Proficiency refers to the ability to perform an action or function. It refers to one’s ability to use language for real-world purposes to accomplish real-world linguistic tasks across a wide range of topics and settings. ACTFL Proficiency Tests reflect and measure the candidate’s ability to carry out these real-world tasks.
Differing from an achievement test, which measures knowledge of specific information (what a person knows), a proficiency test targets what an individual can do with what he or she knows. As in a driver’s test, an achievement test would represent the paper and pencil questions on the written examination, while a proficiency test determines how well the person can drive the car. The language proficiency test is an evaluation of how well a person can use language to communicate in real life.
