Reaching a high-level of English proficiency nowadays is more than a just personal goal. In fact, it is often a requirement set by educational institutions, multi-national workplaces and immigration
policies. In a world where there are dozens of English language tests, let’s consider whether the APTIS Advanced is right for you.
What is the APTIS Advanced?
APTIS Advanced is a language proficiency test designed by the British Council that follows a similar format to the APTIS General Test. Like the general version, it is a computer-based test that analyzes an individual’s Grammar and Vocabulary, as well as his/her Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. There are several tasks within each component and each section has a specified assigned time limit. In total, the test lasts about 2 hours and 50 minutes.
How does the APTIS Advanced differ from the APTIS General?
As this exam is geared towards higher levels of English, the themes and topics can be more complex and abstract in respect to those on the APTIS General. Moreover, the structure of each individual part of the APTIS Advanced varies slightly. Some sections may have fewer tasks while some have more.
Unlike the APTIS General, candidates are limited to how often they can retake the exam. Test-takers must wait at least 3 months before they reattempt the certification.
How is the APTIS Advanced scored?
While the APTIS General can assess a CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) of A1-C, the APTIS Advanced focuses on candidates’ performances from B1 to C2 levels. That is to say, its particular and detailed discrimination between the C1 and C2 levels allows for a more precise understanding of a candidate’s level of English.
Each individual skill component, Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing, is given a numerical score between 0-50, and added to a Final Scale Score out of 200. Accordingly, each numerical score is assigned a level of B1-C2. It is important to note that when comparing these scores, one should look at the adjusted CEFR score, as the individual values for each skill are weighed on different scales. A separate score out of 50 is given for the Core section of Grammar and Vocabulary. This score serves as a global understanding of a test-taker’s language knowledge and can help to raise a candidate’s overall CEFR score if they are in between two levels.
Similar to the APTIS General, it is worth noting that a computer is responsible for grading the Reading and Listening sections whereas a human evaluates the Writing and Speaking components. However, due to the complexity of the language in the tasks, each are double-marked. What this means is that an examiner first assesses the candidate’s work and assigns a final score. Then, a Senior Examiner re-marks the tasks and decides whether it deserves a C1 or C2 distinction. This feature also explains why two candidates may finish with the same numerical Final Score but have different CEFR levels.
Who should take APTIS Advanced?
The APTIS Advanced is ideal for individuals who want to prove that their sophisticated language skills are near native-speaker-like levels. While candidates at a C1 level are able to understand and discuss high unfamiliar topics in English, those who achieve a C2 may well have the resources to communicate on academic or professional topics better than the average native English speaker.
Moreover, the APTIS Advanced test could be adopted by employers who require working professionals to have a higher-comprehension of the English language. It can be taken as a means of recruitment or onboarding of new employees, as well as a measure of professional development of staff. The APTIS Advanced has been used in several industries ranging from Human Resources to Technology to assess the level of their staff in client-facing roles.
