HOW ECPE IS SCORED

ECPE test takers who achieve an average score of 650 or higher will be awarded a certificate. Additionally, those who achieve a score of 840 or higher in all four sections will be awarded a Certificate of Proficiency with Honors. An ECPE qualification is valid for life.

Scaled Score Per Section
Honors (H) 840-1000
Pass (P) 750-835
Low Pass (LP) 650-745
Borderline Fail (BF) 610-645
Fail (F) 0-605
The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) includes six common reference levels, ranging from basic user to master as defined by the Council of Europe (2001). The ECPE is aimed at the C2 (Mastery) level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Language users at this proficiency level:

Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express [themselves] spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.

(Council of Europe, 2001: 24)

Therefore, ECPE certificate holders are expected to be comfortable engaging with abstract ideas and concepts. They are interactive oral English speakers; they contribute to the development of a discussion, can generally understand conversational questions, can grasp both the gist and details of a conversation delivered in Standard American English, and can understand extended spoken discourse. They should also have a wide-ranging and flexible vocabulary as well as a sound grasp of English grammar. They can understand written materials that are encountered in both general and specialized professional contexts as well as in university-level reading. Additionally, they are able to communicate in standard written English with good expression and accuracy.

When interpreting an ECPE score report, it is important to remember that the ECPE estimates a test taker’s true proficiency by approximating the kinds of tasks that may be encountered in real life. Also, temporary factors unrelated to an test taker’s proficiency, such as fatigue, anxiety, or illness, may affect exam results.

Format and Administration
Listening Section
Grammar Subsection
Cloze Subsection
Vocabulary Subsection
Reading Subsection
Writing Section
Speaking Test