19/05/2025
The PISA Foreign Language Assessment (FLA) was high on the agenda at this year’s ALTE conference in Cardiff, a major event in the language assessment calendar which brought together approximately 200 people from a number of countries. Emma Pathare, an assessment expert from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, gave an insight into the speaking part of the English test that is being used in the forthcoming PISA FLA survey.
Created by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), PISA is the largest survey of educational outcomes in the world and assesses the skills and knowledge of thousands of 15-year-old students in reading, maths, and science. PISA also includes optional assessments. For the current survey, PISA countries and economies can opt to also have their students tested in English as a foreign language in reading, listening and speaking as part of the first cycle of the PISA FLA. These tests were developed in a partnership with Cambridge University Press & Assessment. After giving an overview of the PISA project, Emma gave a behind-the-scenes look into how the speaking section of the test was designed by Cambridge. She explained how the multi-level test has been developed, and how it encourages all candidates to describe, compare, give opinions and speculate about issues relevant to their lives.
Emma Pathare said:
“The PISA FLA Speaking test is innovative in being the largest ever language survey of Speaking ability for 15-year-olds around the world. The test has been designed to be accessible to candidates of all abilities, with tasks designed to be relatable for the global cohort of teenagers. This iteration of the PISA FLA will give a unique insight into what makes for effective English language learning and teaching, and these findings can be built on for the benefit of learners of English around the world.”
ALTE Cardiff also saw presentations from experts around the world who covered a range of topics including vocabulary testing in speaking assessments, testing spoken interaction, and the future of speaking assessment.
The next ALTE event, which will cover the theme of Novel Approaches for Accessibility and Inclusivity within Standardized Language Testing, will take place in Pécs, Hungary in November 2025.
Notes
The 62nd ALTE meeting and conference took place in Cardiff, hosted by the Full Member organisation WJEC/CBAC, who produce tests of Welsh (Cymraeg). Founded in 1989 by the University of Cambridge and the Universidad de Salamanca (Spain), ALTE is a non-for-profit, International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO). Its 33 Full Members and over 100 Associate Members meet three times a year in various locations across Europe to discuss language testing issues and best practices.