Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL)
What is CAEL
The Canadian Academic English Language, or CAEL Assessment is a standardized test designed to measure English language proficiency for admission to college and university, and for membership in professional associations. Test takers read articles, listen to a lecture, answer questions, and write a short essay, as they would be expected to do in a first-year university or college classroom.
The CAEL Assessment is accepted by over 180 academic institutions across Canada and the United States as well as by several international institutions. The test is also accepted by a number of professional organizations, including the Canadian Veterinary Association, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC).
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The CAEL Assessment was developed in Canada, by Canadians. It incorporates Canadian English and accents as used in Canadian academic contexts and post-secondary institutions. The CAEL Assessment is a fully integrated and topic-based performance test. Test takers use the information from the Reading and Listening components to write their essays.
In June 2015, Paragon Testing Enterprises, a Canadian English language testing company and a subsidiary of the University of British Columbia, acquired the CAEL Assessment from Carleton University
CAEL Academic Test
CAEL Test Result & Scoring
Test takers receive individual English proficiency scores for the Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking components, as well as an overall score. CAEL scores are reported on a scale from 10 – 90 with accompanying descriptors of what performance represents. The overall score is calculated as an equally weighted average of the four component scores rounded to the nearest ten-point interval. The table below presents descriptions of test taker proficiency at each full band level.
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