ECCE:

(Please note the content of this page is taken from the official web page for ECPE : http://www.lsa.umich.edu/eli/ecce.htm)

The Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) was developed in response to a demand from language centers around the world already administering the Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE) who felt that there were many ESL students who would benefit from gaining an intermediate level certificate in English. The Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) was developed and piloted in 1993, and the first operational ECCE was administered in 1994. The ECCE is given once a year, from May through September in testing centers around the world.

The level of the ECCE is approximately the same as the Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE), or TOEFL scores ranging from 450 - 525. Potential ECCE candidates may be adolescents wishing to measure their English competence for educational purposes, or adults wishing to obtain documentation for employment or promotion purposes. The emphasis of the ECCE is on the communicative use of English rather than a formalistic knowledge of language, and it is aimed at students who are able to function and perform essential communicative transactions in all four skill areas of the language (reading, writing, speaking and listening). While the ECCE is not an academically oriented exam, it may be seen as a bridge to such an exam (the ECPE, MELAB, or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English). The ECCE contains:

• a 25 minute 50 item multiple-choice listening test, including both brief dialogues and segmented but thematically connected discourse,

• a 90 minute 130 item multiple-choice grammar, vocabulary, and reading test,

• a 30 minute impromptu essay or letter written in response to a specific issue,

• a 10-15 minute structured speaking task. 

Note:  ELI does not release Certificate Program test results directly to the candidates. ELI reports results to the exam centers, who in turn report the results to the candidates. Candidates should contact their local exam center for ECPE &/or ECCE test results.

Speaking Test: Descriptors of Salient Features

Scoring Criteria for ECCE Writing Section

ECCE Composition Scoring Flowchart

Download and print the ECPE/ECCE Certificate Examinations Bulletin (MS Word)