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[MartinK]

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[Roger]

Most of us at public schools are faced with some form of dilemma or other when it comes to exams. CHinese schools are hopelessly disorganised, exams are not standardised, teachers muddle through, principals make ad hoc decisions.
Exams do not really have much of value. The joke is that the teachers have a dual function, teacher and examiner. That can never work out ethically well. But the Chinese grow up in a communitarian society. Students strictly do only what their teachers do. So they don't actually "learn" or "study" toward an exam, they drill and practise and rehearse.

If I examine students' oral abilities, I set out some criteria that they must meet in order to score top. What have they learnt throughout the term? In oral English, I expect students to be able to handle certain situations, and I would expect them to use proper English (grammar, vocabulary, colloquialisms); oral English is less about "learning" than about spontaneous reacting, so some of the skills need honing through writing, studying texts and doing paperwork. Dictation can take care of some of these activities - you do in class what they are too lazy to do as homework!
Actually, the New COncept English is quite adequate to bridge the cultural divide and to give exposure to the various elements of English. The question now is, which parts do you want to examine?

As said above, exams are nothing short of scams. You have still some time left to prepare your students for face-to-face dialogues or interviews.