Working with exam centres
There are around 2,000 authorised exam centres providing Cambridge ESOL exams worldwide. There are also around another 500 sub-centres — centres that are approved by Cambridge ESOL to be run under the supervision of another centre.
Cambridge ESOL is committed to making sure these centres offer the highest security and quality to safeguard the fairness of our tests.
We achieve this by working closely with our exam centres to ensure they meet our exacting quality standards, and giving them help and support to offer the best possible service to test takers.
We do this in a number of ways:
Registration process
Each centre must have a person responsible for running it and managing its finances and administration. We call that person a Local Secretary. To apply to register to become a Local Secretary, you have to be a person of good character, with complete financial and professional integrity, and have experience of management or administration.
Centres' responsibilities include the administration of our exams, the handling of candidates' fees, participating in our research projects, and taking part in validation and quality control procedures.
Before a centre can be authorised to run Cambridge ESOL exams, we carry out a pre-registration inspection of their premises. This is to ensure they meet our requirements to carry out their responsibilities and have adequate security in place for the storage of exam papers and candidates' completed exams. We also check the quality of the venue to ensure the environment is adequate to taking our tests properly (for example, the Listening test can be taken in a place where there is no distracting noise).
Inspection team
To ensure the high quality of Cambridge ESOL centres and increase their capacity for self-improvement, we have 100 centre inspectors around the world and an inspections co-ordinator appointed for each region. The inspection team works with the owners and managers of centres to develop relationships with them and to encourage continuous improvement in centre performance. Advice and support to meet our requirements is available from both the regional offices and the Centre Inspections Unit at Cambridge ESOL.
All of our centres are inspected at least once every three years. A recent review has highlighted the need for centres to be more actively involved in the inspections process and we are putting systems in place to help centres in their self-assessment efforts.
Support for centres
Cambridge ESOL is an expert in language assessment and to help centres meet our demanding quality standards, we share our knowledge with centres and support them through a number of methods:
- CentreNet
CentreNet is a comprehensive online resource for centres. CentreNet features news, promotional and publicity materials along with the opportunity to download centre documentation, forms and FAQs. - Publications
Cambridge ESOL produces a number of publications to help centres, and keep them updated with the latest information about our exams. - Handbooks
We produce a reference handbook for all centre managers explaining the procedures for running exams and the environment necessary for holding exams. - Examination instructions booklets
Each exam has its own set of instructions, explaining what centres might need to provide when holding that particular exam. These instructions contain any special requirements for that exam. - Bulletin for centres
This is a monthly newsletter for centres with all the latest information for centres. - Cambridge First
Published three times a year, Cambridge First contains news of events and developments from across the whole world of Cambridge ESOL examinations. - Research Notes
Published quarterly, Research Notes contains a number of papers by Cambridge ESOL staff reflecting the latest research and developments.
- Training
We provide a range of training materials for centre managers available online, on CentreNet and on DVD, as well as face-to-face sessions delivered in Cambridge.
