejos). Many
answered cree que sus padres no me permitirían ir. That was not the disadvantage for Ana´s
parents, the disadvantage was the distance.

Question 5

Candidates needed to match a series of eight descriptions with the requirements and interests of five
different people who wanted accommodation. There were therefore three descriptions that were surplus to
requirements. Candidates needed to process a range of information and look for the best-fit house or flat,
eliminating unsuitable houses for each person. Candidates with a wide range of vocabulary and knowledge
of synonyms tended to perform better in this exercise than those whose range of vocabulary and knowledge
of synonyms was less well developed. In general, there was a good response to this question.

(a) Candidates needed to read the texts carefully to fully understand the references to Beatriz wanting
to be on the ground floor, and link transporte público to parada del metro and leyendo to hay una
librería to select the correct answer option 4. The most commonly chosen wrong answer was
option 6 because they did not realise piso en primera planta meant first floor.

(b) In order to select option 5 candidates needed to understand the references to Adrian’s needs: la
paz linked to tranquilo, zonas verdes to cerca al lado del precioso parque and tiene coche to
garaje. Some candidates went for option 3 but Adrian did not want a garden.

© 2022
 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

(c) This question was the one that was answered best in this exercise, with most candidates correctly
selecting option 3. Candidates made the link between lejos de la ciudad and aislada y lujosa; that
Leonor was not concerned with the price, and her love for natación and piscina. Lastly there was
jardín muy grande for her dog. Some candidates went for options 7 or 8, but Leonor did not want
restaurantes y supermercados nearby and she did want a habitación de invitados.

(d) There was a mixed response to this question. The strongest candidates were able to link azafata
with junto a la autopista del aeropuerto, and se permiten animals with Carmen having a cat. Some
candidates went for 8 but the house necesita cambios and she had no free time to do them making
this an unsuitable choice for her.

(e) In order to select option 1, candidates needed to link odian el ruido with barrio muy tranquilo, that
Oscar likes to cultivar flores with the flat having a balcón para plantas and visitar exposiciones de
arte with being near the museo nacional de pintura. In addition, Oscar needed dos habitaciones
one for him and one for his son. Most candidates got this question right.

Question 6

Candidates were required to answer questions on a longer, more demanding text about a boy who collects
football souvenirs. Candidates were required to write short answers in Spanish. Responses need to be
precise and unambiguous. Verbs, personal pronouns, and possessive adjectives needed to be correctly
manipulated. It was clear that many candidates had a good understanding of the text, but they were not
always able to communicate their understanding of the text precisely and accurately.

(a) This was the question that was answered best in this exercise. Many candidates responded
correctly with pelo rizado, some also included sonriente which did not invalidate the answer.

(b) Candidates who understood the interrogative ¿cuándo? looked for a reference of time and
answered correctly hace poco. However, many candidates went for Los peruanos lo conocen
gracias a la televisión nacional or por su gran colección de recuerdos de fútbol that did not answer
the question of when the interview had taken place.

(c) Not all candidates understood the interrogative ¿quién? The ones who did, answered el capitán but
many gave as an answer La camiseta que llevaba el capitán se convirtió en la primera de la
colección which was not an answer to the question. Candidates should be careful with the spelling
of double consonants that change the sound like ll in colección, especially when the word is given
in the text.

(d) Many candidates encountered difficulty here. The correct responses were (i) compró un álbum
(con fotos de jugadores antiguos could be added) and (ii) escribió a jugadores (famosos
pidiéndoles cosas) could be added. Many who located the correct part of the text did not change
the verb to third person so their answers were ambiguous and did not demonstrate a clear enough
understanding. Some candidates answered encontró también unas fotos firmadas and guardaba la
camiseta con los nombres de todo el equipo. The latter is part of the collection he inherited not
what he did to increase it.

(e) Candidates needed to read the question carefully in order to find the answer nunca venderían la
colección. Many lifted tiene mucho valor which did not answer the question. Those who responded
in the first person plural nunca venderíamos la colección could not be rewarded because they did
not manipulate venderíamos into the third-person plural correctly. A number of candidates
answered nunca vendrían la colección and lost the mark because vendrían is from venir.

(f) Candidates needed to change the order of the text Su colección es mucho mayor que la de Daniel
or use their own words (menor / más pequeña) to respond correctly. Although many identified the
correct part of the text, the comparative construction was difficult and only the strongest candidates
got it right.

