This course introduces core principles guiding the assessment of language abilities. It relates theoretical issues both to the language classroom and to large-scale institutional, national and international assessments. The course provides the essential foundations for language assessment practice and for further study in this field.

What knowledge and/or skills will I gain from this course?

The course will provide extensive opportunities for hands-on practice, including in-test design, item writing, scoring and quality assurance processes. Participants will learn:

• Principles that inform the decisions that individuals and organisations responsible for language assessment systems have to make about their design, content, implementation and use
• The qualities of language assessments that contribute to their usefulness
• Approaches to the assessment of the skills that language learners need for communicative success
• How to connect tasks found on assessments to the tasks involved in real-world language use
• Practical applications of theoretical and conceptual frameworks in the development and validation of assessments.

How is this course delivered?

Participant will be invited to join a Microsoft Teams group where all the materials and tasks will be available for participants to access, plus a discussion board for each session. The course is structured in 12 separate sessions, and the Microsoft Teams group will reflect this structure. All 12 sessions will have the same set of activities:

• Questions or points to consider, before you begin any tasks or reading
• Pre-session reading
• A simple quiz based on the reading
• Reflective questions to be completed post reading
• A recorded lecture
• An individual task
• A task to prepare for the live discussion session

During the course, there will be a series of online meetings incorporating group tasks related to the session content. This is an intensive course that requires:

•  A minimum of four hours of independent study for each session (reading, completing tasks, watching recorded presentations)
• A series of online group discussions (discussions and group tasks)
• All the activities for the relevant sessions must be completed before the live discussions
• Participants must attend the online sessions ready to discuss their pre-prepared tasks

We appreciate that most participants are working full time, and so the Microsoft Teams platform will be opened two weeks before the start of the course to allows participants to prepare fully for the discussions. Participants can access the course materials for two weeks after the live sessions end, in order to interact and respond to online posts and comments by other participants and make up for any shortfalls in task completion. However, we recommend participants keep on track.

When is the next ALTE Introductory Course in Language Testing?

The session materials will be available from Thursday 21^st May 2026 and the live discussions will take place in June and August from 09.00-11.00 (CET) on the following days:

Session	Online discussion:
Session 1: Purposes of assessment	Friday 5th June 2026
Session 2: The assessment cycle
Session 3: Qualities of effective assessment	Tuesday 9th June 2026
Session 4: Linking aims to theories and specifications
Session 5: Assessing Reading	Thursday 18th June 2026
Session 6: Assessing Listening
Session 7: Assessing language knowledge
Session 8: Eliciting performance	Tuesday 11th August 2026
Session 9: Judging performance
Session 10: Frameworks and objectives	Friday 14th August 2026
Session 11: Statistics in the assessment cycle
Session 12: Scoring, reporting and setting standards

Who is the tutor?

The course will be presented by Jane Lloyd, a Senior Research Manager at Cambridge University Press and Assessment. Her main responsibilities are researching integrated learning and assessment practices in the classroom, working on large-scale educational reform projects with ministries and NGOs, and working for ALTE. Her work for ALTE is to support other national language test providers. This includes advising and training in standard setting, statistical analysis of items, analysis of rater performance, delivering pre-conference and online courses and training in assessment, and supporting exam boards with bespoke training and mentoring.  She has a degree in Linguistics, a DELTA, MAs in Linguistics and TESOL, and in Language Testing, and is completing her PhD in Language Testing from CRELLA. Materials written by Dr. Tony Green are part of the course, including the core text.  

Can several people from the same organisation join this course?

For group bookings, ALTE advises a maximum of three places per organisation.

Additional Event Information:  

Please note that a minimum number of 4 people need to register for the course for it to take place. 

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can be made online using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

If you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. We will then issue an invoice and a bank transfer will be possible.

In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the event, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. If you have received the course book, you do not need to return this if cancelling. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff only for the purposes related to the organisation of the course.

Spam alert 

Please note that ALTE will never ask you to pay via a third-party website.
Please avoid clicking on any links that direct you to a payment website other than WildApricot.

This online course provides an overview of standard setting and how it fits into the process of aligning tests to an external framework, such as the CEFR. It introduces key terminology and concepts related to standard setting, and an overview of the main components of standard setting, and commonly used methods.  

What knowledge and/or skills will I gain from this course? 

The ALTE Standard Setting course covers the following: 

• How standard setting relates to aligning your test to a language proficiency framework 

• What terminology and concepts are essential to know  

• Which standard setting methods are commonly used in language testing  

• Key decisions for institutions engaged in standard setting 

Who is this course suitable for? 

No previous knowledge of standard setting is required or assumed. The course is suitable for people who are new to standard setting and need to have an overview of the basics. It is suitable for someone who is new to this work in their institution, or who would like to gain experience as a participant in a standard setting panel. 

Can I run standard setting for my institution after attending this course? 

