The public record states whether the award covers a named examination or test suite, or the examination body itself, and lists every applicable limit.
Certi Mark for Language Testing
One Certi Mark. Two clearly defined scopes.
Certiqual may award the Certi Mark to a named examination or test suite, or to an examination body, following an independent audit against the applicable published standard.
In plain terms
We assess either the examination itself or the organisation responsible for delivering trustworthy language assessment.
The Examination route tests the evidence behind a named product. The Examination Body route tests governance, technical competence, portfolio oversight and operational controls. In both cases, the award applies only to the subject and scope stated in the Public Register.
Organisations responsible for the design, delivery and continuing quality of language examinations.
A public record identifies the holder, award type, approved scope, restrictions and current status.
Technical framework
What we examine.
The applicable audit programme follows the selected scope. Examination reviews focus on the complete product lifecycle; Examination Body reviews also test governance, competence, portfolio controls and consistency across operations.
01
Purpose, construct and framework alignment
1. The intended purpose, decision context, target population and foreseeable consequences of score use are explicit and supported by a maintained validity argument.
02
Administration, logistics, security and access
6. Test centres and delivery partners are selected, authorised, trained, monitored and, where necessary, suspended using risk-based criteria.
03
Scoring, rating and grading
11. Scoring keys, automated scoring, clerical controls, grade boundaries and result calculations are verified for accuracy and reproducibility.
04
Test analysis, reliability and fairness
13. The owner analyses candidate and subgroup outcomes, reviews differential impact and investigates plausible sources of bias or unfair disadvantage.
05
Governance, results and responsible use
G1. For a Certi Mark – Examination Body, governance identifies accountable roles, decision authorities, conflicts, competence requirements and independent quality oversight.
Responsible CEFR alignment
A level claim needs a maintained chain of evidence.
Certiqual reviews how the exam owner defines, supports and maintains the claimed relationship. It does not treat a level label or descriptor table as sufficient evidence.
Framework-use rule
A Certiqual review evaluates the evidence supporting the examination owner’s level claim. It does not convert that claim into public or regulatory approval, and no third-party emblem may be used to imply an endorsement that has not been granted.
- 01
Define the claim and intended score use
- 02
Describe the construct and specifications
- 03
Familiarise expert judges with CEFR descriptors and samples
- 04
Standardise judgements against benchmarked performance
- 05
Set boundaries through a documented standard-setting design
- 06
Validate the relationship empirically and state uncertainty
- 07
Monitor, revalidate and control material changes
How it works
Technical claims must be demonstrated, not simply stated.
Specifications and policies are tested against validation evidence, item statistics, rating quality, security controls and operational records.
- 01Define the award subject
The application states whether the Certi Mark covers a named examination or test suite, or the examination body, and fixes all inclusions and exclusions.
- 02Review technical and governance evidence
Specialists examine the technical and operational evidence appropriate to the route, including governance, competence and portfolio oversight for organisations.
- 03Audit operations
Documented procedures are tested against live practice, records, representative samples, sites, partners and responsible personnel.
- 04Decide and monitor
A positive decision names the holder, award type and exact limits, then remains under review for continuing compliance.
The result
One Certi Mark, with a visible holder and scope.
Certiqual may award the Certi Mark to a named examination or test suite, or to an examination body, following an independent audit against the applicable published standard. A Certi Mark – Examination Body recognises the audited governance and quality-assurance system; it does not, by itself, confirm the validity, score interpretations or CEFR alignment of every examination unless a named examination is expressly included in the published scope.
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