(g) Candidates generally located the correct part of the text for both responses. Precise lifting
answered both questions (i) Pietro guarda camisetas hasta en el cuarto de baño (ii) lo que hace
enfadarse a su madre. Part (ii) was challenging. Some candidates omitted too much enfadarse or
su madre enfadarse or enfadarse su madre did not answer the question sufficiently.

© 2022
 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

(h) There were many good answers here. Han sido invitados a una reunión de coleccionistas en Berlín
was the most common correct response. There were a few examples of responses containing que
hemos, which could not be rewarded and a number of candidates that manipulated the verb used
second person plural endings.

(i) In general, candidates located the correct part of the text and many answered correctly with
Lloraría de la emoción! A number of candidates that understood the question identified that the
response should contain an emotion and responded concisely emocional that accurately described
his reaction. Many that did not understand the question answered el estadio donde jugó su abuelo
profesionalmente or answers along those lines.

© 2022
 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

SPANISH

Paper 0530/03
Speaking

Key messages

• Teacher/examiners should familiarise themselves with the scripts for the role play and topic
conversations before beginning any ‘live’ Speaking tests. They must adhere to scripts as set out in the
Instructions for Teacher/Examiners booklet.

• At the start of each candidate’s test, teacher/examiners should greet the candidate using the prompts
provided and set the scene for the role-play by reading out the role-play scenario. They should select
the appropriate form for their role, for example, in Candidate card 1 either Yo soy tu amigo or Yo soy tu
amiga.

• Teacher/examiners should be prepared to use extension questions in the topic conversations. If

candidates do not answer a question or answer briefly, teacher/examiners can encourage a fuller
response by asking extension questions/prompts such as, Háblame un poco más sobre…, ¿Qué más
me puedes decir sobre…? ¿Puedes decirme algo más (sobre eso)? The extension questions give
candidates the opportunity to develop ideas and provide justifications, opinions and explanations to
evidence a range of more complex language and structures.

• Teacher/examiners should always make use of scripted alternative questions in the topic conversations
when candidates are unable to answer the first question. It is important that candidates are given
sufficient time to respond to the initial question before moving onto the alternative question.

• In the interests of fairness to all candidates, teacher/examiners should adhere to the timings for the two
topic conversations. If the topic conversations last 3 21 minutes or less, teacher/examiners should use up
to two open-ended further questions, on the same topic, to make sure the conversations last 4 minutes.
They should not repeat previous questions from the script or use the alternative questions as further
questions.

• Candidates should be encouraged to learn and accurately use verb forms, in particular present, past
and future. Equally, candidates should learn a range of vocabulary for the topic areas on the syllabus.

General comments

To be read in conjunction with the Instructions for teacher/examiners booklet (February/March 2022).

Centres are responsible for ensuring the quality of recordings and it is essential that centres check the
quality of the recordings prior to submitting them to Cambridge.

Teacher/examiners should follow the randomisation instructions when allocating the role plays and topic
conversations to candidates.

Each sample that you submit to Cambridge International must contain a recorded introduction including the
name of the examiner, the candidate’s name, their candidate number, the candidate card number and the
date before each speaking examination. The digital file for each candidate’s test must be named clearly
using the following convention:
centre number_candidate number_syllabus number_component number.

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 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

Teacher/examiners are reminded that once a test has started, the recording must run without
interruption and must not be stopped at any point during the test.

Generally, the working mark sheets were completed correctly. Teacher/examiners need to remember to
enter the candidate name, candidate number, role-play card number, topic conversation numbers and a
mark in each column. The name of the teacher/examiner should be legible.

Comments on specific questions

Role Plays

Teachers/examiners conducted the role-plays well. Where candidates do not answer a question
teachers/examiners can repeat the question but must not rephrase the question. If there are two parts to a
question, teachers/examiners should pause and wait for the answer to the first part before asking the second
part. In the role-plays, candidates should focus on communicating the information requested rather than
developing their responses unnecessarily. A short response, which fully communicates the required
information, is adequate. The majority of candidates responded well in the role-plays.

Role-play 1: Some candidates had difficulties with the pronunciation of the currency in task 2. Responses
which referred to a currency other than euros, were accepted. Tasks 4 and 5 required responses in the
correct time-frame to be awarded the full two marks.

Role play 2: Some candidates provided additional information in task 1 which was not required while
omitting the time. The pronunciation of terraza in task 3 caused some difficulty for some candidates.

