The Advanced Level Certificate in English

The Advanced Level Certificate in English (ALCE C1-C2) is a standardized 4-skill test at the advanced level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR C1 and C2). It is a secure exam developed by the Hellenic American University and administered by authorized test centers worldwide.

The Hellenic American University Advanced Level Certificate in English (ALCE C1-C2) is a standardized examination designed for candidates who wish to obtain certification of their competency in English as a second or other language at advanced level. The ALCE C1-C2 examination is aimed at the C1 and C2 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

The ALCE C1-C2 examination tests communicative competence in all four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as tasks which test grammatical resources. There is no separate vocabulary section, as vocabulary resources are tested through all tasks in all sections.

The ALCE Scoring Guide is available here.

The Hellenic American University ALCE C1-C2 examination is scored using an advanced mathematical model, Item Response Theory (IRT). IRT scores are not the same as raw scores or percentage scores, but there may be a high correlation between the number of correct answers and the IRT scores. The ALCE C1-C2 examination is scored using aggregate scoring.

For each section of the examination, raw scores are converted into scaled scores ranging from 25 – 100. Scaled scores allow each administration of the examination to be equated, ensuring that the ability required to pass or to achieve a high score remains the same from one administration to the next.

The ALCE™ is a multi-level examination with scores equated to the C1 and C2 levels.

The Listening Section and the Reading & Use of Language (RUL) Section

To pass the Listening or RUL section at C1 level, candidates must have a scaled score of at least 55 on a scale of 25 – 100 for that section. Candidates preparing for the exam should aim for a minimum raw score of at least 12 out of 30 for the Listening section and 21 out of 50 for the RUL section to have a good chance of passing each section.

For C2 level, candidates must have a scaled score of at least 74 on a scale of 25 – 100 for that section. Candidates preparing for the exam should aim for a minimum raw score of at least 16 out of 30 for the Listening section and 27 out of 50 for the RUL section to have a good chance of passing each section.

Please note that this is a guide only and cannot guarantee a specific score on the exam.

Level	Listening Score: Number of correct answers out of 30	RUL Score: Number of correct answers out of 50	Description
C2	22 - 30	37-50	You are highly likely to achieve a pass at C2 level
C2	16-21	27-36	You are likely to achieve a pass at C2 level
C1	12-15	21-26	You are likely to achieve a pass at C1 level, and you are approaching the level required for C2
Below C1	9-11	17-20	You are approaching the level required for C1
Below C1	0-8	0-16	You will need to do a lot more practice to pass this section at C1 level

Writing Section

For the Writing Section, the difficulty of the task as well as the leniency and/or severity of the raters have been incorporated in the scaled scores. The Writing Section is scored out of a total of 15 marks. There are three criteria: Task Completion, Organization, and Linguistic Resources. Each criterion provides between one and five marks. To pass the Writing Section of the ALCE™ examination at C1 level, candidates must have a scaled score of at least 55 out of 100, approximately equivalent to a raw score of 8 out of 15. To achieve a pass at C2 level, candidates must have a scaled score of at least 74 out of 100, approximately equivalent to a raw score of 11 out of 15.

Speaking Section

For the Speaking Section, the difficulty of the task as well as the leniency and/or severity of the raters have been incorporated in the scaled scores. The Speaking Section is scored out of a total of 15 marks. There are three criteria: Task Completion, Fluency and Interaction, and Linguistic Resources. Each criterion provides between one and five marks. To pass the Speaking section of the ALCE™ examination at C1 level, candidates must have a scaled score of at least 55 out of 100, approximately equivalent to a raw score of 8 out of 15. To achieve a pass at C2 level, candidates must have a scaled score of at least 74 out of 100, approximately equivalent to a raw score of 11 out of 15.

Cut scores

The cut scores for each section of the ALCE™ examination have been determined through standard setting procedures, as laid out in the Council of Europe manual: ‘Relating Language Examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR): A Manual’ (2009).

Applying a mixed standard setting strategy, candidates who achieve an averaged total scaled score of at least 55 on a scale of 25-100 are awarded a certificate at C1 level. Candidates who achieve 74 on a scale of 25-100 are awarded a certificate at C2 level.

The ALCE™ certificate is valid for the holder’s lifetime, with the proviso for test users that a candidate’s language ability may improve or deteriorate in relation to their contact with the language.

SECTION SCALED SCORES

The table below shows the minimum scaled pass scores candidates need to pass each section of the ALCE™ examination at C1 level and at C2 level, and the minimum total average scaled score candidates need to receive a C1 or a C2 level certificate.

Section	Minimum scaled pass score at C1 level (on a scale of 25-100)	Minimum scaled pass score at C2 level (on a scale of 25-100)
Listening	55	74
RUL	55	74
Writing	55	74
Speaking	55	74
Total Average Scaled Score	55	74

Candidates who achieve an averaged total scaled score of at least 55 on a scale of 25-100 are awarded an ALCE™ certificate at C1 level, even though they may have failed one or more sections. Candidates who achieve an averaged overall scaled score of at least 74 on a scale of 25-100 are awarded an ALCE™ certificate at C2 level, even though they may have lower scaled scores in one or more sections. However, candidates who fail to reach C1 level in any section cannot receive a certificate at C2 level. All candidates have the right to have any section of their examination re-scored.