Revisiting the Institutional English Proficiency Test (EPT) - Evaluating Its Validity, Reliability, and CEFR Alignment

Aug 29, 2026

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The study revisits the institutional English Proficiency Test (EPT) used in Indonesian higher education and evaluates whether it delivers credible measurement. Increasing demand for an affordable, logistically accessible alternative to high-stakes international tests motivates the EPT’s development, yet its validity, reliability, and CEFR alignment had not been empirically established. Using a quantitative validation framework, it applies the Item-Objective Congruence method for content validity and examines alignment through specification, standardization, and standard setting processes. Findings show satisfactory content validity and acceptable reliability, but insufficient empirical evidence of CEFR alignment, leading to recommendations for CEFR mapping and cut scores.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

High-stakes English proficiency testing

Institutional English proficiency tests in Indonesian higher education

Methodology

Content validity using Item-Objective Congruence (IOC)

CEFR alignment through specification, standardization, and standard setting

Findings and Discussion

Content validity results across language skills

Reliability and stability evidence

Evidence gap in CEFR alignment

Conclusion and Recommendations

Improving EPT via CEFR alignment and cut scores

| Revisiting the Institutional English Proficiency Test (EP T ): Evaluating Its Validity, Reliability, and CEFR Alignment | | --- | | Moh Syafik1, Eva Nikmatul Rabbianty2,1*, Yazid Basthomi2, Ling Gan3, Nurul Hadi1
1Universitas Islam Negeri Madura, Indonesia
2Universitas Negeri Malang, Indonesia
3Beijing Technology and Business University, China
* Email Correspondence: [eva@iainmadura.ac.id](eva@iainmadura.ac.id) | Abstract Background: There is an increasing need for higher education in Indonesia to develop an institutional English Proficiency Test, as internationally recognized high-stakes English Tests are often financially unaffordable and logistically inaccessible for many academic communities. Therefore, the Center for Language Development of UIN Madura developed the EPT (English Proficiency Test) as an institutional proficiency test used to measure individual English proficiency. However, its validity, reliability, and alignment with the CEFR have not yet been empirically established. Methodology: This study employed a quantitative approach within a validation framework. To examine content validity, four subject matter experts (SMEs) were invited to evaluate the alignment between test items and their intended objectives using the Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) method. In addition, the study assessed the alignment of the EPT with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) by examining three key processes: specification, standardization, and standard setting. Findings: The results revealed that EPT demonstrated satisfactory CV, as indicated by IOC indices exceeding 0.75 across the three measured language skills. Internal consistency and stability were supported by reliability coefficients meeting the acceptable criteria. However, insufficient empirical evidence indicates any alignment between EPT and CEFR, as the administrator was found not to follow the three validation frameworks: what is assessed (specification), how performance is interpreted (standardization), and how comparison is made (standard setting) . Conclusion: The results conclude that EPT should be improved by aligning it with CEFR. Administrators should conduct a standard-setting study to map EPT scores onto the CEFR and provide the minimum scores (cut scores) needed to enter each targeted CEFR level. Originality: This study addresses a specific gap in the literature by evaluating the CEFR alignment of an institutional English Proficiency Test (EPT) and exploring its relevance as an affordable proficiency-testing option in a specific Indonesian higher education context. Keywords : English Proficiency Test; Item-Objective Congruence; reliability; validity | DOI | : | 10.24903/sj.v11i1.2331 | | --- | --- | --- | | Received | : | February 2026 | | Accepted | : | April 2026 | | Published | : | April 2026 | | How to cite this article (APA) | : | Syafik, M., Rabbianty, E. N., Basthomi, Y., Gan, L., & Hadi, N. (2026) . Revisiting the institutional English proficiency test (EPT): Evaluating its validity, reliability, and CEFR alignment. Script Journal: Journal of Linguistic and English Teaching, 11(1), 172-199. [https://doi.org/10.24903/sj.v11i1.2331](https://doi.org/10.24903/sj.v11i1.2331) | | Copyright Notice | : | Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | 1. INTRODUCTION High-stakes English proficiency testing refers to standardized assessments designed to measure an individual’s ability to use English for academic or professional purposes, withoutcomes that have significant consequences for the test taker (Ockey & Gokturk, 2019) . Globally, these tests are widely used as objective benchmarks for language compet

FAQs

How does the study assess EPT content validity?

Content validity is evaluated through the Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) method using four subject matter experts to judge alignment between items and intended objectives.

What evidence does the study provide about EPT reliability?

Internal consistency and stability are supported by reliability coefficients that meet acceptable criteria.

What is the study’s conclusion regarding CEFR alignment?

The study finds insufficient empirical evidence that EPT aligns with the CEFR because administrators did not follow the required validation frameworks for specification, standardization, and standard setting.

Aug 29, 2026

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