Role play 3: The majority of candidates completed this role-play well. Candidates are not required to give
long detailed responses to tasks 4 and 5. A shorter response with the required information is sufficient to
access full marks.

Role play 4: Candidates found this role-play straightforward.

Role play 5: This role-play was well completed.

Role play 6: The majority of candidates completed this role-play well.

Role play 7: Some candidates gave long responses to task 2 which is not necessary. Task 4 caused
difficulties for some candidates.

Role play 8: Few candidates received this card.

Role-play 9: Candidates needed to respond to questions in an appropriate time frame in tasks 4 and 5.

Topic Conversations

Most teachers/examiners understood the format of the topic conversations and did not miss out or replace
the set questions with other questions. However, several teachers/examiners were unsure how to use the
alternative questions or appeared reluctant to use the alternative questions where necessary.

Teachers/examiners should remember to use the PAUSE in the script to allow candidates to answer the first
question before asking the second part of the question.

Teachers/examiners used extension questions appropriately for the most part. Where a question has a
second part asking (¿Por qué?), some candidates had already given a reason in answering the first part of
the question. In this case, teachers/examiners do not need to ask the second part of the question as the
candidate has already provided this information. Teachers/examiners could consider asking an extension
question instead if they feel the response was too brief.

Where teachers/examiners asked further questions, these were usually relevant to the topic in question. Only
two further questions should be asked. Teacher/examiners will, with time get used to the difference between
‘extension’ questions to elicit more information, ‘alternative’ questions to afford candidates the opportunity to
respond where the initial question has not been understood, and ‘further’ questions to enable candidates to

© 2022
 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

provide further evidence of their linguistic ability by extending the duration of the conversation to four
minutes. Timings were good and teachers/examiners generally adhered to guidelines.

Topic 1, La rutina en casa: Most candidates communicated the necessary information well. They
developed their answers and in many cases provided detailed responses. In some instances, candidates
were unfamiliar with the reflexive verb acostarse and misunderstood ¿A qué hora te acuestas?

Topic 2, Los viajes y los medios de transporte: In task 3, candidates tended to respond about a particular
holiday rather than a location. For task 4, either giving the advantages or disadvantages were sufficient.
Some candidates explained both the advantages and disadvantages of using public transport.
Teachers/examiners used the alternative questions for tasks 4 and 5 well.

Topic 3, La comida y la vida sana: Candidates responded confidently, providing a lot of detail.

Topic 4, El colegio: Some candidates appeared to be unfamiliar with the vocabulary excursión escolar.

Topic 5, El clima y el tiempo: Some candidates appeared to be unfamiliar with the vocabulary estación del
año. Candidates had difficulties with the pronunciation of lluvia and the forms of llover in tasks 3 and 4.

Topic 6, La tecnología: The majority of candidates managed to communicate all of the required information.

Topic 7, Los idiomas y la cultura: Some candidates understood the first part of task 3 but struggled to
provide an accurate response. In the second part of the question, some candidates did not use the
appropriate time-frame.

Assessment

The majority of centres assessed candidates fairly. All assessment should follow the marking criteria as set
out in the Instructions for Teacher/Examiners booklet (February/March 2022). Teacher/examiners should be
consistent in their marking. Marking should be positive, rewarding achievement.

In the role-plays, most teachers/examiners assessed their candidates consistently and close to the agreed
standard. A minority were either generous or severe in their application of the mark scheme. Sometimes
candidates were awarded full marks for responses, which were in either the incorrect time frame or the
incorrect subject of the verb. On the other hand, some candidates were penalised too severely for minor
errors where they had communicated the required information unambiguously. Where candidates provide an
incorrect or ambiguous answer the teacher/examiner can repeat the question to offer the candidates the
opportunity to provide a correct or clear response. There were some instances of poor pronunciation, which
impeded communication. Most candidates were able to use the appropriate vocabulary and a variety of
tenses correctly. Short responses to tasks 1 and 2 of the role-plays are perfectly acceptable.

The topic conversations discriminated well. All candidates were able to respond to the questions with varying
proficiency. High marks are awarded for communication where candidates show the ability to develop quality
answers, express and justify their opinions and use a wide range of language and structures as required.
Stronger candidates responded confidently to questions and often developed their responses without the
need for extension questions. Generally, candidates were able to communicate relevant information justifying
and explaining their responses.

