MA Approved World Language Assessment Instruments and Minimum Required

Scores or Levels to Satisfy Seal of Biliteracy Criteria

Updated 04/06/2021

List of world language assessments with minimum required scores or levels for purposes of 603 CMR 31.07(2)(b)1.

The following is a list of world language assessments with corresponding minimum required scores or levels that the Department accepts for the purposes of
meeting the world language criteria for the State Seal of Biliteracy.

World Language Source Language(s) Domain(s) Assessed MA State Seal of MA State Seal of
Assessments Biliteracy – Minimum Biliteracy with
Administered to score or level to qualify: Distinction – Minimum
Students in High School score or level to qualify:
AAPPL (ACTFL Language Testing Arabic Listening I-5 in all domains (Form A-1 in all domains
Assessment of International French Speaking B) (Form B)
Performance toward German Reading
Proficiency in Hindi Writing
Languages) Measure Italian
Japanese
Korean
Mandarin Chinese
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Thai
ALIRA (ACTFL Latin Language Testing Latin Reading I5 in all domains A1 in all domains
Interpretive Reading International
Assessment)
AJA Tamil Language AJA Assessment Tamil Listening Equivalent ACTFL Score Equivalent ACTFL Score
Proficiency Assessment Speaking of Intermediate High in of Advanced Low in all
Reading all domains domains
Writing
AP©(Advanced College Board Chinese Listening 4 5
Placement)1 Language French Speaking
1
In response to the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, the AP Language and Culture exams for modern languages reformatted their assessments to facilitate in-home testing. These
adjusted exams did not meet the Department’s criteria for World Language Assessments. The 2020 AP exams for Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish may
not count toward the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy. The status of the 2021 AP exams remains unclear. The Department advises districts relying on the 2021 AP Language and
Culture exams for Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish to prepare contingency plans.
 World Language Source Language(s) Domain(s) Assessed MA State Seal of MA State Seal of
Assessments Biliteracy – Minimum Biliteracy with
Administered to score or level to qualify: Distinction – Minimum
Students in High School score or level to qualify:
and Culture exam German Reading
Italian Writing
Japanese
Spanish
AP©(Advanced College Board Latin Reading 4 5
Placement) Latin
ASLPI American Sign Gallaudet University American Sign Language Holistic Districts should use the Districts should use the
Language Proficiency (ASL) Intermediate High Advanced Low
Interview equivalent to meeting equivalent to meeting
progress indicators for progress indicators for
grade 12 set forth in the grade 12 set forth in the
Standards for Learning Standards for Learning
American Sign Language American Sign Language
(2014). (2014).
Bulgarian Standardized Sofia University Bulgarian2 Listening B1 B1+
Test Speaking
Reading
Writing
Certificate of Center for the Greek Modern Greek3 Listening B1 B1+
Attainment in Greek Language Speaking
Reading
Writing
DALF/DELF/ DELF French Ministry of French Listening B1 B2 (DELF, DELF scolaire)
Scolaire Education Speaking C1 (DALF)
Reading C2 (DALF)
Writing
Deutsches ZfA – Central Agency for German Listening B1 (DSD I) B2 (DSD II)
Sprachdiplom Stufe (I or Schools Abroad Speaking
II) (Germany) Reading
Writing

2
Aligned to Common European Framework for Languages, Endorsed by the Embassy of Bulgaria.
3
Aligned to the Common European Framework for Languages, Administered in May by the Hellenic American Union, Accredited by the Greek Ministry of Education.
World Language Source Language(s) Domain(s) Assessed MA State Seal of MA State Seal of
Assessments Biliteracy – Minimum Biliteracy with
Administered to score or level to qualify: Distinction – Minimum
Students in High School score or level to qualify:
Ellinomatheia Hellenic Language Modern Greek Listening B1 B2
Center (Greece) Speaking
Reading
Writing
IB International IB Chinese Listening 5 on a Higher-Level 6 on a Higher-Level
Baccalaureate French Speaking exam exam
German Reading
Classical Greek Writing 6 on a Standard-Level
Latin exam
Spanish
NEWL National American Councils for Arabic Listening 4 5
Examinations in World International Education Korean Speaking
Languages Portuguese Reading
Russian Writing
SLPI Sign Language Rochester Institute of American Sign Language Signing Districts should use the Districts should use the
Proficiency Interview Technology (ASL) Attending (Listening) Intermediate High Advanced Low
equivalent to meeting equivalent to meeting
progress indicators for progress indicators for
grade 12 set forth in the grade 12 set forth in the
Standards for Learning Standards for Learning
American Sign Language American Sign Language
(2014). (2014).
STAMPTM (Standards- Avant/CASLS Arabic Listening Level 6 (Intermediate Level 7 (Advanced Low)
based Measurement of French Speaking High) in all domains in all domains
Proficiency 4S) German Reading
Hebrew Writing
Hindi
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Mandarin Chinese
Polish
Portuguese (Brazilian)
Russian
Spanish
Assessments for Languages Not Listed Above
The assessments below measure proficiency in speaking and writing. They may be used to demonstrate the levels of
proficiency necessary to earn the Seal of Biliteracy until a 4-domain assessment is approved and listed above.

