ECL German Language Exam Goes International

Experts in the field of language assessment associate ECL language examinations with the University of Pécs because PTE’s Foreign Language Centre, the headquarters of ECL, has been coordinating the international network for decades. Over the years, ECL has never stopped developing: today it provides language exams in 15 different languages that can be taken in hundreds of examination sites both in Hungary and abroad.

In Hungary, the examination system was officially acknowledged in 2001 when the Hungarian Accreditation Board for Foreign Language Examinations audited the English, German and Hungarian exams and test development procedures. In accordance with the accreditation criteria, it was determined that ECL assessments meet the required quality standards. Since then, candidates taking these three exams in Hungary have been awarded certificates acknowledged by the Ministry of Education in Hungary, in addition to the primary ECL international certificates.

The next milestone followed in 2017 when the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) audited the ECL Hungarian language exam on the basis of international language assessment criteria and standards. The Hungarian language exam was awarded ALTE’s quality mark (Q-mark), gaining more international recognition.

In 2020 ECL and its German partner, AFU GmbH, took on a new international challenge by pursuing ALTE accreditation for ECL’s German exam. The audit was successful, and in December 2020 the ECL German language exam obtained the ALTE’s quality mark. In this context, this language examination can now be associated with renowned German examinations such as Goethe, ÖSD, telc and TestDaf.

These two successful audits prove the high-quality work carried out by the Foreign Language Centre of the University of Pécs in the field of language assessment. Additionally, these outcomes are beneficial for the test-takers as well. With ALTE’s quality mark the ECL Hungarian exam has become a recognized language assessment in several US states, and American students passing the Hungarian exam can now receive extra credit when applying to universities. The Q-mark offers promising perspectives to ECL German exam test takers as well. Candidates passing the paper-based exam will receive language certificates with the ALTE Q-mark, which significantly contributes to the international recognition of the exam and opens doors for successful test-takers to study, work or acquire citizenship in German-speaking countries.

Additionally, in response to the pandemic, the ECL language exam is determined to go online. The accreditation process of online ECL exams is already in progress and the Foreign Language Centre plans to have online language exams available for candidates in 2021.

Hrisztalina Hrisztova-Gotthardt

Foreign Language Centre, University of Pécs