Teacher/examiners need to give candidates every opportunity to perform to the best of their ability and use
extension questions and the alternative questions where necessary to give candidates the opportunity to
access higher marks. Candidates need to do more than answer each question briefly to score highly in the
topic conversations: they should also be able to provide explanations, opinions, justifications, and use
language that is more complex with a range of structures. If candidates only answer the five set questions
briefly, with some extra details in two further questions they are unlikely to access higher marks in the top
bands.

Candidates should be encouraged to listen carefully to the time frame: whether the question refers to a
present, past, future or hypothetical situation, and respond accordingly, for example, by using an appropriate
verb tense or time marker such as ayer, en el futuro, en el pasado, etc. Candidates do not need to be of
native-speaker standard to achieve the highest possible mark. They must however demonstrate that they
can communicate relevant information, develop and justify responses using a wide range of accurate
structures, vocabulary with good pronunciation.

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 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

SPANISH

Paper 0530/42
Writing

Key messages

• Candidates should read the initial rubric of each question and each task carefully to ensure that the
response that they produce is relevant and includes appropriate tenses
• In order to ensure that they respond to all the tasks in Questions 2 and 3, candidates may benefit from
attempting the tasks in the order in which they appear on the question paper
• Candidates should recognise the need to use an appropriate range of structures, tenses and vocabulary
in their response to Question 3 in order to give themselves access to the full range of marks available.
Similarly, they need to develop their answers by including additional information (e.g. explanations,
reasons, opinions)
• Candidates should pay careful attention to the formation of vowels and the placement of accents as
these features can affect the marks for the three criteria in Question 3
• It is recommended that candidates adhere to the word counts for Question 2 and Question 3.

General comments

Work from the whole ability range was seen. Many candidates performed very well in Questions 1 and 2. In
Question 3 stronger candidates showed control of varied sentence structures and verb tenses, and some
complex linguistic structures were seen.

In Question 1 candidates should always try to produce an answer for each of the five gaps. They need to
read the initial rubric carefully, as well as the tasks themselves, so that they can provide appropriate
responses. Candidates should avoid writing answers outside the dotted lines provided. Extra answers for
one task cannot compensate for other tasks that have not been attempted or that are incorrect.

In Question 2, up to 12 marks are awarded based on task completion, relevance, clarity of the message,
variety of vocabulary and structures, and the use of linking words. There is no requirement to provide the
same amount of information for each of the tasks. Candidates should be reminded that the maximum of 12
marks cannot be awarded if they omit or do not successfully convey at least one detail for each of the tasks,
including tasks that include two elements. Candidates are required to write responses in full sentences and
to form their response as a piece of prose, rather than as a series of bullet points. Candidates need to
produce a recognisable part of an appropriate verb in order to gain credit for task completion. It is acceptable
for two tasks to be completed in a single sentence. Candidates need to link their words, phrases and
sentences using a range of simple connectors e.g. y, también, pero.

Question 3 offers a choice of two options: a letter/email and a report/article. There are 10 marks available
for Task Completion, 10 marks for Range and 8 marks for Accuracy. The marks for Range are awarded
based on the candidates’ ability to extend and link sentences, and the range of tenses and other structures
used, as well as the range of vocabulary. Candidates should ensure that they select the question which will
allow them to best show the Spanish that they know. Candidates should read through both options before
choosing which one to answer. A close reading of the tasks within the questions is recommended as this will
allow candidates to think about the vocabulary and structures that they will need to use in order to respond
effectively and fully to the question. Task completion: For a task to be considered complete, candidates must
respond to the task using the tense required by the task with the production of a wholly accurate verb. Minor
spelling errors might be tolerated, e.g. when a missing accent does not produce another tense which causes
ambiguity.

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 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
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Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

Range: The use of extended sentences, a range of connectives, tenses, varied structures including idioms
and vocabulary is required in order to reach the top mark band. When the descriptor states ‘uses’, it should
be read as ‘uses successfully’. Candidates who struggle to use basic tenses are likely to achieve a maximum
of five marks for Range. Only those who attempt some complex structures are able to access a mark of six
or higher for Range.

Accuracy: Candidates do not have to produce a perfectly accurate piece of writing in order to achieve the full
8 marks available for Accuracy. Minor errors which do not impede communication will not be penalised.

Comments on specific questions

Question 1

Participas en una encuesta sobre los hábitos de lectura de los jóvenes.

