Working together, sharing our expertise
‘Developing, administering and validating our exams brings us into collaboration with a wide range of different individuals, groups and institutions, including:
- test takers
- teachers
- universities
- educational publishers
- major commercial organisations
- local, regional and national government bodies.
Additionally, we work closely with our own international network of centres, examiners and materials writers.
Working together with all of these groups is important to the development of our exams, but as a not-for-profit organisation we also have a responsibility to contribute to the wider world of education and assessment. A number of our key collaborations are with organisations such as the Council of Europe, ALTE, SurveyLang and English Profile that are involved in the research and further development of international standards and benchmarks for language learning.
Sharing the findings of our research
Additionally, we contribute to the greater understanding of language learning, teaching and assessment by sharing the findings of our research. We do this through our own published research materials and through scholarly publications produced by others. We also participate in seminars and conferences around the world that relate to language learning.
Research about our exams carried out by others also provides valuable independent information. Our ESOL Funded Research Programme and IELTS-funded research offer grants and sponsorship for those undertaking postgraduate research about our exams or investigating other aspects of validity and impact within language learning and assessment.
Being a part of a wider community provides us with an extensive network of expertise that we use to deliver quality and fitness for purpose across all of our exams. It also enables us to share our knowledge and best practice with others and contribute to the world of language learning, teaching and assessment.’
Dr Hanan Khalifa,
Head of Research & Publications, Research & Validation, Cambridge ESOL
Find out more:
- SurveyLang
Cambridge ESOL led an important European Commission project to support the development of language learning across Europe. - ALTE
More about the work of the Association of Language Testers in Europe. - Council of Europe
Cambridge ESOL has worked closely with the Council of Europe in the development of the CEFR. - English Profile
Cambridge ESOL is a key partner in a project to deliver the CEFR for English. - ESOL Funded Research Programme
Funding for research into Cambridge English exams and the impact of language assessment. - IELTS-funded research
The IELTS Joint Research Committee makes funding available to support external researchers in conducting quality research. - Published research
We share the latest findings of our research with the wider language assessment community through our own publications. - Requests for data
Information for researchers about requesting data about Cambridge English exams.