Quality ‒ a word we take very seriously.

The Goethe-Institut is one of the founding members of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE). This body has been in existence since 1990 and now has 31 members who create and conduct language examinations in 26 European countries.

The goals of ALTE are as follows:

• the standardization of levels in order to promote international recognition of language certificates within Europe,
• the standardization of quality criteria for all phases of the creation and processing of examinations, i.e. test construction, examination performance, assessment, certification, evaluation and data storage,
• cooperation in joint projects as well as the exchange of experience and specialized knowledge.

In 2003, ALTE was adopted as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in the Council of Europe. It advises the Council of Europe on topics such as performance management and certification in an ongoing manner. In 2006, ALTE also obtained the status of an advising institution to the United Nations.