The majority of candidates achieved the full five marks available for this question. A single word was
sufficient to gain the mark for each of the five tasks. Many candidates produced accurate spellings in each of
their responses. Minor spelling errors were tolerated as long as the word would be recognised by a native
speaker of Spanish. In many cases, minor spelling errors did not prevent the award of marks e.g. tocar la
guitarria/guitarro was accepted in response to Task 4. Words or phrases that were unrecognisable as
Spanish could not be credited e.g. sciencas fiction, mathematocos. Words spelt incorrectly in Spanish which
produced another word in Spanish were not credited either e.g. jugo. In Task 1, Dónde lees normalmente,
popular answers were biblioteca, escuela, and casa. Some candidates said where in the house specifically
e.g. a mi mesa, en mi cama, mi dormitorio, mi habitación. Some candidates did not gain the mark for Task 1
because they did not understand the word Dónde and wrote inappropriate answers e.g. a las cinco, fútbol. In
Task 2, historia was already given as the first part of the answer and some candidates thought the answer
required a school subject (e.g. matemáticas, biología, ciencias, inglés) rather than a literary genre, but these
were accepted. Candidates who understood that a genre was required provided a variety of answers e.g.
ficción, arte, música, deportes, horror, gente famosa, comedia, acción. Adjectives (e.g. romantico) were also
accepted instead of nouns (romance). Most candidates successfully completed Task 3 and common
answers included hermano/a, abuelo, madre, padre, tío. For Tasks 4 and 5, most candidates were able to
provide two hobbies e.g. jugar deportes, fútbol, bailar, leer, escuchar música, tocar el violín, caminar, dibujar,
cantar, ver la tele, nadar, videojuegos. A minority of candidates produced inappropriate responses
(e.g.dormir ,padre, madre) which could not be considered as hobbies.

Question 2: Los idiomas

Most candidates were able to use familiar language and structures when responding to Question 2, and
many gained full marks here. Candidates who worked methodically through the tasks in order were less
likely to omit one of them. There were some interesting and competent responses which included a variety of
less common vocabulary and detailed information, sometimes expressed in more complex language.
Weaker candidates struggled to respect gender agreements when using articles, nouns and adjectives.
There was also a frequent use of English words where Spanish words were not known e.g. es no matter, con
yo react, expensivo, beneficial, grammar, English, French, class. In the strongest answers, candidates
produced accurate verbs throughout their response. Weaker candidates relied upon infinitives, the verb ‘ser’
or offered inappropriate tenses and spelling of verbs. There was a wide variation in control of verb
formations. Where a spelling error in a verb created a word that did not exist in the verb’s paradigm, this was
taken into account when establishing the final mark for the piece of writing. Whilst most tasks could be
answered using the present tense, other tenses were used appropriately by some candidates. Stronger
candidates used a wide range of connectors (y, pero, o, porque, también, así que, por ejemplo, además, sin
embargo, dado que, aunque, ya que), whereas weaker candidates tended to rely on y and porque.

Task 1 required candidates to state how many languages were spoken in their family. The task was
considered to be successfully completed with a statement including a number or by explaining which
languages were spoken by different family members e.g. En mi familia hablamos tres idiomas, Mis abuelos y
mis padres hablan inglés y hindi pero mi hermano y yo hablamos hindi y español. In response to task 1, it
was common to see misspellings of the verbs from weaker candidates e.g. Mi familia prefiendo hablantemos
Bengali. In some cases, the misspellings were still accurate enough for the tasks to be considered complete.

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 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

Task 2 required candidates to state which foreign language they learn in school. There was generally a good
response to this task e.g. estudio, aprendo, aprendes español en mi colegio. A few weaker candidates
misunderstood the word extranjeras and produced incorrect responses e.g. mi clases de extranjeras es el
golf and baloncesto, en el colegio hay much extranjeras football, nadar.

Task 3 required candidates to describe their foreign language classes. Most candidates responded
successfully, saying their classes were divertido, aburrido or interesante and some added detail about their
teachers or class activities. Noun and adjective agreements were a general issue (e.g. mis clases es
divertido) even for some of the stronger candidates, but did not prevent the task from being completed.
Some weaker candidates described the language being difficult or easy rather than describing what their
classes were like e.g. el español es dificil.

Task 4 asked candidates to explain why it is / is not important to learn foreign languages and was addressed
successfully by stronger candidates who were generally able to provide an explanation for their opinion using
interesting vocabulary e.g. conocer a otras culturas, hablar con personas de países diferentes. Weaker
candidates were able to give an opinion, but often omitted the explanation or the explanation was incorrect
and could not be rewarded e.g. No es importante aprender idiomas extranjeras porque es lenguas muy facil.

