Dw i wedi sefyll fy arholiadau Canolradd! I’ve taken my intermediate Welsh exams

Black pens, pencil, highlighter, pack of tissues, bottle of water, cereal bar. It’s been a while since I’ve had to pack for a real-life exam.

Four exams in one day, in fact. The day after a job interview and the week before mine and Joe’s wedding. Overall, it’s been a pretty busy couple of weeks!

According to the candidate’s booklet: “Does dim rhaid sefyll arholiad er mwyn dysgu Cymraeg, ond mae’n rhoi rhywbeth i chi anelu ato ac yn eich helpu i wella’ch sgiliau iaith.”

In English: “You don’t have to sit an exam to learn Welsh, but it does give you something to aim for and will help you improve your language skills.”

The Canolradd (intermediate) exams were on Friday, June 10 and I was so grateful to have the opportunity to sit the full exams, in-person.

Left to right: Me, Mandy, Bev and Karen meeting for coffee and cake after the exams. (Credit: Yvonne Evans)

Dw i wedi cwblhau’r cwrs Canolradd! I’ve completed the intermediate course

I took my Sylfaen (foundation) speaking test online last summer, but the full exam wasn’t available, due to coronavirus restrictions.

The deadline for registering was February 23 and the exams were free for anyone studying a course through Dysgu Cymraeg (Learn Welsh).

Tasg Sgwrsio (conversation task) was the first part of the assessment, worth 15% of the marks. I had to record a five-minute conversation with a fluent Welsh speaker and submit it by April 25.

Richard Nosworthy very kindly helped me out with this. We met through National Union of Journalists (NUJ) training and I was a guest on his podcast Hefyd last year.

The briefing said I should introduce myself and Richard, then lead the conversation by asking questions and responding around topics like work, social life, family, interests and the local area.

Civil engineer Jess Li is hoping to become quadrilingual through learning Welsh

I sat a mock speaking test on May 10 with tutor Ashleigh Hurford. I had 30 minutes to prepare and I chose the discussion topic: “Mae gweithio adre’n beth da.” Working from home is a good thing.

We discussed that topic for five minutes, before moving on to general conversation. Ashleigh was so helpful – she gave me some useful feedback and really boosted my confidence.

For me, the best way to prepare for the exams was working through past papers. I must have done about 10, which my tutor Yvonne Evans kindly marked for me.

It was quite an early start to get to the John Percival Building on Colum Drive in Cardiff for 8.30am to register. Luckily it was a warm, sunny morning to cycle into Cardiff University.

The hour-long reading paper, worth 15%, started at 9.15am. Firstly, there was an article with comprehension questions, then emails with multi-choice questions, then a gap filling exercise.

A post-exam pint in Cardiff Bay

Gêm Beryglus review – a chilling murder mystery set in the Brecon Beacons

Next up was the listening exam, also worth 15%, which lasted for around 50 minutes. We had to listen to a dialogue and answer questions about it, then the same with a news bulletin.

The writing exams lasted for 75 minutes and most candidates seemed to find this quite generous. We had to write a letter (100 words) and then fill in a form (150 words).

Slightly exhausted, I went to Bute Park to breathe, eat a sandwich and look back over my revision notes. I also made friends with a squirrel, but I don’t think that’s a recognised revision technique.

Then it was just the small matter of the speaking test at 2.30pm, worth 40% – the biggest chunk of the marks. I had to arrive at the preparation room half an hour before my exam time.

I was given a card with a choice of three discussion topics. I had 30 minutes to choose a topic and prepare to talk about it for five minutes.

C’mon, Reff review – an adaptation of Nigel Owens’ inspiring autobiography

We then moved on to general conversation, with the examiner asking me about my background, work, family, interests, holidays and experiences of learning Welsh.

The speaking test is assessed on ability to speak accurately, use a range of patterns and vocabulary, respond appropriately, pronounce Welsh and extend responses.

By far the best bit of the day was meeting my classmates Bev Parrish and Mandy Lewis. We’ve been studying together for nearly two years, but this was the first time we’ve all met in real life.

Karen Cherrett chose not to sit the exams, but came along especially for a coffee and a chat. It was also great to meet our tutor Yvonne, as well as our tutor from last year, Jo Robinson.

All in all, it’s been a busy couple of weeks. A job interview, followed by four Welsh exams, followed by our wedding! Joe and I had to postpone by a year due to the pandemic.

Joe and I celebrated our wedding at Coed Hills the week after the exams

Karen Cherrett decided to learn Welsh when she moved back to Wales

I’ve been told to expect my results around eight weeks after the exams, so mid-August. You need 60% to pass and 80% for distinction. Hopefully there’ll be a certificate to follow in September.

In the meantime, Joe and I are off to Norway for our honeymoon. I’m currently planning how to preserve my 659-day streak on Duolingo. Time to start learning Norwegian, I think…