Quality standards
The exercises are written by experts with teaching and examination experience and undergo final editing at our headquarters in Munich. Before being used in the actual exams, the exercises are tested under exam conditions and the results are evaluated in terms of their quality and quantity. The examiners receive initial and further training in seminars that take place at our headquarters and regionally.
Indicators of good quality:
Fairness
Exams should be as fair as possible for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnic origin or any disabilities.
Validity
Language exams should only take linguistic ability into account and not the candidate’s powers of concentration, intelligence or knowledge of the world.
Reliability
A high degree of reliability is ensured by using two examiners to evaluate each exam.
Practicability
We work tirelessly to improve our exams by optimising their duration, using modern technology and creating more favorable general exam conditions.
Standard quality criteria:
As a founding member of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) we advocate the development and implementation of quality standards.ALTE has set itself the following objectives:
- the standardization of levels of ability in order to promote the international recognition of language certificates in Europe;
- the standardization of quality criteria for all the steps involved in the creation and processing of exams, i.e. the design and writing of tests, administration of exams, assessment, certification, evaluation and data storage;
- cooperation in joint projects as well as the exchange of experiences and specialized knowledge.