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EF Standard English Test

Standardized English language test

EF Standard English Test (EFSET)

Acronym	EFSET
Type	Standardized test. Available in 2 versions: "EFSET English Certificate" & "EFSET Quick English Check".
Administrator	EF Education First.
Skills tested	Listening & reading of the English language.
Purpose	To enable non-native English speakers to accurately assess their own English language proficiency.
Year started	2014
Duration	EFSET English Certificate: Listening: 25 minutes, Reading: 25 minutes, Total: 50 minutes. EFSET Quick English Check: Total: 15 minutes.
Score range	0 to 100, with CEFR, IELTS and TOEFL equivalencies given.
Score validity	student determined
Offered	on demand
Regions	worldwide (online)
Languages	English
Prerequisites	No prerequisite. Intended for non-native English speakers from true beginner to advanced.
Fee	free
Website	www.efset.org

The EF Standard English Test is a standardized test of the English language designed for non-native English speakers.^[1] It is the product of EF Education First, a global language training company, and a team of language assessment experts including Lyle Bachman, Mari Pearlman, and Ric Luecht. EF compares the EFSET's accuracy to the most widely used high stakes standardized English tests: TOEFL, IELTS, and Cambridge International Examinations.^[2]

There are three versions of the EFSET: a 15-minute test which is basically a quiz type test, a 50-minute test which assesses the reading and listening skills, and a 90-minute test which covers reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. The results are fully aligned with CEFR levels, i.e. the 6-level Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Initially, the test used to evaluate the receptive skills (reading and listening) only, but later the test makers integrated writing and speaking section to the test. Unlike other standardized English tests, the EFSET uses computerized adaptive testing methods to adjust the difficulty of the test according to the examinee's ability level. The EFSET is not a proctored exam.^[3]

Test launch[edit]

EF Education First initially intended to build the EFSET for internal use as a low-cost alternative to third party standardized English tests, with the aim of attaining the same level of accuracy as those tests. Soon, the company realized it could gain branding benefits from releasing a robust, testing tool for any English learner to use.^[4] The initial public launch of the EFSET in 2014 was the result of a 3-year process, which included 15 months of formal trials involving 14,500 students.^[5]

Scoring[edit]

The EF SET English Certificate is scored on a scale of 0 to 100 with a separate score attributed for reading and listening as well as an overall score. EF SET English Certificate scores are mapped to the 6-level CEFR bands from A1 to C2 as well as to IELTS and TOEFL scores as shown in the table below.^[5]

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• "EFSET Technical Background Report", "EF Education First"
• "EFSET official site", "EF Education First"