Introductory Course in Language Testing              

Please note this is an on-demand course, with the minimum of 4 participants. 
If interested in joining, please email: servicesunit@alte.org. 

This course introduces core principles guiding the assessment of language abilities. It relates theoretical issues both to the language classroom and to large-scale institutional, national and international assessments. The course provides the essential foundations for language assessment practice and for further study in this field.

What knowledge and/or skills will I gain from this course?

The course will provide extensive opportunities for hands-on practice, including in-test design, item writing, scoring and quality assurance processes. Participants will learn:

• Principles that inform the decisions that individuals and organisations responsible for language assessment systems have to make about their design, content, implementation and use
• The qualities of language assessments that contribute to their usefulness
• Approaches to the assessment of the skills that language learners need for communicative success
• How to connect tasks found on assessments to the tasks involved in real-world language use
• Practical applications of theoretical and conceptual frameworks in the development and validation of assessment.

How is this course delivered?

The core text will be sent to you in advance of the course. Participant will be invited to join a Microsoft Teams group where all the materials and tasks will be available for participants to access, plus a discussion board for each unit. The course is structured in 12 separate sessions, and the Microsoft Teams group will reflect this structure. All 12 units will have the same set of activities:

During the course, there will be a series of online meetings incorporating group tasks related to the session content. This is an intensive course that requires:

• A minimum of four hours of independent study for each unit (reading, completing tasks, watching recorded presentations
• A series of online group discussions (discussions and group tasks
• All the activities for each session must be completed before the live discussions
• Participants must attend the online sessions ready to discuss their pre-prepared tasks

We appreciate that most participants are working full time, and so the Microsoft Teams platform will be opened two weeks before the start of the course to allows participants to prepare fully for the discussions. Participants can access the course materials for two weeks after the live sessions end, in order to interact and respond to online posts and comments by other participants and make up for any shortfalls in task completion. However, we recommend participants keep on track.

Who is the course tutor?

The course will be presented by Jane Lloyd, a Senior Research Manager at Cambridge University Press and Assessment. Her main responsibilities are researching integrated learning and assessment practices in the classroom, working on large-scale educational reform projects with ministries and NGOs, and working for ALTE. Her work for ALTE is to support other national language test providers. This includes advising and training in standard setting, statistical analysis of items, analysis of rater performance, delivering pre-conference and online courses and training in assessment, and supporting exam boards with bespoke training and mentoring.  She has a degree in Linguistics, a DELTA, MAs in Linguistics and TESOL, and in Language Testing, and is completing her PhD in Language Testing from CRELLA. Materials written by Dr. Tony Green are part of the course, including the core text.  

Testimonial

"The course was excellent. I have a much better idea of how to develop a test and check its validity, along with the principles behind statistical analysis. It was lovely to study alongside other educational professionals from around the world."

When is the next course?

This is an on-demand course, with the minimum of 4 participants.

The next session materials will be available from Thursday 21^st May and the live discussions will take place in June and August from 09.00-11.00 (CET) on the following days:

Online Meeting	Date:
Session 1: Purposes of assessment Session 2: The Assessment Cycle	Friday 5th June 2026
Session 3: Qualities of effective assessment Session 4: Linking aims to theories and specifications	Tuesday 9th June 2026
Session 5: Assessing Reading Session 6: Assessing Listening Session 7: Assessing Language Knowledge	Thursday 18th June 2026
Session 8: Eliciting performance Session 9: Judging performance	Tuesday 11th August 2026
Session 10: Frameworks and objectives Session 11: Statistics in the assessment cycle Session 12: Scoring, reporting and setting standards	Friday 14th August 2026

How can I register?

Please email: servicesunit@alte.org to register for the course. 

Expression of Interest

If you would like to express your interest in this course, or any other ALTE course, please click here.

Can several people from the same organisation join this course?

Yes. Please email servicesunit@alte.org to register for the course. 

How can I pay?

Full payment is required on registration. We strongly recommend that payment is made online using a Visa, MasterCard or American Express. However, if it is not possible to pay with a credit/debit card when registering, please contact the ALTE Services Unit (servicesunit@alte.org) to request an invoice with bank transfer payment instructions.

Course Terms and Conditions

1. Attendance

• Participants must attend at least 80% of live sessions to receive a Certificate of Completion.
• Attendance will be recorded for each session.
• Those who do not meet the attendance requirement will not be eligible for the certificate.
• Missed sessions may be made up in a later edition of the course, subject to availability and the organiser’s approval.

• Each course registration is valid for one individual participant only.

• Registrations may not be shared, transferred, or used by multiple participants, unless agreed with ALTE.

• Group viewing (for example, several people attending from the same organisation in a meeting room or via a shared connection) is not permitted unless explicitly agreed in writing with ALTE.

2. Recordings and Course Materials

• Recording, copying or sharing any part of the live sessions is not permitted.
• All course materials, including slides, recordings and handouts, are the property of the course organiser and are provided for personal educational use only.
• Materials may not be shared, reproduced or distributed without permission.

3. Technology and Course Changes

• Participants are responsible for ensuring they have a reliable internet connection and appropriate technology to join the sessions.
• The course organiser may make reasonable changes to the schedule, content or tutors if necessary, and will communicate any updates in advance.

4. Agreement

By enrolling on and participating in this course, you confirm that you have read and agree to these Terms and Conditions.