English Proficiency Index (EF EPI)
Largest study of global English proficiency among Adults

Largest study of global English proficiency among Adults

The EF EPI benchmarks English proficiency across 54 countries using a sample of just under 2 million people.

Measuring adult English proficiency

The EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) was created in 2011 in this context as a standardized measurement of adult English proficiency, comparable between countries and over time. It is the first index that compares the average English language ability of adults in different countries.

This second edition of the index uses a unique set of data gathered from 1.7 million adults using free English tests over a period of 3 years, from 2009 to 2011. For the first time it includes data about English proficiency variation between men and women, adults of different ages, employees in different industries and job levels, and adult immigrants in English-speaking countries. The data is presented in this EF EPI report, a series of country fact sheets, and a separate EF EPI for Companies report (EF EPIc), which can all be downloaded from the following website: www.ef.com/epic.

Over the years to come, we hope that the EF EPI will provide a uniquely standardized comparison of English proficiency that is useful for citizens and governments alike when trying to evaluate the effectiveness of their language policies over time.

 

Methodology

The EF English Proficiency Index calculates a country’s average adult English skill level using data from three different EF English tests completed by hundreds of thousands of adults every year. Two tests are open to any internet user for free. The third is an online placement test used by EF during the enrollment process before students start an English course. All three include grammar, vocabulary, reading, and listening sections. The online placement test is a 30-question adaptive exam, so each student’s questions are adjusted in difficulty according to his previous correct and incorrect answers. The two non-adaptive tests are 60 and 70 questions in length. All scores have been validated against EF’s course levels. The test administration is identical for all three tests with students completing the exam on their own computers at home. There is no incentive for students to artificially inflate their scores on these low-stakes tests by cheating or cramming as the results do not lead to certification or admission to a program.