The latest British Council research on the future of English reveals three key facts:

1. English is and will continue to be the most spoken language in the world
2. Demand for English is only increasing worldwide
3. Global education systems have evolved to equip students with English proficiency.

In this environment, setting your students up for success requires the delivery of high-quality English-language education. That means providing English assessments that help teachers understand and enhance each student’s ability. Along with measuring proficiency, the right assessment will help students for the challenges and opportunities of their future.

In this article, we explore how taking a new approach to English language assessment will help schools develop future-ready learners. By the end of the article, educators and school leaders will have a clear idea of how they can better assess the English proficiency of their students across all stages of learning.

1. New ways of approaching English learning and assessment

Integrating English learning and assessment into a unified system is crucial for improving educational results and making the learning experience more rewarding. Historically, English education has fixated on traditional grammar-intensive instruction and exam-centric methodologies. Today, however, there is a marked shift towards curricula and assessment that are rooted in real-world applications, aiming to prepare learners more effectively for the challenges they will face in their adult life.

At the British Council, we advocate for a holistic approach where the principles of curriculum design, assessment, and delivery all work towards a unified goal. This ensures that every aspect of the educational experience is aligned and contributes to better learning outcomes. Our methodologies are informed by extensive research and innovative practices, as highlighted in our foundational paper, The Comprehensive Learning System, available here.

Shifting from traditional methods to focusing on communication skills has a remarkable effect on improving students' language skills, boosting their confidence, and opening doors to global academic and job opportunities. Many schools have updated their approach to English learning. At the British Council, we provide schools with an assessment approach that supports their teachers to bring the best out of their students. The approach uses course-agnostic tests that target key learning milestones, enabling schools to provide holistic English assessment that helps students communicate in real-world environments.

2. Towards learner-centric assessment

Students learn best when English assessments provide a clear and structured framework to track student progress at key stages. Such tests assess all core English skills and provide a holistic view of a student's proficiency. Of course, data without direction is meaningless. For an assessment to be valuable, it must provide teachers with actionable insights into each student’s abilities, including their strengths and areas in need of improvement. This detailed feedback enables educators to tailor their teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of their students. This is what it means to offer learner-centric assessment.

At the British Council, we recommend that schools embrace learner-centric assessment, which requires trying to understand and address the unique needs and contexts of each learner. School heads should also consider developing and validating their assessment approach by looking at what the student wants to achieve in their learning journey. Significantly, we recommend that schools see assessment as playing a key and continuous role throughout the learning journey, as opposed to being the end goal that sits at the end of the journey.

How the British Council develops English assessments

At the British Council, our assessments are based on the socio-cognitive model pioneered by our Director of English Language Research,Barry O’Sullivan. This approach ensures that our assessments are not only scientifically rigorous but also deeply empathetic to the learners' experiences and aspirations.

Our approach is designed to provide students with the right test at the right time. Based on our experience and expertise, we’ve found that there are three milestones representing the key developmental stage of a student’s educational journey. These stages are at the Primary, Secondary, and Upper Secondary levels. Testing at these stages is crucial to aligning learning with each student’s needs.

Here's what language assessment at each stage should cover:

By placing learners at the centre of our assessment design, we ensure that our tests are more than academic exercises, becoming pivotal experiences that contribute to students’ educational journey.

3. Reducing test anxiety for better student outcomes

If tests are uninspired or unengaging, it can significantly hinder a student’s ability to focus and perform effectively. Making tests more engaging is therefore crucial for students to perform at their full potential. It's also key to improving the overall test experience and alleviating anxiety, so students can better focus, recall, and apply their knowledge during tests. Furthermore, performing under a relaxed state not only increases the accuracy of the test as a measure of their true abilities, but also enhances the student’s overall assessment experience.

At the British Council, we focus on engagement as a key strategy to improve student performance. Our assessments are designed to be interactive and relevant, using content that reflects students' real-life experiences. This makes tests engaging and promotes a more natural demonstration of their abilities.

