Exam Regulations

Individuals who turn 14 during the calendar year in which they intend to take the ECL language exam are eligible to register. Registration is completed by submitting the online registration form available on the ECL website.

Proof of payment of the exam fee must be sent to the exam site by e-mail. Registration without proof of payment is considered invalid. The registration deadline is four weeks before the scheduled exam date. Applicants receive a confirmation e-mail regarding their registration and information on the payment of the exam fee, which is sent to the e-mail address provided during registration.

The online registration form must be completed using the same personal data as those appearing on the candidate's passport. In the event of any change in name, address or other personal data, the candidate must inform the exam site in writing electronically via email as soon as possible so that the data can be updated in the database. If the changes are not reported, the certificate may contain incorrect information. The cost of issuing a corrected certificate is covered by the candidate.

The ECL examination system allows candidates to register to take exams at different languages and different levels in the same exam period. However, for administrative reasons, candidates cannot register for different languages at the same level, and certain level combinations are also technically impossible.

Before registering for exams at different levels, candidates should always check if those levels are scheduled for the same day in the exam schedule, as in such cases the written exam sessions will overlap. For example, the written parts of the B1 and C1 exams take place at the same time and therefore interfere with each other. However, it is possible to register for the B1 and B2 levels in the same exam period, as their exam times are different.

Candidates may apply after the registration deadline by paying an additional fee. The deadline for late registration is communicated by the Examination Centre to the exam sites via e-mail.

Exam fees are determined individually by ECL exam sites. Candidates should therefore obtain information about the current exam fees from their local exam sites.

Once the exam fee has been paid, the candidate has the right to take the exam or postpone it to the next exam period. To postpone an exam, a request must be submitted and an additional fee must be paid.

Payment procedures may vary between exam sites. For online registration, candidates receive information about the available payment methods. The exam fee may be paid directly to the designated bank account or by bank transfer. Proof of payment must be submitted to the exam site in person or by e-mail.

A request for issuing the invoice can be made at the time of registration at the exam site.

Exam fees are non-refundable. If a candidate does not appear for the exam and has not requested a postponement in advance, the exam fee will be forfeited. A new registration requires the payment of a new exam fee.

If a candidate is unable to take the exam due to an emergency, the exam site may refund 40% of the exam fee after reviewing the candidate's written request and taking the circumstances into consideration. Such requests are accepted only if they are submitted at least one day before the exam date. The fee paid for a postponed exam is nonrefundable.

Candidates are informed about the time and location of their exams electronically 10 days before the exam. This information includes the candidate numbers, details about the location and time of each module, and other relevant info (e.g. rules, sanctions, permitted devices, etc.).

The Examination Centre provides an appropriate testing environment for people with disabilities to ensure equal opportunity. People with disabilities who are in possession of the required medical documents are entitled to get specific testing accommodations.

Candidates with special educational needs may take the exam in the framework of a special arrangement provided they request it in writing at their respective examination site. The form for this process is available at the examination sites and electronically on the website of the Examination Centre.

Medical documentation must be attached to the registration in all cases. In case of a late submission of a medical certificate, individual arrangements cannot be ensured. In this case, the candidate may postpone the exam to the next exam date without paying the exam fee again.

The Examination Centre decides whether testing accommodations will be provided based on a candidate's medical certificate. No changes in the content of the exam material can be made, and only the format of exam material can be altered.

Candidates may request the postponement of an exam for a fee if they are unable to take it for justified reasons. A postponement request must be submitted by sending the appropriate form to the local exam site. If the request is accepted by the exam site, the exam may be postponed to the next exam date. A rescheduled exam cannot be postponed again.

The postponement request form is available on the website of the Examination Centre. Submission of the form does not automatically result in the rescheduling of the exam. As this is a special procedure, candidates are required to explain their reasons in detail and provide supporting documents (e.g. a medical certificate or an official declaration issued by an authority). Personal or family reasons may also be considered.

If a candidate has registered for a complex exam, only the full exam may be postponed to the next exam period. Candidates registered for modular exams may postpone the modules for which they registered; individual modules cannot be postponed independently.

The candidate may not change the exam site after the payment has been made and the registration has been accepted.

