FLACS Exam Portal

Exam Administration Date: Monday, June 23, 2025

FLACS A start time – 9:15 AM (early start 8:15 AM)
FLACS B start time – 1:15 PM (early start 12:15 PM)

LINK TO EXAM DESIGNEE ACCESS - CLICK IN THIS BOX

IMPT: THE PASSWORD TO THE EXAM DESIGNEE PAGE HAS BEEN CHANGED AS OF THURSDAY, MAY 23. Please check your email for the new access document.

Exam designees are selected by the NYSAWLA member in good standing in your district/school.

If you, as an exam designee, do not receive a password by the end of May, please email exams@nysawla.org. Include your district/school name and the NYSAWLA member’s name, along with your request to access exams.

Checkpoint A & B Writing Rubrics

2024-2025 Edition – Now Available!

The New York State (NYS) framework identifies two categories of modern languages, based on the time it typically takes English speakers to develop proficiency.

Category 1 & 2 Languages: These include languages with Roman-based alphabets like Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Swahili.
Category 3 & 4 Languages: This group covers a diverse range, including American Sign Language (ASL), indigenous languages like Seneca and Tuscarora, character-based languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, as well as languages with non-Roman alphabets like Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, and Russian.

Want to dive deeper? Check out these documents: Category 1-2 and Category 3-4 to see how the NYS standards help students thrive in world language learning!

Revision as of January 7, 2025: The Interpersonal Speaking rubrics for both Categories have been updated to reflect the new point distribution for the FLACS Checkpoint A Examination.

Checkpoint A & B Revised Rubrics Speaking and Writing Categories 1 & 2

Checkpoint A & B Revised Rubrics Speaking and Writing Categories 3 & 4

Important Documents

School Administrators Manual (SAM)
This document describes general information on FLACS exams and overall procedures and guidelines.

Access FLACS SAM HERE
FLACS Speaking - Administration Guidelines
This booklet provides specific information on how to administer the speaking portion of the FLACS exam. It also contains examples of items with scoring explanations.

We ask that you read the guidelines carefully. ALL items in our speaking task booklets may be used for either practice or as secure testing items. It will be up to individual districts to decide which and how many items from each theme will be used for testing purposes. Once secure testing items are selected, districts may then use the other items as practice throughout the year.

Secure Speaking task booklets are released to current members of NYSAWLA. If you have not received them, check your membership status in your account. If you are a current (or pending) member, then the email may have landed in your junk email folder! Please take us out of “junk” by asking your IT Department to add @nysawla.org and nysawla@gmail.com to their Safe Senders list.

Administration Guidelines, including sample tasks for scoring.
Secure Presentational/Interpersonal Speaking Tasks Sourcebook
These password-protected booklets contain both secure and practice items for the Presentational and Interpersonal Speaking sections of the FLACS exam. Only current NYSAWLA members receive password information to these booklets.

FLACS Interpersonal Speaking Task booklet – password protected

FLACS Presentational Speaking Task booklet – password protected
Part 4 Presentational Speaking / Expressive Signing Guidelines
Revised 2/24/2025

The Presentational Writing / Expressive Signing section assesses students’ ability to communicate in a structured and coherent manner. Spoken language students will complete two writing tasks, while ASL students will complete two See-to-Sign tasks. For FLACS A spoken languages, the Read-to-Write task has been replaced with the Visually Supported Writing task, while the FLACS B examination remains unchanged from 2024. The guidelines booklet includes task descriptions, scoring criteria, and rubrics for evaluation. The new rubrics do not require a conversion.

Part 4 Presentational Writing / Expressive Signing Guidelines
Interpersonal and Presentational Speaking Reporting Form
Revised 2/24/2025

The Interpersonal and Presentational Speaking (Part 1) reporting form is designed for teachers to record student scores for this section. This form may be used for both spoken languages and ASL. Teachers should submit the original to their department administrator and keep a copy for their records. Both Word and PDF versions of the student answer booklet are available. The Word format allows districts to customize and merge student information for preprinted forms, while the PDF ensures accurate and consistent printing.

FLACS A Interpersonal and Presentational Speaking Form: WORD / PDF

FLACS B Interpersonal and Presentational Speaking Form: WORD / PDF
Answer Documents
Revised 2/24/2025: Both Word and PDF versions of the student answer booklet are available. The Word format allows districts to customize and merge student information for preprinted forms, while the PDF ensures accurate and consistent printing.

FLACS Checkpoint A Examination Student Booklets:

American Sign Language Student Booklet: WORD / PDF

Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish Student Booklet: WORD / PDF

FLACS Checkpoint B Examination Student Booklet:

Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish Student Booklet: WORD / PDF
Recording Guidelines for Audio/Listening
Districts will be responsible for creating their own audio recordings of the Interpretive Listening section of the exam. Scripts for all exams will be shared well in advance of the start of testing in order to give districts time to prepare. Below are suggested guidelines for making a recording of the interpretive listening section.

Checkpoint A Recording Guidelines

Checkpoint B Recording Guidelines
General Proctor Directions
General test administration directions for proctors.

Sample ASL Proctor Instructions

ADDITIONAL FLACS EXAM FAQs:

MAKEUP EXAMS

FLACS exams, in their entirety, or select components of current or past exams, cannot be used as a makeup exam. Districts may decide on an alternative assessment as a makeup or students may continue on with their language studies next year and take the FLACS exam next June. Parents are encouraged to speak with the administrator in charge of world languages in their district if they have questions.

