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Teachers and institutions

International standards

All Path exams are aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The CEFR is the result of sustained research conducted by 41 member states of the Council of Europe, and was first published in 2001. This alignment provides consistency in international language assessment, as it sets out uniform standards for levels of competency in languages.

Our levels

.A

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Basic users / A1- / A1 / A1+ / A2 / A2+

Basic users are able to use the language where it relates to personal matters such as family, shopping and employment.

B.

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Independent users / B1 / B2 / B2+

Independent users are additionally able to use the language where it relates to travel, work and study. These users are generally considered to meet the demands of many university degree programmes

Path Examinations has subdivided level A1 into 3 levels, and levels A2 and B2 into 2 levels. This is because the amount of time, effort and study required to move to the following level are considerable. Through this progressive approach, we ensure that the candidate’s language competency has been assessed thoroughly.

Assessment innovations

Comprehension of reading texts and audio needs to be assessed. Path exams do so by giving candidates the opportunity to give their opinions, provide examples or imagine different situations. Assessment will take into account the candidates’ language ability to construe these communicative acts.
It is quite often the case to find exercises with no overall context at all, just random questions to check grammatical structures and vocabulary. Path exam tasks are contextualised; the setting is provided by a dialogue, a short story, a letter, etc., thus focusing on the active use of language rather than on meaningless and mechanical repetition.
Path exam tasks feature anecdotes and stories, discussions and arguments, business meetings and speeches: the kind of situations and scenarios that people experience in everyday life. Path exams are designed to prepare candidates for the real world.
The aim of writing is to communicate ideas; to create a text which can convey a clear message and have an effect on the reader. Provided writers fulfil their communicative objective, writing has nothing to do with the number of words used. That is why exam designers have eliminated word counts. Path exams focus on the message which is to be transmitted, and on the communicative competence the candidate has in order to do so, not on how many words have been used.
Accuracy is usually assessed through closed tasks, such as sentence transformation, fill in the gaps, true or false or multiple choice questions, which actually tend to be mechanical and limit the candidates’ creativity. Path exams from A2 Preliminary onwards only feature open-ended tasks which have no corrrect or incorrect answer. Candidates are given the opportunity to express their own ideas and to use the language communicatively. They engage with the exam more creatively, critically and effectively.
Candidates are often nervous and do not perform well if they are not comfortable with the examiner. For Path International Examinations, it is paramount to make candidates feel at ease so that they can use their speaking skills at their best. Before the speaking module begins, Path examiners gather all candidates in a room to have a warm-up session and help them reduce the level of stress and anxiety. Our examiners have been trained to create a positive atmosphere in which candidates can show their true level of English.
In everyday life, speaking is far from being a structured predictable activity. Even though some of the speaking is organised and follows a pattern, most of it does not. Path exams incorporate this conception of speaking and allow for a non-scripted conversation between the examiner and the candidate so that real communication can actually occur. However, strict guidelines are provided to the examiner to ensure there is no unfair advantage for one candidate over another.
In real life, people often need to prepare to speak; for example, when giving a presentation or attending a job interview, they need to conduct research beforehand and organise what they are going to say. Path exams allow preparation time for candidates at higher levels, which has a significant impact on their performance, providing a better sample of what that particular learner can achieve in the language.
Candidates often perform best when they are engaged, and technology helps them do so. In order to make the speaking module a more interactive experience, Path International Examinations provides tablets so as to replace the use of printed pictures with more visually appealing videos.
Path exams comprise modules, which may be taken separately or altogether. This scheme has been designed to address the candidates’ needs, as they may simply have to certify certain skills. At the same time, having separate modules takes into consideration individual learning paces, as candidates may choose to certify their skills at different levels. Please click here to read more about it.
In real-life communication, we use our language skills in an integrated way. New technologies have reinforced this holistic view of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Path exams have sought to integrate the skills, where feasible, so as to provide candidates with more contextualised, true-to-life situations in which they can put the language to work.
Path International Examinations feeds on the enriching and open dialogue established with students, teachers, school administrators and examiners. As a result of this continuous feedback, Path exams are reassessed annually so as to keep up to date with the latest developments in language education.
Students are often demotivated when they fail an exam and generally desist from studying English because they think they are simply not made for it. Path exams focus on what candidates can achieve rather than on what they still can’t. Therefore, if they get between 49 and 58 marks, they will be awarded a certificate for the immediate previous level. Besides, Path certificates do not show grades but a confirmation of level.
Path International Examinations offers all exam centres a report on how students have performed at exams.
With the outbreak of COVID-19 and resultant lockdowns, Path Examinations created its online platform, Beyond™, to conduct exams remotely, preserve the health of those involved at exam sessions and make a contribution to the environment. This system was specially designed to meet our high quality standards and assess candidates fairly, transparently and securely.

