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How we compared B2 First scores,
C1 Advanced scores and IELTS performances
We are responsible for the production of Cambridge English Qualifications and IELTS.
All our qualifications and
tests are built to a common underlying scale. Rasch analysis (Rasch 1960, 1980) is used to assess the relative
difficulty of every Reading or Listening item,
placing each on a common scale, regardless of the exam for which
they are intended (Jones 2001). All items are kept in a database with information about their measurement
characteristics. This permits the creation of multiple versions of an exam to a specific
level and range of difficulty,
and establishes the relationship between different exams. We have also published Common Scales for Writing and
Speaking, based on qualitative analysis of the features of these skills at different levels (Hawkey and Barker 2004;
Galaczi, ffrench, Hubbard and Green 2011; Lim 2012).
Nevertheless, there are challenges associated with linking and comparing exams,
as discussed in several
Cambridge Assessment English publications (Milanovic 2009; Shaw and Weir 2007; Taylor 2004; Taylor and Jones
2006). Exact equivalences cannot always be demonstrated, only broad comparability. Lim, Geranpayeh,
Khalifa
and Buckendahl (2013) provide further discussion of the conceptual and practical issues that attend standard
setting. It is better not to rely on a single source of evidence but to build up a cumulative case based on
a range of data.
Since 1999, several studies have helped refine our understanding of the relationship between these scores.
One
of the earliest, part of the Association of Language Testers in Europe’s Can Do project (Jones 2001), showed
that, in terms of candidates’ self-perception, candidates securing Band 6 felt comfortable
with a similar range
of activities as candidates securing a B2 First grade C, while candidates securing Band 7 thought themselves
comparable to candidates securing a C1 Advanced grade C. There is a steady progression
in self-ratings across
IELTS bands (with the exception of Band 5).
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