The growing global demand for our English tests creates  a need to constantly increase the number of test versions. Before new items are placed into live tests, they go through a rigorous process that includes pretesting content  with representative samples of test takers so that test validation and research activities can take place. Pretesting new items with candidates in real exam conditions is an important part of creating tests of the very highest quality.

We are currently pretesting items for all variants of Aptis, Foundation English Test and Secondary English Test, offering this possibility to learners of all levels (A1 to C2 on CEFR) above the age of 13. 

Pretesting benefits for learners and institutions

  • Test takers can practise doing online tests in a secure environment in preparation for taking a live exam – this can help alleviate stress during the test day as they will already be familiar with the test experience.
  • As test takers will get an indication of the CEFR level after they complete pretesting, they will be able to build confidence in their language abilities and feel prepared for their exams.
  • Educational institutions can use pretesting as an enhancement in their preparation courses by using free of charge assessment and offering their students a chance to practise for a live test.
  • Teachers will be able to receive a group report on student performance mapped to the CEFR and gain insights into common areas of difficulty to inform future teaching strategies and targeted support.
  • The institution will also have a chance to practise administering online tests and prepare for computer delivery at their premises. 

By taking part in pretesting, you can collaborate with leading assessment experts at the British Council.

You can implement pretesting into your educational strategy in a variety of ways:

  • to place students onto learning programs
  • to filter candidates by language proficiency
  • to gain proficiency insights to support targeted teaching and learning
  • to analyse group performance
  • as an ongoing assessment in language learning courses.

Please note that the structure of the pretest might be different than the usual structure in our live tests.

All pretesting sessions consist of Listening and Reading components. The duration ranges from 80 to 135 minutes for both components. 

A minimum group of 30 test takers is required to host a pretesting session.

 

See also

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