Join Path

AFFILIATE


Free of charge

For freelance teachers

No minimum candidate registrations required

Online or paper-based exams at the nearest exam centre
Academic guidance
Access to our e-platform Beyond™
News group for Path affiliates
Meetings for students and parents
Discounted fee for Path webinars
Fixed exam fees in your local currency
5% discount on early exam registrations
Application for Path invigilator

OFFICIAL MEMBER


Free of charge

For freelance teachers and institutions

Annual registration of 10 candidates required

Online or paper-based exams at the nearest exam centre
Academic guidance
Personalised Path Official Member logo
Access to our e-platform Beyond™
News group for Path members
Meetings for students and parents
Free access to Path webinars
Fixed exam fees in your local currency
5% discount on early exam registrations
Application for Path invigilator
Access to My Path area
Onboarding meeting
Unique Path ID number
Digital member certificate
Annual package of personalised advertising material
Changes to exam registrations
You will be given a 10% commission for registrations of 15+ candidates

APPROVED EXAM CENTRE

Free of charge

Upgrade for institutions

Annual registration of 20 candidates or more

Online or paper-based exam sessions at your institution
Academic guidance
Access to our e-platform Beyond™
News group for Path exam centres
Set up of meetings for students and parents
Free access to Path webinars and seminars
Fixed exam fees in your local currency
5% and 10% discounts on early exam registrations
Application for Path invigilator and supervisor
Access to My Path area
Onboarding meeting
Unique Path ID number
Digital and paper centre certificate
Personalised advertising material every month
Changes to exam registrations
10% commission on registrations
Report of exam performance
Personalised Path academic proposal
Path banner design
Institution listed on the Path website

CERTIFIED EXAM CENTRE

Free of charge

Upgrade for institutions

Annual registration of 50 candidates or more

Online or paper-based exam sessions at your institution
Exclusive academic guidance
Access to our e-platform Beyond™
News group for Path exam centres
Set up of meetings for students and parents
Free access to Path webinars and seminars and discounted fee for Path courses
Fixed exam fees in your local currency
5% and 10% discounts on early exam registrations
Application for Path invigilator and supervisor
Access to My Path area
Onboarding meeting
Unique Path ID number
Digital and paper Certified Exam Centre certificate
Personalised advertising material every month
Changes to exam registrations
10% commission on registrations
Report of exam performance
Personalised Path academic proposal
Path banner design
Institution listed and described on the Path website
Exam scholarships
Academic presentations for students
Professional development for teachers
Certified Exam Centre plaque
Candidate to the Path Q-mark

Path Inbuilt programme

Free of charge

Eligible for institutions with 50 students or more

For already-existing members and exam centres.

Path exams provide focus and pace to keep your students motivated, every step of the way. Our progressive scale of levels makes it possible for institutions to adopt Path exams as their end-of-course assessment.

Institutions adopting the Inbuilt programme will work closely together with our academic team to align the different Path levels with their existing courses. In this way, all students will be candidates to a Path international certification at the end of the school year.

The Path administrative team will also develop a tailor-made solution for flexible exam registration and payment of fees, so that all students will have confirmation of placement at the beginning of their courses.

Requirements

Eligible for institutions wishing to adopt Path exams for all their students and integrate our proposal into their existing programmes.

