cambridge english language assessment: principles of...

© UCLES 2013

Cambridge English Language Assessment: Principles of good practice for test development and quality management

Dr Angeliki Salamoura, Research and Validation GroupGraeme Harrison, Head of Assessment Services, Southern Cone & Andes

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Overview• Cambridge English Language Assessment:

who we are & what we offer• Principles of test development• Quality management:

Question Paper Production process• Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) • Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT)

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Cambridge English Language

Assessment

University of Cambridge

Cambridge University

Press

Cambridge English

A not-for-profit university department

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Language Policy & strategy

Analysis & diagnostics

Curriculum reform

Materials & resources

Teacher Development

Assessment &

certification

Programme implementation

& evaluation

Cambridge English

educationalvalue chain

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English language

exams since 1913 One

of the largest dedicated research

teams

4.5 millioncandidates

per yearAccepted by

12,500organisations

globally

2,700 test centres in

130 countries

Over 50,000preparation

centres worldwide

Assessment and Certification

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1913: The first Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)

The 1913 UCLES Regulations:

‘The Certificate of Proficiency in English is designed for Foreign Students who desire a satisfactory proof of their knowledge of the language with a view to teaching it in foreign schools.’

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1913: The first CPE

Candidates: 3 Exam centres: 2 Fee: £3 (≈ 2,500 CLP) Length (time):

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1913: The first CPE

Candidates: 3 Exam centres: 2 Fee: £3 (≈ 2,500 CLP) Length (time): 12 hours!

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1913: The first CPE

(ii) Oral: (f) Dictation: ½ hour.(g) Reading aloud and Conversation: ½ hour

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1913: The first CPE


Pass rate: ?

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1913: The first CPE


Pass rate: 0%

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1913: The first CPE

The 1913 examiner report on Phonetics:

‘None of the candidates [had] given the subject sufficient attention. The transcriptions were distinctly poor and suggested that the candidates had had but little practice…’

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Cambridge English exams and the CEFRCPEC2

1913

FCEB2

1939

CAEC1

1991

PETB1

1981

KETA2

1988

FlyersC2Movers

StartersBeg-A2

Effective Operational Proficiency

level

Council of EuropeVantage

level

Council of Europe

Threshold level

Council of Europe

Waystage level

Mastery level

Breakthrough Level

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Maintaining standards over time -an item banking approach using IRT

Probabilistic models:Estimating the probability that a candidate of known ability will

succeed on an item of known difficulty

Item Response models and Rasch analysis provide the statistical approach for building a measurement scale and doing item banking

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TEST

A test is a specific (and necessarily limited) sample of performance, from which users seek to make broader generalisations about the knowledge, skills, or abilities a person has.

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Test qualities…

Validity Reliability

Impact Practicality

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Balancing test qualities…


Impact Practicality

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The longer the test…

…the more it is.

…the less it is.

valid reliable practical

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A Fine Balance

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Multiple Choice Test

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Short Response

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Speaking Test

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Speaking Test

Describe and explain why…• Evaluate performance on a scale

Repeat the phrase you hear in the recording

• Accurately repeated = 1• Not accurately repeated = 0

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Balancing test qualities…


Impact Practicality

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How do we ensure reliability?

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Speaking and WritingRecruitment

Certification

Training

Standardisation &

RecertificationMonitoring

Examiner Administration

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How do we ensure test validity &

fitness for purpose?

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Socio-cognitive framework for test validation(Weir 2005)

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How are the characteristics of

test takers catered for by this exam?

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Are the characteristics of the test tasks and the test administration fair to the test takers?

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Are the cognitive processes required to complete the

task appropriate?

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How far can we depend on the scores of the test?

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What effects does the test have on its various stakeholders?

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What external evidence is there outside of the test

scores themselves that the test is doing a good job?

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Does the test measure the right things?

Research Notes:quarterly online publication

Studies in Language Testing:Examining Writing (2007)Examining Reading (2009) Examining Speaking (2011) Examining Listening (2013)

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External Specialists

•Assessment Managers•Assessment Administrators•Operations Administrators •Validation Officers•Clerical Markers

• Chair (writing team leader)

• Item Writing Team• Content Vetters• Proofreaders• Examiners

Cambridge English Language Assessment

Stakeholders•Pretest centres•Pretest candidates

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The Recipe for Question Paper Production

Rejection

Editing

Pre-editing

Commissioning of material

Revision

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Pre-editing and Editing – the cake mix

ParticipantsAssessment ManagerChair (writing team

leader)Writers

AimsTopicTopicalityLevel of language Suitability for the task LengthFocus StyleAccuracy

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Rejection Pretesting

Editing

Pre-editing


Revision

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Aims of Pretesting – the taste test

• Generate statistical data• Difficulty• Discrimination

• Generate qualitative feedback• Check the quality and fairness of items and

tasks

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Rejection

Pretest Review

Pretesting & Trialling

Editing

Pre-editing


Revision

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Pretest Review – the proof of the pudding…

ParticipantsAssessment ManagerChair (writing team leader)Experienced writerAimsevaluate resultsfinalise key

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Test Construction

Pretest Review


Editing

Pre-editing


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Test Construction

Participants: Assessment ManagerChair (writing team leader)Experienced writerAims:Construct question papersEnsure correct level of difficultyCoverage of skills and appropriate content

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Test Construction

Pretest Review


Editing

Pre-editing


Paper checking before sign-off

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What is Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)?

