Still Deluded by Artifices? The Role of the Common European Framework of Reference in Facilitating Test Score Interpretation

Abstract

The introduction of the CEFR was welcomed by researchers and practitioners in language education, given its potential for increasing transparency of test results and the meaningfulness of test scores. In this paper, I reflect on Glenn Fulcher’s (2004, 2016) critical take on the use of the CEFR in the context of mapping (linking or aligning) test scores to the CEFR proficiency levels and the implications for score interpretation and use. I argue that although mapping test scores to the CEFR levels can enhance score interpretation, the field of language assessment needs to address misinterpretations of score mapping as sufficient evidence of quality of test design or comparability of scores of different tests.