Task 5 required candidates to respond using a future timeframe to say how they will use their foreign
language in the future. A clear reference to the future was needed, either by using a verb referring to the
future (e.g. voy a usar mi español, espero ir a España, quiero viajar a...) or by using the present tense along
with a future time phrase e.g. En el future viajan a España. A few candidates used a future time frame with
an inappropriate past tense verb (e.g. En el future yo vivé en España y hablé español) and so, the task could
not be considered complete. Weaker candidates responded with why rather than how they would use their
foreign language in the future and the meaning was not clear enough for the task to be considered complete
e.g. me usar lengua extranjero en el future porque es muy usar en mundo, porque es muy bonita y divertida.

Question 3: General comments

Most candidates chose Question 3(a), and many produced interesting responses. The strongest answers
were well-structured and showed signs of thoughtful planning. Some candidates gained fewer marks than
they could have done because they omitted to cover one or more of the tasks. Candidates generally
respected the guidelines about length, producing between 130 and 140 words.

Task completion

In order to obtain high marks for Task completion, candidates need to ensure that they:
• address all of the tasks given in the question
• provide sufficient information relating to each task by expressing a range of details/opinions/
reactions/explanations – one good strategy that candidates can use is to provide at least two full
sentences in response to each task
• address the specific tasks set
• use verbs accurately
• use an appropriate tense and person of the verb when responding to each task
• copy accurately when using words provided in the question.

Range

Many candidates expressed their ideas using extended, well-linked sentences which demonstrated strong
cohesion. Some candidates included correct and varied use of vocabulary relevant to the topic chosen, verbs
and other structures.

The strongest responses included use of subordinate clauses throughout the pieces of writing, introduced by
a variety of conjunctions and relative pronouns, appropriate and accurate use of a range of timeframes, and
accurately formed verbs in the first, third and, sometimes, second person (including accents, where
required). Such responses also tended to include a wide range of interesting vocabulary which was relevant
to the question chosen and examples of idiomatic expressions e.g. costar un ojo de la cara, ser pan comido,
tener sangre azul. It was noticeable that most examples of the subjunctive were in the opening statement
e.g. Espero que estés bien.

It is important for all candidates to show control of basic structures, including correct spelling and gender.
Access to the higher mark bands is more likely to be achieved through accurate and appropriate use of:

© 2022
 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

• subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions, relative pronouns, etc., produced throughout the
response e.g. cuando/donde/mientras (que)/visto que/puesto que/dado que/ya que/que/quien/si
• appropriate formation of constructions with verbs requiring a preposition e.g. hablar con, con quien
hablé
• a range of timeframes and first-person and third-person verb forms
• adjectives, possessive adjectives, demonstrative adjectives, comparative/superlative adjectives
• adjectival agreement between the subject and its adjective(s)
• correct use and placement of object pronouns in relation to conjugated verbs and infinitives
• negatives, including appropriate word order e.g. nada/nunca
• correct use of por and para
• adverbs, prepositional phrases, time references, opinion markers
• linking words other than y, pero and porque
• definite and indefinite articles.

Candidates who did not attempt structures from the list above or who did not use subordinate clauses could
not go usually achieve a mark higher than five for Range. A response which is entirely, or almost entirely, in
short sentences, without any subordinate clauses, is highly likely to be limited to three or four marks for
Range. To achieve a mark beyond the 5–6 band, candidates need to ensure that they include a range of
tenses, several subordinate clauses, a range of more ambitious connectives (e.g. aunque, además), opinion
markers (e.g. pienso que, opino que) and vocabulary, as well as some of the structures listed above. In
addition, basic structures must, in general, be used successfully.

Some candidates struggled when using both basic and more complex tenses. In order to improve, they need
to ensure that they:
• include accents on verbs (where necessary) in the preterite, imperfect, future and conditional tenses
• include the personal a with verbs that require it
• form regular and common irregular verbs in the preterite, particularly the first-person singular e.g.
compré/comí/bebí/vi/elegí/hice/tuve/dije/practiqué/jugué
• use appropriate prepositions in verb constructions when required e.g. tengo que, ayudo a, tratar de
• avoid using tiene where hay is required and vice versa, and es/son where hay is required and vice
versa.

