EF Standard English Test

EF Standard English Test (EFSET)
Acronym EFSET
Type Standardized test. Available in 3 versions: "EFSET English Certificate", "EFSET English Certificate Plus", & "EFSET Quick English Check".
Developer / administrator EF Education First.
Knowledge / skills tested Listening & reading of the English language.
Purpose To enable non-native English speakers to accurately assess their own English language proficiency.
Year started 2014
Duration EFSET English Certificate Plus:
Listening: 60 minutes,
Reading: 60 minutes, Total: 2 hours.
EFSET English Certificate:
Listening: 25 minutes,
Reading: 25 minutes, Total: 50 minutes.
EFSET Quick English Check:
Total: 15 minutes.
Score / grade range 0 to 100, with CEFR, IELTS and TOEFL equivalencies given.
Score / grade validity student determined
Offered on demand
Countries / regions worldwide (online)
Languages English
Prerequisites / eligibility criteria No prerequisite. Intended for non-native English speakers from true beginner to advanced.
Fee free
Website www.efset.org

The EF Standard English Test (EFSET) is a free online standardized test of the English language designed for non-native English speakers.[1] It is the product of EF Education First, a global language training company, and a team of language assessment experts including Lyle Bachman, Mari Pearlman, and Ric Luecht. EF compares the EFSET's accuracy to the most widely used high stakes standardized English tests: TOEFL, IELTS, and Cambridge International Examinations.[2]

There are three versions of the EFSET: a 15-minute test ("EFSET Quick English Check"), a 50-minute test which assigns a score on the 6-level Common European Framework of Reference for Languages ("EFSET English Certificate"), and a 2-hour test which assigns a score from 0 to 100 with a TOEFL and IELTS equivalency score in addition to the 6-level CEFR score ("EFSET English Certificate Plus").[3] All test versions assess receptive skills only (reading and listening comprehension) and do not assess writing or speaking[4] Unlike other standardized English tests, the EFSET uses computerized adaptive testing methods to adjust the difficulty of the test according to the examinee's ability level. The EFSET is not a proctored exam.[5]

Test launch

EF Education First initially intended to build the EFSET for internal use as a low-cost alternative to third party standardized English tests, with the aim of attaining the same level of accuracy as those tests. Soon, the company realized it could gain branding benefits from releasing a robust, free testing tool for any English learner to use.[6] The initial public launch of the EFSET in 2014 was the result of a 3-year process, which included 15 months of formal trials involving 14,500 students.[7]

Scoring

The EFSET English Certificate Plus is scored on a scale of 0 to 100 with a separate score attributed for reading and listening as well as an overall score. EFSET English Certificate Plus scores are mapped to the 6-level CEFR bands from A1 to C2 as well as to IELTS and TOEFL scores as shown in the table below.[7]

EFSET English Certificate Plus CEFR Level TOEFL IELTS Description
1-30 A1 Beginner N/A N/A Understands familiar everyday words, expressions, and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.
31-40 A2 Elementary N/A N/A Understands sentences and frequently used expressions (personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment)
41-50 B1 Intermediate 57-86 4.0-5.0 Understands the main points of clear, standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, & leisure.
51-60 B2 Upper Intermediate 87-99 5.5-6.0 Understands the main ideas of complex text or speech on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his field of specialisation.
61-70 C1 Advanced 100-109 6.5-7.5 Understands a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognises implicit or nuanced meanings.
71-100 C2 Proficient 110-120 8.0-9.0 Understands with ease virtually every form of material read, including abstract or linguistically complex text such as manuals, specialised articles and literary works, and any kind of spoken language, including live broadcasts delivered at native speed.

References

  1. ↑ Take a New Test Aimed at the World's English Language Learners. National Public Radio. Retrieved on 2014-10-01.
  2. ↑ EFSET FAQ. efset.org. Retrieved on 2014-10-01.
  3. ↑ Free Online Test Targets English Learners. Voice of America. Retrieved on 2014-10-20.
  4. ↑ Testing times for English teaching firm as it taps examination market. The China Daily. Retrieved on 2014-10-09.
  5. ↑ EF moves into testing with free online exam. The PIE news. Retrieved on 2014-09-25.
  6. ↑ Upstart English-Testing Services Take Aim at Longtime Market Leaders. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on 2014-09-12.
  7. 1 2 EFSET Technical Background Report. EF SET site. Retrieved on 2015-01-19.

Further reading

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