This course is an introduction to the basic concepts, it will enable participants with no experience to work alongside a more experienced colleague. The ALTE Services Unit offer an additional course in setting up and running standard setting. Please contact the ALTE Services Unit for details: servicesunit@alte.org 

How is this course delivered? 

This workshop is delivered online. It consists of interactive meetings with the whole group, small breakout sessions, bite-size introductory input, individual study tasks, group discussions, and interactive Q&A. It is not necessary to prepare for the tasks in advance, but these will be made available for those who may want to review the content or language. 

Does this course require and specific software? 

This course does not require any specific software, but it is a paper-free ‘green’ course, and all material will be delivered/shared online. You will need your own laptop. 

Who is the tutor? 

The course will be presented by Jane Lloyd (Cambridge University Press and Assessment). Jane is Senior Research Manager at Cambridge English. Her main responsibilities are leading on standard setting for Cambridge exams, working on large-scale educational reform projects with ministries and NGOs, and working for ALTE. Her work for ALTE is to support other national language test providers. This includes: statistical analysis of items, analysis of rater performance, research into exam and language use at regional and national level, courses and training in assessment, preparation for audits, and training for item writers, test designers and raters. She has a degree in Linguistics, a DELTA, an MA in Linguistics and TESOL, and an MA in Language Testing. She is currently studying for a PhD in Language Testing at CRELLA.  

Additional Event Information:  

For group bookings, ALTE advises to book a maximum of three places per institution. 

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can be made online using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
If you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. We will then issue an invoice and a bank transfer will be possible.

In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the event, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. If you have received the course book, you do not need to return this if cancelling. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff only for the purposes related to the organisation of the course.

Spam alert 

Please note that ALTE will never ask you to pay via a third-party website.
Please avoid clicking on any links that direct you to a payment website other than WildApricot.

Expression of Interest in ALTE Courses

If you would like to express your interest in any other ALTE course, please click here.

The ALTE course in oral assessor recruitment and training is suitable for those of you who are new to recruiting and training oral assessors and those wishing to review their current practices. 

This short course of two 90 minute sessions will look at face-face and online assessor training from assessor and interlocutor perspectives. There will be an introductory overview of the process starting with an initial exploration of an oral assessor ‘s role and responsibilities through to training, standardisation and ongoing quality assurance programmes. In the recruitment and selection section we will consider issues such as conflict of interest, contractual obligation and effective screening processes. The training section will include delivery mode options,  suggestions for content, for example the number and type of exam performances required and  the frequency and timing of training sessions. The final section will look at methods to maintain assessor reliability and consistency and ensure that assessors are adhering to the required standards.  

This  course is designed to be interactive and attendees will work in groups sharing ideas and experiences. You will be asked to complete a short questionnaire  at registration on your  testing context to ensure the course is shaped to your needs. 

The course will be delivered by Cathy Taylor, ALTE expert member. Cathy has 15 years experience in recruiting and training oral assessors.

Join us on Monday 28 September at 15:00 CET for a special ALTE webinar marking the European Day of Languages (Saturday 26th September 2026).

The webinar, delivered via Microsoft Teams, will offer a unique opportunity to continue the conversation around this important ALTE resource:

the revised Manual for Language Testing Development and Examining (2026)

The revised version of the Manual for Language Test Development and Examining, was launched at the ALTE 9th International Conference, in Munich in April this year.

The session will feature contributions from colleagues of the Council of Europe (CoE) / European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), as well as from members of the MLTDE authoring team, highlighting the ongoing collaboration between ALTE, the CoE/ECML, and key experts involved in the development of the Manual.

Whether you are already familiar with the publication or keen to discover it for the first time, this session will provide valuable insights and perspectives. Further details on the programme and the registration will be shared in due course—save the date and don’t miss it!

This webinar will be video recorded and the recording will be available after the event on the ALTE website and ALTE YouTube channel.

The original 2011 version of the MLTDE is available here in English, Basque, Dutch, French and German.

Language certification plays a key role in Greece, shaping access to education, employment and public-sector opportunities. But how can we be sure that language qualifications are fair, reliable and truly reflect a candidate’s ability?

ALTE is organising a stakeholder event in Athens on Thursday 1 October 2026, hosted at the Goethe-Institut building, to explore how trust in language assessment can be strengthened—focusing in particular on the role of independent quality assurance such as the ALTE Q-Mark.

The event is free of charge and open to professionals working in the field of language testing.

More information about the event and the provisional schedule are available here.

Registration will open next week.

Please note, places for this event are limited.

We look forward to welcoming you to Athens! 

This course will look at the recruitment and training of writing assessors whereby trained judgement is required to assess written work. The course is designed to be interactive, and attendees will work in groups sharing ideas and experiences.

