The document discusses the Basic English Skills Test (BEST) Plus, an oral English proficiency test for adult non-native English speakers developed by the Center for Applied Linguistics. BEST Plus is designed to assess listening and speaking skills over a wide range of proficiency levels. It can be administered either via an adaptive computer-based version or a semi-adaptive print-based version in around 3-20 minutes. BEST Plus scores are intended to help with placement decisions, instructional planning, and measuring progress of adult English learners enrolled in education programs in the United States.

1. Basic English skills test (best)
Feb 18, 2014
Asifa Qasim
ENGL 8532

2. What is best?
For over 20 years, CAL’s (Center for Applied Linguistics’, a
nonprofit organization located in Washington, D.C.) Basic
English Skills Test (BEST) had been serving adult education
programs across the United States as a reliable assessment of
English language proficiency.
In 2003, CAL launched a new oral English proficiency test
for adults, BEST Plus, to replace the oral interview section of
the BEST.
BEST Plus is an individually administered, face-to-face oral
interview designed to assess the English language proficiency
of adult non native English language learners in the United
States.

3. Intended Audience of best plus?
 BEST Plus is widely and appropriately used to gather data on the listening and
speaking skills of English language learners enrolled in adult education
programs that offer English as a second language (ESL) instruction.
 BEST Plus is specifically designed to be used with English language learners
who are at least 16 years old and who are currently living in the United
States, although they may come from diverse language and cultural
backgrounds.
 BEST Plus distinguishes performance over the full range of English oral
proficiency levels represented in adult education programs from Beginning
ESL Literacy to High Advanced ESL in the National Reporting System
(NRS) and from Student Performance Levels (SPLs) 0 to 10.

4. Appropriate Uses of best plus
With adults in the United States. All BEST Plus test items and
graphics were developed for adult English language learners in
the United States. BEST Plus is NOT designed for and should not
be used with learners outside of the United States or who are
under the age of 16.
For educational purposes. BEST Plus is intended to be used in
educational settings. BEST Plus is designed to provide
standardized assessment for placement decisions, instructional
planning, and measuring the progress of adult English language
learners enrolled in an instructional program in the United States.
BEST Plus can also provide supporting evidence of the
effectiveness of an instructional program based on pre-testing and
post-testing results.

5. Appropriate Uses of best plus (Cont’d)
To measure speaking and listening skills. BEST Plus is
intended to measure the speaking and listening skills of
adult English language learners communicating about life
skills content areas such as health, work, family, and
recreation.
For interpreting learners’ proficiency levels based on
the National Reporting System (NRS) Educational
Functioning Levels or the Student Performance Levels
(SPLs). BEST Plus is aligned with the NRS and SPL
levels, BEST Plus scores are not aligned with any other
set of proficiency-level descriptors or other assessments.

6. BEST Plus key features
Research based
BEST Plus provides an updated, flexible, and precise
oral assessment based on the latest knowledge and
practices in educational measurement.
Offers choice in method of administration
BEST Plus is administered as a face-to-face oral
interview and provides the flexibility of administering
the test using either an adaptive, computer-based
version (available on CD) or a semi-adaptive, printbased version.

7. Assesses a wide range of proficiency levels
Holistic evaluation based on three critical
components of oral proficiency:
 Listening Comprehension: How well did the examinee
understand the question?
 Language Complexity: How well did the examinee
organize and elaborate the response?
 Communication: How clearly did the examinee
communicate meaning?
Focus on language used in real-life situations: BEST
Plus is intended to assess interpersonal communication
using everyday language used in practical situations. Test
items reflect language used in everyday life (authentic
situations) in the U.S. – at home, at work, and in the
community.

8. Adaptive to individual examinee needs
In the computer-adaptive version, computer software
selects test items appropriate to the examinee's ability
after the locator items have been administered.
In the print-based version, a quick locator determines
the appropriate level of the test form (A, B, or C) for the
examinee.
Each examinee's oral English skills are assessed by a
trained test administrator.
Takes 3 to 20 minutes to administer, depending on the
language proficiency of the examinee.

9. Positive examinee experience
Feedback from examinees indicates favorable impact.
Examinees report that BEST Plus offers them ample
opportunities to demonstrate their oral language
abilities. In addition, their experience involves items
targeted to their estimated ability level, reducing the
fatigue associated with items that are either frustratingly
difficult or disengagingly simple for a given examinee.

10. Test administration
BEST Plus is administered by a trained test
administrator. Test administrators score using the BEST
Plus Scoring Rubric to rate listening comprehension,
language complexity, and communication. To ensure
reliability and validity of BEST Plus, test
administrators are required to attend the BEST
Plus Test Administrator Training Workshop.
At the6-hour training workshop, test administrators go
through all aspects of BEST Plus, including scoring
exercises with explanations of why learner
language is scored at a given level on the scoring
rubric. Each trained test administrator receives a Test
Administrator Guide, the BEST Plus Test CD, an
Administrator Practice CD, and a Score
Management Software User Guide. Training can be
scheduled for up to 25 test administrators per session.
CAL also offers regional trainings in selected cities.

11. Questions???
• Please contact
1-866-845-BEST (2378)
best-plus@cal.org
www.cal.org/aea
• Reference:
http://www.cal.org/aea/bestplus/index.html
Thank you!