ALTE

The Association of Language Testers in Europe – is an association of institutions within Europe which provide language certification.

The concept of ALTE was initially formed by the Universities of Cambridge and Salamanca late in 1989. There are 34 members, representing 27 European languages. Each member provides examinations of the language which is spoken as a mother tongue in their own country.

ALTE addresses the need for transferability of qualifications across Europe

An ALTE certificate establishes a person's language level both professionally and academically. It also allows one to make meaningful comparisons between qualifications gained in different countries.

It is crucial for employers to know which particular language qualification it is realistic to demand when advertising a post, and employees have an interest in being able to rate their own present level of expertise and future training needs.

Since 1990 the members of ALTE have been working together to devise a means of describing and comparing their examinations.

The chart below compares the traditional English level nomenclature with the CEF and ALTE levels. It also indicates which specific qualification describes a person's level of English.

European Chart for International Exams

English Language Levels
Traditional	IH Palemo	ALTE	CEF
Beginner	1 A1-	YLE Starters	A1
Elementary	2 A1+	YLE Movers	A1/A2
Pre-intermediate part A	3 A2-	YLE Movers/Flyers	A2
Pre-intermediate part B	4 A2+	YLE Flyers/KET	A2
Intermediate part A	5 B1-	PET	B1
Intermediate part B	6 B1+	PET	B1
Upper-intermediate part A	7 B2-	FCE/IELTS(5), TOEFL iBT(80)	B2
Upper-intermediate part B	8 B2+	FCE/IELTS(5.5-6), TOEFL iBT(86-90)	B2
Advanced part A	9 C1-	FCE/CAE/IELTS(6.5), TOEFL iBT(90-100)	C1
Advanced part B	10 C1+	CAE/IELTS(7), TOEFL iBT(100-110)	C1
Pre-proficient part A	11 C2-	CAE/IELTS(7.5-8), TOEFL iBT(110-120)	C2
Proficient part B	12 C2-	Proficiency/IELTS(8.5-9)	C2

For more information please visit the official ALTE website or the Can Do Statements section.