This episode explains how to make assessment criteria work in practice by getting markers to share a clear, operational understanding. Jo and Fiona outline three stages—justify (explain the purpose), exemplify (show real examples), and standardise (maintain consistency)—and why each is essential.

They stress that reliable marking is an ongoing, collaborative process that reduces bias and protects candidate fairness, with practical tips for training, sample use, and regular standardisation.

Hosts Jo and Fiona explore decision-making processes behind adopting established large-scale high-stakes tests or developing a local assessment, highlighting practical considerations and common misconceptions.

The look at the choice through three lenses — resources, ownership, and fit. Along the way, they challenge the idea that one option is inherently better than the other, exploring the trade-offs involved and how to make a choice that works for your institution, your circumstances and what you actually need the assessment to do.

Hosts Jo and Fiona explore what the CEFR C2 level truly means for language users, testing and teaching. They break C2 down into three core ideas — control, appropriacy and precision — and explain how these show up in smooth, context-aware speaking and writing.

The episode contrasts effortless communication with over-complex language, discusses acceptable errors and repair, and highlights how precise vocabulary, collocations and structures mark true C2 ability.

Hosts Jo and Fiona from Target English introduce Behind the Test, a new podcast about language testing. In this introduction, they explain who they are, why they’ve started the podcast and what you can expect from the series. Drawing on their experience as item writers, assessment designers, teacher trainers and exam prep authors, they set out to make this field accessible to teachers, test creators and anyone interested in language assessment.