All Password English language tests, including Password Skills Plus, are designed and academically managed by CRELLA (the Centre for Research in English Language Learning and Assessment), a research group involved in the development and validation of many of the world’s most renowned English language assessments including IELTS and the Cambridge suite.

The tests are formally aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), the international standard for describing language ability.

Password Skills Plus is an English language proficiency test for university admission.

It fulfils all UK Home Office requirements for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

The test has been formally aligned to the CEFR and comprises four modules, one for each language skill, which are designed to assess academic English.

The test takes three hours and five minutes and is delivered online.

All Password tests have been designed to be aligned to the CEFR (The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment).

The CEFR is an initiative of the Council of Europe to describe the language ability of learners of foreign languages. It describes this ability on a six point scale from A1 for beginners up to C2 for those with mastery of a language and is the international standard for describing language levels.

For more information on the CEFR see:

www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages

www.englishprofile.org/images/pdf/GuideToCEFR.pdf

www.englishprofile.org

All Password tests have been formally aligned to the CEFR following the procedures laid out in ” Relating Language Examinations to the ‘Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment’ (CEFR). A Manual “, see www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/relating-examinations-to-the-cefr.

The alignment is undertaken by an independent panel of 10 or more English language education experts with many years of experience chaired by a language testing expert. The process covers:

Re-familiarisation with the CEFR, theoretical & practical

Individual consideration of test items assigning CEFR level and test cut (boundary) scores

Small group discussion and reconsideration of judgements

Panel discussion and reconsideration of judgements

Analysis and formalisation of results

Report production and publication

For more information on the formal alignment of Password tests to the CEFR please see the two documents:

Information about the alignment of the Password Knowledge, Reading and Writing tests to the CEFR by Professor Anthony Green, CRELLA.

Information about the alignment of the Password Listening and Speaking tests to the CEFR by Dr Gouxing Yu, University of Bristol.

The broad Password test CEFR bands are broken down into more precise Password band scores are as below. 

Main suite CEFR A2-C1 Password tests:

The “or above” is used as a top score because while the score is at least 7.0/C1, it could be considerably over this and so a precise Password score is not given. Password tests are less accurate at 7.5 and higher levels as they are beyond their design specification.

“Pre-Password” is below the lower end of scoring.