Accuracy

A high level of accuracy is expected for the award of marks in the top band. However, the response does not
necessarily have to be faultless in order for such a mark to be given. Responses that contain minor errors
(especially in more complex language) which do not affect communication can be considered for the award
of marks in the top band.

Frequent inaccuracies will limit the overall mark awarded for Accuracy. Responses which show errors in
basic tenses, in adjective-noun agreements and in other basic structures/words are likely to be placed in the
3–4 band, depending on how often these errors hinder communication. Similarly, candidates who produce a
very short text using only basic language cannot usually achieve a mark beyond the 3–4 band, since they
will only have demonstrated some accurate spelling and grammar. Candidates who persistently struggle with
accuracy in very basic language and whose errors persistently impede communication are likely to be placed
in the 1–2 band

Common errors

The following common errors were seen:

• omission of the relative pronoun que
• inaccurate spelling of simple adjectives and lack of agreement between the subject and the adjective
• inappropriate use of estar when ser was required and vice versa
• inappropriate use of saber when conocer was required and vice versa
• incorrect combinations of ser/estar with bueno/bien and malo/mal
• Incorrect article with nouns, e.g. la parque, la fin de semana pasada, el semana pasada, el salud, la
espacio, los plantos, la día, el mañana
• Accents – many were missed on basic words such as también as well as words ending in -ión, e.g
contaminación. They were also missing from estar in the present tense
• Weather expressions with hacer and haber

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 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
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Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

• use of third-person singular of ser with a plural subject and third-person plural of ser with a singular
subject
• incorrect formation of gustar/encantar in the present and conditional tenses, including the omission of the
preceding a e.g. a mí, me gusta
• incorrect formation of hacer/decir/tener/poner/poder/querer in the preterite tense
• use of fue/fuiste when fui was intended
• use of second-person formation when the first-person was intended
• use of third-person formation when the first-person was intended
• Confusion between preterite and imperfect
• inappropriate inclusion of a preposition in verb constructions e.g. es importante de, necesito de
• omission of the preposition following verbs e.g. ir a, jugar a and ayudar a
• inappropriate translation of idioms from the candidate’s first language e.g. tener divertido for pasarlo
bien.

(a) Una tarde en el parque

This was very popular, with the great majority of the candidates choosing this option. Most
candidates attempted or successfully addressed most of the tasks. There were good attempts at
explanations and developments, and a significant number of candidates engaged well with the
register of the task (i.e. an email to a friend), including appropriate salutations and endings.

Task completion

Task 1 required candidates to describe the park. This was a straight-forward task which could be completed
using present or past tenses. Most candidates were able to provide a very simple statement to address the
task e.g. el parque es grande, with the stronger candidates extending their answer by giving further details.
For the weakest candidates, this was the only task completed.

Task 2 required candidates to explain why they went to the park and there were many good responses e.g.
fui al parque para relajarme, fui a pasar tiempo con mi bisabuela, quería explorar. However, if the response
included an inappropriate verb form (e.g. use of third-person fue instead of first-person fui), an incorrect
spelling of the verb (e.g. queiró visitar) then the task could not be considered complete. Some candidates
missed this bullet point out entirely and did not give a reason for going to the park.

Task 3 required candidates to say what the weather was like in the park. This was probably the most
challenging task for candidates. Some candidates thought the question was about time rather than weather
and produced inappropriate responses e.g. Voy en el parque a doce y media. Weaker candidates who
answered with a sentence about weather often used the wrong verb e.g. fue mucho sol, es más sol. They
also talked about the weather in general rather than using the past tense to refer to that specific afternoon
e.g en verano hace calor, ahora es llover. The strongest candidates were able to use correct weather
terminology using the past tense e.g. hacía calor, no había viento.

Task 4 required candidates to explain why it is (not) important to have green spaces near home. The
stronger candidates were able to produce a clear explanation of the health benefits of living near green
areas e.g. en mi tiempo libre podría andar con mi perro al parque, hay mucho aire fresco. Weaker
candidates lacked vocabulary to fully answer this task whilst others struggled to structure their response in
the correct tense e.g. Es importante tengo espacios verdes cerca de cerca porque la casa es grande y yo
uso de relajarse o viendo la television.

