51-634: Cambridge Assessment English or Cambridge English develops and produces Cambridge English Qualifications and the International English Language Testing System ( IELTS ). The organisation contributed to the development of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), the standard used around the world to benchmark language skills, and its qualifications and tests are aligned with CEFR levels. Cambridge Assessment English
102-496: A Phonetics paper was included as it was thought to be useful in the teaching of pronunciation. The paper required candidates to make phonetic transcriptions of long pieces of continuous text; describe the articulation of particular sounds; explain phonetic terms, and suggest ways of teaching certain sounds. Here are two example questions: explain the terms: "glide", "narrow vowel", "semi-vowel" and give two examples of each in both phonetic and ordinary spelling and how would you teach
153-747: A large proportion of the candidature. In 1943, over a third of all LCE Certificates were awarded to candidates from the Polish army and air force. This pattern continued throughout the war and into the post-war period. On one single day in 1948, no fewer than 2,500 Polish men and women of the Polish Resettlement Corps took the LCE. UCLES tests were made available for prisoners of war in Britain and in Germany. In Britain, 1,500 prisoners of war took
204-504: A meaningful improvement in language competency. The study of how learners are motivated was pioneered in the post-war years by John William Atkinson at the University of Michigan . In his book Motivation and Achievement , Atkinson argued that motivation is increased when there is an attainable goal in an activity that is highly valued. John Hattie and Helen Timperley of the University of Auckland argue that assessment feedback
255-594: A noble cause, he contrived to steer through life, unsullied by its meanness, unsubdued by any of its difficulties or allurements ... In the English Essay paper, candidates were asked to write an essay for two hours, on one of the following subjects: the effect of political movements upon nineteenth-century literature in England; English Pre-Raphaelitism; Elizabethan travel and discovery; the Indian Mutiny;
306-735: A partnership between Cambridge Assessment English and the English Language Teaching (ELT) business of Cambridge University Press , develops official Cambridge preparation materials for Cambridge English and IELTS exams. In 2013 Cambridge Assessment English formed a joint venture with the Box Hill Institute to deliver the Occupational English Test , known as OET. In 2019 Cambridge Assessment English acquired English Language iTutoring (ELiT), an artificial intelligence developed off technology from
357-461: A pupil the correct pronunciation of the vowel sounds in: fare, fate, fat, fall, far? The 1913 CPE exam was taken by just three candidates. The candidates "were able to converse fluently, expressing themselves on the whole, with remarkable ease and accuracy." However, all three candidates failed the exam and none of them was awarded a CPE certificate. In its second year (1914), CPE gained in popularity, with 18 candidates and four passing. However, for
408-407: A range of assessments and a research division: It is one of Europe's largest assessment agencies, with over eight million learners in over 170 countries and marked by over 30,000 examiners every year and over 30,000 people work with Cambridge Assessment by either attending conferences or by taking part in topical debates from their desktop . It is recognised by governments around the world. UCLES
459-516: A test of writing proficiency rather than a test of knowledge about British culture. Questions such as "The best month of the year" were preferred to the more culture-bound topics set in 1913, such as "Elizabethan travel and discovery." The target candidature was broadened beyond teachers, to "all foreign students who desire to obtain evidence of their practical knowledge of the languages, both written and spoken, as of their ability to read with comprehension standard works of English literature." In 1932 it
510-468: Is a single range of scores used to report results for Cambridge English Language Assessment exams. It was introduced in January 2015, with Cambridge English Scale scores replacing the standardised score and candidate profile used for exams taken pre-2015. The scale aims to provide exam users with more detailed information about their exam performance than was previously available. Each of the qualifications
561-549: Is also aligned with a level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Cambridge English Qualifications are set and administered by Cambridge Assessment English (previously known as Cambridge English Language Assessment and the University of Cambridge ESOL examination). Cambridge Assessment English exams, starting with C2 Proficiency in 1913, B2 First in 1939, and B1 Preliminary in 1980, gave learners and teachers different curriculum and examination levels. By
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#1732781138436612-509: Is an example question: explain fully and comment on the following passages, stating the connexions in which they occur and any difficulties of reading, phraseology or allusion: " Wert thou the Hector, That was the whip of your bragg'd progency, Thou should'st not 'scrape me here. " It was not until 1930 that a Literature paper was designed specifically for CPE candidates. The grammar section contained questions about grammar and lexis, e.g. give
663-510: Is most effective when it relates to specific tasks and focuses on how to improve. They propose that there are three important questions for learners: Cambridge English Qualifications aim to provide information about the learners’ level in each language skill (reading, writing, speaking and listening), to enable learners to take action on problem areas and monitor their progress. This is also designed to allow students to be actively involved in their learning, and gain self-confidence as they move to