Upon written request, candidates may change the language, level or the selected modules of the exam, provided that the exam fee has not yet been paid. The candidate must inform the exam site of this request.

The written modules of the exam (Reading, Writing and Listening) start at a unified time at all exam sites on the date established by the Examination Centre. The Reading and Writing modules are administered first, followed by the Listening module.

The Speaking module may be conducted on the same day as the written modules or within two weeks during the same exam period. The Speaking module takes place according to schedules set by the exam sites.

The Speaking exam is conducted by two trained examiners who are present either on site or online during the exam. It may only be administered by examiners who have completed the required basic training and regular professional development training for administering speaking exams.

Candidates take the exam in pairs. During the online registration process, candidates have the opportunity to select a partner for the Speaking exam. If no partner is selected, a partner will be assigned randomly. In the case of an odd number of candidates, the exam sites will assign candidates to groups of three. After the Speaking exam has begun, candidates do not receive preparation time before the dialogue and monologue tasks.

The Speaking exam is conducted via the online platform PROEXAM, which is also used to create audio or video recordings of the speaking exams and to document the examiners' assessments and records. As PROEXAM is internet-based, in the event of an internet outage or technical malfunction that cannot be resolved within one hour, the International ECL Examination Centre may, in agreement with the respective exam site, schedule a new date for the Speaking module.

In such cases, the International ECL Examination Centre may also authorise the exam site to conduct the exam without using PROEXAM. For this purpose, the International ECL Examination Centre provides the speaking exam materials in PPT format. The exam is recorded using an audio recording device, while the examiners complete the assessment sheets and attendance lists manually. After the exam, the scores awarded are entered into the LEO administration system by the exam site administrator.

When appointing examiners for the Speaking exam and selecting invigilators, exam sites must take into account any potential conflict of interest in accordance with applicable law and accreditation requirements.

For the Writing module, candidates at all levels may use printed monolingual or bilingual dictionaries available in bookstores. Thematic dictionaries are not permitted. Other forms of assistance (e.g. handwritten notes or vocabulary lists) are not allowed.

Dictionaries and any other type of assistance are not permitted during the Reading, Listening and Speaking modules.

Notes may only be taken in the test booklets. Correction liquid and erasable pens are not allowed. Candidates may correct their answers by crossing them out using a black or blue pen.

For the first task of the Reading and Listening modules, candidates must mark their answers in the table on the answer sheet. Only clearly marked answers will be accepted.

For Reading and Listening tasks requiring short answers based on the text or recording, candidates should provide brief and precise answers using a few words rather than full sentences. Answers should directly address the question and must not contain unnecessary information. If an answer includes information that is not part of the correct response, it will be considered incorrect. In the Reading tasks, answers copied directly from the text that contain unnecessary information will also be considered incorrect. Only answers written in brackets or crossed out will not be considered part of the candidate's final answer.

Only answers marked on the answer sheet can be evaluated. For tasks where candidates are required to mark their answer with an X on the answer sheet, corrections must be made by shading the entire square containing the incorrect answer and placing an X in the square corresponding to the answer they consider correct.

For tasks where the letter of the correct answer must be written in an answer grid, corrections may be made by crossing out the incorrect letter and writing the final answer in the same box. Markers will not consider answers written outside the answer grid.

Only trained invigilators can conduct the written modules.

All candidates must verify their identity using a valid photo ID (e.g. passport, driving licence, identity card or residence permit). If a candidate is unable to present one of these documents, the exam site must deny the candidate entry to the exam. Candidates are not permitted to bring the following items into the exam room: mobile phones, smart watches, earbuds or any other electronic devices. Exam site staff may use metal detectors when candidates enter the exam room after presenting their ID to ensure that none of the unpermitted devices are brought into the exam room. Other items such as bags, books, notebooks, and printed or handwritten materials are also not permitted in the exam room.

During the exam, candidates may only write draft answers in the Reading, Writing and Listening test booklets. A Notes page is also provided at the end of the Writing module where candidates may write draft responses. Dictionaries may only be used during the Writing module. Final answers must be written in black or blue ink on the answer sheets.

Candidates may not leave the exam room before completing the written modules, except for health reasons or in case of emergency (e.g. use of the restroom). In such cases, candidates may leave the exam room only when accompanied by a supervisor.