There will be an introductory overview of the process starting with an initial exploration of an writing assessor‘s role and responsibilities through to training, standardisation and ongoing quality assurance programmes. In the recruitment and selection section we will consider issues such as conflict of interest, contractual obligation, and effective screening processes. The training section will include delivery mode options, recommendations for training content, e.g., the number and type of exam performances required, the frequency and timing of training sessions. The final section will consider typical assessor behaviours which compromise relibility such as severity/leniency, central tendency, the halo effect and inconsistency. We will look at methods to maintain assessor reliability and consistency to ensure that assessors are adhering to the required standards.

The course will be delivered via Microsoft Teams by Cathy Taylor, ALTE expert member. Cathy has 15 years’ experience in recruiting and training oral and writing assessors. It will consist of two 90-minute sessions.

Additional Event Information:  

ALTE gives a 10% discount for those who book the Oral Assessor Recruitment Training and Writing Assessor Recruitment training. Please email us to request the discount. 

For group bookings, ALTE advises to book a maximum of three places per institution. 

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can be made online using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
If you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. We will then issue an invoice and a bank transfer will be possible.

In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the event, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. If you have received the course book, you do not need to return this if cancelling. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff only for the purposes related to the organisation of the course.

Spam alert 

Please note that ALTE will never ask you to pay via a third-party website.
Please avoid clicking on any links that direct you to a payment website other than WildApricot.

This half-day online course is aimed at those who would like to learn about statistics for language testing. 

The course provides an overview of the different stages at which statistics are useful throughout the cycle of designing, validating, managing, and reviewing a language exam, and suggestions for practical follow-up action. It also aims to help better understand the role of statistics and how to interpret them when working with analysts, or individually. 

The course will be led by Jane Lloyd (Cambridge University Press and Assessment), an experienced tutor and expert in the field.

A more detailed programme will be available closer to the date. 

Additional Event Information:  

For group bookings, ALTE advises to book a maximum of three places per institution. 

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can be made online using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
If you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. We will then issue an invoice and a bank transfer will be possible.

In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the event, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. If you have received the course book, you do not need to return this if cancelling. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff only for the purposes related to the organisation of the course.

Spam alert 

Please note that ALTE will never ask you to pay via a third-party website.
Please avoid clicking on any links that direct you to a payment website other than WildApricot.

Rasch analysis is a psychometric technique which places the proficiency level of test takers, and the relative difficulty of items on a common scale. Rasch software (such as Winsteps) is used to calibrate the data and produces statistical measures for items and test takers. This analysis provides statistical data on the relative difficulty and consistency of the items, and the relative performance of test takers. Rasch analysis is suitable for pre- and post-testing of items in receptive skills tests.

Many Faceted Rasch Measurement (MFRM) analysis is a statistical approach used to evaluate speaking and writing assessments, particularly focusing on the variability introduced by different ‘facets’ such as raters, tasks, and test takers. It is sometimes referred to as Facets analysis, referring to a commonly used MFRM software (Facets).  MFRM is designed to account for and analyse the effects of various sources of variability such as differences in rater severity, task difficulty, and test taker ability.

This course provides an overview of the basics of Rasch and MFRM analysis. The course assumes, at best, only limited awareness of the type and content of files used for input and the type of output produced by Rasch Analysis and Rasch Measurement or MFRM software.  It covers the cycle of preparing data for analysis and understanding input and output. It does not provide any training on operating any specific software but concentrates on understanding typical content and design of input and output files.

This course is aimed and assessment professionals with a language or teaching background, who need to work and communicate with analysts, make sense of output and tables, and who need to prepare or adapt input for analysis.

The course is led by Jane Lloyd (Cambridge University Press and Assessment), an experienced tutor and expert in the field. 

Additional Event Information:  

For group bookings, ALTE advises to book a maximum of three places per institution. 

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can be made online using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
If you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. We will then issue an invoice and a bank transfer will be possible.

In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the event, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. If you have received the course book, you do not need to return this if cancelling. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff only for the purposes related to the organisation of the course.

Spam alert 

Please note that ALTE will never ask you to pay via a third-party website.
Please avoid clicking on any links that direct you to a payment website other than WildApricot.

This practical three-day online course provides language testing professionals with hands-on experience in designing high-quality test tasks and items for CEFR-aligned language proficiency assessments. Focusing on commonly assessed proficiency levels and general language testing contexts, participants will explore the principles underlying effective assessment of receptive and productive skills, analyse authentic test materials, and develop their own tasks and items through guided workshops and peer discussion.

The course is planned as follows: 
PART One: 
Day 1 & Day 2: Item Writing: 13 & 14 October (full days)
Day 3: Artificial Intelligence in language testing: 15 October (full day)

PART Two:
Day 4: Online wrap-us session: 30 October: 2.5 hours

Item Writing for language tests has become one of the fields where generative AI proves to be a very useful companion. This part of the course focuses both on the general characteristics of working with generative LLMs (pros and cons) and a very hands-on practical approach to safeguarding your data and advanced prompting.

