The draft Manual for Relating Language Examinations to the CEFR advocates the use of external Empirical Validation as part of its procedures for exam-CEFR alignment. Cambridge ESOL, conducted a  major external validation project in 1998-2000 using the ALTE Can Do scales (Jones 2000, 2001, 2002). The research project provided a strong empirical link between test performance and perceived real-world language skills, as well as between the Cambridge ESOL levels and the CEFR scales.

Further information on the ALTE Can Do project

ALTE Can Do Project (PDF, 249Kb), Jones 2002 – information on the ALTE website
The role of measurement in constructing a proficiency framework (PDF, 449Kb),
Jones 2001
Background to the validation of the ALTE 'Can-do' project and the revised Common European Framework (PDF, 341Kb), Jones 2000

• What we do

• Cambridge ESOL exams and CEFR

  • Overview
  • Empirical validation -
    external: ALTE Can Do
  • Empirical validation -
    internal: Item banking
  • Our Testing Cycle and
    the Manual linking scheme

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