Jun 18, 2026
EYESAL - English proficiency test: C-test
- Saioa Cipitria1,2,
- Georgia Knell1,
- Hanneke Loerts2,
- Marije Michel2,
- Esli Struys1,
- Alex Housen1,
- Ludovic De Cuypere1,3
- 1Vrije Universiteit Brussel;
- 2Rijksuniversiteit Groningen;
- 3Universiteit Gent
Protocol Citation: Saioa Cipitria, Georgia Knell, Hanneke Loerts, Marije Michel, Esli Struys, Alex Housen, Ludovic De Cuypere 2026. EYESAL - English proficiency test: C-test. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.4r3l2x86xv1y/v1
Manuscript citation:
Cipitria, S., Knell, G., Loerts, H., Michel, M., De Cuypere, L., Struys, E., & Housen, A. (2026). The role of perceptual salience in implicit L2 morphology acquisition: Attention, awareness, and intake. Applied Psycholinguistics, 47(e19), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716426100629
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
Created: June 17, 2026
Last Modified: June 18, 2026
Protocol Integer ID: 319343
Keywords: English proficiency, C-test, english proficiency test, measure of english proficiency, english proficiency, replicable proficiency assessment, test, scoring criteria, standardized administration, eyesal, required preparation, instructions to participant, test this protocol
Funders Acknowledgements:
Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO)
Grant ID: G038321N
Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO)
Grant ID: 11B4124N
Abstract
This protocol describes the standardized administration and scoring of the C-test developed by Keijzer (2007) as a measure of English proficiency. It outlines required preparations, instructions to participants, delivery procedures, scoring criteria, and data management steps to ensure consistent and replicable proficiency assessment.
Materials
- Documents: Blank C-test (MS Word), answer key, standardized instruction script, consent form.
- Software: MS Word, MS Excel, R, RStudio.
- Hardware: Computer/laptop (QWERTY keyboard), timer.
Safety warnings
No explicit warnings or safety cautions on these pages.
Ethics statement
The study received approval from the Ethische Commissie Humane Wetenschappen [Ethics Committee for Humanities] of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (reference number: ECHW_320.02) on December 21, 2021. All participants provided written consent form prior to their participation in the study.
Before start
- Ethics & Approvals: Ethics approval obtained from Participant; consent signed and archived.
- Delivery mode: Choose paper-based or digitally.
- Pseudoanonymization: Define a Participant ID system. The researcher writes down the name of the Participant, contact information, and assigns a Participant ID in the form of a number (1, 2, 3, ...).
- Store the Participant ID system securely and separately from the research data, in accordance with Data Management Plan.
- Have materials ready for use:
* The C-test, either in paper format or digitally as an MS Word file. 
01_EYESAL_C-test_ForParticipants.docx2.8MB
01_EYESAL_C-test_ForParticipants.docx2.8MB * Answer key (Keijzer, 2007). 
02_EYESAL_C-test_Answers.png267.5KB
02_EYESAL_C-test_Answers.png267.5KB * Scoring sheet. 
03_EYESAL_C-test_Scoring.xlsx32.6KB
03_EYESAL_C-test_Scoring.xlsx32.6KB Estimated preparation time: 15--30 min.
Step 1 – Preparation
5m
Document format: The C-test consists of five different texts. Each text should go on a new page.
01_EYESAL_C-test_ForParticipants.docx2.8MB Step 2 – Room set-up
5m
Arrange seating to ensure participant comfort and adequate spacing (incl. screen-to-participant distance).
For digital administration, open the C-test document in MS Word and verify that editing is enabled.
Assign and record the Participant ID before starting the task. Participant writes their Participant ID number on the document
Step 3 – Standardized instructions
5m
Provide the participant with the written instructions:
"On the next pages you will find five small texts. Each text contains gaps where parts of some words have been left out (no whole words are missing, though). Please try and fill in the gaps. In many cases there are several possibilities, so there are no right or wrong answers."
Explain the following (verbatim):
"Parts of words are missing, never full words. You will get five minutes per text, and there are five texts. If you finish one text earlier, let me know so I adjust the timer. You have to complete the texts in order".
Address any questions before beginning.
Step 4 – Test administration
25m
Instruct the participant to begin the first C-test text.
Do not provide assistance regarding content or vocabulary.
Start a five-minute timer for each text.
If the participant finishes early, they let the experimenter know before advancing into the next text.
At the five-minute mark, instruct the participant to continue to the next text regardless of progress.
Repeat for all five texts.
Step 5 – Collection & Reconciliation
5m
Upon completion, save the completed materials with the Participant ID.
Provide the participant with an opportunity to ask final questions about the test or its content.
Debrief participant:
"Thank you for completing the test. The purpose of this test was to assess your English proficiency. The five texts were presented in order of increasing difficulty, from the easiest to most challenging, so it is normal you found the later ones more challenging.
In some cases, there was more than one acceptable answer. If you would like to know the correct answer to any particular gap or discuss an item, please let me know. [Provide correct answers and explanations for any gaps the participant asks about]."
Step 6 – Scoring
30m
Maximum total score: 100 points (20 points per text x 5 texts).
Two independent raters evaluate all responses using criteria adapted from Keijzer (2007).
Scoring rules:
0 points:
- Blank responses or unacceptable words (i.e., words that are incorrect, contextually inappropriate, or ungrammatical).
1 point:
- Responses matching the C-test answer key (Keijzer, 2007, p. 364). Spelling errors (up to one-letter deviation) accepted.
- Acceptable alternatives that match the original word class and fit the context.
- Two-word answers accepted if contextually appropriate.
- Responses must be semantically and grammatically compatible with any following prepositions.
02_EYESAL_C-test_Answers.png267.5KB 03_EYESAL_C-test_Scoring.xlsx32.6KB Rater reconciliation:
- The two independent raters meet to compare scores and discuss discrepancies at the item level.
- Calculate Cohen's Kappa.
- One rater documents decisions regarding accepted/rejected alternatives.
- Raters reach a consensus score for each participant.
- Final document (MS Excel): ParticipantID and Score (follow Research Data Management Plan for File name giving and scoring).
Step 7 – Data management & Pseudoanonymization
Store the ID crosswalk in a separate, restricted location.
For sharing, provide only pseudonymized data and documentation.
Step 8 – Analysis pipeline
Add the finalised C-test score to the main dataset under the variable name "EnglishProficiency".
Update Codebook to include and explain this new Variable.
Protocol references
Keijzer, M. C. J. (2007). Last in first out? An investigation of the regression hypothesis in Dutch emigrants in Anglophone Canada. [PhD-Thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam]. LOT.