Task 5 required candidates to state which other outdoor place they would like / not like to visit. Places such
as museums and libraries which could not be considered as an outdoor venue were not accepted. Most
candidates were confident using a future timeframe with me gustaría + infinitive, but the second-person verb
form was sometimes copied unaltered from the question, meaning that the task could not be considered
complete. Some candidates answered with only gustaria or mi gustaria which were not accepted either. It
was noticeable that many candidates did not go beyond the present tense when giving further detail.
Stronger candidates used a wider variety of verbs and tenses e.g. será fantástico y voy a hacer yoga
también.

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 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

Range

A few candidates demonstrated a strong grasp of the language, combining fluency, breadth and variety.
These candidates used a broad range of tenses, which were mostly accurate, combined with other complex
grammar and vocabulary e.g. perfect tense, object pronouns, idioms. Only those candidates who could
produce longer, complex sentences linked with a range of connectors could score a mark in the top band.
For some candidates, it often proved difficult to gain a mark higher than five or six due to an insufficient
range of tenses and other complex structures, and ideas presented as a list of simple sentences with a
repetitive use of simple connectors.

Accuracy

The stronger candidates, who often scored marks in the top mark band, tended to produce pieces of writing
that contained only very minor errors that did not impede communication. Some of the most common errors
which hindered communication were errors with the subject, tense or verbs (e.g. preterite and future tenses,
spelling of key vocabulary).

(b) Una competición deportiva

This was the less popular option with very few candidates choosing this. Overall, it was not
generally well done, with only a few candidates able to address all the tasks with some good
attempts at explanations and development of ideas. Most candidates misinterpreted the task,
advertising an event in the future and encouraging people to participate or talking about sports they
generally do. A few candidates engaged well with the register of the task, i.e. an article for the
school magazine, but most attempted a piece of prose in response to the bullet points.

Task completion

Task 1 asked candidates to state where the competition took place. Responses from weaker candidates
included incorrect verbs and they were unable to say clearly where the competition took place e.g. el
competición lugar en el verano, es un YMCA, en una stadium, es mi instituto. Stronger candidates were able
to use appropriate vocabulary and a verb in the past tense e.g. mi equipo y yo fuimos a Madrid para esta
competición.

Task 2 asked candidates to say how they participated in the competition. Stronger candidates were able to
produce a statement with verbs in the preterite tense and give further details e.g. participe en la competición
con mi equipo de futbol. Weaker candidates struggled to use an accurate verb in the preterite or used the
present tense instead. A significant number of responses contained the second-person verb form
participaste, which had been lifted directly from the question, and in such cases task 2 could not be
considered complete. Some candidates did not understand the task and produced inappropriate responses
(e.g. Hablé con mi professor..., Poder particpar en el competicion desde el ordenedor) which could not
rewarded.

Task 3 required candidates to give an opinion on what is the most exciting thing about events like this and
was poorly done. Confusion over the task led some candidates to attempt answers about the competition
rather than sporting events generally e.g. Soy muy emocionado y nervioso para el competicion,
emociomente en estos eventos es muy confidiante.

Task 4 required candidates to say why young people should /should not do sports at school and was
attempted by most candidates, but not always successfully. Weaker candidates produced inappropriate
answers e.g. estudiantes tambien encanta usan telefonos y computadores y veo la tele y no ejercicio.
Stronger candidates were able to give reasons e.g. Hay muchas razones para eso como ayuda reducir
estres.

Task 5 required candidates to state what sport they were going to do next weekend. Some candidates
answered with a short, simple sentence in which an accurate form of the future was produced e.g. El
próximo fin de semana voy a practicar baloncesto. Others attempted more complex language which, despite
inaccuracy, completed the task e.g. Es posible que jugaré al baloncesto. Weaker candidates did not address
the task successfully due to verb inaccuracy e.g. Yo y mi equipo voy a salir a las montañas.

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 Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education
0530 Spanish March 2022
Principal Examiner Report for Teachers

Range

Stronger candidates were able to include a range of connectives and appropriate linking words whilst weaker
candidates relied on a repetition of simple connectives such as y and porque. A few candidates successfully
used idioms (e.g. es un cero a la izquierda, es pan comido’ and a wider variety of tenses (e.g. es importante
que te mantengas en forma). However, in general, this question did not yield a range of complex structures,
with most candidates only using basic tenses, often marred with inaccuracy e.g. mi practicar próximo y bailar
ocho y nueve houres.

Accuracy

Stronger candidates did have occasional errors in spelling and grammar, but communication was not
impeded, and they were therefore given marks in the top two bands. Weaker candidates rarely achieved
more than 4 marks, which was due to communication being significantly impeded by errors in spelling and
grammar.

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