Assessment of Language Competence (ALC)

Contact us

Australian Council for Educational Research

19 Prospect Hill Rd, Camberwell, VIC, Australia 3124

T: +61 3 9277 5555
F: +61 3 9277 5500
E: alc@acer.edu.au

NEW IN 2013

Please note: The closing date for early bird registrations for 2013 ALC has been extended to Friday, May 24.  Registrations received after this date will incur a late fee. 

What are the ALC certificates? 

The Assessment of Language Competence Certificates are aimed at second language learners and are designed to celebrate and enhance the learning of languages in Australia, New Zealand, the Asia-Pacific region. The skills testing program includes listening and reading comprehension tasks in a multiple choice format designed to be both challenging and to enable all students to experience success. The ALC tests are conducted in schools.

The materials take into account current research in the assessment of languages as well as the extensive experience of practising teachers.

Each participating student receives a certificate which describes the skills they have demonstrated in listening and reading. The schools can also purchase a report which provides detailed information about each student's performance against the difficulty level of test items as well as the school's performance against all other schools for a particular language and certificate level.

Languages

• Chinese Certificates 1 and 2
• French Certificates 1, 2 and 3
• German Certificates 1, 2 and 3
• Indonesian Certificate 1 and 2
• Italian Certificates 1, 2 and 3
• Japanese Certificates 1, 2 and 3
• Spanish Certificate 1

Tasks 

Students respond to realistic texts and situations using multiple choice format.

There is no need to teach to particular topics for the ALC tests. Topics are not advertised beforehand so as to enable all students, regardless of state or country, to have equal access to the materials in the tests.

ALC tasks also draw on students’ knowledge and understanding of language beyond the topic level. This includes their sociocultural knowledge, their cognitive skills, their knowledge of the structure of language and of the purposes of language, and their knowledge of how texts are organised.

Certificate 1 is for students who have studied the target language for approximately 100 hours by August in the year of testing.  It is aimed at upper primary and lower secondary school.  It is a listening test only.

Certificate 2 is for students who have studied the target language for between 100 and 200 hours by August in the year of testing.

Certificate 3 candidates should have received between 200 and 300 hours of language instruction by August in the year of testing.

Certificates 2 and 3 involve listening and reading tasks.