by JenBurdoo » Wed Jul 15, 2020 7:51 pm
Would the question be considered small talk? Possibly. A part of the exam process? No. Did the question relate to the test-taker? This. The examiner? Was it intended to put the test-taker at ease? Possibly. To clarify or confirm some aspect of the exam? No. To confirm that the test-taker is in the right exam? No. To establish whether the exam can be started? Possibly.
Did he memorise in advance a full answer to the question? Yes. Did he memorise a deliberately vague answer that he planned to use for any question he got asked? No. Did his answer to the question somehow get him sympathy from the examiner? Cause the examiner to think he was more proficient in the language than he was? This.
Did he prepare for a question where the answer does not require full sentences to answer? e.g. Day of week, month, year, planets in the solar system, continents and oceans, numbers, etc? No.