CEFR alignment: Combining the best of different methods

The alignment of language assessments to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is traditionally a complex and lengthy process. Test developers either create a test first and align it to the CEFR post-development, or they integrate CEFR standards from the outset. Both methods necessitate strict adherence to a “series of well-established and largely sequential steps” (British Council et al. 2022: 13). This article introduces a transformative shift in this traditional paradigm by adapting existing standard-setting techniques and leveraging modern tools to streamline alignment procedures. Three standard-setting methods, the Dominant Profile Judgement method, the Item Descriptor Matching method, and the Body-of-Work method, were amalgamated to structure and inform a principled approach to content creation and standard-setting preparation. The ISE Digital writing module will be used to demonstrate how this process expedited panellist alignment and contributed to panellist agreement, both within and between panels.