COABE 2025 Conference Presentation— Stepping into the Future of Adult English Oral Proficiency Assessment: BEST Plus 3.0
April 2 @ 12:20 pm - 1:30 pm
Stepping into the Future of Adult English Oral Proficiency Assessment: BEST Plus 3.0
Date & Time: April 2, 2025 | 12:20–1:30 p.m. Central Time
Location: Sanger B, COABE, Dallas, TX
Presenter(s):
- Anna Zilberberg (Center for Applied Linguistics)
- Elyssa Sun (Center for Applied Linguistics)
- Amya McKoy (Center for Applied Linguistics)
Description:
Recent calls for increased rigor in adult education led to the release of revised National Reporting System (NRS) Educational Functioning Level (EFL) Descriptors for English as a Second Language (ESL). This prompted the development of a new generation of adult ESL assessments aligned with these standards. One such test is BEST Plus 3.0 – a face-to-face oral interview that measures interpersonal communication skills of adult ESL learners in the U.S. Measuring a full spectrum of ESL oral proficiency from NRS 1-6, BEST Plus 3.0 is a short and practical test that has been approved by the U.S. Department of Education and meets the NRS accountability needs.
This presentation will provide an overview of BEST Plus 3.0 and introduce all the new features of the assessment, including brand-new item types that measure proficiency at the most advanced level and a cutting-edge software with user-friendly features and cloud-based data storage. To better assist programs in this transitional phase, we will also share different training options and guidance for test administrators on making the best out of the training materials.
Join us to gain a comprehensive understanding of transitioning to the new BEST Plus 3.0 and ensuring your program’s excellence.