For Day 3 of the course, it is important to have access to one the LLMs, preferably in a personal (paid) version (Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot). Please ensure you have access to such a model before coming to the course. We will work with it extensively.

Following the live sessions, participants will develop sample materials in their own testing contexts, upload them to a Teams learning platform, where they will receive tutor and peer feedback, refine their work, and then discuss common issues in a follow-up online meeting. The course is suitable for both newer and experienced item writers seeking to strengthen their practical assessment design skills and prepare for emerging AI-assisted approaches to item development.

By the end of Day 1 participants will be able to: 

• Link receptive tasks to CEFR constructs.

• Identify characteristics of effective reading and listening items.

• Evaluate item quality against agreed criteria.

• Produce and review draft receptive-skill items.
  
  

By the end of Day 2 participants will be able to:

• Design productive tasks linked to CEFR outcomes.

• Create task specifications for speaking and writing.

• Develop assessment criteria aligned with constructs.

• Produce draft speaking and writing tasks suitable for later AI-supported development.

By the end of Day 3 participants will be able to:

• Explain the role of AI in assessment task and item development.

• Safely protect the shared data in the LLM tools used.

• Use prompting techniques to generate test tasks and items.

• Make sure the AI system uses the CEFR framework correctly and properly in link with the generated items.

• Evaluate AI-generated materials against assessment principles and CEFR requirements.

• Produce draft assessment materials for subsequent review and refinement.

Course Overview: 
The course combines three live online training days with an extended practical task-development project. Participants will draft, review, refine and discuss assessment tasks, receiving both tutor and peer feedback throughout the process.

Date	Activity	Output
13 October	Day 1: Designing Reading and Listening Tasks (Led by Jane Lloyd)	Draft receptive-skill items and task specifications
14 October	Day 2: Designing Writing and Speaking Tasks (Led by Jane Lloyd)	Draft productive-skill tasks and assessment criteria
15 October	Day 3: AI-Assisted Item Writing and Task Development (Led by Bert Wylin)	Participants begin developing a task or item set using AI-supported approaches
19 October	Deadline for Draft 1 upload to Teams	Participants upload first draft of task(s) for feedback
22 October	Deadline for peer feedback on Draft 1	Participants provide feedback on at least two peers' submissions
24 October	Tutor feedback on Draft 1 completed	Participants receive asynchronous tutor feedback
26 October	Deadline for revised Draft 2 upload to Teams	Participants upload refined version of task(s)
28 October	Deadline for peer feedback on Draft 2	Participants provide further peer feedback on revised submissions
29 October	Tutors review final submissions and prepare wrap-up session	Identification of common strengths and areas for development
30 October	Online Wrap-Up Session (half day)	Discussion of participant work, common issues and next steps

The tutors are: Jane Lloyd and Bert Wylin.

Jane Lloyd is a Senior Research Manager at Cambridge University Press and Assessment. Her main responsibilities are researching integrated learning and assessment practices in the classroom, working on large-scale educational reform projects with ministries and NGOs, and working for ALTE. Her work for ALTE is to support other national language test providers. This includes advising and training in standard setting, statistical analysis of items, analysis of rater performance, delivering pre-conference and online courses and training in assessment, and supporting exam boards with bespoke training and mentoring.  She has a degree in Linguistics, a DELTA, MAs in Linguistics and TESOL, and in Language Testing, and is completing her PhD in Language Testing from CRELLA. 

Bert Wylin has both an academic and a business profile. He has worked at the KU Leuven since 1993, leading the Education Innovation Centre (integrating EdTech in education). In 2001, he founded a KU Leuven university spin-off, now Televic Education, developing and servicing an e-assessment platform. Bert has delivered various courses for ALTE such as AI in digital language testing and Developing Digital Assessments.  

Additional Event Information:  

For group bookings, ALTE advises to book a maximum of three places per institution. 

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can be made online using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
If you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. We will then issue an invoice and a bank transfer will be possible.

ALTE offers a 15% discount for ALTE Members and a 10% discount for General public if you book the ALTE Item Writing Basic and AI in Item Writing Part 1 & ALTE Item Writing Advanced and AI in Item Writing Part 2 courses. Please email ALTE Services Unit to secure the discount: servicesunit@alte.org 

In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the event, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. If you have received the course book, you do not need to return this if cancelling. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff only for the purposes related to the organisation of the course.

Spam alert 

Please note that ALTE will never ask you to pay via a third-party website.
Please avoid clicking on any links that direct you to a payment website other than WildApricot.

This online course provides an overview of standard setting and how it fits into the process of aligning tests to an external framework, such as the CEFR. It introduces key terminology and concepts related to standard setting, and an overview of the main components of standard setting, and commonly used methods.  

What knowledge and/or skills will I gain from this course? 

The ALTE Standard Setting course covers the following: 

• How standard setting relates to aligning your test to a language proficiency framework 

• What terminology and concepts are essential to know  

• Which standard setting methods are commonly used in language testing  

• Key decisions for institutions engaged in standard setting 

Who is this course suitable for? 

