Association of Language Testers in Europe
A European association of language-examination providers that promotes comparable standards, assessment quality, and best practice in language testing.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Association of Language Testers in Europe, commonly known as ALTE, is a professional association for organizations that develop and administer language examinations in Europe. It was established through cooperation between the University of Cambridge and the University of Salamanca, with the early work connected to Cambridge English examinations. Rather than functioning as a commercial examination brand for individual learners, ALTE serves as a coordinating and standards-oriented network for language-test providers. ALTE's central contribution has been the development of shared approaches for describing what language learners can do at different stages of proficiency. Its Can Do project produced more than 400 simplified descriptors expressed as practical statements of ability. These statements are organized around general language use, social and tourist situations, work, and study. The framework was intended to make examination levels easier for learners, teachers, institutions, and employers to understand, while linking examination performance to the broader Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR. ALTE describes a six-level progression that corresponds to the CEFR scale from A1 through C2. Its own terminology runs from Breakthrough and Waystage through Threshold, Vantage, Effective Operational Proficiency, and Mastery. These levels distinguish basic, independent, and proficient language use, and address skills such as reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The framework has been used as a reference point by a wider range of examining organizations beyond the founding partners. The association also promotes professional exchange and thought leadership through international conferences. Conference themes have included the European Year of Languages, multilingualism, the social and educational consequences of assessment, and the role of language frameworks. Selected conference contributions have been published in Studies in Language Testing, helping circulate research and professional discussion in the field. ALTE's positioning is therefore centered on cooperation, comparability, and quality assurance in language assessment. Its work is particularly relevant to examination boards, educational institutions, public authorities, teachers, researchers, employers, and candidates who need meaningful comparisons between different language qualifications. Publicly available reference material identifies the association's activities and frameworks but does not establish detailed information about its current legal structure, headquarters, executive leadership, membership size, or finances.
History
The Association of Language Testers in Europe was created through collaboration between the University of Cambridge and the University of Salamanca. Its early examination-related work was associated with Cambridge English examinations, but the association subsequently became a broader network for language-examination organizations. Its purpose has been to encourage cooperation among test providers and to support greater consistency in the interpretation of language qualifications. A major strand of ALTE's work has been the Can Do project. The project translated proficiency expectations into practical statements describing what a learner is able to accomplish. More than 400 descriptors were organized into general, social and tourist, work, and study contexts. This approach gave examination stakeholders a more accessible way to communicate the meaning of test results and connected the descriptions to the six levels used in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The ALTE level terminology covers Breakthrough, Waystage, Threshold, Vantage, Effective Operational Proficiency, and Mastery. These labels correspond broadly to CEFR levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. The framework addresses the development of reading, listening, speaking, and writing abilities and has served as a common point of reference for a range of language-assessment bodies. Alongside its framework work, ALTE has used international conferences to discuss developments in language testing and the wider consequences of assessment. Conference topics have included the European Year of Languages in 2001, multilingualism in 2005, the social and educational impact of assessment in 2008, and language frameworks in 2011. Selected conference papers have been made available through Studies in Language Testing. The available reference material does not provide a complete chronology of ALTE's membership, governance, subsequent conferences, or current operations, so those aspects remain unspecified here.
- 2011
Conference on language frameworks
[1]An international ALTE conference focused on the role and use of language frameworks.
- 2008
Conference on the wider impact of assessment
[1]The association addressed the broader social and educational effects of language assessment.
- 2005
Conference on multilingualism
[1]ALTE's international conference examined issues associated with multilingualism and language assessment.
- 2001
Conference addressing the European Year of Languages
[1]An ALTE international conference considered language assessment in the context of the European Year of Languages.
Association established by Cambridge and Salamanca
[1]The University of Cambridge and the University of Salamanca established ALTE as an association bringing together language-examination providers.
Development of the Can Do project
[1]ALTE developed more than 400 practical proficiency descriptors covering general, social and tourist, work, and study contexts.
Adoption of a six-level examination framework
[1]ALTE articulated a six-level framework using labels from Breakthrough to Mastery and relating them to the CEFR levels from A1 to C2.
Products and positioning
A European professional network and standards-oriented forum for language-examination providers, emphasizing assessment quality, shared reference levels, practical proficiency descriptions, and international exchange.
Language-assessment framework
ALTE Can Do descriptors
A collection of more than 400 practical statements describing what learners can do at different language-proficiency levels. The descriptors cover general communication, social and tourist contexts, work, and study, and are intended to make examination outcomes more understandable to learners and other users.
Examination reference framework
ALTE six-level framework
A six-level terminology and comparison framework ranging from Breakthrough to Mastery. The levels correspond broadly to CEFR A1 through C2 and provide a shared language for discussing proficiency across participating examination systems.
Professional event
International ALTE conferences
International meetings that bring attention to research, policy, and professional practice in language assessment. Documented themes include multilingualism, the effects of assessment on society and education, the European Year of Languages, and the role of language frameworks.
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