714-592: Is part of Cambridge Assessment , a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge which merged with Cambridge University Press to form Cambridge University Press & Assessment in August 2021. Each Cambridge English Qualifications focuses on a level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). These English qualifications are to help school-age children and young people improve their English language skills. These qualifications are designed for adult learners. A2 Key, B1 Preliminary and B2 First have
765-520: The CEFR in one test. Cambridge Exams Publishing, a joint venture with Cambridge University Press , produces Cambridge-branded IELTS resources and materials to help learners prepare and practise for their tests. Qualifications and courses for teachers of all levels of experience. In alphabetical order: In the 1980s Cambridge Assessment English, the British Council and IDP Education formed
816-549: The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which was initiated in 1971. Cambridge English Qualifications Cambridge English Qualifications are a graduated series of exams designed to assess competency in English for learners of English as a second or foreign language . The Cambridge English Qualifications are based on the candidate's scoring on the Cambridge English Scale which
867-603: The Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) examination board , Cambridge Assessment International Education , Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing , and Cambridge Assessment English for learners of the English language. Cambridge Assessment is not responsible for internal examinations at the University of Cambridge other than admissions tests. Cambridge Assessment is based at Triangle Building in Cambridge. Cambridge Assessment has four examination boards offering
918-450: The University of Cambridge and University of Oxford decided to accept CPE as representing the standard in English required of all students, British or foreign, before the entrance to their university. To this day, CPE still serves as a qualification for entry to higher education. Following these changes CPE candidate numbers instantly began to rise, reaching 752 by the outbreak of World War II. From 1939 onwards, thousands of refugees from
969-556: The British education system had disfavoured International GCSEs offered by its Cambridge Assessment International subsidiary. Cambridge Maths was launched in 2014 to improve maths teaching – a four-way partnership between Cambridge Assessment, the University of Cambridge Faculty of Mathematics and its Faculty of Education. It launched the Cambridge Partnership for Education in 2020 with Cambridge University Press and
1020-873: The CPE), the Syndicate's first examination in the field of English as a foreign language, was introduced by UCLES to deliver proof of language proficiency to native speakers of languages other than English. Over the years, UCLES adopted further English language examinations , the First Certificate in English (FCE) and the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE). On the CEFR ( Common European Framework of Reference for Languages ) ranging from A1/A2 (lower level), B1/B2 (intermediate level) to C1/C2 (advanced level),
1071-687: The Cambridge English Qualifications focuses on a level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). There are Cambridge English Qualifications for schools, general and higher education, and business. A1 Movers A2 Flyers A2 Key for Schools B1 Preliminary for Schools B2 First for Schools C1 Advanced C2 Proficiency B1 Preliminary B2 First C1 Advanced C2 Proficiency B2 Business Vantage C1 Business Higher Assessment at different levels gives learners clear goals to work towards during language learning, with each level corresponding to
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#17327811384361122-852: The FCE is set at B2, the CAE at C1 and the CPE at C2. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge created the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board which became part of UCLES. The UCLES Group absorbed several other examination boards , including the Southern Universities Joint Board, the Midland Examining Group and the RSA Examinations and Assessment Foundation. Cambridge Assessment's research division
1173-680: The Spanish Civil War and occupied Europe started arriving in the UK and began taking UCLES exams while stationed in the UK. UCLES launched the Lower Certificate in English (LCE) to meet the demand for certification at a lower level than CPE. A Preliminary exam, at a lower level than LCE, was also offered in 1944 as a special test to meet the contingencies of war. These were the first steps toward developing language assessments at different levels. Polish servicemen and women made up
1224-431: The University of Cambridge, to support new English language assessment products. Cambridge Assessment English was involved in the early development of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and all Cambridge English qualifications and tests are aligned with the levels described by the CEFR. Each Cambridge English Qualification targets specific CEFR levels but the exam also contains test material at
1275-580: The University of Cambridge. It moved to a purpose-built building in 2018, on part of Cambridge University Press 's site in Cambridge. The building was designed by Eric Parry Architects, and construction began in 2015 with landscaping by Coles Nursery and architectural elements such as pebble seat sculptures. The building won an award in 2019 from the British Council for Offices for good corporate workplaces. In 2021, Cambridge Assessment merged with Cambridge University Press . The new organisation
1326-468: The University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations (UODLE). UODLE and its partner, the Association of Recognised English Language Schools, merged with UCLES in 1995. The first UCLES examinations took place on 14 December 1858. The exams were designed to test for university selection and were taken by 370 candidates in British schools, churches and village halls. Candidates were required to "satisfy
1377-482: The ability to communicate in the language). In 1913, the first requirement for CPE candidates was to translate texts. Translation remained prominent in foreign language teaching up until the 1960s. It was a core part of CPE until 1975 and an optional part until 1989. However, CPE was also influenced by Henry Sweet and his book published in 1900: A Practical Study of Languages: A Guide for Teachers and Learners, which argued that "the most natural method of teaching languages
1428-400: The adjacent levels. For example, B2 First is aimed at B2, but there are also test items that cover B1 and C1. This allows for inferences to be drawn about candidates' abilities if they are a level below or above the one targeted. Candidates are encouraged to take the exam most suitable to their needs and level of ability. The Cambridge English EFL Evaluation Unit was established in 1989 and was
1479-527: The development of local self-government; or Matthew Arnold. The exam board provided little or no formal structure. Concepts such as audience and purpose, and the length of the essay, were left for the candidate to decide. The questions in the English Literature section were borrowed from the university's Language and Literature matriculation exams for native speakers and included questions on Shakespeare's Coriolanus and Milton's Paradise Lost. Here
1530-456: The early 1990s, with the addition of A2 Key and C1 Advanced , Cambridge English exams provided a range of different curriculum and examination levels. The concept of a framework of reference levels for English language learning, teaching and assessment, laid the foundations for the development of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). During the mid-1990s, Cambridge Assessment English and other founding members of
1581-577: The examination period." One report noted that the candidates had been spending "most of each day in the air-raid shelter"; that candidate 5224, a probationer nurse, had been showing strain caused by helping with "rescue work"; and that the house of candidate 5222 had been bombed, whilst she was at school, with fatalities. Such were the circumstances of wartime exam takers and administrators. Exams were also maintained clandestinely in continental European exam centres, which frequently meant unusual measures, including acts of determination and courage. However, UCLES
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1632-463: The examiners" in the analysis and parsing of a Shakespeare text; reading aloud; dictation; and composition (on either the recently deceased Duke of Wellington; a well-known book or a letter of application). Female candidates were accepted by UCLES on a trial basis in 1864 and on a permanent basis from 1867. Cambridge University itself did not examine female students until 1882 and it was not until 1948 that women were allowed to graduate as full members of
1683-575: The exams, almost 900 of them Italians. In Germany, the War Organisation of the British Red Cross and Order of St John of Jerusalem made arrangements for UCLES examinations to be offered at prisoner-of-war camps with many Indian prisoners of war, in particular, taking LCE or School Certificate exams. Examiners were asked to report on "disturbance, loss of sleep, etc., caused by air raids, and on any exceptional difficulties ... during
1734-651: The first dedicated research unit of its kind. This unit is now called the Research and Validation Group and is the largest dedicated research team of any English language assessment body. Research is published in the Studies in Language Testing (SiLT) series. In 2015, Cambridge Assessment English was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the 'international trade' category. The first Cambridge English exam
1785-413: The first exam for non-native speakers of English – the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE – now known as C2 Proficiency). This may have been prompted by the development of English exams "for foreigners" by other universities. CPE was originally a qualification for teachers: "the Certificate of Proficiency in English is designed for Foreign Students who desire satisfactory proof of their knowledge of
1836-550: The international IELTS partnership which delivers the IELTS tests. In 2010 Cambridge Assessment English and the English Language Institute Testing and Certificate Division of the University of Michigan agreed to form a not-for-profit collaboration known as CaMLA (Cambridge Michigan Language Assessments). Cambridge Assessment English owns 65% of the venture. Since 2011 Cambridge Exams Publishing,
1887-423: The language with a view to teaching it in foreign schools." The exam was only available for candidates aged 20 or over. In 1913 the exam could be taken in Cambridge or London, for a fee of £3 (approximately £293 in 2012 prices). The exam lasted 12 hours and included: The main influence behind the design of the exam was the grammar-translation teaching approach, which aims to establish reading knowledge (rather than
1938-570: The newly formed Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) then worked to relate different language qualifications within a shared framework of reference. The ALTE Framework was developed simultaneously alongside the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) published in draft form in 1997. Both frameworks share a common conceptual origin, similar aims and comparable scales of empirically developed descriptors. Each of
1989-427: The next 15 years candidature remained static. Italian and Spanish were added as languages for the translation paper in 1926. In 1928, CPE had only 14 candidates and by 1929 it was in danger of being discontinued. Jack Roach, Assistant Secretary to the Syndicate from 1925 to 1945, decided to "save it from the scrapheap" and introduced a number of changes. The Phonetics paper was dropped and the essay questions became more