Assessment Source Domains Minimum Score

Seal of Biliteracy Seal with Distinction
ALTA ALTA Language Testing Speaking ILR 1+ ILR 2
Writing
Avant World Avant/CASLS Speaking 6 in each domain 7 in each domain
Speak Writing
OPI/WPT Language Testing International Speaking Intermediate High in Advanced Low in
Writing each domain each domain
Tisus Department of Swedish Language Reading Pass (C1)
and Multilingualism Speaking
Writing

Language Assessment Assessment Assessment

Afrikaans ALTA  
Albanian ALTA  OPI/WPT
Amharic ALTA Avant World Speak OPI/WPT
Arabic (various dialects) ALTA    
Armenian ALTA Avant World Speak
Azerbaijani ALTA  
Baluchi (Western) ALTA    
Bambara ALTA    
Bengali/Bangla ALTA  OPI/WPT
Bosnian ALTA    
Bosnian/Croatian ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Burmese ALTA  
Cambodian ALTA  
Cape Verdean Creole ALTA  
Chin (Hakha) Avant World Speak    
Chinese (Cantonese) ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Chuukese ALTA  Avant World Speak  
Croatian ALTA    
Czech ALTA Avant World Speak  
Danish ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Dari ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Dutch ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Ewe ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Fante (Akan) ALTA    
Farsi (Persian) ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Finnish ALTA  
French Canadian ALTA    
Ga ALTA  
Georgian ALTA  
Gujarati ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Haitian Creole ALTA  OPI/WPT Avant World Speak
Language Assessment Assessment Assessment
Hausa ALTA  
Hawaiian ('Ōlelo Hawai'i) Avant World Speak
Hmong ALTA Avant World Speak
Hungarian ALTA  
Ibo ALTA    
Ilocano ALTA Avant World Speak
Indonesian ALTA  
Jamaican Patois ALTA    
Kannada Avant World Speak
Karenni ALTA    
Kazakh ALTA  
Kinyarwanda ALTA  
Kurdish ALTA    
Laotian ALTA    
Latvian ALTA    
Lithuanian ALTA    
Macedonian ALTA    
Malay ALTA  
Malayalam ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Marathi Avant World Speak  
Marshallese Avant World Speak
Mongolian ALTA  
Navajo ALTA    
Nepali ALTA  
Norwegian ALTA  
Oromo ALTA    
Pashto ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Pashto (Pakistani) ALTA    
Punjabi ALTA  
Romanian ALTA  
Samoan ALTA Avant World Speak  
Serbian ALTA    
Sinhala ALTA    
Slovak ALTA  
Slovenian ALTA    
Somali ALTA Avant World Speak
Swahili ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Swedish OPI/WPT ALTA  Tisus
Tagalog ALTA Avant World Speak OPI/WPT
Tajik ALTA  
Telugu ALTA Avant World Speak
Tibetan ALTA    
Tigrinya ALTA  
Turkish ALTA Avant World Speak OPI/WPT
Turkmen ALTA  
Twi (Akan) ALTA    
Ukrainian ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Urdu ALTA Avant World Speak OPI/WPT
Uzbek ALTA  
Vietnamese ALTA Avant World Speak OPI/WPT
Language Assessment Assessment Assessment
Wolof ALTA  
Yoruba ALTA  OPI/WPT  
Yup'ik Avant World Speak