Relating examinations to the Common European Framework: a manual

Abstract

This article deals with the linking of examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Following the rapid adoption of the CEFR by the Council of Europe and the European Union as well as many national and local actors, there have been calls for guidance on how examinations could be made more transparent by means of the CEFR, especially by using its calibrated scales as a tool. The Council of Europe has recently produced a preliminary pilot Manual, which presents a procedure for doing this. The article describes the political and educational context of this work and presents the main procedures proposed in the Manual. Since the Manual is a preliminary document for discussion and feedback, the authors of the Manual join the discussion by presenting some critical reflections of their own. The article concludes by outlining two scenarios: one which predicts positive developments and the other which foresees less desirable consequences.