Handbook for Candidates and Teachers
A complete reference guide to the ECL Examination System covering aims, application procedures, exam day rules, results, certificates, and detailed test requirements at every CEFR level.
The ECL Examination System
Aims, Objectives and Mission of ECL
The ECL Consortium (European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages) is an association of institutions representing European languages. ECL has the following aims and objectives to promote language learning across Europe and globally:
- to promote the mutual teaching of the languages of Europe (with special respect to the less widely taught and used languages), both in and outside the school context by developing and disseminating a standardised language course system.
- to provide unified, reliable and valid standards for the assessment of attained language knowledge with the help of the ECL language examination, a standardised testing system adapted to the languages of the member states of the European Union and those of the candidate countries.
- to provide the comparability of certificates obtained and exam results achieved in the individual languages for both the candidates and the users (employers) with the help of the ECL exam in accordance with the harmonisation objectives of the European Union.
Test Dates, Application Procedure and Fees
The International ECL Examination Centre (hereinafter the Examination Centre) will publish test dates and application procedures on the ECL website (https://eclexam.eu/exam-dates/).
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 application form available on the ECL website.
Proof of payment of the exam fee must be sent to the exam site by e-mail. Applications without proof of payment are considered invalid. The application deadline is four weeks before the scheduled exam date. Applicants receive a confirmation e-mail regarding their registration, together with information on the payment of the exam fee, sent to the e-mail address provided during registration.
The online application 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) as soon as possible so that the data can be updated in the database.
Late Registration
Candidates may apply after the application deadline by paying an additional fee. The deadline for late registration is communicated by the Examination Centre to the exam sites via e-mail.
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 exam site. The form for this process is available at the exam sites and also electronically on the website of the Examination Centre.
Medical documentation has to be attached to the application 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 on the basis of 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.
Exam fees are determined individually by ECL exam sites. Candidates should therefore obtain information about the current exam fees from their local exam site.
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.
Invoice
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 application 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 not refundable.
Candidates may request the postponement of an exam for a fee if they are unable to attend for justified reasons. Requests must be submitted to the local exam site using the appropriate form available on the website of the Examination Centre.
Submitting the form does not automatically guarantee rescheduling. Candidates must explain their reasons in detail and provide supporting documents (e.g. medical certificate, official declaration, military or police document, or death certificate). Personal or family reasons may also be considered.
If approved, the exam may be postponed to the next exam session. A rescheduled exam cannot be postponed again.
Only the originally registered exam type may be postponed. Candidates registered for a complex exam may postpone only the full complex exam. Candidates registered for modular exams may postpone only the modules they originally registered for, and these modules must be postponed together. Individual modules cannot be postponed separately.
The deadline for submitting a postponement request is 10 days after the original exam date.
General procedure step-by-step
- The candidate completes the Request for Exam Postponement form
- The form must be submitted, together with the supporting documents, to the local exam site where the exam was taken: eclexam.eu/exam-centers/
- The local exam site has the right to accept or reject the Request based on the submitted documents.
- If the request is accepted, the candidate will be informed about the fee and the payment deadline.
Instructions for Candidates
Identification, prohibited items, behaviour during the exam, and consequences of misconduct.
All candidates have to verify their identities with valid picture IDs (i.e. passport, driving license, identity card or residence permit). If a candidate cannot show any of these documents, the exam site must deny entry to the exam.
Candidates may not bring the following items into exam rooms: mobile phones, smart watches, earbuds, and any other electronic devices. Staff at local exam sites are permitted to use metal detectors when candidates enter exam rooms after presenting ID documentation to ensure that none of these devices are brought into exam sites. Additionally, other items such as bags, books, notebooks, and printed or handwritten materials are not permitted in exam rooms.
During language exams, candidates are only allowed to write draft answers in the reading, writing, and listening test booklets. There is also a Notes page at the end of written communication section where candidates can write draft responses. Dictionaries may only be used for the writing test.
Final answers should be written in black or blue ink on the answer sheets.
No candidates may leave the exam room before finishing the written parts, except for health reasons or if they need to go to the restroom. In such cases, candidates may leave the exam room only when they are 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 event during the exam, this has to be completed right after the section of the exam in question. 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 also compare their ID cards with the names in their registrations. IDs must remain on the candidates' desks during the written modules and presented for security purposes when the answer sheets are collected.
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.
Verified cheating (e.g. copying another candidate's work, using unauthorised aids): the candidate's exam will be suspended, 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.
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) 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.
Test Results and Certificates
When and how candidates are notified, and what certificates are issued.
