International Benchmarking

Singapore’s Workforce Development Agency (WDA) needed a way to assess the full range of basic skills of both its native and foreign workforce at eight proficiency levels. WDA chose CASAS to develop customized reading, numeracy, listening, speaking and writing assessments, to place those scores onto a standardized scale with certified levels of attainment, and to provide customized reports for individuals and groups. WDA then commissioned UK NARIC to benchmark the CASAS levels against international qualifications like IELTS, BULATS, TOEIC, TOEFL and the General Certificate of Education (GCE) in Singapore. Thus, the job of secretary, as one example, is correlated to GCE=O Level and CASAS Level=4. Currently, more than 2,900 businesses in Singapore accept such CASAS scores in lieu of formal education and other assessments.