If a candidate arrives while instructions are being given for the Reading or Writing module, they may enter the exam room; however, no additional time will be granted for late arrival. Candidates are not permitted to enter the exam room if they arrive after the Listening module has begun.

If the candidate wants to report any disturbing events during the exam, this has to be completed right after the section of the module concerned. The report has to be made in writing, and it has to be submitted to the head of the exam site or another representative immediately after the exam.

In order to detect candidates attempting to take an exam under someone else's name, the ECL exam sites strictly check the identity of the candidates and compare ID cards with the names in the registrations. IDs must remain on the candidates' desks during the written modules and presented for security purposes when the answer sheets are collected.

In the event of fraud (e.g. hired test taker), a report has to be made and the exam site informs the Examination Centre. All candidates involved will be disqualified from taking ECL exams in the future.

For verified cheating (e.g. copying another candidate's work, using unauthorised aids), the candidate's exam will be invalidated, and the candidate may be disqualified from the possibility of taking future ECL language exams. If it is determined during the rating of the written modules that a candidate plagiarized from the internet or any other source, this is considered exam fraud; therefore, the Examination Centre will cancel the score awarded for the affected task. Candidates are not permitted to communicate with one another or exchange information or materials during the exam. Any form of copying or assistance between candidates is strictly prohibited.

In the event of misconduct, the invigilator must report the incident to the head of the exam site and may, if necessary, terminate the candidate's participation in the exam. Such action may be taken to ensure exam security and to maintain appropriate conditions for other candidates. A written report must be submitted.

In accordance with the applicable exam regulations, the Examination Centre reserves the right to cancel an exam in the event of serious violations. In such cases, the results will be declared invalid and candidates will not receive an evaluation. The Examination Centre also reserves the right to exclude such candidates from future exams.

Where serious violations compromise fairness and equal treatment, the Examination Centre may temporarily or permanently suspend the operation of the exam site concerned.

If the exam site jeopardises exam security through deliberate administrative misconduct (e.g. unauthorised modification of candidate data), the Examination Centre may terminate the contract with immediate effect.

If exam security is compromised due to the actions of the exam site (e.g. insufficient supervision, procedural irregularities, etc.) or the behaviour of candidates (e.g. communication, use of unauthorised aids, attempting to photograph exam materials, removal of test materials), the Examination Centre may suspend the operation of the exam site for a fixed or indefinite period. The suspension takes immediate effect. If registration for an upcoming exam is already in progress, the exam site is responsible for informing registered candidates of the cancellation and for refunding the exam fee.

The conditions for lifting a suspension will be communicated to the exam site after the investigation has been completed. The Examination Centre reserves the right to terminate the contract following the resolution of the case. In such cases, the Examination Centre is under no obligation to provide a replacement exam, and no new contract may be concluded.

If the International ECL Examination Centre becomes aware that a candidate has presented a forged certificate to any official body, the candidate will be excluded from registering for future ECL exams.

All personnel involved in the administration of ECL exams are required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement.

All test materials are protected by copyright. It is strictly prohibited for exam sites or any third parties to copy or reproduce (including photocopying) blank or completed test papers and answer sheets.

For each module, two assessors evaluate candidates' performance. A maximum of 25 points may be awarded for each module. The Reading and Listening modules consist of 20 items each, with each item worth 1.25 points. No partial credit is awarded for partially correct answers.

Analytical rating scales with five criteria are used to assess performance in the Writing and Speaking modules.

For each task in the Writing module, candidates may receive a maximum of five points per criterion from each rater, resulting in a task score. The maximum task score for a writing task is 100 points. Based on the scores awarded by the two raters, the scoring software calculates the final module score as an average.

Two examiners independently evaluate candidate performance in the Speaking module using analytical rating scales with 5 criteria. Candidates may receive a maximum of 5 points per criterion, resulting in a maximum module score of 25 points. The examiners reach a consensus on the final score after the assessment.

Candidates will be informed of their exam results no later than 30 days after the written modules.

Candidates may register either for a complex exam covering four modules corresponding to the four skills (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking) or for modular exams, in which individual modules may be taken separately in any combination. A module is considered successfully completed if the candidate achieves at least 60% of the total score in the given module. A complex exam is considered successful if the candidate achieves at least 60% in each module.