We also facilitate better outcomes by offering proficiency tests, rather than level tests. Proficiency tests grade students across a spectrum of proficiency levels. Using this approach, every test taker receives constructive feedback on their English skills, appropriate to their proficiency level.

A prime example of this is our Primary English Test for young learners. The test incorporates gamification and story-driven content, making the test experience enjoyable and less daunting for children. By engaging learners in this manner, the test offers a positive and supportive environment that’s more effective at assessing their actual language ability and identifying specific areas where they may need further support.

Similarly, our Aptis ESOL and IELTS tests are proficiency tests that provide candidates with a CEFR score (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). These scores are highly valuable as they unlock educational and employment opportunities at the achieved level, helping candidates on the path towards their academic and professional goals.

4. Leveraging technology to transform language assessment

Today, technology plays an indispensable role in education, revolutionising how assessments are delivered and experienced. As technology advances, language assessments are becoming more accessible, efficient, and effective.

Here are the top ways that technology is transforming language assessment in schools:

• Digital assessments — the shift from traditional paper-based tests to digital assessments mirrors the digital fluency and lifestyle of today’s learners. This transition also reduces logistical burdens while enhancing comfort levels among students, which can encourage better performance.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) — at the forefront of this shift, AI is used to augment the efficiency and accuracy of assessments. For example, adaptive testing powered by AI can adjust the difficulty of questions based on the learner’s responses in real-time, ensuring a fair and precise assessment of proficiency levels.
• Speedy feedback — a significant advantage of digital assessments is the speed at which feedback can be given. Unlike traditional methods, which often take weeks to process, digital systems deliver results within a few days.
• Improved security and exam integrity — digital assessments offer superior security measures, ensuring the safeguarding of each student’s work from unauthorised access.
• Engaging and interactive assessment experience — digital assessments can incorporate multimedia elements and interactive questions that enhance student engagement, which are not possible in paper-based tests.
• Improved accessibility — digital testing is more accommodating to learners of varying abilities, learning styles and backgrounds, with features like adjustable font sizes and extended time. This ensures tests are accessible to all students, maintaining fairness and inclusivity.

The British Council's approach to technology in language assessments

At the British Council, we continually explore the potential of technological advancements to ensure that our language assessments are aligned with the latest educational developments. This is underscored in our research report on AI in English teaching, which shows that a significant portion of educators are now utilising AI to streamline English teaching and assessment. Of these, one in four surveyed teachers are using AI to assess and grade learners.

A prime illustration of our innovative approach is the Primary English Test. This test utilises immersive, animated content to engage young learners, ensuring they can perform at their best in a minimised stress environment. It is adaptive, meaning each student receives questions that are appropriately challenging, and employs reliable machine scoring to provide quick, detailed, and accurate feedback to guide future learning.

Through these technological innovations, the British Council strives to enhance the assessment process while ensuring that it remains relevant, equitable, and effective in the fast-evolving educational landscape.

5. Making assessment delivery more convenient and practical

The timing and delivery of assessments can profoundly impact their effectiveness and the overall test experience. In this section, we will examine common hurdles many schools encounter that hinder convenience and practicality. We’ll also show how our tailored assessment solutions are designed to overcome these challenges.

Integration with existing learning programmes

• Challenge: Adopting new assessment methods can be difficult if it requires changes to existing and established learning programmes.

• Our approach: Our assessments are designed to be course-agnostic, which allows them to integrate seamlessly with any existing curriculum. They require minimal preparation, beyond some familiarisation with the test format, enabling easy adoption without disruptive changes to existing teaching methodologies or materials.
  
  

Exam planning and administration

• Challenge: Some language exams require early registration, which can disrupt school schedules and demand complex logistical planning.
• Our approach: We offer flexible delivery models tailored to specific learner needs and assessment objectives. For routine evaluations, we provide school-based digital delivery, allowing schools to control the time, date, and place of testing within their premises. This approach reduces the need for learners to travel to external test centres and integrates smoothly into the school day, minimising disruptions. For high-stakes assessments, such as Aptis ESOL, we administer tests under secure conditions to ensure the integrity and reliability of the results.
  
