At the request of the Embassy of Portugal in Washington, D.C., PALCUS is pleased to share the following important information:
NEWL PORTUGUESE EXAM (NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS IN WORLD LANGUAGES)
DEVELOPED BY THE
AMERICAN COUNCILS FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION AND RECOGNIZED BY THE
ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAM (AP) OF THE COLLEGE BOARD
The Embassy of Portugal in Washington D.C. in collaboration with Camões, I.P. and with the Coordination of Portuguese Teaching in the USA announces that the next edition of the NEWL Portuguese Exam will take place on May 2, 2019, at the national level (U.S.A.) and is conducted online. Registration will be open until March 31, at one of the examination centers, at schools approved by the NEWL / American Councils for International Education.
Targeted for traditional foreign language learners and heritage learners, NEWL exams produce AP®-style score reports, which can be used to apply for college credit and/or placement.
Further detailed information about the exam, including applicable fees, may be obtained by contacting the Coordinator or Adjunct Coordinators of CEPE-US English Teaching (see contacts below) or by accessing the following links:
For information on registering as a new certified testing center, you can consult the following link:
This process has been accompanied by the diplomatic and consular network in the USA in coordination with the Coordination of Portuguese Teaching in the USA (CEPE-USA), with the relevant departments of Camões, Institute of Cooperation and Language, IP, College Board and other entities and professional organizations linked to the teaching and learning of foreign languages, as well as other member countries of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries) that maintain diplomatic representation in the United States.
What are the NEWL exams?
The NEWL exams currently assess students' language skills (reading comprehension, listening comprehension, written production, and oral production)of those who are enrolled in 9th grade or above, OR who have turned 14 before September 1, 2018 in four languages, Portuguese (since 2017), Arabic, Korean, and Russian. As far as levels of proficiency are concerned, the evaluation follows the guidelines of the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages, placing the examinees between elementary and intermediate levels (levels A1 to B1, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
In regards to proficiency levels, the NEWL exams follow the guidelines of the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), and rank between Novice High and Intermediate High levels. Taking into account the correspondence between the proficiency levels of CEFR/QUArepe and the ACTFL levels, it is concluded that the NEWL exams stand between A1 and B1 levels.
The NEWL is developed by the American Councils for International Education, whose mission is to create and encourage programs, academic exchanges and research in partnership with educational institutions of secondary and higher education in the United States, Africa, South America, Asia and Europe .
This assessment is recognized by the Advanced Placement program of the College Board, a nonprofit organization that assists students in preparing for college entrance, through courses offered in various fields (science, arts, history, economics, and others) ) and orientation during the process of transition to higher education. The courses and evaluations offered by the Advanced Placement program are recognized by many American universities, which can guarantee the achievement of credits in both secondary and tertiary education, even for the positioning of the student who wishes to pursue studies in Portuguese.
The possibility of obtaining credits through the NEWL exam values the knowledge of the Portuguese language, as well as has the potential to increase the search for courses and programs in the language.
This recognition will benefit Portuguese-speaking communities living in the United States, in particular Portuguese and Portuguese-American students who intend to apply to American universities.
Dates of the Portuguese NEWL exam:
Main Exam: May 2, 2019
Late Testing: May 21 (second chance)
Costs of the NEWL exams:
Main: $94
Late Testing: $45 + Main fee
Reduced: $53 (
fee reduction for the main exam for individuals with financial need).
Under the Memorandum of Understanding between Camões, I.P. and the American Councils for International Education, Camões, I.P. will allocate an annual amount of € 2,000 (two thousand euros) to support the costs of Portuguese or Portuguese-speaking students who apply for the Portuguese exam NEWL, on a first come, first available basis. For this purpose, NEWL examination centers should contact NEWL services directly.
Assessment format and duration of exam:
The exam will include the different variants of global Portuguese and will assess the students' competences in the following components:
- Reading (60 minutes)
- Listening (45 minutes)
- Writing (45 minutes)
- Speaking (45 minutes)
The test lasts 3 hours and a half, comprising a 10 minute interval between the first two components and the last two.
Qualified testing Centers:
The education institutions interested in establishing NEWL exam centers should fill in the application form and send it to NEWL by email at: [email protected]. Upon approval by NEWL, the institution can enroll students from any other schools where such centers do not exist or have not been authorized; The education institutions must provide the adequate resources, both human, technological and computing for the sitting of online exams, namely a lab technician or an IT teacher, computer labs and the following software equipment: Windows or Mac OSX, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox or Safari, among others; These guidelines will allow that the Learning of Portuguese in the United States to be recognized as part of an educational curriculum that may grant additional credits, both in secondary education and higher education institutions, enjoying the recognition of the most prestigious U.S. entities in this matter, in particular, the American Councils for International Education and College Board (Advanced Placement Program). Further detailed information can be obtained through the following link:
Contacts:
Christopher Bateman, Logistics Coordinator
Assessment and Curriculum Development
T: 202-833-7522 F: 202-833-7523
João Caixinha, Coordinator to CEPE-EUA
T: 617-775-9161 F: 617-536-2503
José Adão, Deputy Coordinator to CEPE-EUA (Newark/New York)
T: 973-780-0576 F: 973-643-3900
Duarte Pinheiro, Deputy Coordinator to CEPE-EUA (California)
T: 916-335-3902
Additional Resources:
College Board (2006) World Languages Framework. New York, NY: Author. Retrieved from:
Educational Testing Service (2009) ETS Guidelines for Fairness Review of Assessments. Princeton, NJ: Author. Retrieved from
National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project (NSFLEP). (2015) World-Readiness standards for learning languages (W-RSLL). Alexandria, VA: Author. Retrieved from:
The ACTFL guidelines:
https://www.americancouncils.org/services/testing-and-assessment/newl/portuguese
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