Applications for 2023 are now closed. The timeline below applies if you submitted a nomination before the 31 March 2023 deadline and received a confirmation email from us. 2024 applications are expected to open again next year. If you would like to contact the team, please email ARAG@britishcouncil.org.

The Innovation in Assessment Prize is designed to complement the existing British Council ELTons Innovation Awards and celebrates innovation in the area of language testing and assessment. The winner will receive £1,000. The Prize will be made to an individual or organisation for innovation in any of the following categories:

  • Innovative practices in test delivery 
  • Innovative practices in test administration
  • Technical innovation in scoring or delivery
  • Innovative item or task development
  • Innovative application of applied linguistics or second language acquisition research to language assessment

Nominations will be judged by a panel of language assessment experts.

Please find the nomination form and guidelines available for download at the bottom of this page.

Key dates for the Innovation in Assessment Prize 2023

February-March 2023

Accepting nominations

31 March 2023

Deadline for nominations

April 2023

 Preliminary review of nominations

May 2023

 Evaluation and selection of Prize winner(s)

30 June 2023

 Prize winner(s) announced

Previous recipients of the Innovation in Assessment Prize

2019

Dr Ho Sook Wah, Dr Wong Bee Eng, Ms Gan Ching Ling, Mr Chang Jian Weng (Gamuda Berhad)

The team developed Gamuda English Tests for Executives and Managers (Malaysia), four in-house online tests for the executive (i.e. GET-E) and managerial (i.e. GET-M(GE), GET-M(GL), GET-M(C)) levels in line with Gamuda’s goal of raising its employees’ English proficiency. The tests were developed based on document analysis of various documents provided by the targeted business units, and interviews with the relevant stakeholders. The tests underwent stringent rounds of pilot-testing involving personnel of different job grades, ages and varying English proficiency. The 6-band tests, which come with individual diagnostic reports, are useful in informing a customised English training programme, and in informing hiring managers of prospective employees’ language ability.

Dina Tsagari, Karin Vogt, Ildikó Csépes, Anthony Green, Iasonas Lamprianou, Nicos Sifakis (Norway, Germany, Hungary, UK, Cyprus, Greece)

Teachers’ Assessment Literacy Enhancement  - TALE was developed by a consortium of academics, researchers, teacher trainers and teachers working on a three-year-long EU project in six European countries. TALE has produced an online freely accessible platform which aims to enhance (pre-/in-service) Teachers’ Language Assessment Literacy. The TALE platform consists of eight independent self-study courses introducing teachers to key LTA concepts and procedures, assessing language skills, providing feedback, alternative assessment, and raising awareness of the impact of high-stake exams. TALE has also produced the 'Handbook of Assessment for Language Teachers' which comprises a comprehensive and user-friendly version of the online course materials with support for those working with students with learning differences. 

2018

Dr. Sarah Ebling, Dr. Penny Boyes Braem, Katja Tissi, Sandra Sidler-Miserez, and Prof. Dr. Tobias Haug, University of Applied Science of Special Needs Education (HfH), Switzerland

 

Awarded for developing an automatic sign language recognition system for Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS) vocabulary assessment, as part of the Swiss National Science Foundation project SMILE.

 

The SMILE sign language recognition system is being developed to automatically recognise the form of isolated signs produced by second language learners and to provide immediate feedback about whether the sign has been produced correctly. The goal is for L2 learners of DSGS to be able to remotely use the system in a self-assessment scenario of newly learned DSGS signs, also including more detailed feedback about which manual components have been produced incorrectly.

2017

No award presented.

2016

Language Academy, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia,

Awarded for their approach to developing an assessment instrument, the Test of English Communication Skills for graduating students (UTM-TECS), which measures university graduates’ readiness to communicate in English in the workplace. The tasks and assessment criteria of the test were derived from and developed through collaboration with industries at various stages of the test development and implementation including the validation and revision phases.

2015

Ricky Jeffrey (Centre for English Language Education, University of Nottingham Ningbo China).

The innovation is a new, more practical method of developing rating scales. The ‘feedback content analysis’ method recycles rater-to-student feedback comments as ‘rater observation’ data for use in creating improved rating scale verbal descriptors.

2014

Daniel Xerri, Patricia Vella Briffa, Joseph Gerardi, Odette Vassallo, Andrew Farrugia and Clyde Borg (Department of English, University of Malta Junior College).

The team developed and implemented the Advanced English Speaking Examination. For the first time ever, postsecondary students in Malta can be assessed on their speaking skills

2013

Carol Spöttl, Kathrin Eberharter and Doris Frötscher (University of Innsbruck, Austria).

The team developed real-time marker support for national high-stakes school-leaving examinations.