Skip to main content
Cambridge
  • Products and Services

    Products and Services

    • Products and Services

      Our innovative products and services for learners, authors and customers are based on world-class research and are relevant, exciting and inspiring.

    • Academic Research
    • English Language Learning
    • English Language Assessment
    • Educational resources for schools
    • Bibles
    • Educational Research & Network
    • Assessment Research
    • Cambridge Assessment International Education
    • OCR
    • Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing
    • Cambridge Assessment Network
    • Cambridge CEM
    • Cambridge Partnership for Education
    • Cambridge Dictionary
    • The Cambridge Mathematics Project
    • CogBooks
    • Bookshop
  • About Us

    About Us

    • About Us

      We unlock the potential of millions of people worldwide. Our assessments, publications and research spread knowledge, spark enquiry and aid understanding around the world.

    • What we do
    • Our story
    • People and planet
    • Governance
    • News and insights
    • Legal
    • Accessibility
    • Rights and permissions
    • Annual Report
    • Contact us
  • Careers

    Careers

    • Careers

      No matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from, you’ll feel proud to work here.

    • Careers
    • Jobs
    • Benefits
Change Language

Cambridge English Language Assessment

Main navigation

  • Products and Services

    Products and Services

    • Products and Services

      Our innovative products and services for learners, authors and customers are based on world-class research and are relevant, exciting and inspiring.

    • Academic Research
    • English Language Learning
    • English Language Assessment
    • Educational resources for schools
    • Bibles
    • Educational Research & Network
    • Assessment Research
    • Cambridge Assessment International Education
    • OCR
    • Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing
    • Cambridge Assessment Network
    • Cambridge CEM
    • Cambridge Partnership for Education
    • Cambridge Dictionary
    • The Cambridge Mathematics Project
    • CogBooks
    • Bookshop
  • About Us

    About Us

    • About Us

      We unlock the potential of millions of people worldwide. Our assessments, publications and research spread knowledge, spark enquiry and aid understanding around the world.

    • What we do
    • Our story
    • People and planet
    • Governance
    • News and insights
    • Legal
    • Accessibility
    • Rights and permissions
    • Annual Report
    • Contact us
  • Careers

    Careers

    • Careers

      No matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from, you’ll feel proud to work here.

    • Careers
    • Jobs
    • Benefits
Change Language
English Language Assessment
  • Home
  • Why choose us?

    Why choose us?

    • Learners

    • Who accepts our exams?
    • Visas and immigration
    • Study abroad
    • Cambridge English journeys
    • Organisations

    • English for higher education institutions
    • Our exams and tests
    • Verify results online
    • Setting your requirements
    • Exam security and quality
    • Employers
    • Research and consultancy

    • Research and validation
    • English language consultancy
  • Exams and tests

    Exams and tests

    • Cambridge English Qualifications Cambridge English Qualifications
    • Schools
    • General and higher education
    • Business
    • Pre A1 Starters (YLE Starters)
    • A1 Movers (YLE Movers)
    • A2 Flyers (YLE Flyers)
    • A2 Key for Schools (KET)
    • B1 Preliminary for Schools (PET)
    • B2 First for Schools (FCE)
    • A2 Key (KET)
    • B1 Preliminary (PET)
    • B2 First (FCE)
    • C1 Advanced (CAE)
    • C2 Proficiency (CPE)
    • B1 Business Preliminary (BEC Preliminary)
    • B2 Business Vantage (BEC Vantage)
    • C1 Business Higher (BEC Higher)
    • Linguaskill Linguaskill
    • IELTS IELTS
    • OET OET
    • Useful links

    • Test your English
    • Cambridge English Placement Test
    • How to register
    • Find an exam centre
    • What to expect on exam day
    • Study English in the UK
    • See exam results online
    • Cambridge English Scale
    • International language standards explained
    • Information for preparation centres
  • Learning English

    Learning English

    • Free activities
    • Exam preparation
    • Test your English
    • Parents and children
    • Games and social media
    • More resources
  • Teaching English

    Teaching English

    • Qualifications for individuals
    • CELTA
    • DELTA
    • TKT (Teaching Knowledge Test)
    • Qualifications for schools and ministries
    • CELT-P
    • CELT-S
    • Language for Teaching
    • Certificate in EMI Skills
    • Train the Trainer
    • Professional development
    • Cambridge English Teaching Framework
    • Cambridge English Trainer Framework
    • Become a Cambridge English Assessment Specialist
    • Your new English classroom
    • Resources for teachers
    • Webinars for teachers
    • Information for preparation centres
  • Blog
  • News
  • Events
  • Help

    Help

    • Lost certificates
    • Enquiries and appeals
    • Special requirements
    • Special considerations
    • Malpractice
    • Complaints
    • Corporate social responsibility
  • Test your English
  • Find an exam centre
  • Who accepts our exams?
English Language Assessment

You are here:

