OUP launches Oxford Test of English

Published 03/04/2019

Oxford University Press is launching a new digitally-delivered English language proficiency test for learners over 16, the only English language test certified by the University of Oxford.

Named Oxford test of English, the new assessment tool promises to combine OUP’s educational expertise and adaptive technology to simplify the process and improve the experience for candidates.

“We’ve worked hard to combine our decades of education experience with twenty-first century technology”

“In a world where many universities and employers demand evidence of an applicant’s English language proficiency, learners need a cost-effective, fast way to certify their skills,” OUP ELT division manager Peter Marshall said.

“This is why the Oxford Test of English provides test results in only two weeks, at a more affordable price than many traditional proficiency tests.”

The OTE uses adaptive technology to test reading and listening, changing test items in real time according to the candidate’s ability.

“We’ve worked hard to combine our decades of education experience with twenty-first-century technology, and the result is a test that assesses candidates based on their actual ability, not their assumed ability,” Marshall added.

The test is modular, which allows students to re-sit specific modules if needed rather than the whole test and it’s on demand, available 24/7, Marshall told The PIE.

Listing other factors that make the new test stand out, he explained that the online-delivered speaking component contains a variety of tasks, covering a broader range of speaking situations than other machine-marked speaking tests – for example, register (formal or informal).

The test was piloted in Spain over a 24-month period and it is recognised by the majority of Spanish universities, OUP relayed. It is now being launched in test centres across 12 countries around the world.

Providing a certification at B1, B2 and A2, the test will be made available to young learners from 2020.

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