By Damon Young, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Researcher, British Council and Gemma Bellhouse, Test Quality Assurance Manager, British Council
Across education systems globally, accessibility is not only a matter of technical adjustments but also of equity and inclusion. Within language assessment, however, accessibility is still too often treated as an afterthought, and applied once a test has already been designed.
At the recent New Directions Latin America conference, we explored how to design assessments that work for everyone. We heard from teachers, researchers and test takers about the real barriers learners and teachers face, and some ways these barriers can be removed through more conscious design. This article applies this conscious way of thinking and uses insights from British Council projects and practice.
Here are ten practical steps and with applicable advice for teachers and assessment developers to make their tests more inclusive.
1. Clarify what the test is really measuring: the test construct
Define what you are specifically trying to assess. Is the test meant to check reading comprehension, grammar knowledge or oral fluency? Avoid adding tasks and questions that bring in unrelated skills like typing speed or knowledge of cultural references.
Example: If you want to assess listening skills, do not require learners to write long, grammatically perfect answers. Short drop-down style responses or answer-matching tasks may be more appropriate.
Tip: Write your assessment goal (test construct) in one sentence. Then check each question or test task against that goal to make sure it is aligned.
2. Consider the minority groups who might face barriers
Think about your learners and the challenges they may experience. This might include barriers related to disability, health condition, neurodivergence, multilingualism, socio-economic status or unfamiliarity with certain test formats.
British Council example: In Japan, the ESAT J speaking programme was designed from the ground up to be accessible. It has supported more than 3,000 learners across Tokyo, with clearer instructions, flexible timings and visual supports built in.
Advice: Ask yourself: who might this test exclude, even unintentionally? What assumptions am I making about the learners?
3. Use clear and inclusive instructional language
Keep language simple and relatable, especially for rubrics and prompts. Avoid uncommon idioms, overly complex sentence structures and culturally or topic-specific jargon. Use general terms that do not assume the learner to have a high language level, or particular gender experience, background or worldview.
Example:
‘Test takers should respond to all questions, regardless of how confident you are. No penalties will be awarded to incorrect answers.’ - complex
‘Try to answer all questions. Incorrect answers will not have a negative effect on the score.’ – more simple
Tip: Read your instructions out loud. If they sound long or complex when spoken, they probably need to be simplified. Also be sure that people in your team represent different genders and cultural backgrounds to control for unconscious biases.
4. Provide multiple ways to access content
Whenever possible, give learners the opportunity to access practice materials as well as test materials using different skills (e.g. listening and reading). This supports learners who use assistive technologies like screenreaders or process information differently.
Examples: Provide a transcript with audio. Accept recorded oral answers instead of written responses. Allow breaks or additional time without making learners feel singled out.
Advice: Aim to offer flexibility as standard, not only through special requests.
5. Follow accessible formatting guidelines
Depending on certain features, the visual presentation of text and images on a screen can help or hinder learners. Use large, clear fonts like Arial or Calibri and a font colour that gives astrong contrast between the text and background. Avoid italics or underlining. Use bold for emphasis. Keep text left aligned.
Tip: Use built-in accessibility checkers in Word, PowerPoint and your online learning platform.
6. Do not rely only on exceptional accommodations
Providing accommodations like extra time and larger font is important, but sometimes they can be built in, which will save time later on for test takers and for internal administration. When possible, build accessible functionality into the core design so that fewer adjustments are needed later on for test delivery.
Advice: Consider commonadjustments that learners request.Use that insight and invest in universal design solutions to improve your test designs and policies.
7. Reflect the diversity of your learners
Ensure that test content reflects a range of lived experiences. Use names, images and scenarios that do not assume a particular family structure, culture or gender.
Example: Instead of “David and his wife took their son to the zoo,” try “Mariana and her partner took their child to the park.”
Tip: Review a recent test or worksheet. Consider your test takers: hose stories are represented, and whose are missing?
8. Test your materials with learners
Even small pilot trials can help reveal if learners feel confused or under-represented. Aim to gather feedback from students with different access needs and from colleagues with expertise in inclusive practice.
Advice: Ask learners two questions: Was anything unclear, offensive, or insensitive? How can we make the test easier for you to access in terms of functionality and user experience? Use their answers to make meaningful changes.
9. Use checklists to support reflection
Build in time to reflect on accessibility before delivering the test. Use a short checklist to help you check for common issues such as complex instructions, biased content or inaccessible formatting.
British Council example: Internally, our Document Accessibility Working Group uses simple prompts and peer review to make sure documents meet accessibility standards before publication.
Tip: Create a personal checklist and use it every time you write test content or design a test.
10. Normalise accessibility in classroom culture
Make it clear that inclusion is to make the test experience more valid and meaningful for all test takers, not only for learners with formal diagnoses of disabilities/conditions. Offer alternative formats or supports as a normal practice and treat test flexibility as a mark of good teaching rather than a special case.
Advice: Invite learners to tell you about their lived experiences of supportive as well as inaccessible testing and learning. Make feedback and dialogue a regular part of your practice.