Cambridge ESOL is sometimes asked how long its certificates last, or whether a candidate who took an exam some years ago needs to retake it after a certain period of time.

The simple answer to these questions is that Cambridge certificates do not expire; they show that on a particular date the holder had demonstrated a particular range and level of language skills. For most candidates, the certificate is the result of a specific preparation course, and serves as a mark of achievement in completing the course successfully.

Of course, people can and do forget things, and language skills can become rusty. In deciding whether a certificate obtained some years ago still provides a reliable guide to the language proficiency of the holder, educational institutions and employers need to take a number of factors into account, most importantly whether the holder has kept up their English, and whether the level of the certificate is significantly higher than that required for the course or job for which the holder is applying.

If an employer or educational institution is unsure whether a Cambridge certificate obtained some years ago still provides reliable evidence of the necccesary languge skills, the ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) ‘Can-Do’ statements provide a quick means of categorising language ability into five broad levels, corresponding to the Cambridge ESOL exams. For more information on the ‘Can-Do’ statements, visit www.alte.org

The Test Report Form provided by IELTS (International English Language Testing System) differs from a certificate since it is not focused on a particular level of language ability; for this reason IELTS test results are recommended as valid for two years.