Saturday, March 10, 2007

Exam changes - new exams!

Important Changes in the ECPE
The University of Michigan English Language Institute has announced a series of important changes in the administration of the ECPE. These changes were announced in an
open letter from ELI Director Dr. Gary Buck and include the following:
With the conclusion of the 2006–2007 ECPE administration, ELI-UM will introduce a new testing schedule that foresees two administrations of the ECPE: one in November and the other in June.
With the implementation of this new schedule, and beginning with the November 2007 ECPE, candidates will no longer be required to take the preliminary test in order to participate in the final ECPE. The preliminary test will no longer be administered at test center venues; however, ELI-UM will be making a preliminary test available to school owners who wish to use this test in their classes for screening or placement purposes.
A As of July 2007, Anatolia College will no longer be responsible for the administration of ELI certification tests. We would like to warmly thank Anatolia College for its service over the years to the ELI-UM testing program in Northern Greece and wish it continued success in the pursuit of its educational mission.
A As of July 2007, the Hellenic American Union will be the sole administrator of ELI-UM certification tests throughout Greece.
more info:
www.hau.gr

Lift upon FCE but revises CAE
Cambridge ESOL revises/reviews/updates the whole range of its exams approximately
every 10-12 years in order to ensure that the exams continue to meet
the user’s needs. The procedure takes into account, among others, the latest
developments in methodology and technology.
Over the last two years, Cambridge ESOL’s specialist exam development and research
teams, working closely with external consultants and senior examiners, looked at possible
improvements in every aspect of FCE and CAE, two of the word’s best known and
most widely recognised qualifications for learners of English.
As a result of this review, a number of improvements to the exams will be introduced in
December 2008.
Paper 1: Reading
• 3 tasks (30 questions instead of 35 – part
1 goes)
Duration: 1 hour from of 1 hour 15 minutes
Paper 2: Writing
• Includes the production of emails
• Reduction in word length for part 1
(between 120-150 words)
Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes from 1 hour
30 minutes
Paper 3: Use of English
• The error correction exercise is removed
• The other parts remain the same slightly
shorter in length
• 40 questions from 65
Duration: 45 minutes from 1 hour 15
minutes
Paper 4: Listening
Length, test focus and timing are not
affected
Paper 5: Speaking
• Questions are added to the visuals in
parts 2 and 3
No change to the overall timing
Total time: 4 hours
CAE Summery of changes
Paper 1: Reading
• Removal of one matching task
• Introduction of themed texts (similar to
those in CPE Paper 1)
• Use of wider range of text types
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes (for 34 questions)
from 1 hour 15 minutes (for 45
questions)
Paper 2: Writing
• Reduction in Part 1 input and output
• Addition of text questions in Part 2
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes from 2 hours
Paper 3: Use in English
• The register transfer, gapped text and
error correction exercises are removed
• Gapped sentences and key word transformation
exercises are added
Duration: 1 hour (for 54 questions) from 1
hour 30 minutes for 80 questions
Paper 4: Listening
• Introduction of a fixed format
• Inclusion of short extracts (as in FCE and
CPE)
• Inclusion of only one productive task
• all texts are heard twice
Duration: 40 minutes (30 questions) from
45 minutes (30-40 questions)
Paper 5 : Speaking
• Part 1 has two sections (instead of
three) in which candidates are asked
questions about themselves
• Section 2 of the current Part 1, which
invites candidates to ‘ask each other
something about…’ is removed
• Questions are included on the visuals
page to support the candidate (as in
FCE)
Duration: No change to the overall timing
Total time: 4 hours 40 minutes
FCE: Summary of changes
eltnewsletter p.
15 October 2006 elt newsletter Vol IV. No.4


German exams
Goethe institut has introduced a new exam, filling the gap between levels B1 and C1 of the Common European Framework.
The Mittelstufe exam is also being revised and from now on is going to be called Zertifikat C1.
Exams for Zertifikat B2 and C1 will take place for the first time in September 2007
More info

KPG
Finaly, the Ministery of education has introduced a new exam (level B1) for English, German, French and Italian
Info:
www.ypepth.gr/kpg

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure I understand something and I hope someone will be able to answer me. These summary of changes are in two parts. The first part of the article doesn't say what they are actually for, but the second part does. The second part of the article says "CAE Summery of changes". Does that mean the first part of the article (the section before the title "CAE Summery of changes") is the summary of changes for the FCE? I just want to make sure I understand correctly. Thank you.

Theodora Papapanagiotou said...

I am not exactly sure what you mean - but for more info on Cambridge exams, you can go directly to their site!
http://www.cambridge-efl.org.uk/

Anonymous said...

No, no, no. I've been to their website. It doesn't help me. You wrote up above in YOUR article "Lift upon FCE but revises CAE" that "As a result of this review, a number of improvements to the exams will be introduced in December 2008." Then you write "Paper 1: Reading". Is this "Paper 1: Reading" for the FCE? Because you don't say. You do say "CAE Summary of Changes" in the second part, so I'm assuming that the first part is for the FCE, but I want to make sure. One more thing: After you write "Paper 1: Reading" in the first part, you say "3 tasks (30 questions instead of 35 – part 1 goes)", what do you mean "part 1 goes"? I don't understand what "goes" means in this sentence. Please help.

Theodora Papapanagiotou said...

Since it was not my article and I simply reposted the article of ELTnews - try their website:
www.eltnews.gr

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