Process and outcome in paired oral assessment

This article responds to points raised in the article 'The paired format in the Cambridge Speaking Tests' by Julie Norton in the 59/4 issue of this Journal on the potential drawbacks of a paired format in oral testing, based on observations about the nature of the discourse produced in this context. This article argues that, although the author investigates a pressing and complex issue in oral testing, the article itself falls short in a number of respects.