GVR and Listening revisions of the ECCE exam

May 2013 revisions to the ECCE GVR and Listening sections

23/06/2011

As part of an ongoing process to ensure excellence in the ECCE, the University of Michigan has completed a comprehensive review of the ECCE. In addition to a survey of the related research literature and review of the relevant CEFR scales, the University conducted extensive statistical analyses of test items and candidate score performance and elicited feedback from ECCE examinees and from stakeholders who prepare students for the exam.

Based upon this comprehensive review, the University of Michigan announced changes to the ECCE GVR and Listening sections.

With these changes:

• Language used in the exam will be representative of that used in public, occupational, and educational contexts.
• Candidates will be tested on a wide variety of topics and discourse types, preview Listening section questions, and have more time at their disposal for the GVR section.

Reading, GVR section:

• The current reading tasks with advertisements and the longer, related passages will no longer apply.
• As of May 2013, the above tasks will be replaced by two short passages followed by five questions each, and four texts that total about 550 words followed by ten questions about information in the texts.
• There will be no changes to the Grammar and Vocabulary subsections of the ECCE GVR section.
• Τhe time allowed for the GVR section will be increased from 80 minutes to 90 minutes.

Part 2, Listening section:

• The current extended listening task of 20 questions about a radio interview related to a single event will no longer apply.
• As of May 2013, the above task will be replaced by four short talks on different subjects by single speakers lasting about one and a half minutes each. Each talk will be followed by four, five, or six questions printed on the candidates’ booklets.
• Candidates will be given about 30 seconds to preview the questions before each talk begins.
• There will be a total of 20 questions for part 2, as with the current part 2 format.
• There will be no changes to Part 1 of the ECCE Listening section.
• The total duration of the Listening section will remain the same (30 minutes with a total of 50 questions).

In early 2012, a complete sample revised ECCE Listening test and GVR test will be made available.