Adult English Assessment

As the U.S. population becomes increasingly diverse and the number of adults learning English continues to grow, the need for effective language instruction and assessment has never been greater. CAL understands the needs of language educators and programs serving adult English language learners, and we have a long-standing commitment to serving adult ESL practitioners. 

CAL uses current best practices in test development to create its assessments, which are designed to help programs evaluate students and make instructional decisions. CAL’s assessments use authentic language and communicative tasks that allow examinees to demonstrate what they know and can do in English. Our tests are reviewed and field-tested with the support of state education directors, local program directors, and experienced adult ESL teachers.  

CAL’s adult ESL proficiency assessments meet NRS reporting requirements and are designed to give programs a full range of options for their assessment needs. BEST Literacy and BEST Plus address the different needs of adult English language learners by providing assessment options that can reliably demonstrate student progress. With BEST Plus for speaking and listening skills and BEST Literacy for reading and writing skills, programs can use our assessments together to test the full range of student performance. We invite you to contact us to discuss your program’s needs. Learn more

Resources, News, and Events

Assessment Literacy For Language Educators
Assessment Literacy For Language Educators
Effects Of Instructional Hours And Intensity Of Instruction On NRS Level Gain In Listening And Speaking
Effects Of Instructional Hours And Intensity Of Instruction On NRS Level Gain In Listening And Speaking
Adult English Proficiency Assessments
Adult English Proficiency Assessments

The number of adult English language learners in the United States continues to grow substantially and programs serving them face many challenges in providing instruction to meet their needs. Having ... Read more

Assessment for Language Instructors: The Basics – Online Course
Assessment for Language Instructors: The Basics – Online Course

This online course provides world language instructors with an understanding of the fundamentals of assessment. The course lasts five weeks and includes five units that require 2 hours each. Unit ... Read more

Ask a Test Developer – A CAL Commentary
Ask a Test Developer – A CAL Commentary

Mina Niu, Kristine Nugent

September 2018

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The Center for Applied Linguistics is a nonprofit organization promoting access, equity, and mutual understanding for linguistically and culturally diverse people around the world.