The UK Association for Language Testing and Assessment (UKALTA) is a professional organisation that aims to provide a forum for the exchange of information and research on language testing and assessment in the UK. More specifically, UKALTA’s aims and objectives are:

• exchange of information and research
• training and professional development
• collaboration across UK language education
• awareness-raising and advocacy
• outreach and public engagement.

These 5 short phrases summarise more succinctly and accessibly the longer statements laid out in the UKALTA constitution (subsections 2.1-2.5).

To fulfil these aims and objectives, UKALTA engages in a range of regular and occasional activities, including:  a 2-day annual academic conference; offering funding for training and professional development events; support for postgraduate research students and early career researchers; collaborative projects , e.g. relating to the use of English language tests for access to UK Higher Education, and to the development of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in language education; contributions to public discourse and debate on language testing and assessment matters.

UKALTA belongs to the British Academy’s Network of Learned Societies and Subject Associations, the Academy of Social Sciences (AcSS) and the Arts and Humanities Alliance (AHA), participating regularly in national meetings of these bodies. It is also a member of the Committee for Linguistics in Education (CLIE) and is affiliated to the International Language Testing Association (ILTA). UKALTA promotes the ILTA Code of Ethics and ILTA Guidelines for Practice as important principles for professionals working in the field of language testing and assessment.