Established and high-quality test of EnglishTaken by hundreds of thousands of students globallyFocused on the level needed for university study (CEFR C1)Proven validity and reliability

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Accepted by 3,000 organisations worldwide

Higher education

UK, Australia, North America

Immigration

UK Border AgencyDIAC - Australia

Employers

Accenture, Bayer,Ernst & Young,

Dell

Teachers

Mexico,Finland

State schools

Romania,Germany

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Why is CAE different?

CAETherm

om

eter test

More than just a snapshot of English skills

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Helps students improve their English

Positive impact

Students take a language improvement course

Focus on communicative language skills

Focus on grammar and vocabulary

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Test content

12345

Reading – 75 min

Writing - 90 min

Use of English – 60 min

Listening - 40 min

Speaking - 15 min

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Test content

1234

Reading and Use of English - 90 min

Writing – 90 min

Listening - 40 min

Speaking - 15 min

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Enhanced securityTest day photosStatistical analysis of results

before releaseOnline results verification

service

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Why take Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)?

Established – recognised worldwide

Positive impact – focus on language skills

High quality – test content; administration; results

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Module 2: Planning for language teaching

TKT - OverviewC

ore

Module 1: Background to language teaching

Module 3: Classroom management

TKT: Young Learners

TKT: Practical

TKT: CLIL

TKT: Knowledge about LanguageS

pecialist

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Summary

Quality Assurance through the QPP process

Cambridge English: Advanced for C1 certification

Teaching Knowledge Test for teacher development

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Further information– Learn more about Cambridge English teaching

qualifications – www.cambridgeenglish.org/sector/teaching

– For more information on Cambridge English: Advanced– http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-

qualifications/advanced/

– [email protected]

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1913: The first CPE

items about grammar & lexis:‘Give the past tense and past participle of… dividing them into strong and weak; add explanations:tell, wake, buy’

items on grammar & lexical usage:‘Embody each of the following words into a sentence in such a way as to show that you clearly apprehend its meaning:commence, comment, commend…’

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What can students do with CAE?

Listening/Speaking Reading Writing

CAN follow abstract argumentation, for example the balancing of alternatives and the drawing of a conclusion.

CAN read quickly enough to cope with the demands of an academic course.

CAN write an essay which shows ability to communicate, giving few difficulties for the reader.

Examples CEFR Level C1 abilities

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Typical abilities at CEFR Level C1

React appropriately in different cultural and social situations

Express yourself with a high level of fluency

Participate effectively in meetings or academic tutorials and seminars

Deal confidently with living in an English-speaking environment

Communicate effectively at managerial and professional level

Follow an academic course at university level

7

5

6

4

3

2

1

Carry out complex and challenging research

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What is the impact if students are below this level?

Increased requirement for supportStudents fail to reach academic potential

Dissatisfaction amongst home students

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Test content

12345

Reading - 1 hour 15 minutes

Writing - 1 hour 30 minutes

Use of English - 1 hour

Listening - 40 minutes

Speaking - 15 minutes

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ReadingPart 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4Multiple choice6 questions

Gapped text6 questions

Multiple choice7 questions

Multiple matching15 questions

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WritingPart 1 Part 2

Compulsory questionWrite one of the following: article, report, proposal or letter.

180-220 words

1 task from choice of 5One of the following: article, competition entry, contribution to a longer piece, essay, information sheet, a letter, a proposal, a report, a review

220–260 words

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Use of EnglishPart 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Multiple-choicecloze12 questions

Open cloze15 questions

Word formation10 questions

Gapped sentences5 questions

Key word transformat-ions8 questions

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SpeakingPart 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Conversation betweenthe interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

3 minutes

Individual ‘long turn’ foreach candidate with brief response from the second candidate. In turn, the candidates are given three pictures to talk about

A 1-minute ‘long turn’ for each candidate,plus a 30-second response from the second candidate

A two-way conversation between the candidates. The candidates are given spoken instructions with written and visual stimuli, which are used in a decision-making task

4 Minutes

A discussion on topics related to the collaborative task (spoken questions)

4 minutes

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