Enhancements to the Linguaskill and Linguaskill Business Certificate

The following changes and enhancements are being made to the design and content of the Linguaskill and Linguaskill Business certificates. These changes will improve the clarity of information on the certificates, making them easier to understand by organisations that accept them as proof of English ability. 

In addition, certificates will now show the ALTE Q-mark, which Linguaskill has been awarded. The ALTE Q-mark is a prestigious quality standard for exams, from the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE).

We are aiming to implement these changes on 9 February 2026.  

The following are the changes and improvements being introduced.

1.    A clearer explanation, with greater prominence on the certificate, of how the average score is calculated

• The certificate will include the following clarification on the average score to provide greater clarity:
   Only includes modules scoring B1 or Higher. 
• This is included on the front of the certificate, under Average Score.
• Clarifies that the average score only takes account of modules in which the candidate has achieved at least a B1 score. For example, if a candidate took four modules, but scored below B1 in one of them, the average score is calculated on the results of the three modules scoring B1 or above only.  

2.    Key enhancements include a clearer indication of modules either not taken or scoring Below B1

All four modules will be listed on all certificates, making it clear which modules have been taken, and which ones are included in the overall average score. 

On the front of the certificate

• Modules that have been taken but do not reach the minimum B1 level are listed as Not reported.
• If a candidate has not attempted or not taken one of the four modules, Not taken will be displayed for that module.
  Note:  A candidate who only takes 2 skills (e.g., Reading and Listening) will obtain a certificate with Speaking and Writing listed as Not taken.

On the back of the certificate: 

• Beside the module score breakdown for any of the four modules that have been taken but do not reach the minimum B1 level, it will detail:

  Not reported: The candidate score is below the B1 reporting range for the test. 

  Note: There will be no CEFR score, Cambridge English Scale Score or shaded bar level for a Not reported test. 

• Beside the module score breakdown for any of the four modules not attempted or not taken, it will detail:

  Not taken: The candidate did not take this module. 

  Note: There will be no CEFR score, Cambridge English Scale Score, shaded bar level or date for a Not taken test. 

3.    Clearer information on definitions, the sharing of results and notes for recognising organisations  

To reinforce the importance of using the Results Verification Service (RVS), both to share results and as a key preventative measure against malpractice, the following enhancements have been made. 

• The definition of a Not reported score is repeated.
• A note to candidates is included on how they can share their results, stating: 

 You should share your results with recognising organisations via the Results Verification Service. Please log into  your candidate portal on Metrica to do this. 

• A note to recognising organisations is included on accepting results,stating: 

  You should only accept Linguaskill results that have been sent to you via the Results Verification Service. 

Note: These can be found on the back of the certificate in the bottom right-hand corner.

We hope you agree that these positive improvements will support candidates and recognising organisations. If you have any queries or comments, please contact your local Cambridge representative.

Below are some additional FAQs to assist with any queries you may have.

Why is Cambridge making these changes? 
Our certificates are highly important documents as they represent Cambridge-endorsed proof of a student’s English proficiency level. Educational institutions and employers around the world know that they can trust Cambridge certificates and actively recognise them as part of their admissions, recruitment and graduation processes. To help support these recognising organisations, we regularly review how our certificates are received. This insight has shown that we can improve the clarity of the certificates by making the above changes. 

Will there be any downtime when this change is implemented? 
No, downtime is not required to implement the changes to the Certificate. 

Will this affect the certificates being issued now and until the implementation of the new design? Are those certificates still valid and verifiable? 
Certificates issued before the new design is implemented will be equally valid and verifiable. The change is aimed at improving clarity for recognising organisations based on our insights, but certificates issued before the change still provide authentic proof of English ability. 

Can I have old certificates re-issued in the new format? 
No, we will not be reissuing existing certificates in the new design. The design change does not affect the value of the certificate or the ability to verify it via the Results Verification Service (RVS). 

Will the changes to the certificate be fully reflected on the Results Verification Service (RVS)? 
In the immediate future there is no change to the RVS process. Candidates will share their achieved results for each skill with recognising organisations. The recognising organisation will be able to verify the certificate using the Results Verification Number on each certificate.