Thousands of people sit English language tests each year to secure jobs, university places and visas – and new technologies, including artificial intelligence, are increasingly being used to help design and score these exams.
Organisations including Pearson and the British Council are using AI at different stages of test design to deliver faster results, more consistent marking and help reduce human bias.
For the British Council, an informed and ethical approach to AI in assessment is essential, with human oversight remaining central. As language testing evolves, including through the use of new technologies such as AI, demand is growing for professionals who can ensure those practices are applied with integrity, fairness and rigour.
A new postgraduate course at the University of Reading aims to meet that demand. The PGCert in Language Assessment, delivered in partnership with the British Council, will teach students to identify the benefits and risks of AI-based assessment, as part of a broader grounding in language testing, and help them judge whether AI-assisted tools used in language testing are robust and reliable.
Professor Parvaneh Tavakoli, from the University of Reading’s Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics, said: “The use of AI in language testing is growing, and that brings both opportunity and responsibility. It is essential that the professionals working in this field have the knowledge and skills to ensure AI is used responsibly and to the benefit of every learner.
“This course exists because the field urgently needs professionals with broad language assessment literacy and effective language testing skills to make sure testing is transparent, fair and genuinely fit for purpose. We want our graduates to be the ones shaping the future of language assessment, not simply adapting to it.”
Training the next generation of assessment experts
The 12-week programme begins in July 2026, with six weeks of full-time on-campus study at Reading followed by six weeks of independent assignment work. It is taught by academics from the Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics alongside British Council experts, who have been at the forefront of language assessment research and practice since the 1940s.
The course covers test types and methods, the educational and social dimensions of language testing, testing language skills, and test design and development, preparing graduates for careers requiring specialist assessment knowledge in educational and professional contexts.
Professor Tavakoli added: “Reading has been at the forefront of language assessment research for decades, and our academics are recognised internationally for their expertise in this field. Delivering this course in partnership with the British Council, one of the world’s leading authorities on language assessment, reflects the strength of those relationships and the quality of what we can offer. This is a course designed for professionals who want to be at the leading edge of a field that is changing very rapidly.”