  

Actionable, timely results

• Challenge: External test results often take weeks to process and may offer limited insights into test-taker strengths and areas for improvement.
• Our approach: Our assessments are marked swiftly, with results typically available within 48 to 72 hours. Test feedback provides detailed insights into each skill area, so teachers can tailor their instructional strategies accordingly. Our tests also map accurately to the CEFR, offering a comprehensive view of students’ English language proficiency.
  
  

Showcasing progress to parents at key milestones

• Challenge: Parents should always be informed about their child's progress towards key educational milestones, which requires assessments that balance accuracy with detail and cost-effectiveness.
• Our approach: Our strategic test timing aligns assessments with key stages in a student's educational journey, ensuring results are timely and meaningful. Our English Assessment for Schools provides an objective measure of language ability that schools can confidently share with parents.
  
  

By focusing on the practical aspects of assessment delivery, we ensure that our solutions not only meet educational goals but also align with the day-to-day realities of school operations. This approach helps schools get the most value from their language tests.

6. Critical considerations for effective language assessment in schools

When deciding between assessment solutions, school leaders and educators must carefully evaluate each option to ensure that their chosen approach aligns with their school’s educational goals.

Here are 10 questions to help guide the decision-making process:

1. How does the assessment solution align with our school's English learning objectives?
2. Does the assessment provider have tests that cater for different learning stages?
3. Are there measures in place to prevent bias and ensure that the test accurately reflects each student's abilities?
4. Can the tests be integrated seamlessly into our existing curriculum and teaching methodologies?
5. How does the solution facilitate timely and constructive feedback to students and teachers?
6. How does the solution use AI and other technologies to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and relevance of tests?
7. In what ways does the solution improve engagement and motivation among students?
8. How accessible and easy-to-use is the technology required for the test? How easily and conveniently can tests be rolled out?
9. What is the provider's track record regarding reliability, customer service, and ongoing development of their assessment solutions?
10. Additionally, what other work and experience do they have in English teaching and assessment?

Related: Get a summary of all the essential insights covered in this guide, presented in a clear and concise format. Download the Quick guide to English language assessment in schools.

7. The British Council's commitment to improving educational outcomes

At the heart of our mission is a steadfast dedication to enhancing educational outcomes. This commitment is reflected in every aspect of our English language assessments, which are designed not only to measure proficiency but also to significantly improve the educational journey for students and teachers alike

• Best for students: Our assessments are crafted to motivate and engage students, ensuring they can perform at their best. Using engaging content, interactive formats, and relevant scenarios, we create testing environments that reduce anxiety and encourage a natural demonstration of skills. This leads to a more accurate assessment of their capabilities and, ultimately, better learning outcomes.
  
  
• Quality and expertise: Leveraging the British Council's 90 years of experience as global education leaders, our assessments are developed with a deep understanding of educational needs and best practices. We support teachers by providing them with precise measurements of current student skills and clear indicators for setting future goals. This detailed feedback is crucial for teachers to adapt their teaching strategies effectively, ensuring continuous improvement in student performance.
  
  
• Convenience and flexibility: Recognising the diverse needs of schools and students, our assessments are designed to be flexible and easy to administer. Our tests are course-agnostic, meaning they can be seamlessly integrated into any educational system or curriculum without the need for extensive modifications. Whether delivered on-demand or scheduled at regular intervals, this flexibility ensures that assessments are not a disruption but a valuable part of the educational process.
  
  
• Supporting teachers and schools: We understand that successful implementation of any new assessment strategy requires support and guidance. Therefore, we provide comprehensive training and resources to help educators make the most of our assessment tools. Our support goes beyond simple test administration to include insights into enhancing teaching practices and enriching the overall learning environment.
  
  

The British Council can support your school with the right test at the right time, giving your students the best chance at unlocking the opportunities afforded to them by proven English proficiency.