- Minimum number of candidates: 50

- All candidates must be registered within the first month of the school year.

Adopting the Path Inbuilt programme is free of charge.

Key reasons to adopt the Path Inbuilt programme

Skills

01

Students will certify their language competency at the end of every school year, which will tangibly show them or their parents the steady and constant progress they are making in their studies.

Levels

02

Your courses will be aligned with the different levels on the Path exam scale, which are carefully mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Marks

03

Your institution will act as a Certified Exam Centre and access the a-z benefits that come with it.

You will:

  • take part and offer your staff Onboarding meetings to gain a deeper understanding of the Path proposal
  • receive exclusive support from the Path academic team throughout the year
  • have your own Path academic proposal to share with students and parents
  • be able to organise informative meetings delivered by Path for students and parents
  • have access to a demo of our exclusive e-platform Beyond™ for online mock exams
  • have access to My Path area to download preparation materials and paper-based mock exams
  • be able to conduct online or paper-based exam sessions at your institution
  • be awarded scholarships for 3 all-module exams as part of the Path CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programme.
You will:

  • be able to work closely together with our administrative team
  • be provided with fixed exam fees in your local currency
  • be able to offer your students a 10% discounts on exam registrations
  • be able to make level changes to exam registrations throughout the year
  • be given a 10% commission on exam registrations.
You will:

  • have a unique Path ID number
  • receive a digital and a paper certificate issued by Path Examinations UK stating your institution is a Path Certified Exam Centre and offers end-of-course international assessment
  • receive a personalised Path Certified Exam Centre logo, stating that all of your courses include international certification
  • be sent a Path Certified Exam Centre banner design, stating your institution offers end-of-course international assessment
  • be sent personalised advertising material (images or videos) bearing your logo every month
  • have the possibility to become a Path supervisor and offer your staff to act as invigilators.
  • After two consecutive successful annual registrations, your institution will be:
  • listed on our website, including a description of the courses you offer
  • invited, together with your staff, students and parents, to an awarding ceremony at which you will be presented with a Certified Exam Centre plaque
  • a candidate to the Path Q-mark (Quality mark).

Path Q-mark

Skills

The Path Q-mark (Quality mark) is an international accreditation that supports and recognises rigorous standards in the provision, practice and performance of English language courses at level B1 and above. Our Q-mark provides institutions with recognition of their commitment to academic excellence.

Marks

Institutions that achieve the Q-mark will receive an awarding certificate for display and a personalised quality logo to use on their website and marketing material.

Levels

In order to be eligible for the Path Q-mark, institutions must plan and review their courses effectively and consistently apply suitable policies and procedures for quality assurance. The courses offered must also be delivered by staff with appropriate qualifications, experience and expertise.

To apply for the Path Q-mark, institutions must:

have been a Path Certified Exam Centre for at least 2 years

have been operating as a business for at least 4 years

have had an exam pass rate of 90% or over for the past 2 years

provide Path Examinations with their annual syllabuses and policies and procedures for quality control.

The Path Q-mark is excellent for reflecting and developing best practice. Through this endorsement, institutions will be able to show that their work is of first-rate standards.

Path exams do not need any special study books or preparation in particular. All that is really needed is to attend regular classes in order to develop effective communicative competence.

Teachers or institutions are free to choose the material they want for each of their classes. Nevertheless, Path Examinations is in partnership with National Geographic Learning to provide anyone interested with a highly communicative alternative which is also aligned with our approach.

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Complementary resources for teachers and students.

Digital material for teachers and institutions.

Online platform to work with each programme.

End of course certificate issued by Path Examinations and NatGeo Learning.

Webinars, courses and other academic events.

Path Examinations and NatGeo Learning’s logo to use in advertising material.

Guidance in the implementation and usage of material by NatGeo Learning’s team.

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At Path Examinations and National Geographic Learning, we believe that education is one of the greatest forces of change, and a source of wealth and wellbeing for all humankind.

If you wish to be contacted and guided by our staff, please complete the form below: