Comparing Scores on CAE and IELTS 05-09-11

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Comparing Scores on Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)

and IELTS



Comparing scores on CAE and IELTS

SummaryThis paper reports on the latest in a series of studies that have explored the relationship betweenCambridge English level-based exams and IELTS . Specifically, this study looks at the relationshipbetween performance on Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) and IELTS .

Where overall scores are concerned, the following are indicated by the linking:

CAE

Overall

IELTS

Overall

67 7.0

60 6.7

A standardised score of 60 represents the grade C threshold on CAE . Given the band scoresystem for IELTS , a score at grade C on CAE may be taken as at least equivalent to a score of 6.5 on IELTS . However, users who wish to set a standard equivalent to band 7.0 should either specify a grade B requirement or look for a standardised score of 67 or higher.

1 INTRODUCTIONStrictly speaking, score comparisons between different tests can only ever be tentative, sinceeach test is designed for a different purpose and a different population and may view and assesslanguage traits in different ways as well as describing test-taker performance differently.Nevertheless, test users are often required to consider results on different tests offered byapplicants as evidence of language ability, and it is desirable that test providers provide someguidance as to how results may be compared. Cambridge ESOL, as the producers of both theCambridge exams and the IELTS test, are uniquely well-placed to make such a comparisonbetween results on CAE and results on IELTS .

The relationship of IELTS to other Cambridge exams has been explored on a number of occasions, notably during the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) Can Do projectin 1999 in which learners were asked to self-rate their capabilities and these ratings were plottedagainst test results. One aspect of this project involved IELTS candidates and the findings arereported in Appendix A. This provided an initial indication that in overall band terms candidatessecuring band 7 in IELTS might be expected to obtain a grade C on CAE . Subsequent studieshave looked at the individual skills only, but have indicated a more subtle relationship.

The present study was undertaken to provide empirical evidence of the relationship betweenperformance on CAE and IELTS , with the primary aim to determine the relationship between CAE and IELTS , and in particular the relationship between CAE grade C and IELTS band 7. Thequestion this report addresses is: what is a candidate with a C grade on CAE likely to obtain asan overall score on IELTS ?



2 METHODOLOGY

Data collectionThe study had candidates take both CAE and IELTS , using a counterbalanced design. That is,registered CAE candidates were invited to take IELTS , and registered IELTS candidates wereinvited to take CAE . This is to control for any preparation or motivation-related effects onperformance on one test or the other. In total 186 candidates from twenty-four countries inEurope, Asia, South America, and Africa, covering major candidature populations for both exams,participated in the study.

Analysis

For the analysis, raw CAE Reading and Listening scores (out of 53 and 30, respectively) were

used to link to raw IELTS scores (out of 40) on those components. For Writing and for Speaking,adjusted (that is, scaled) and weighted scores that were rounded to the nearest integer wereused for CAE , and raw scores out of 36 used for IELTS . In the case of IELTS Writing, it entailedtotalling the analytic scores, double weighting Task 2, and dividing the total by three.

Equipercentile linking with presmoothing, as described in Kolen and Brennan (2004), was chosenas the analytic method for this study. This approach to smoothing is advantageous in that indicesare available for evaluating the goodness of fit and therefore of the linking. All required stepswere taken in the identification of appropriate smoothing for the purposes of linking. The linkingwas carried out using the RAGE-RGEQUATE software (Zeng, Kolen, Hanson, Cui, & Chien,2004), and error was estimated using the Equating Error software (Hanson & Chien, 2004).

3 RESULTS & DISCUSSIONThe results of the linking are now presented. Following Kolen and Brennan’s (2004) guidelines,results of smoothing where C=2 were selected as the appropriate for Reading, Writing, andSpeaking given the data, (as they are the first moments with non-significant chi-squares values,and generally fulfil the requirements of mean preservation), whereas C=6 was selected for Listening. The exercise was also performed using overall score data, and the results of thevarious linking exercises considered in parallel.

Standard IELTS score ability transformation tables were applied to the Listening and Readingtests and converting the Writing/Speaking assessments. The results indicate that an average

across the skills of 6.7 corresponded to a CAE standardised score of 60, which is the minimumpassing grade on the latter test. Therefore, a pass at C on CAE corresponds to a performance inthe middle of the ability range covered by an IELTS score of 6.5. The linking also provided anindication of the overall CAE level that is equivalent to the IELTS band 7 threshold; the value for this is a CAE standardised score of approximately 67. An IELTS band of 6.5 was seen tocorrespond to a CAE standardised score of 58.



4 CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONSTo summarise,

CAE

Overall

IELTS

Overall

67 7.0

60 6.7

58 6.5

Candidates who pass CAE at grade C or above are, at minimum, higher than an overall IELTS 6.5. Some of them may however be slightly below the level of an IELTS band 7. Institutions

wishing to compare the performance of CAE candidates to IELTS band scores should thereforeuse the standardised scores rather than grades. If the requirement is a grade equivalent to anIELTS 7, the mark to look for would be a standardised CAE score of approximately 67.

5 REFERENCES

Hanson, B.A., and Chien, Y. (2004). Equating Error computer software. Iowa City, Iowa: CASMA.

Kolen, M.J., and Brennan, R.L. (2004). Test equating, scaling, and linking. New York: Springer.

Zeng, L., Kolen, M.J., Hanson, B.A., Cui, Z., and Chien, Y. (2004). RAGE-RGEQUATE computer software. Iowa City, Iowa: CASMA.



Appendix AThe ALTE Can Do project is described in detail in Appendix D of the Common European

Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment document. As onestrand of this project, Can-do questionnaire responses by IELTS candidates were collected over the period of one year. A total of 155 candidate responses were matched to band scores,enabling Can Do self-ratings of IELTS candidates to be compared with those of CambridgeEnglish: First (FCE ) and CAE candidates. A grade C at FCE represents the B2 level on the CEFRand a grade C on CAE represents the C1 level.

The responses of the IELTS candidates were matched to band scores. These band scores werecompared with the Can Do responses and the results are displayed in the figure below.

Figure: Mean Can Do self-ratings compared with IELTS overall band scores and grades for Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) and Cambridge English: First (FCE)

In terms of candidates’ self-perception therefore, candidates securing IELTS band 6 feltcomfortable with a similar range of activities as candidates securing an FCE grade C and

candidates securing band 7 thought themselves comparable to candidates securing a CAE gradeC.

There is a steady progression in self-ratings across IELTS bands with the exception of Band 5.However, there were only seven respondents at this level, compared to 46 at band 8, 39 at band7 and 53 at band 6, so the mean responses at the higher levels are more dependable.



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Comparing Scores on CAE and IELTS 05-09-11