Cambridge Young Learners English Tests

Cambridge English: Young Learners, also known as Young Learners English Tests (YLE), is a suite of English language examinations specially designed for children in primary and lower-secondary school. The tests are provided by Cambridge English Language Assessment (previously known as University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations).

The suite includes three qualifications, each targeted at a different level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Cambridge English: Starters (YLE Starters) is targeted at pre-A1 Level, Cambridge English: Movers (YLE Movers) at CEFR Level A1, and Cambridge English: Flyers (YLE Flyers) at CEFR Level A2.

Cambridge English: Young Learners leads on to other Cambridge English examinations designed for school-aged learners, including Cambridge English: Key (KET) for Schools at CEFR Level A2, Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET) for Schools at CEFR Level B1, Cambridge English: First (FCE) for Schools at CEFR Level B2 and Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) at CEFR Level C1. Cambridge English: Flyers is roughly equivalent to Cambridge English: Key for Schools in terms of difficulty, but the words and contexts covered in Cambridge English: Flyers are suitable for younger children.

Cambridge English: Young Learners was first introduced in 1997, following extensive test development and piloting during the early 1990s. There was immediate interest in the tests, and by 2001 worldwide candidature had reached nearly 200,000, with large numbers of candidates in countries such as China, Spain, Argentina and Italy.

The increase in teaching of English to young learners (aged approximately 7 to 12 years old) had led to growing demand for assessment. The key question for Cambridge English Language Assessment was whether it was possible to create an international English language test for children which was accurate, fair and had a positive impact on future language learning.

Development work began in 1993. The planning phase involved extensive research and consultation, since relatively little research had been carried out into the assessment of second language learning in children. Research focused on three related fields: children’s socio-psychological and cognitive development; second language teaching and learning; and second language assessment. This helped inform the choice and treatment of test topics and tasks. For example, tasks involving scanning were rejected since children only demonstrate search and stop strategies from around age 11. The research also recognised that children are motivated by and perform best on tasks directly related to their own experiences of teaching and learning; a wide range of course books and teaching materials were reviewed to identify the main content areas (topics, vocabulary, etc.)

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