Format and Content of the ECPE | Examinations & Certifications

The format and content of the ECPE

The following table presents the format and content of the ECPE. The specific format and content will apply until the May 9, 2021 administration. As of the May 23, 2021 administration, the ECPE will be administered in its updated format.

Section	Time	Description	# of items
Writing	30 minutes	Examinees write an essay based upon one of two topic choices.	1 task
Listening	35-40 minutes	Part 1 (multiple choice) A short recorded conversation is accompanied by three printed statements. Examinees choose the statement that conveys the same meaning as what was heard, or that is true based upon the conversation.	50
		Part 2 (multiple choice) A recorded question is accompanied by three printed responses. Examinees choose the appropriate response to the question.
		Part 3 (multiple choice) Three recorded talks, such as those that might be heard on the radio, are each followed by recorded comprehension questions. The questions and the answer choices are printed in the test booklet. Examinees choose the correct answer from the choices.
Grammar, Cloze, Vocabulary, Reading (GCVR)	75 minutes	Grammar (multiple choice) An incomplete sentence is followed by a choice of words or phrases to complete it. Only one choice is grammatically correct.	40
		Cloze (multiple choice) After reading two short cloze passages with 10 items each, from which words or phrases have been removed, examinees must choose one of four options that best fills a missing word/phrase in terms of grammar and meaning.	20
		Vocabulary (multiple choice) An incomplete sentence is followed by a choice of words to complete it. Examinees must choose the option that best completes the sentence in terms of meaning.	40
		Reading (multiple choice) Four reading passages are followed by comprehension questions. Examinees choose the correct answer from the printed answer choices	20
Speaking	Paired format: 25-35 minutes (Three-way format: 35-45 minutes)	Examinees participate in a semistructured, multistage task involving two (or three) examinees and two examiners.	5 stages

The three first parts (Writing, Listening, and GCVR) comprise the written section of the examination and they are all administered at the same day. The fourth part, the Speaking Test, is administered before or after or even at the same day of the written examinations.
The format and the content of the test of the examination reflect the general language preparation, the methodology and the teaching material used for the learning of English as a foreign language.
Standard American accents are used in the recording for the listening section. Candidates are not exposed to dialects or background noise. Candidates hear only the speakers' voices and thus they do not risk having their scores unfavorably affected by external factors.

Last Update At: 2021/03/12 - 17:08:33