Advanced Level Certificate in English (ALCE™)

The Advanced Level Certificate in English examination (ALCE™) is a standardized examination for candidates who wish certification at advanced proficiency level in English. The examination has been mapped on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF) as reflecting the content and difficulty of C1 level. Thus, the typical candidate for the examination should have a sound knowledge of English at advanced level.

The ALCE™ is developed and scored by Hellenic American University in accordance with the highest international standards of educational measurement. All parts of the examination are written following specific guidelines and test specifications. Items are pre-tested to ensure standardization and validity. Care is taken that the tests are fair and accessible to all examinees.

The ALCE™ tests communicative competence in all four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. It also contains sections which specifically test grammar and vocabulary resources. The examination focuses primarily on the educational and occupational domains appropriate for this level, and this is reflected in its content and tasks. Candidates who are successful in the ALCE™ examination obtain a certificate which documents their level of English for educational, occupational, public or personal purposes.

Uses of the ALCE™

The ALCE™ is used by organizations, firms, public agencies, and academic institutions for a wide range of purposes. The following is just a sample of possible uses:

  • Educational organizations can use the ALCE™ for admission purposes for non-native speakers of English
  • Corporate users can use the ALCE™  as a useful tool when recruiting a global workforce
  • Government agencies can use the ALCE™ when setting language requirements for migrants
  • Job placement agencies can use the ALCE™ when setting language requirements for non-native speakers of English
The Level of the ALCE™

The ALCE™ has been mapped to the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference. At the C1 level, language users:

  • can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning
  • can express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions
  • can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes
  • can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices