What is CEPA?

CEPA is designed as a criterion-referenced proficiency test to measure what test takers can do with the language in real-life tasks encountered in the workplace. CEPA utilizes the CEFR’s action-oriented approach to language use.

To this end, CEPA defines communicative language competence as an integrated construct comprising linguistic (grammatical and lexical), sociolinguistic, and pragmatic competences. CEPA assessment tasks aim to elicit the use of this communicative competence in both general and business English domains.

CEPA has been developed following a long-term analysis of workplace communication, including the identification of key communicative tasks that employees perform in their day-to-day operations. In designing CEPA tasks, communicative themes, purposes, and modes of communication have been analyzed using CEFR “can-do” statements across six proficiency levels, ESL/EFL general and business English coursebooks, and needs analysis surveys conducted with Human Resources specialists in leading multinational corporations.

CEPA assessment tasks are both situationally and interactionally authentic. This ensures that the test reflects real-life workplace language use and allows test takers to engage with tasks as naturally as possible.

What does CEPA consist of?

CEPA comprises three interconnected components designed to measure candidates’ communicative English proficiency across CEFR levels in both general and workplace domains:

Reading and Listening Comprehension Assessment

This component measures test takers’ proficiency in general and workplace English reading and listening comprehension. It uses an adaptive-release format, in which questions are presented in sets of increasing difficulty. Test takers can access the next set only after reaching a required threshold in the current set within the allocated time.

The maximum number of questions per skill is forty.

Item types include:

• Single-response multiple-choice
• Multiple-response multiple-choice
• Matching / compare–contrast
• Re-ordering
• Drag and drop
• Summarizing written and oral texts

Written Communication Assessment

This component measures workplace English writing proficiency. It consists of three independent tasks requiring test takers to use information from one or more multimodal inputs.

The tasks simulate real-life workplace writing and include:

• Writing an email
• Responding to a business enquiry or issue
• Writing a brief report

Speaking Assessment

This component measures workplace English oral communication proficiency. It consists of three independent tasks requiring the use of multimodal inputs.

The tasks simulate real-life workplace speaking situations and include:

• Stating opinions on a case, issue, or business enquiry
• Providing a verbal report
• Delivering a short presentation

How is CEPA delivered and administered?

CEPA is delivered via a state-of-the-art online testing platform engineered specifically for the CEPA. The CEPA testing platform has been designed with strict security measures but at the same time provides the end users with the flexibility to optimize the use of it based on their pedagogical and technical preferences.

Key pedagogical features include:
• Ability to enlarge, annotate, and highlight reading texts
• Note-taking functionality throughout the test
• In-text glossary for unfamiliar terms
• Preview of listening questions
• Built-in word processing and presentation tools for writing and speaking task
• Integrated dictionary support
• Personalized performance feedback
• Detailed results showing what test takers can do with the language

Test security and technical features

The CEPA testing platform incorporates robust security measures to ensure test reliability and prevent malpractice. These include:

• Advanced monitoring and tracking software
• Screen locking during the test
• Restricted access to external applications, websites, and resources
• Screen recording
• Video recording of candidates and their environment
• Keystroke logging
• Blocking of specific functional keys
• Comprehensive activity logging system