AMC4 ATCO.B.040 Assessment of language proficiency

CRITERIA FOR THE ACCEPTABILITY OF LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT BODIES

(a)       A language assessment body should provide clear information about its organisation and its relationships with other organisations.

(b)       If a language assessment body is also an air traffic controller training organisation, there should be a clear and documented separation between the two activities.

(c)       The language assessment body should employ a sufficient number of qualified interlocutors and language proficiency assessors to administer the required tests.

(d)       The assessment documentation should include at least the following:

(1)       assessment objectives;

(2)       assessment layout, timescale, technologies used, assessment samples, voice samples;

(3)       assessment criteria and standards (at least for the operational, extended and expert levels of the rating scale in Appendix 1 to Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2015/340);

(4)       documentation demonstrating the assessment validity, relevance and reliability for the operational and extended levels;

(5)       documentation demonstrating the assessment validity, relevance and reliability for the expert level;

(6)       procedures to ensure that language assessments are standardised within the language assessment body and in the ATC community;

(7)       assessment procedures and responsibilities, such as:

—            preparation of individual assessment;

—            administration: location(s), identity check and invigilation, assessment discipline, confidentiality/security;

—            reporting and documentation provided to the competent authority and/or to the applicant, including sample certificate; and

—            retention of documents and records.

(8)       The assessment documentation and records should be kept for a period of time determined by the competent authority and made available to the competent authority upon request.

[applicable until 3 August 2024 - ED Decision 2015/010/R]

(d)       The assessment documentation should include at least the following:

(1)       assessment objectives;

(2)       assessment layout, timescale, technologies used, assessment samples, voice samples;

(3)       assessment criteria and standards (at least for the operational, extended and expert levels of the rating scale in Appendix 1 to Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2015/340);

(4)       documentation demonstrating the assessment validity, relevance and reliability for the operational, extended and expert levels;

(5)       procedures to ensure that language assessments are standardised within the language assessment body and in the ATC community;

(6)       assessment procedures and responsibilities, such as:

—            preparation of individual assessment;

—            administration: location(s), identity check and invigilation, assessment discipline, confidentiality/security;

—            reporting and documentation provided to the competent authority and/or to the applicant, including sample certificate; and

—            retention of documents and records.

(7)       The assessment documentation and records should be kept for a period of time determined by the competent authority and made available to the competent authority upon request.

[applicable from 4 August 2024 - ED Decision 2023/011/R]