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 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.
Current Cambridge English qualifications/exams
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Each Cambridge English Qualifications focuses on a level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Schools
These English qualifications are to help school-age children and young people improve their English language skills.
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| Pre A1 Starters
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| A1 Movers
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| A2 Flyers
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| A2 Key for Schools
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| B1 Preliminary for Schools
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| B2 First for Schools
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| C1 Advanced
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| C2 Proficiency
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General and higher education
These qualifications are designed for adult learners. A2 Key, B1 Preliminary and B2 First have 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.
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| A2 Key
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| B1 Preliminary
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| B2 First
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| C1 Advanced
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| C2 Proficiency
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Business
These qualifications are designed for adult learners learning English for use in a business context.
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| B1 Business Preliminary
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| B2 Business Vantage
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| C1 Business Higher
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Multilevel tests
Multilevel tests are used to find out which English learning programme or exam is right for a student. These cover multiple levels of the CEFR in one test.
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| Cambridge English Placement Test
| A1-C2
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| Cambridge English Placement Test for Young Learners
| Pre A1-A2
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| Linguaskill
| B1-C2
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| IELTS
| A1-C2
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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.
Teaching
Qualifications and courses for teachers of all levels of experience.
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! Exams
! Teaching level on the Cambridge English Teaching Framework
! Course delivery
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| CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
| Foundation/Developing
| Full-time/part-time. Face-to-face course or online course with face-to-face teaching practice.
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| CELT-P (Certificate in English Language Teaching – Primary)
| Foundation/Developing
| Online modular course with optional face-to-face elements. Assessed through an exam and teaching practice.
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| CELT-S (Certificate in English Language Teaching – Secondary)
| Foundation/Developing
| Online modular course with optional face-to-face elements. Assessed through an exam and teaching practice.
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| Language for Teaching
| Foundation/Developing/Proficient
| Online learning with optional face-to-face elements.
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| TKT (Teaching Knowledge Test)
| Foundation/Developing
| Exams with a flexible modular format.
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| ICELT (In-service Certificate in English Language Teaching)
| Developing/Proficient
| Part-time face-to-face course with teaching practice and distance learning support.
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| Delta (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
| Proficient/Expert
| Flexible modular format combining coursework and exams. Distance learning support, local tutoring and assessed teaching practice.
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| Certificate in EMI Skills (English as a medium of instruction in Higher Education)
| Proficient/Expert
| Online learning with optional face-to-face sessions.
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| Train the Trainer
| Proficient/Expert
| Part-time face-to-face course.
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Discontinued exams
In alphabetical order:
- BULATS discontinued on 6 December 2019.
- Cambridge English: Financial (ICFE) discontinued in December 2016.
- Cambridge English: Legal (ILEC) discontinued in December 2016.
- CELS (Certificates in English Language Skills) modular qualifications for English language learners.
- Certificates in ESOL Skills for Life (SfL) (UK only) discontinued in June 2017.
- DTE(E)LLS (Diploma in Teaching English (ESOL) in the Lifelong Learning Sector) and ADTE(E)LLS (Additional Diploma in Teaching English (ESOL) in the Lifelong Learning Sector): these qualifications for English language teachers in the UK were discontinued in September 2012. CELTA is a recommended alternative for those wanting an English teaching qualification for teaching in the UK.
- IDLTM (International Diploma in Language Teaching Management) discontinued in June 2016.
- PTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector) discontinued in November 2012.
- Young Learner (YL) Extension to CELTA discontinued in December 2016.
- TKT: KAL and TKT: Practical discontinued in December 2016.
Partnerships and acquisitions
In the 1980s Cambridge Assessment English, the British Council and IDP Education formed 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, 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 (ELiT), an artificial intelligence developed off technology from the University of Cambridge, to support new English language assessment products.
Alignment with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
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 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.
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Research
The Cambridge English EFL Evaluation Unit was established in 1989 and was 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.
Awards
In 2015, Cambridge Assessment English was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the 'international trade' category.
Qualification development
Cambridge University's examination board (UCLES)
The first Cambridge English exam was produced in 1913 by UCLES (University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate). The secondary education sector 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: 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 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 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.
The first Cambridge English exam
In 1913 UCLES created 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 the language with a view to teaching it in foreign schools." The exam was only available for candidates aged 20 or over.
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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:
- Translation from English into French or German: 2 hours
- Translation from French or German into English, and English Grammar: 2.5 hours
- English Essay: 2 hours
- English Literature: 3 hours
- English Phonetics: 1.5 hours
- Oral test: dictation (30 minutes); reading aloud and conversation (30 minutes)
The main influence behind the design of the exam was the grammar-translation teaching approach, which aims to establish reading knowledge (rather than 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 was through conversation." Due to this influence, speaking was part of Cambridge English exams from the very beginning.
Exam questions in 1913
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: <blockquote>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 a noble cause, he contrived to steer through life, unsullied by its meanness, unsubdued by any of its difficulties or allurements ... </blockquote>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; 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 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: "" 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 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, 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 a pupil the correct pronunciation of the vowel sounds in: fare, fate, fat, fall, far?
Revisions to the 1913 exam
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 the next 15 years candidature remained static. Jack Roach, Assistant Secretary to the Syndicate from 1925 to 1945, decided to "save it from the scrapheap" and introduced a number of changes.
- Level 1: the Key English Test (KET) was launched in 1994. It is now known as A2 Key.
- Level 2: the Preliminary English Test (PET) was originally used during the Second World War years. It reappeared in 1980 under close monitoring and was fully launched in the 1990s. It is now known as B1 Preliminary.
- Level 3: LCE, operational since the Second World War, continued under a new name: the First Certificate in English. It is now known as B2 First.
- Level 4: the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) was launched in 1991. It is now known as C1 Advanced.
- Level 5: CPE, operational since 1913, became Cambridge English's highest level qualification. It is now known as C2 Proficiency.
During this period there were also substantial revisions to the existing exams: B2 First and C2 Proficiency. These revisions included improving the authenticity of texts and tasks; increasing the weight on Listening and Speaking; improving the balance between grammar and vocabulary items in the Reading paper; and adding a broader range of texts in the Composition and Use of English papers, (e.g. letter-writing, dialogues, speeches, note-taking, and discursive and descriptive compositions).
With increased weight on Listening and Speaking, UCLES joined forces with the BBC. However, in the BBC recording booths, there was tension between the BBC's approach, which focused on dramatic potential, and UCLES' need for clarity of speech. For example, a man abseiling down a mountain was highly entertaining but unacceptable for test purposes. It was finally agreed that at least 35% of listening tests would comprise an original BBC recording, largely made up of programmes from World Service and Woman's Hour broadcasts.
It was clear that different forms of the test would need to be equated. All IELTS materials were therefore pretested and calibrated to a common scale on the basis of the Rasch model. This was the first time that UCLES had used the Rasch model, which now forms the cornerstone of the level testing system.
RSA and teaching qualifications
In 1988, the EFL exams developed by The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) Examination Board were merged with those of UCLES. The RSA Examination Board had been established in 1754, long before UCLES, and by taking over the RSA TEFL schemes UCLES became responsible for "the running of the world's most respected and widely recognised schemes for validating training courses for teachers of English as a Foreign Language."
The two sets of qualifications were integrated and syllabuses for the revised qualifications were developed in consultation with the ESL sector, in order to re-integrate the ESL and EFL teacher communities. In 1999 the RSA Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults (CTEFLA) and the RSA Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults officially became known as the CELTA and DELTA qualifications. These qualifications were joined in 2004 by ICELT (a revised version of its predecessor, COTE) – which is a purely in-service professional qualification.
At the start of the 21st century, there was growing demand from government ministries and schools for a professional qualification without any in-service (teaching practice) component. This led to the introduction of the Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT), which focuses solely on core professional knowledge. Following consultations with worldwide teacher training institutions and trials with 1,500 English language teachers in Europe, Latin America and Asia, TKT went live in 2005. In the first six months thousands of candidates sat the test in 36 different countries. It was also incorporated into government plans, e.g. plans in Chile to retrain all in-service teachers, and was incorporated into state university teacher training programmes.
China and Business English
The early 1990s saw China developing its market economy very rapidly. Recognising the importance of English as a language of international business and trade, the Chinese government asked Cambridge Assessment English to develop a suite of Business English Certificates (BEC).
BEC Preliminary (now known as B1 Business Preliminary) examinations were first taken in 1993 by 5,000 candidates from seven cities across China. BEC Vantage (now known as B2 Business Vantage) was launched in 1994 and BEC Higher (now known as C1 Business Higher) in 1996. This was followed in 1997 by the launch of the Business Language Testing Service (BULATS) for companies.
Young Learners
In the 1990s, there was growing demand from Cambridge English centres in the Far East, Latin America and Europe for assessments designed specifically for younger learners. At the time, relatively little research had been carried out into the assessment of second language learning in children.
UCLES worked with Homerton College (a teacher training college within the University of Cambridge) to trial test questions with over 3,000 children in Europe, South America and South East Asia. The feedback was used to construct the first Young Learners English (YLE) tests, targeted at learners aged 6–12, which went live in 1997.
The YLE tests introduced a new level. The addition of the 'breakthrough' level created a six-level system that was mirrored by the CEFR, published in 2001.
Candidates
In 1988, with just two established exams (B2 First and C2 Proficiency), exam candidature was around 180,000. By 2002, with a more comprehensive range of exams, the exam candidature was over 1 million; by 2007, it was over 2 million, by 2013, it was over 4 million; and by 2017, it was over 5.5 million.
The Cambridge English Scale
In January 2015, a new way of reporting results was introduced – the Cambridge English Scale. The scale aims to provide exam users with more information about their exam performance.
Candidates get more detailed results – receiving an overall score and a score for each skill/paper. In addition, the Cambridge English Scale makes it easier to see the progression and compare performance across different Cambridge English exams.
B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency have reported results on the Cambridge English Scale since January 2015. A2 Key and A2 Key for Schools, B1 Preliminary and B1 Preliminary for Schools and Business Certificates have reported results on the scale since February 2016.
Timeline 1209–2021
- 1209: University of Cambridge founded.
- 1534: Cambridge University Press founded.
- 1858: University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) founded.
- 1913: Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) introduced. Now known as C2 Proficiency.
- 1939: Lower Certificate in English (LCE) introduced. Renamed First Certificate in English (FCE) in 1975 and now known as B2 First.
- 1941: Joint agreement with the British Council – British Council centres established.
- 1943–1947: Preliminary English Test (PET) introduced. It was reintroduced in 1980 and is now known as B1 Preliminary.
- 1971: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) initiated.
- 1988: The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) Examination Board becomes part of UCLES.
- 1989: Specialist EFL research and evaluation unit established.
- 1989: IELTS launched. A simplified and shortened version named ELTS was launched in 1980.
- 1990: Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) founded.
- 1991: Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) introduced. Now known as C1 Advanced.
- 1993: Business English Certificates (BEC) launched.
- 1994: Key English Test (KET) introduced. Now known as A2 Key.
- 1995: University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations (UODLE) becomes part of UCLES.
- 1997: Young Learners English Tests (YLE) introduced. Now known as Pre-A1 Starters, A1 Movers, and A2 Flyers.
- 1997: BULATS launched.
- 2001: CEFR published.
- 2002: UCLES EFL renamed University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL).
- 2002: One million Cambridge ESOL exam candidates.
- 2010: CaMLA established (Cambridge Michigan Language Assessments).
- 2011: Cambridge Exams Publishing joint venture with Cambridge University Press established.
- 2013: Cambridge ESOL renamed Cambridge English Language Assessment.
- 2015: Cambridge English Scale introduced.
- 2016: Linguaskill reading and listening introduced.
- 2016: Linguaskill writing introduced.
- 2017: Cambridge English Language Assessment renamed Cambridge Assessment English.
- 2020: The University of Cambridge announces its plans to merge two of its non-teaching departments, Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press.
- 2021: Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press merge to become Cambridge University Press & Assessment
See also
- CaMLA
- IELTS, International English Language Testing System
- Studies in Language Testing (SiLT)
- Teaching English as a Foreign Language
References
External links
- Cambridge English Candidate Support Site
- Cambridge English Teacher Support Site
- Studies in Language Testing (SiLT)
- Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing
- Cambridge University Press & Assessment