No previous knowledge of standard setting is required or assumed. The course is suitable for people who are new to standard setting and need to have an overview of the basics. It is suitable for someone who is new to this work in their institution, or who would like to gain experience as a participant in a standard setting panel. 

Can I run standard setting for my institution after attending this course? 

This course is an introduction to the basic concepts, it will enable participants with no experience to work alongside a more experienced colleague. The ALTE Services Unit offer an additional course in setting up and running standard setting. Please contact the ALTE Services Unit for details: servicesunit@alte.org 

How is this course delivered? 

This workshop is delivered online. It consists of interactive meetings with the whole group, small breakout sessions, bite-size introductory input, individual study tasks, group discussions, and interactive Q&A. It is not necessary to prepare for the tasks in advance, but these will be made available for those who may want to review the content or language. 

Does this course require and specific software? 

This course does not require any specific software, but it is a paper-free ‘green’ course, and all material will be delivered/shared online. You will need your own laptop. 

Who is the tutor? 

The course will be presented by Jane Lloyd (Cambridge University Press and Assessment). Jane is Senior Research Manager at Cambridge English. Her main responsibilities are leading on standard setting for Cambridge exams, working on large-scale educational reform projects with ministries and NGOs, and working for ALTE. Her work for ALTE is to support other national language test providers. This includes: statistical analysis of items, analysis of rater performance, research into exam and language use at regional and national level, courses and training in assessment, preparation for audits, and training for item writers, test designers and raters. She has a degree in Linguistics, a DELTA, an MA in Linguistics and TESOL, and an MA in Language Testing. She is currently studying for a PhD in Language Testing at CRELLA.  

Additional Event Information:  

For group bookings, ALTE advises to book a maximum of three places per institution. 

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can be made online using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
If you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. We will then issue an invoice and a bank transfer will be possible.

In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the event, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. If you have received the course book, you do not need to return this if cancelling. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff only for the purposes related to the organisation of the course.

Spam alert 

Please note that ALTE will never ask you to pay via a third-party website.
Please avoid clicking on any links that direct you to a payment website other than WildApricot.

Expression of Interest in ALTE Courses

If you would like to express your interest in any other ALTE course, please click here.

Advanced Statistics, Part I, in-person only

Who is the course aimed at?

This course  aims to be a general introduction to basic psychometric concepts and methods, and to the way in which they can be used practically in the design and validation of language testing tools (chiefly tests and rating scales), and for those who have completed the Introduction to statistics online course led by Jane Lloyd and want to gain more knowledge.

The course is particularly suited for participants who have little or no prior background in psychometrics since it adopts a gradual and conceptually oriented approach, in which key ideas are introduced in a clear and systematic manner. Rather than assuming prior technical knowledge, it emphasizes interpretation and practical understanding, enabling participants to engage meaningfully with fundamental concepts.

Through guided examples and applied tasks, participants will develop the ability to interpret statistical information commonly encountered in language testing contexts. The course thus aims to bridge the gap between theoretical principles and their practical application, fostering a more informed and critical use of assessment tools.

How will you benefit from coming to the course?

You will learn about the basic principles of statistical analysis applied to language testing. You will:

• Learn the basic assumptions of Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory
• Understand how to interpret the most frequently used statistics 
• Understand how these analyses can match ALTE Q-Mark
• Be introduced to basic statistical software packages

How does the course enhance your work?

On the one hand, this course will help you understand the basic psychometric properties of your test. This will give you insight into how items, raters and candidates work. By gaining such insight into your tests you will be able to:

• Improve the overall quality of your tests
• Better support the validity argument of your tests
• Create a basic quality check of the reliability of your tests
• Take part in discussions about the reliability of your tests

How does the course enhance your professional development?

The training provides the opportunity of developing your analytical and technical skills. This course will help you:

• Develop a solid conceptual understanding of key psychometric principles
• Interpret and critically evaluate test data for informed decisions in test development and research
• Strengthen your research profile by gaining foundational competencies in quantitative methods relevant to applied linguistics
• Increase your confidence in engaging with data-driven practices and collaborating in assessment and evaluation projects

How will you and your institution benefit from this course? 

Every participant of the course will be able to:

• Implement more data-driven, fair, and transparent assessment methods.
• Support evidence-based decision-making around testing and scoring.
• Align assessment practices with international standards and best practices such as Q-Mark

This directly enhances your institution’s assessment quality and its capacity to support validity arguments.

Is any prior knowledge necessary to attend the course? 

No prior knowledge of statistics or mathematics is required. However,  ALTE strongly suggests you complete the Introduction to Statistics online course led by Dr Jane Lloyd. 

What you need to know before you join the course

You must have:

• A minimum C1 level in English to follow the course
• Knowledge of test design and validation procedures

What will you learn:

Duration: 4 sessions of 2/3 hours each (2 days training)

Delivery: In-person only, as a pre-conference course.