2040-475: The next level. University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate ( UCLES ), branded as Cambridge Assessment , was a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge . It merged with Cambridge University Press to form Cambridge University Press and Assessment under Queen Elizabeth II 's approval in August 2021. Cambridge Assessment provides educational assessments, which include
2091-479: The past tense and past participle of each of the following verbs, dividing them into strong and weak ... , and questions about grammar and lexis usage, e.g. 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 ... At the time, this mirrored the approach to learning grammar in Latin and Greek (as well as modern languages). Finally,
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2142-433: The same exam format (e.g. number of papers, number of questions, time allowance) as the schools' versions of these qualifications, but use different topics and content suited to adult learners. These qualifications are designed for adult learners learning English for use in a business context. Multilevel tests are used to find out which English learning programme or exam is right for a student. These cover multiple levels of
2193-625: The size of CPE. Exam centres had been set up in Europe (17), Latin America (9), the Middle East (8), Africa (4) and the USA (1). Candidate numbers continued to grow, reaching over 20,000 by 1955, 44,000 by 1965, and over 66,000 by 1975. However, by the 1970s demand was growing for exams at more clearly defined levels of proficiency. This set the scene for the Council of Europe and the development of
2244-479: The university. In the mid to late 19th century, UCLES exams were taken by candidates based overseas – in Trinidad and Tobago (from 1863), South Africa (from 1869), Guyana and New Zealand (from 1874), Jamaica (from 1882) and Malaysia (from 1891). Many of these candidates were children of officers of the British colonial service and exams were not yet designed for non-native speakers of English. In 1913 UCLES created
2295-791: Was decided to establish overseas exam centres. The first overseas centres were set up in Hamburg, Paris and San Remo (1933), followed by further centres in Italy (Rome and Naples), the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. Latin America also became an exam area in the 1930s, with centres in Argentina and Uruguay. In 1935 CPE started providing alternatives to the Literature paper, with an Economic and Commercial Knowledge paper – an early forerunner of English for Specific Purposes. Then, in 1937–38,
2346-513: Was established in 1858 to administer examinations for persons who were not members of the University of Cambridge and to inspect schools, with the aim of raising standards in education. The Syndicate began examining in territories overseas, with the first held in Trinidad in 1864. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Syndicate was empowered to hold examinations for commercial certificates. The Certificate of Proficiency in English (known as
2397-560: Was produced in 1913 by UCLES ( University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate ). UCLES had been set up in 1858 to provide exams to students who were not members of a university. There was a growing concern in Britain with standards of school education and the transition from secondary to tertiary-level education. A number of schools "petitioned the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge [to provide] means of comparing achievements of pupils across schools." The secondary education sector
2448-549: Was set up in 1994. The Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) was introduced in 2001 for entry to a range of undergraduate courses at the University of Cambridge followed by the first BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) in 2003. In 2004, a dedicated unit was formally set up with responsibility for developing and administering admissions tests. Cambridge Assessment celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008. Cambridge Assessment called for " league tables [to be] taken out of [government] ministers' hands", because it felt recent reforms of
2499-443: Was still voluntary in nature. Without support from the state, it was logical to seek help from universities that were long established and widely admired. The University of Oxford and University of Cambridge , in particular, were "regarded as viable sources of supervision." UCLES was invited to set exams and inspect schools with the aim of raising educational standards. The University of Oxford also created its own examination board:
2550-570: Was through conversation." Due to this influence, speaking was part of Cambridge English exams from the very beginning. Candidates were required to translate from English into French/German and translate from French/German into English. Here is a short segment from one of the passages candidates were asked to translate from English into German: The sentiments which animated Schiller's poetry were converted into principles of conduct; his actions were as blameless as his writings were pure. With his simple and high predilections, with his strong devotedness to
2601-509: Was unable to fund and support the growing international network of English language examination centres around the world. Meanwhile, the British Council had a brief to disseminate British culture and educational links. In March 1941 a formal 'Joint Agreement' was signed between the two organisations to collaborate on the distribution of UCLES exams around the world. This started a long-lasting relationship, which continues to this day. By 1947, there were over 6,000 UCLES candidates, with LCE double
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