BEST Plus 3.0 is an individually administered face-to-face scripted oral proficiency interview-based assessment that measures adult English language learners’ ability to listen and speak in English in authentic situations in the United States. It is intended for use with English language learners who are 16 years or older and who are enrolled in an educational program in the United States. BEST Plus 3.0 may be administered to individual examinees using a computer or using one of the two semi-adaptive print-based test forms. The testing time typically ranges from five to thirty minutes based on the examinee’s abilities.
BEST Plus 3.0 has been approved by the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) at the U.S. Department of Education for use by federally funded programs that report data through the National Reporting System (NRS) through July 13, 2030.
BEST Plus 3.0 is aligned with the 2016 English Language Proficiency Standards for Adult Education (ELPs), and examinee performances on BEST Plus 3.0 can be interpreted in terms of the National Reporting System’s 2017 Educational Functioning Levels (NRS EFLs). Programs that need to measure adult learners’ English oral proficiency skills for placement or accountability will find BEST Plus 3.0 to be a valuable assessment tool. Refer to the BEST Plus 3.0 Scale Score and NRS Level Conversions Chart for the conversion chart between a scale score and a corresponding NRS EFL for the print-based and computer-based BEST Plus 3.0 versions. The examinee’s scale score and the corresponding NRS EFL are both reported automatically to BEST Plus 3.0 test administrators.
Using CAL Test Platform for BEST Plus 3.0 Test Administration
There are two components of the CAL Test Platform: Application and the Web Portal.
CAL Test Platform Application: The CAL Test Platform Application is mainly used to administer the computer-based version of BEST Plus 3.0, record scores for the semi-adaptive print-based versions of BEST Plus 3.0, and manage test administrations. It is available for free download at the top of this page. It is run locally on the test administrator’s computer. The following are the steps for accessing and using the CAL Test Platform:
When you open the CAL Test Platform, you will be prompted to log in. Each program will be assigned a designated program ID and password that will be shared by all BEST Plus 3.0 test administrators within the program. Please contact your program coordinator or other BEST Plus 3.0 to test administrators to obtain this information. Note that the Practice Program within CAL Test Platform Application is available to all users without needing to log in.
For detailed instructions on each one of the steps listed above, refer to Part 4 of the BEST Plus 3.0 Test Administrator Guide.
CAL Test Platform Web Portal: The CAL Test Platform Web Portal is a web-based online platform where all of a program’s test score data is stored. Each program can use this platform to access examinees’ test scores that were uploaded as well as view the number of test administrations distributed across all program devices. To access the Web Portal, test administrators should use the same credentials as the ones used to log into the CAL Test Platform Application. It is available for free access via the link at the top of this page.
For detailed instructions on the Web Portal, refer to Part 4 of the BEST Plus 3.0 Test Administrator Guide.
BEST Plus 3.0 Test Versions
BEST Plus 3.0 is available in two versions: computer-adaptive and semi-adaptive print-based.
BEST Plus 3.0 computer-adaptive version: In the computer-based version, the test tasks are delivered in sets via the CAL Test Platform application that can be installed on a computer, laptop, or tablet. The test administrator asks the student a question presented on the screen, listens to the student’s response, uses the BEST Plus 3.0 Scoring Rubric to determine the student’s scores for that task, and enters the scores into the CAL Test Platform on the device. The application then selects the next set of tasks that are most appropriate for the student’s ability according to the scores entered for previous responses. There are at least two forms available to use for the computer-based version at any given time.
BEST Plus 3.0 semi-adaptive print-based version: In the print-based version, a short locator test determines the level of test tasks (Level 1, 2, 3, or 4) that will be most appropriate for the ability level of the student. These tasks are arranged in fixed-form level tests. The test administrator administers each task on the selected level test to the student and scores the tasks using the same BEST Plus 3.0 Scoring Rubric that is used with the computer-based version. The test administrator then enters scores in the CAL Test Platform application after test administration is complete in order to obtain a final score report. There are also a minimum of two forms available to use for the print-based version at any given time.
BEST Plus 3.0 Components