Contents:

Session 1 — Introduction and Classical Test Theory

• A historical perspective of psychometrics applied to language testing
• Classical Test Theory
• True score, observed score and error
• Facility values
• Distractor analysis
• Discrimination indexes
• Internal reliability
• DIF analysis

Session 2 — Item Response Theory

• A probabilistic model
• Infit and outfit mean squares
• Variable map
• Dimensionality
• Rating scales design and validation

Session 3 — Methods I

• SPSS
• Winsteps
• Facets

Session 4 — Methods II

• ItemShinyAnalysis
• R
• Others

Please note this course is only delivered as an in-person course, prior to ALTE conferences. If you wish this course to be delivered at your organisation only, please contact: servicesunit@alte.org

Payment and Cancellation policy

For group bookings, ALTE advises to book maximum three places per institution. 

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can only be made online using Visa, MasterCard or American Express. 

If you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. In such a case we issue an invoice first, and only then a bank transfer will be possible.
In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the events, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.  

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff and third parties, only for the purposes related to the organisation of the course.

Spam alert 

Please note that ALTE will never ask you to pay via a third party website.
Please avoid clicking on any links that direct you to a payment website other than WildApricot.

The ALTE 64^th Meeting and Conference will be hosted by CAPLE (University of Lisbon) and will take place in Lisbon, 11^th -13^th November 2026.

Please note the 2 venues of the event: on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th November, the venue of the event will be the Faculty of Humanities, University of Lisbon, while on Friday 13th November (ALTE Conference Day), the venue will be the Pavilhão de Portugal.

The first 2 days (Wednesday 11^th and Thursday 12^th November) will be open to representatives of ALTE Members/Associate Members/Individual Expert Members. 

The event will be held face to face. However, colleagues who are unable to attend in person will be able to access the online meeting of the Annual General Meeting (AGM), on Thursday 12th November at 15:50 (local time) free of charge. 

If you are a Full Member, Individual Expert Member or Associate Member, make sure to log in to your personal account on the ALTE website to register for the event. If you don’t have a personal account on the ALTE website, please get in touch with the ALTE Secretariat (secretariat@alte.org).

Each ALTE delegate should pay a contribution of €70 at the moment of the registration. Please consult this document for a step by step guide on how to register and pay the €70 contribution.

Friday 13^th November will be an open conference day, welcoming all those interested in the field of language testing.

The theme of the conference is: 

Language Assessment for a World on the Move: Migration, Mobility, and Multilingualism 

Provisional Programme

For more information about the event, how to get to the 2 venues of the conference, accommodation recommendations, etc, please read the practical Information document.

The registration for this event will close on Monday 26th October.

VISA Invitation Letters
If you require an invitation letter for VISA purposes, please contact the ALTE Secretariat at secretariat@alte.org to request one from CAPLE. Please note that invitation letters will only be issued once your registration and payment of the registration fee have been completed. Please note that it may take up to 3 weeks from the time of your request for the letter to be issued.

Payment and Cancellation policy

Payment of the registration fee (€70) is required in full at the time of registration and can be made online using Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. Payment by invoice is also possible; please contact the ALTE Secretariat (Secretariat@alte.org) to request an invoice for payment by bank transfer. Please note that, in the case of bank transfer, payment must be received by Monday 26 October.

Cancellation Policy: if you can’t attend the event anymore, please inform that ALTE Secretariat as soon as possible, sending an email to secretariat@alte.org.

In the event of cancellation up to one month before the conference (11 October 2026), the full amount will be refunded minus a €10 administration fee. For cancellations after 11 October 2026, no refunds can be issued.

Workshop I: From CEFR Descriptors to Task Design: Making Construct‑Driven Decisions

When working with the CEFR, it can be challenging to translate broad descriptors into actual test tasks, especially in productive skills. This session provides a systematic way to move from CEFR descriptors to practical design choices. The core focus is on how to interpret CEFR descriptors (including the Companion Volume) for receptive and productive skills and convert them into test tasks that operationalise a specific level consistently.

What knowledge and/or skills will I gain from this workshop?

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Understand key CEFR construct dimensions relevant to task design
• Interpret CEFR descriptors in a principled and consistent way
• Translate CEFR descriptors into well‑aligned test tasks
• Analyse cognitive and linguistic demands of tasks
• Identify and resolve misalignment of tasks and levels
• Develop a personal CEFR task design checklist for use in their own context

This workshop is suitable for those involved in task design, either as designers themselves, or those who have roles reviewing and editing tasks, or training task designers. Participants are expected to have a working knowledge of the CEFR and to be able to work with CEFR descriptors provided in English and with sample tasks designed for learners of English as a foreign language. Exemplar tasks targeting the B1-C1 range will be provided.

How is this workshop delivered?

