Linking exams to the CEF - The Manual and the Catalan Experience
The publication of the pilot version of the Manual for relating examinations to the CEF in 2003 was perceived as a step forward in the field of testing, as it pointed at the issues to consider and the steps to take when aiming to relate examinations to the CEF levels. Institutions in Europe and across the Atlantic are currently following the procedures proposed in the Manual and using the instruments made available by the Council of Europe. This session will describe the route taken in Catalonia, Spain, to relate foreign language exams for adult learners to the CEF: how the Manual has been followed, how the Manual has NOT been followed, and the whys and the hows of the process. Things seem on the whole clearer now than 3 years ago, but the road ahead is still full of dangers, and the final destination only a glimmering light at the end of the tunnel.

Dr. Neus Figueras Casanovas
Holds a degree in English Philology and a Phd on Oral Testing, both from the University of Barcelona. Since 1996 she coordinates the development and administration of standardised certificate exams for adult students of foreign languages at the local Ministry of Education in Catalonia, Spain. She has participated in testing-related European projects (Speakeasy, Dialang, Ceftrain, ENLTA, Dutch CEF Construct) and collaborates with the Council of Europe in relation to the uses of the CEF in testing contexts; she co-authored the pilot version of the Manual for Relating examinations to the CEF (2003) and coordinated the CD with Reading and Listening pilot samples. She is president of EALTA, the European Association for Language Testing and Assessment.