The Examination Centre announces the results of the exam within 30 days of the written exam date. Candidates are notified by email about their results, which are also available on their online candidate page.
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 all four modules are passed.
Certificates are issued for the successfully completed modules taken in a given exam session. If a candidate achieves 60% or more in one or more modules during that exam session, the certificate lists the successfully completed module(s).
If a candidate does not successfully complete all four modules within a single exam session 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 result in the target language and in English. The reverse side of the certificate contains a brief description of the language competencies to be demonstrated at the corresponding level.
Issuing Duplicate Certificates and Correcting Erroneous Certificates
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.
If the certificate contains erroneous data, upon the request of the candidate and depending on the nature of the error, the Examination Centre can issue a new certificate (e.g. in the case of a misspelled name within one year after the certificate was issued, or for gender and name changes) or an official verification (e.g. lack of second Christian name, wrong place or date of birth). The cost of the duplicate is paid by the party responsible for providing the incorrect information.
General Information on the ECL Exams
Background, languages, exam features, structure, reliability, and locations.
After many years of professional preparatory work, several Member States of the European Union established a consortium in 1992, with London as its centre. This consortium, later known as ECL (European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages), was supported by the ERASMUS and subsequently the LINGUA programmes. Its primary objective was to develop a unified language examination system for the languages of the EU Member States.
In line with the EU's policy of harmonisation, the founding members aimed to ensure the equivalence and mutual recognition of language certificates across countries, without the need for separate national validation.
The academic and professional oversight of the ECL language exams is carried out by leading universities and language institutes in the respective countries of each language. These institutions are responsible for test development and assessment in their own languages.
Based on the uniform criteria established during the initial phase of standardisation, ECL exams are currently available in Bulgarian, Czech, Croatian, English, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Spanish.
The ECL exams are aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and are offered at four levels: A2, B1, B2 and C1.
The content and overall validity of the exams are based on extensive research and pilot testing with specific target groups. ECL exams assess both oral and written language skills in everyday situations and measure general language proficiency at varying levels of complexity.
Candidates may choose to take a comprehensive exam covering all four skills (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking), or opt for a modular format, in which individual skills can be taken separately in any combination.
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.
The oral exam takes place in front of a two-member board: the two candidates have a guided conversation about given topics followed by their own description and speech about a given picture or series of pictures. The testing of the other three skills is in writing.
The candidate is given two tasks for each of the four language skills, so he/she can prove throughout eight different topics that his or her knowledge corresponds to the requirements of the level that he/she has chosen. This way there is no need to worry that a lack of knowledge of the vocabulary of a certain topic will determine his or her success at the exam.
Each member institution of the ECL Consortium is responsible for test development and marking in its respective language. To ensure high reliability, all test items are pre-tested, and item writers, markers and examiners receive regular training. A system of double marking is applied.
The exam sites and their contact information can be found on our website. Please check what language exams are available at each exam site.
Sections of the ECL Exam
The four skills tested and the assessment criteria for each. Sample tests are available at https://eclexam.eu/online-test-samples/.
The test assesses the ability of the candidate to understand short, simple texts of a general content (e.g. announcements, short travel information, simple forms, short news, timetables, articles, stories).
Sample tests can be found here: https://eclexam.eu/online-test-samples/.
The test assesses the ability of the candidate to write short texts related to everyday situations including general information. At each exam level of the written communication tasks of ECL, candidates can bring and use monolingual and bilingual printed dictionaries available in bookstores.
Assessment criteria
Candidates are assessed on the following five areas of language proficiency:
- Formal accuracy (morphology and syntax) — 0–5 points
- Accuracy (text construction and spelling) — 0–5 points
- Vocabulary (range and activation) — 0–5 points
- Style (pragmatic and sociolinguistic aspects) — 0–5 points
- Communicative effectiveness (adequate task completion) — 0–5 points
Sample tests can be found here: https://eclexam.eu/online-test-samples/.
The listening test assesses the ability of candidates to understand a conversation between two native speakers about a topic familiar for the candidate and to grasp the general sense of simple public announcements (announcements, ads).
Sample tests can be found here: https://eclexam.eu/online-test-samples/.
Candidates will be interviewed in pairs. Odd numbers of candidates will be interviewed in threes.
Part 1 — Introduction (3–5 minutes approximately) — not to be assessed
The main purpose of this part of the test is, firstly, to put the candidates at their ease and to enable the interviewer to gather information about the candidates for the remainder of the exam.
Part 2 — Guided conversation (5–8 minutes)
The interviewer initiates a conversation based on a topic of his/her choice and by asking questions encourages a conversation between the two candidates.