This practical workshop is delivered in person, and will include interactive discussions with the tutor, bite-size introductory input, individual study tasks, and group and pair discussions. A pre-course questionnaire will be used to gauge the level and experience of those attending. Lunch is included for participants who join Workshop I and Workshop II..

Does this workshop require and specific software?

This course does not require any specific software, but it is a paper-free ‘green’ workshop, and all material will be delivered/shared online. You will need your own laptop.

Who is the tutor?

The course will be presented by Jane Lloyd (Cambridge University Press and Assessment). Jane is a Senior Research Manager at Cambridge English. Her main responsibilities are researching integrated learning and assessment practices in the classroom, working on large-scale educational reform projects with ministries and NGOs, and working for ALTE. Her work for ALTE is to support other national language test providers. This includes advising and training in standard setting, statistical analysis of items, analysis of rater performance, delivering pre-conference and online courses and training in assessment, and supporting exam boards with bespoke training and mentoring.  She has a degree in Linguistics, a DELTA, MAs in Linguistics and TESOL, and in Language Testing, and is completing her PhD in Language Testing from CRELLA. 

When is the workshop?

This one-day workshop will be on Wednesday 11^th November in Lisbon, Portugal.

Can several people from the same organisation join this workshop?

For group bookings, ALTE advises to book a maximum of three places per organisation.

Additional Event Information:  

Please note that a minimum number of 4 people need to register for the course for it to take place. 

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can be made online using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

If you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. We will then issue an invoice and a bank transfer will be possible.

In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the event, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. If you have received the course book, you do not need to return this if cancelling. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff only for the purposes related to the organisation of the course.

Spam alert 

Please note that ALTE will never ask you to pay via a third-party website.
Please avoid clicking on any links that direct you to a payment website other than WildApricot.

Applying the CEFR to Rating and Standard Setting: Practical Calibration and Judgement Exercises

When working with the CEFR, it can be challenging to adapt or work with the descriptors in contexts where human judgement is involved. The core focus of this workshop is on using the CEFR (including the Companion Volume) as a framework for rating productive skills, standard‑setting judgments, and ensuring consistency across raters and tasks.

What knowledge and/or skills will I gain from this workshop?

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Understand how CEFR descriptors can guide rating decisions
• Identify key factors for borderline and cut‑score judgements
• Use the CEFR to inform standard‑setting decisions and justify cut scores
• Develop templates for calibration and rating practice for use in their own context

Who is this workshop suitable for?

This is a practical and interactive workshop suitable for CEFR‑literate assessment professionals, who work as raters, train raters, who are involved in standard setting, or would like to learn more about it. No previous standard setting experience is required. Participants are expected to have a working knowledge of the CEFR and to be able to work with CEFR descriptors provided in English and with sample tasks designed for learners of English as a foreign language. Exemplar tasks targeting a range of CEFR levels will be provided.

How is this workshop delivered?

This practical workshop is delivered in person, and will include interactive discussions with the tutor, bite-size introductory input, individual study tasks, and group and pair discussions. A pre-course questionnaire will be used to gauge the level and experience of those attending. Lunch is included for participants who join Workshop I and Workshop II..

Does this workshop require and specific software?

This course does not require any specific software, but it is a paper-free ‘green’ workshop, and all material will be delivered/shared online. You will need your own laptop.

Who is the tutor?

The course will be presented by Jane Lloyd (Cambridge University Press and Assessment). Jane is a Senior Research Manager at Cambridge English. Her main responsibilities are researching integrated learning and assessment practices in the classroom, working on large-scale educational reform projects with ministries and NGOs, and working for ALTE. Her work for ALTE is to support other national language test providers. This includes advising and training in standard setting, statistical analysis of items, analysis of rater performance, delivering pre-conference and online courses and training in assessment, and supporting exam boards with bespoke training and mentoring. She has a degree in Linguistics, a DELTA, MAs in Linguistics and TESOL, and in Language Testing, and is completing her PhD in Language Testing from CRELLA. 

When is the workshop?

This workshop will be on Wednesday 11th November in Lisbon, Portugal.

Can several people from the same organisation join this workshop?

For group bookings, ALTE advises to book a maximum of three places per organisation.

How can I pay?

Full payment is required on registration. Payment can be made online using a Visa, MasterCard or American Express. If it is not possible to pay with a credit/debit card when registering, please contact the ALTE Services Unit (servicesunit@alte.org) to request an invoice for a bank transfer payment to be made.

*Please note, representatives of ALTE Full Member/Associate Member organisations, should register here: https://www.alte.org/event-6260568  

The ALTE 64^th Conference day will be hosted by CAPLE (University of Lisbon) and will take place in Lisbon, Friday 13^th November 2026.

The event is open to all those interested in the language testing field and will take place at the Pavilhão de Portugal as a face to face event. 

The theme of the conference is: 

Language Assessment for a World on the Move: Migration, Mobility, and Multilingualism 

Provisional programme

For more information about the event, how to get to the 2 venues of the conference, accommodation recommendations, etc, please read the Practical information document.

