Cambridge Assessment English facts for kids
| Established | 1913 |
|---|---|
| Type | Part of a non-profit charity |
| Legal status | A department of the University of Cambridge |
| Purpose | Creates language exams |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, UK |
|
Region served
|
Global |
|
Key people
|
Francesca Woodward, CEO |
|
Parent organization
|
Cambridge University Press & Assessment |
| Subsidiaries |
|
|
Formerly called
|
Cambridge English Language Assessment / University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL) / University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) |
Cambridge Assessment English, also known as Cambridge English, is a group that creates popular English language tests. These tests, called Cambridge English Qualifications, are taken by millions of people all over the world. They also help make the IELTS exam.
Cambridge English is part of the famous University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. They helped create a system called the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The CEFR is like a ruler for measuring language skills, and it is used everywhere to see how well someone knows a language. All of the Cambridge English tests match up with the CEFR levels.
Contents
Cambridge English Exams
Each Cambridge English exam is designed for a specific level of the CEFR. This helps you choose the right test for your English skill level.
Exams for Schools
These exams are made for students and young people. They help you practice and improve your English in a fun way. The topics are things you might learn about in school or talk about with friends.
| Exams for Young Learners |
|---|
| Pre A1 Starters |
| A1 Movers |
| A2 Flyers |
| Exams for Teens |
| A2 Key for Schools |
| B1 Preliminary for Schools |
| B2 First for Schools |
| C1 Advanced |
| C2 Proficiency |
Exams for Adults
These exams are for adults who are studying or working. They have the same format as the school exams but use topics that are more interesting for grown-ups.
| Exams |
|---|
| A2 Key |
| B1 Preliminary |
| B2 First |
| C1 Advanced |
| C2 Proficiency |
Exams for Business
These tests are for adults who need to use English at work. They focus on language for business situations, like meetings and emails.
| Exams |
|---|
| B1 Business Preliminary |
| B2 Business Vantage |
| C1 Business Higher |
What's Your Level? Multilevel Tests
Sometimes you need to find out your exact English level. Multilevel tests are perfect for this because they cover many CEFR levels in just one test. This can help you choose the right exam or English class.
| Test Name | CEFR Level Covered |
|---|---|
| Cambridge English Placement Test | A1–C2 |
| Cambridge English Placement Test for Young Learners | Pre A1–A2 |
| Linguaskill | A1–C2 |
| IELTS | A1–C2 |
The History of Cambridge English Exams
The story of Cambridge English begins a long time ago at the University of Cambridge.
How It All Started
In 1858, the university created a group called UCLES. Its job was to give exams to students who were not studying at the university. This helped schools see how well their students were doing.
At first, the exams were only for native English speakers in Britain. But soon, students in other countries like Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, and Malaysia began taking them too.
The Very First Cambridge English Exam
In 1913, UCLES made the first-ever exam for people who were not native English speakers. It was called the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Today, we know it as C2 Proficiency.
This first exam was incredibly difficult!
- It was 12 hours long.
- It was designed for people who wanted to be English teachers.
- It included translating long texts, writing essays, and even a section on phonetics (the study of speech sounds).
Believe it or not, only three people took the first exam, and all of them failed! The next year, 18 people took it, and four passed. The exam was later changed to be more about practical English skills instead of just literature and translation. This made it much more popular.
Creating Exams for Every Level
Over time, more and more people wanted to prove their English skills. But not everyone was ready for the super-hard CPE exam. So, Cambridge created a set of exams for different levels. This is the five-level system we know today:
- Level 1: A2 Key (KET)
- Level 2: B1 Preliminary (PET)
- Level 3: B2 First (FCE)
- Level 4: C1 Advanced (CAE)
- Level 5: C2 Proficiency (CPE)
These exams were updated to include more listening and speaking. They also started using more realistic texts and tasks, like writing letters or understanding conversations.
The Cambridge English Scale
In 2015, Cambridge English started using a new way to show test results called the Cambridge English Scale. This scale gives you more detail about your score.
Instead of just a pass or fail, you get an overall score. You also get a score for each skill, like reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This makes it easier to see what you are good at and where you can improve. It also helps you see your progress as you move from one exam level to the next.
Timeline of Key Events
- 1209: The University of Cambridge is founded.
- 1858: The exam group UCLES is created.
- 1913: The first English exam for non-native speakers, CPE (now C2 Proficiency), is introduced.
- 1939: The LCE exam is introduced. It is now called B2 First.
- 1989: The IELTS test is launched.
- 1991: The CAE exam (now C1 Advanced) is introduced.
- 1994: The KET exam (now A2 Key) is introduced.
- 1997: The first exams for Young Learners are launched.
- 2002: The number of people taking Cambridge exams reaches one million in a year.
- 2015: The Cambridge English Scale is introduced for reporting results.
- 2021: Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press join together to become Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
See also
- CaMLA
- IELTS, International English Language Testing System
- Studies in Language Testing (SiLT)
- Teaching English as a Foreign Language