Part 3 — Picture description based on visual stimuli (5–8 minutes)
The pictures are selected and provided by the interviewer. If necessary, the interviewer can help the candidates with questions.
Assessment criteria
Marks are awarded on a scale of 0 to 5 (a total of 25) according to each of the following criteria:
- Formal accuracy (morphology and syntax) — 0–5 points
- Oral accuracy (pronunciation, prosody and fluency) — 0–5 points
- Vocabulary (range and activation) — 0–5 points
- Style (pragmatic and sociolinguistic aspects) — 0–5 points
- Communicative effectiveness (adequate task completion) — 0–5 points
Description of the ECL Test Requirements
The required level of communicative skills is uniform across all exam languages and is based on the CEFR, while syntax and morphology vary depending on the specific language. The following description is provided as an example based on the English language exam.
- Establishing and maintaining communication (respecting spelling rules in writing).
- Establishing social contacts:
- Greetings and farewells
- Introductions
- Giving thanks
- Seeking attention
- Giving and receiving personal information.
- Locating persons, places and things.
- Identifying and describing people and things.
- Personal attitudes (likes, rejection, dislikes, preferences/praise, comparisons).
- Making and accepting/refusing offers, requests, invitations and permission.
- Relating actions in time:
- Giving and receiving information about past events and actions
- Giving and receiving information about habitual events and actions (present)
- Giving and receiving information about future events and actions
- Apologising
- Giving and receiving specific information about dates, times, quantities, numbers, prices, weather.
Description provided as an example based on the English language exam.
Syntax
- positive statements and negative statements
- open-ended and yes/no questions
- polite requests
- verbs and prepositions
- use of adjectives
- use of adverbs of time, place, frequency, manner
- use of modal verbs
- co-ordinate sentences
- use of direct and indirect objects
- use of infinitive
- use of basic conjunctions (and, but, however, because)
- use of numerals
- use of relative and possessive pronouns
- the word order of simple sentences
- negation
Morphology
- verb tenses: present simple and continuous; past simple; future simple, going to
- to BE
- DO as verb and modal
- pronouns
- definite and indefinite articles
- basic prepositions (movement, place, agent)
- possessive adjectives
- quantifiers: many, much, some, any
- numbers
Lexis
Basic vocabulary related to everyday situations and to the communicative tasks listed above (see list of topics).
- standard British/American English, spoken at moderate speed with pauses
- current usage but few colloquialisms
| Module | Time | Length / Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | ca. 25 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Totalling ca. 400–500 words. The texts are played twice. Time proportionate to the difficulty of the task is given for reading the instructions and working after the first and second playing. |
| Oral communication | 20 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Conversation with candidates in pairs: warming up; guided conversation about one or two of the given topics; picture description based on visual stimuli such as pictures to stimulate a narrative. |
| Reading | 35 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Two texts: totalling ca. 400–500 words (the two texts are to be of an equal length). |
| Writing | 45 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Two tasks: one guided, and one free composition (the latter including the expression of personal feelings and opinions), totalling about 150 words (70–80). |
In addition to those described for Level A2:
- Expressing and responding to feelings such as surprise, happiness, sadness, interest and indifference.
- Giving instructions.
- Expressing necessity, obligation and possibility.
- Making proposals, suggestions and invitations.
- Expressing belief, opinion, agreement and disagreement.
- Expressing intention and offering justification.
- Discussing people, events and experiences from the past; recounting short stories.
Description provided as an example based on the English language exam.
Syntax
- imperatives, positive and negative
- statements with infinitive and gerund
- compound and complex sentences
- question tags
- clauses of time, manner, place, purpose
- exclamations
- use of linking devices
Morphology
- tenses: present perfect; conditional; continuous tenses; past perfect
- modals: can, must, may, might
- passives
- possessive pronouns (statements and interrogatives)
- comparative and superlative
- prepositions
- conjunctions
Lexis
Extended to include abstract and concrete nouns related to everyday life and to the communicative tasks listed above.
- standard British/American English, extended to include standard Scottish and Welsh English accents
- use of shortened forms, e.g. 'didn't' in spoken English
- some current colloquialisms
| Module | Time | Length / Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | ca. 25–30 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Totalling ca. 500–700 words. The texts are played twice. Time proportionate to the difficulty of the task is given for reading the instructions and working after the first and second playing. |
| Oral communication | 20 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Conversation with candidates in pairs: warming up; guided conversation about given topics; picture description based on visual stimuli such as pictures to stimulate a narrative. |
| Reading | 35 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Two texts — totalling ca. 500–700 words. |
| Writing | 50 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Totalling 250 words (tasks to be fairly even in length, 130–120 words each). Two tasks: one guided, one free composition, to include the expression of personal feelings and opinions. Form: informal letter, postcard, announcement, formal letter etc. |
In addition to those described for Levels A2 and B1:
- Expressing and responding to feelings (such as astonishment, concentration / being at a loss for ideas, preoccupation, resignation, concern, desire, expectation and disappointment).