  1. Cambridge English
  2. Research and Validation
  3. Meet the team
  4. Dr Sarah McElwee

Dr Sarah McElwee

  • Meet the team
    • Dr Evelina D Galaczi
    • Dr Amy Devine
    • Dr Angeliki Salamoura
    • Dr Ardeshir Geranpayeh
    • Dr Brigita Séguis
    • Carrie Warren
    • Dr Edmund Jones
    • Elaine Schmidt
    • Ella Pope
    • Ewa Stearn
    • Graham Seed
    • Dr Hye-won Lee
    • Jane Lloyd
    • Jason Hurren
    • Jess Jamet
    • Dr Jing Xu
    • John Savage
    • Mariangela Marulli
    • Dr Mark Brenchley
    • Nicholas Glasson
    • Dr Nick Saville
    • Safiatú Lopes
    • Dr Sarah McElwee
    • Siân Morgan
    • Dr Sylwia Macinska
    • Tony Clark
Dr Sarah McElwee

Dr Sarah McElwee

Principal Research Manager

Sarah is a Principal Research Manager at Cambridge English, leading on research related to university admissions tests. Her areas of expertise are the use of assessments to support the selection of candidates to university, and the impact of university admissions on students, universities and wider society. She is particularly interested in admission to medicine, the validity of selection assessments, and widening participation in Higher Education.

Sarah has worked in education for over 15 years as a researcher, consultant, and as a teacher and lecturer for learners right across the age range from early primary school to postgraduate study, as well as in Community Adult Education. She holds an honours degree in Psychology from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD in Cognitive Development from Queen’s University Belfast.

Sarah previously held a research position at the Department of Experimental Psychology at Oxford University, focused on the development of verbal and spatial reasoning assessments for primary and secondary school pupils. She has worked as a consultant to a number of national education bodies in her native Ireland. As a specialist in the development and learning of exceptionally able children, Sarah has delivered numerous public engagement events to parents and teachers, and has devised and tutored online learning courses for teachers.

Key publications and conference presentations

Cheung, K Y F and McElwee, S (2017) What skills are we assessing? Cognitive validity in BMAT, in Cheung, K Y F, McElwee, S and Emery, J (Eds) Applying the Socio-cognitive Framework to the BioMedical Admissions Test: Insights from Language Assessment, Studies in Language Testing volume 49, Cambridge: UCLES/Cambridge University Press, 35-80.

Cheung, K Y F, McElwee, S and Emery, J (Eds) (2017) Applying the Socio-cognitive Framework to the BioMedical Admissions Test: Insights from Language Assessment, Studies in Language Testing volume 49, Cambridge: UCLES/Cambridge University Press.

McElwee, S, Fyfe, M and Grant, K (2017) The consequences of biomedical admissions testing on individuals, institutions and society, in Cheung, K Y F, McElwee, S and Emery, J (Eds) Applying the Socio-cognitive Framework to the BioMedical Admissions Test: Insights from Language Assessment, Studies in Language Testing volume 49, Cambridge: UCLES/Cambridge University Press, 181-215.

Cheung, K Y F and McElwee, S (2016) Using the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) to support shortlisting for multiple mini interviews (MMI), paper presented at the Association of Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) Annual Conference, Barcelona, Spain, August 2016.

McElwee, S and Shannon, M (2016) Supporting positive test impact for BMAT candidates: A case study of revising BMAT Section 2, paper presented at the Association of Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) Annual Conference, Barcelona, Spain, August 2016.

Hustad, A and McElwee, S (2015) Ideas to action: A framework for the design and implementation of a mixed methods study, in Moeller, A J, Creswell, J W and Saville, N (Eds) Second Language Assessment and Mixed Methods Research, Studies in Language Testing volume 43, Cambridge: UCLES/Cambridge University Press, 299-324.

McElwee, S, Cheung, K Y F and Shannon, M (2015) Widening participation and positive impact in the design and administration of university admissions tests, paper presented at the 16th Association for Educational Assessment-Europe Annual Conference, Glasgow, UK, 5-7 November 2015.

McElwee, S (2014) Metacognition: Can we teach people how to learn?, in Mellanby, J and Theobald, K (Eds) Education and Learning: An Evidence-Based Approach London: Wiley Blackwell, 173-206.

On this site

  • Home
  • Why Cambridge English?
  • Exams and tests
  • Learning English
  • Teaching English
  • News
  • Events
  • Help
  • About us
  • Who accepts our exams?
  • Agents
  • Consultancy
  • Research
  • Contact us
  • ALTE logo
  • English Profile logo
  • Cambridge University Press & Assessment
  • BSI Logo

View Related Sites

  • Cambridge English main site
  • Cambridge English helpdesk
  • Cambridge English Penfriends
  • Cambridge English Schools
  • Cambridge English Online
  • Cambridge English for Centres
  • Preparation Centres Online
  • Results Verification Service
  • Occupational English Test
  • ALTE
  • English Profile
  • Cambridge University Press & Assessment
  • Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing
  • Michigan Language Assessment
  • Cambridge Assessment Japan Foundation


© Cambridge University Press & Assessment

  • Terms & conditions
  • Data protection
  • Accessibility statement
  • Statement on modern slavery
  • Safeguarding policy
  • Sitemap
Back to top
We use cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving your consent for us to set cookies Dismiss