VISA Invitation Letters
If you require an invitation letter for VISA purposes, please contact the ALTE Secretariat at secretariat@alte.org to request one from CAPLE. Please note that invitation letters will only be issued once your registration and payment of the registration fee have been completed. Please note that it may take up to 3 weeks from the time of your request for the letter to be issued.

Payment and Cancellation policy

Payment of the registration fee (€50) is required in full at the time of registration and can be made online using Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. Payment by invoice is also possible; please contact the ALTE Secretariat (Secretariat@alte.org) to request an invoice for payment by bank transfer. Please note that, in the case of bank transfer, payment must be received by Monday 26 October.

Cancellation Policy: if you can’t attend the event anymore, please inform that ALTE Secretariat as soon as possible, sending an email to secretariat@alte.org.

In the event of cancellation up to one month before the conference (11 October 2026), the full amount will be refunded minus a €10 administration fee. For cancellations after 11 October 2026, no refunds can be issued.

This workshop provides an overview of ALTE, who we are and what we do, and what kind of support and guidance we offer our members, and what to expect from our conferences and events. It also includes an introduction to key concepts and terminology in assessment.

What knowledge and/or skills will I gain from this workshop?

After outlining the activities, committees and basic organisation of ALTE, the course focuses on basic assessment terminology and concepts in several key areas:

·       Welcome to ALTE: who we are and how we support members
·       The test development cycle & task and item design
·       Piloting, pre- and post-testing and analysis
·       External frameworks: The CEFR, and the socio-cognitive framework

Who is this workshop suitable for?

This course is intended for those individual or associate members who are new to ALTE, or new to assessment, or who are taking on an assessment focused role for the first time, or who have just joined a member organisation. No previous knowledge of assessment is required. This is an entry level workshop.

How is this workshop delivered?

This workshop is delivered online. It consists of bite-size introductory input, interactive discussions, and Q&A. The session will consist of four 1-hour sessions, with breaks in between.

Does this workshop require and specific software?

This course does not require any specific software, but it is a paper-free ‘green’ workshop, and all material will be delivered/shared online. You will need your own laptop.

Who is the tutor?

The course will be presented by Jane Lloyd (Cambridge University Press and Assessment). Jane is Senior Research Manager at Cambridge English. Her main responsibilities are leading on standard setting for Cambridge exams, working on large-scale educational reform projects with ministries and NGOs, and working for ALTE. Her work for ALTE is to support other national language test providers. This includes: statistical analysis of items, analysis of rater performance, research into exam and language use at regional and national level, courses and training in assessment, preparation for audits, and training for item writers, test designers and raters. She has a degree in Linguistics, a DELTA, an MA in Linguistics and TESOL, and an MA in Language Testing. She is currently studying for a PhD in Language Testing at CRELLA. 

Additional Event Information:  

For group bookings, ALTE advises to book maximum three places per institution. 

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can be made online using a Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
If you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. We will then issue an invoice and a bank transfer will be possible.

In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the events, the full amount will be refunded minus an €50 administration fee. If you have received the course book, you do not need to return this if cancelling. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff only for the purposes related to the organisation of the ALTE Introductory course in language testing course.

Spam alert 

Please note that ALTE will never ask you to pay via a third-party website.
Please avoid clicking on any links that direct you to a payment website other than WildApricot.

ALTE Artificial Intelligence in Digital Language Testing course is a two-day course which will explore the use of AI in the full digital language testing process, which includes: 
- the authoring of assessments, with AI-assisted item authoring
- the test-taking phase, with AI-monitoring of test-takers, or the threat of candidates using AI to take their test,
- the marking and grading process, with (semi-)automatic AI grading - the results processing, where AI can detect anomalies or help interpreting big data.

The focus will be on the authoring and the grading phase because that is where AI gives the most promising results already. In both authoring and grading, the course will show concrete tips an tricks on how to configure and customize the LLMs to your organisation’s and assessments’ specific needs.

About the course tutor:
Bert Wylin has both an academic and a business profile. He has been working at the KU Leuven since 1993, leading the Education Innovation Centre (integrating EdTech in education). In 2001, he founded a KU Leuven university spin-off, now Televic Education, developing and servicing an e-assessment platform. Today, Bert is interested in how technology serves the didactic and pedagogical needs of content and skills measurement. 

Payment and Cancellation policy

For group bookings, ALTE advises to book maximum three places per institution. 
   
Payment is in full when registering. Payment can only be made online using Visa, MasterCard or American Express. 

If you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. In such a case we issue an invoice first, and only then a bank transfer will be possible.
In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the events, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.  

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff and third parties, only for the purposes related to the organisation of the course.

Spam alert 

Please note that ALTE will never ask you to pay via a third party website.
Please avoid clicking on any links that direct you to a payment website other than WildApricot.