EXAM SCORING

We understand that each district has unique issues and needs concerning language learning in their schools. NYSAWLA permits districts to conduct their own item analysis as they score their exams, and determine whether to give credit to individual items that may be causing issues for students in their own district. NYSAWLA suggests, based on best practices, that at least 50% of the students need to get the item wrong before determining whether credit should be awarded.

We hope that this alleviates any serious issues you may have with items on exams.

EXAM DATA

Exam data is collected immediately following exam administration. Please participate in this important analysis so that we have valid and reliable data to evaluate each year.

FLACS EXAM OUTLINE

Click here for a printable copy

FLACS Checkpoint A (2024-2025)

Revised 1/7/2025

Part 1: Presentational and Interpersonal Speaking (40 points)

1 Presentational Task (10 points)
2 Interpersonal Tasks (15 points each, 30 points total)

Part 2: Interpretive Listening (20 points)

2A: 4 items – Passages in the Target Language, questions in English (8 points)
2B: 2 items – Passages in the Target Language, questions in the Target Language (4 points)
2C: 2 passages with 2 questions each, in English (8 points)

Part 3: Interpretive Reading (20 points)

3A: 6 items – Short readings/ads in the Target Language, multiple-choice questions in English (12 points)
3B: 4 items – Short readings/ads in the Target Language, multiple-choice questions in the Target Language (8 points)

Part 4: Presentational Writing (20 points)

4A: One writing prompt (mandatory) with suggested details provided. (1o points)
4B: Choose ONE of two visually supported writing prompts with suggested details provided. (10 points)

FLACS Checkpoint B (2024-2025)

Part 1: Presentational and Interpersonal Speaking (30 points)

1 Presentational Task (10 points)
2 Interpersonal Tasks (10 points each, 20 points total)

Part 2: Interpretive Listening (20 points)

2A: 5 items – Passages in the Target Language, questions in English (10 points)
2B: 5 items – Passages in the Target Language, questions in the Target Language (10 points)

Part 3: Interpretive Reading (30 points)

3A: 6 items – Short readings/ads in the Target Language, multiple-choice questions in English (12 points)
3B: 4 items – Short readings/ads in the Target Language, multiple-choice questions in the Target Language (8 points)
3C: 5 items – One passage in the Target Language, multiple-choice questions in English (10 points)

Part 4: Presentational Writing (20 points)

4A: Read-to-Write – Students analyze two documents to develop a response on a given topic, with suggested details provided (10 points).
4B: Writing Prompt Selection – Students choose between two writing prompts, with suggested details provided (10 points).

FLACS ASL Checkpoint A (2024-2025)

Revised 5/6/25

Part 1: Expressive Skills (Interpersonal and Presentational) (40 points)

1 Presentational Task (10 points)
2 Interpersonal Tasks (15 points each, 30 points total)

Part 2: Receptive Skills (Interpretive) (20 points)

2A: 4 passages in American Sign Language (ASL), with one written question each (8 points total)
2B: 6 passages in American Sign Language (ASL), with one signed question each (12 points total)

Part 3: Comprehension (Interpretive) (20 points)

10 Multiple-Choice Video Comprehension Questions focused on NYS themes and topics, incorporating elements of culture, history, and syntax/structure relevant to Checkpoint A.

Part 4: Expressive Skills (Presentational) (20 points)

Two See-to-Sign Items – Students use a combination of visual materials and a short video prompt to develop and record a signed response about a given topic. Suggested details are provided. (10 points each)

QUESTIONS?

For any questions, comments, accolades or otherwise regarding the June 2023 FLACS exams, please click on the button below.

***We ask that you refrain from phoning and emailing your questions to us, as we will be hard at work preparing for our new exams this year. We WILL monitor this form, though, and will respond as quickly as possible to all entries.***

FLACS EXAM QUESTIONS

Contact Us

To better serve you, please direct your questions to the appropriate individuals as outlined below. Thank you.

NYSAWLA Membership, payment, Purchase order questions, requests for W-9 forms Jimmy Kalamaras

Questions regarding the Consortium and the exams Vincenza Graham

General questions about NYSAWLA, our meetings, and policies Vincenza Graham or David Balsamo

Questions regarding workshops and Collegial Circle Leo Rivera

Questions regarding scholarships and awards Leo Rivera

All technical questions Leo Rivera

FLACS Exam Portal

Checkpoint A & B Writing Rubrics

2024-2025 Edition – Now Available!

Important Documents

FLACS Checkpoint A Examination Student Booklets:

FLACS Checkpoint B Examination Student Booklet:

ADDITIONAL FLACS EXAM FAQs:

FLACS EXAM OUTLINE

Click here for a printable copy

FLACS Checkpoint A (2024-2025)

Part 1: Presentational and Interpersonal Speaking (40 points)

Part 2: Interpretive Listening (20 points)

Part 3: Interpretive Reading (20 points)

Part 4: Presentational Writing (20 points)

FLACS Checkpoint B (2024-2025)

Part 1: Presentational and Interpersonal Speaking (30 points)

Part 2: Interpretive Listening (20 points)

Part 3: Interpretive Reading (30 points)

Part 4: Presentational Writing (20 points)

FLACS ASL Checkpoint A (2024-2025)

Part 1: Expressive Skills (Interpersonal and Presentational) (40 points)

Part 2: Receptive Skills (Interpretive) (20 points)

Part 3: Comprehension (Interpretive) (20 points)

Part 4: Expressive Skills (Presentational) (20 points)

QUESTIONS?

Contact Us