- Receiving and giving advice and complex instructions (reacting to them appropriately).
- Complaining, arguing; praising and paying compliments.
- Summarising, contradicting, evaluating, clarifying, exemplifying, drawing conclusions, affirming and modifying information and opinions.
- Transmitting complex information to a third person (in direct and indirect speech).
- Planning projects in the future.
Description provided as an example based on the English language exam.
Syntax
- complete sentences, including clauses of comparison, concession, purpose, condition
- reporting of speech
- nominalisation
- expression of complex ideas and hypotheses
- reinforcement of syntax learned at Levels A2 and B1
- adjectival and adverbial phrases
Morphology
- all tenses, including past conditionals
- all passive forms
- modals of obligation, need, possibility, intention, etc.
- suffixes, prefixes, including adjective and adverb formation, and their meaning
- review of morphology acquired at Levels A2 and B1
Lexis
Broader range to include not only everyday personal contexts but also to enable discussion of major contemporary events and issues relevant to the communicative tasks at III above.
- English spoken at normal speed
- use of texts of more complex structure
- greater use of current idioms and colloquialisms
- use of spoken regional varieties
| Module | Time | Length / Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | ca. 30–35 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Totalling ca. 800–1000 words. Two texts. The texts are played twice. Time proportionate to the difficulty of the task is given for reading the instructions and working after the first and second playing. |
| Oral communication | 20 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Candidates in pairs: warming up; general guided conversation about given topics; picture description based on visual stimuli such as a series of pictures to stimulate a narrative. |
| Reading | 45 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Two texts — totalling ca. 800–1000 words. |
| Writing | 75 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Totalling ca. 400 words (200–200 words each). Two tasks: one guided (giving precise information or instructions in an everyday practical situation, 4–6 bullet points); one free composition (to include the expression of personal feelings and opinions concerning past or future events such as a visit, party, film, book, journey etc., 4–6 bullet points). |
In addition to those described for Levels A2, B1 and B2, the candidate shall be expected to deal with the following tasks:
- Exchanging and evaluating information.
- Persuading, negotiating and getting things done.
- Interacting in interpersonal relations and socialising.
- Expressing, discovering and discussing attitudes.
- Formulating and responding to value judgements.
- Discussing certainty, necessity, obligation, etc.
- Expressing and responding to emotions.
Description provided as an example based on the English language exam.
Syntax
- review of all work at previous levels
- comprehension of structure of texts (written and spoken)
- coherent and cohesive structure of spoken and written discourse.
Morphology
- review of all work at previous levels
- mastery of morphological features used in written and spoken expression
Lexis
A broad range of vocabulary resulting from extensive use of English, relevant to the communicative tasks outlined at III above.
- English spoken at a variety of speeds
- use of texts with which an educated national of an English-Oral communication country might expect to be confronted
- range of regional varieties, which could include varieties from outside UK and North America
| Module | Time | Length / Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | ca. 35–40 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Totalling ca. 1200–1500 words. Two texts. The texts are played twice. Time proportionate to the difficulty of the task is given for reading the instructions and working after the first and second playing. |
| Oral communication | 20 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Candidates in pairs: warming up; interview — the first phase of which is a guided conversation about given topics, the second phase is a more specific discussion about the candidate's professional experience and interests; picture description based on visual stimuli such as a series of pictures to stimulate a narrative. |
| Reading | 45 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Two texts — totalling ca. 1000–1300 words. |
| Writing | 90 minutes · 25% / 25 points | Totalling 600 words (tasks to be fairly even in length, 300–300 words). Two tasks: one precise practical enquiry, formal request etc. in the form of a letter, report, application addressing a public body, social or cultural organisation (4–6 bullet points); one expressing candidate's own personal views on a matter of common social/human interest (4–6 bullet points). |
Additional Information
For more information about the ECL language examinations and materials please contact the International ECL Examination Centre or the National ECL Examination Centre.
International ECL Examination Centre
University of Pécs
Foreign Language Centre
H-7624 Pécs, Damjanich utca 30
E-Mail: ecl.international@eclexam.eu
Tel: (+36 72) 501-500/22177