A lot of people use the term “English proficiency test” to describe the variety of professional certifications tests that allow an individual to demonstrate their language skills in a certain language. These types of tests typically have a few different requirements which basically determine how much you already know and what you can do with your new skills once they are acquired. The best thing about these types of tests is that they are free and there’s no such thing as ‘too old’ or ‘too young.’
If you’ve ever been curious about understanding exactly what an English proficiency test is, then this blog post has got all the answers for you!
What Is the English Proficiency Test?
English proficiency test is a test designed to determine whether or not you’re ready to face an employer and enter the workforce. These tests are usually based on CEFR level (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) guideline 4 or 5, which means that they focus on conversation skills rather than reading, listening or writing.
Types Of English Proficiency Test :
Basically, these tests are divided into two main categories: written and oral.
Test 1: Written English Proficiency Test
A written English proficiency test is not just based on speaking, but it’s also a little bit more difficult to study for because it requires a little bit more preparation time. Basically, you will be asked to do a few different tasks during the test and then your score is based on how well you did them.
Some examples of tasks that most English proficiency tests include are:
- Interview questions: You’re asked a series of interview questions in English and your marks are based on how many you answered correctly. Some examples of interview questions can be “Give a short speech on why people should join the company.” I strongly recommend reading more about interview questions here!
- Essay writing: You’re asked to write an essay on a topic that relates to human rights in another country, and your marks are based on sentence structure and grammar.
- A short story: You’re asked to write a short story in English and your marks are based on the quality of the story. You can find lots of free stories for writing practice here.
- Essay answer sheet: If you’ve been writing essays, this is like a test version. The same questions as above will be asked in a different order and each question has three possible answers. Your score is based on the number of correct answers you gave out of three possible answers.
- Application essay: You’re required to write an essay about yourself and this is usually optional, unlike the other two types above which require it. It’s very important that you read more about what an application essay should include.
Test 2: Oral English Proficiency Test
Oral English proficiency tests are similar to written tests in that they assess your ability to speak and understand English, but they’re much shorter and don’t take as much time like written tests do. Basically, there are a lot of options for this particular type of test and lots of different methods that you can use to study for the test.
Some examples of speaking tasks include:
- Conversation and cultural skills test: You’re asked a series of questions and then you’re expected to give answers based on the situation. Some examples are “What would you do if you were in the hospital?” or “What would you do if your partner was late for an appointment?”
- Role play: You’re playing a different character and your task is to answer questions related to that scenario. For example, you could be asked “You meet a total stranger on the street, what would you say to him/her?”
- Questionnaire: You have a set of questions that have been specifically designed so they could be applied to certain situations. These types of questions are based on your ability to answer them quickly and in the most appropriate way.
Test 3: Both Written And Oral English Proficiency Test
The last type of an English proficiency test is the one that is both written and oral. This is similar to a standard test as well, but it’s usually shorter and more specific. It also doesn’t require any preparation time, which makes it perfect for those that don’t have much time to study at all.
Different Types Of Tests
There are a few different types of tests that require you to have an English proficiency:
- Professional tests: These types of tests are given at the end of a course and they’re designed to test your communication skills. Some examples include TEFL certification, TESOL certification, IELTS certificate and Trinity exam.
- Business tests: These are usually given in business meetings or conference calls. Some examples include IBCC test, ICE certificate and CELTA test.
- General tests: These types of tests are designed for people that don’t have any background in studying English as a foreign language. Examples include TOEFL exam and TOEIC test.
- State/provincial tests: These are usually given only in certain states or provinces. Some examples include TOEFL North Carolina test and TOEFL TSI test.
Possible Advantages Of Online English Proficiency Tests
- One of the main benefits of Online English proficiency tests is that they allow the person that they are given to get a clearer idea of where they currently stand; however, if you don’t have time to study for at least a few months before you take the test, then there are other options available.
- And the benefits of these tests would be that you would gain a good overview of your English skills, learn how to adapt to your new level of English and receive practice in a smaller amount of time that is necessary for intensive learning.
- Many people who are new to the language choose to take an online course. They think that they will be able to study faster, but in fact they often lead to the same results. If you want to learn English, you should invest your time and money in an intensive course of at least 6 months.
If you are interested in taking an English proficiency test, then I will suggest you to use Mercer Mettl to practise your english proficiency test. Mercer Mettl has a very good online tests which help you to improve your english skills.