Certificates are issued for the successfully completed modules taken in a given exam period. If a candidate achieves 60% or more in one or more modules during that exam period, the certificate lists the successfully completed module(s). If a candidate does not successfully complete all four modules within a single exam period but completes them within one year (based on the dates of the exams), a combined certificate listing all four modules and the respective exam dates may be issued upon request.

Language exam certificates are sent from the Examination Centre to exam sites where the exams were taken. Language exam certificates are distributed directly to candidates by staff at the exam sites.

ECL certificates in German and English are monolingual and provide information about the result in the target language. Certificates of the other exam languages are bilingual and provide information about the results in the target language and in English. The reverse side of the certificate contains a brief description of the language competencies demonstrated at the corresponding level.

ECL language certificates do not have an expiration date. However, candidates are advised to check the specific requirements of the institution or organisation where the certificate will be used, as some institutions may set their own rules regarding the acceptance of certificates.

Candidates may request a digital certificate at their local exam site, in addition to the printed certificate. The digital certificate, provided in PDF format, is intended for electronic use and can be downloaded from the candidate's online account after it has been issued. The digital certificate contains digital security features to ensure authenticity and secure verification.

Candidates have the opportunity to inspect their evaluated exam materials within 15 days of being notified of their results. (If a candidate is a minor, they must be accompanied by a parent or legal representative.) The inspection is carried out upon prior registration by completing a form and takes place exclusively at the International ECL Examination Centre.

During the inspection, the following materials may be reviewed: test papers, answer sheets, assessment criteria, and recordings of the Speaking module (only the monologue section, for data protection reasons).

Procedure for the Inspection. The inspection is conducted under supervision. The inspection may only take place at the International ECL Examination Centre (Pécs, Hungary, Damjanich St. 30). Candidates are only permitted to take handwritten notes about their own answers using materials (paper and pen) provided by the Examination Centre. Making copies or electronic recordings (e.g. using a mobile phone) of answer sheets or audio recordings is strictly prohibited.

Before leaving the room, candidates must present their notes to the supervising staff who will review and sign them. In the event of any rule violation (e.g. unauthorised notetaking), a report will be made and the notes will be confiscated. At the end of the inspection, candidates must sign a declaration confirming that the inspection has taken place.

For a fee, candidates may review their evaluated exam materials together with a language expert for 45 minutes. (If a candidate is a minor, they must be accompanied by a parent or legal representative.) The purpose of the consultation is to explain the assessment, clarify any questions, and provide individual recommendations for further preparation.

During the consultation, candidates are only permitted to take handwritten notes on their own answers, using materials provided by the Examination Centre. Making copies or electronic recordings is strictly prohibited.

Candidates may request a review or re-evaluation within 15 days of the publication of the results. A review may be requested on the grounds of legal infringement or miscalculation of the score, while re-evaluation may be requested for the candidate's written modules and the speaking module, which will be reassessed by a third assessor.

The form for requesting a review or re-evaluation can be downloaded from the ECL website. The "Request for Review/Re-evaluation" form must be submitted to the local exam site within 15 days of the publication of the results. The head of the Examination Centre will issue a decision on the request, including a detailed professional justification, within 30 days, and will inform the candidate of the decision in writing. In the case of a request for review or re-evaluation, the Examination Centre reserves the right to modify the exam results.

Requests for duplicates should be submitted to the Examination Centre or the local exam site. The relevant form can be downloaded from the Examination Centre's website.

Duplicate certificates can be issued within three years after the exam date.

If the certificate contains erroneous data, the Examination Centre may, upon the request of the candidate and depending on the nature of the error, issue a corrected certificate (e.g. in the case of a misspelled name within one year after the certificate was issued, or for gender and name changes).

The cost of issuing a duplicate certificate is always covered by the candidate, whereas the correction of an erroneous certificate is paid by the party responsible for providing the incorrect information.

The assessed answer sheets and the audio recordings of the Speaking module are stored at the Examination Centre for three years. After this period, the materials are securely destroyed in accordance with applicable data protection regulations.

Information on data protection for the Examination Centre can be found on its website:
https://eclexam.eu/wp-content/uploads/Regulations_for_Protecting_Data_University_of_Pecs.pdf