Oxford Test of English
The Oxford Test of English is an affordable, personalized test that fits you. 100% online, it's flexible, fast and available at Approved Test Centres worldwide. Plus, it's the only proficiency test certified by the University of Oxford.
"A sound assessment of general English language proficiency", Ecctis 2021.
In their independent evaluation of the test, Ecctis reports that the adaptive nature of the Oxford Test of English ensures "a fair test of the candidate's competency". The Listening and Reading modules both use adaptive technology, meaning the questions adjust according to the test taker's responses – resulting in a shorter test and more precise results.
The Oxford Test of English was shortlisted for 'best in summative assessment' at the 2020 e-Assessment Awards, which highlight and celebrate "the outstanding and positive contributions that technology makes to all forms of assessment".
The Oxford Test of English is a multi-level, general English proficiency test which assesses the ability to understand and communicate effectively in English, reporting at three CEFR levels: B2, B1, and A2.
The test covers all four skills: Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing.
The Reading and Listening modules are computer adaptive, which means that the test adjusts the difficulty of questions based on the test taker's responses, making the test more motivating, shorter, and giving a more precise measurement than traditional proficiency tests.
The Speaking and Writing modules use task randomization, making each test an individualized experience.
Overview of the Oxford Test of English structure
| Module | No. parts | No. tasks | No. items | Timing (minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 4 | 6 | 15 | Approximately 15 |
| Listening | 4 | 12 | 20 | Approximately 30 |
| Reading | 4 | 9 | 22 | 35 |
| Writing | 2 | 2 | 2 | 45 |
| TOTAL | 14 | 29 | 59 | Approximately 2 hours |
| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking – Approximately 15 minutes | |||
| Interview Eight questions on everyday topics |
Voicemails Two voicemails in response to two different situations |
Talk Short talk on an issue or scenario |
Follow-up questions Six follow-up questions on the theme of the Part 3 talk |
| Listening – Approximately 30 minutes | |||
| Multiple choice – picture options Five short monologues/ dialogues each with one 3-option multiple-choice question with picture options |
Note-completion A longer monologue with five 3-option multiple-choice note-completion questions |
Matching opinions with people who say them A longer dialogue with five 3-option multiple-choice questions focussing on identifying opinion |
Multiple choice Five short monologues/ dialogues each with one 3-option multiple-choice question |
| Reading – 35 minutes | |||
| Multiple-choice questions on short texts Six short texts from a variety of sources, each with one 3-option multiple-choice question |
Multiple matching Six profiles of people to match with four longer text descriptions |
Gapped sentences Six extracted sentences are inserted into a longer text |
Multiple-choice questions on a longer text Four 3-option multiple-choice questions |
| Writing – 45 minutes | |||
| Email Written response to an input email 80 – 130 words 20 minutes |
Essay or article/review Essay OR article/review on a topic typical of classroom discussion 100 – 160 words 25 minutes |
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Experience the Oxford Test of English with the online demo.
- By accessing the demo you are not registering for the test.
- You will not get results or a certificate.
- The demo is free to use as many times as you want.
- The appearance of the real test may be different from the demo.
- You can close the demo at any point. You do not have to answer all of the questions.
Do you have any special requirements? You can view options here.
For the best experience, use the demo in a desktop browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).
Download the sample test
You can download the sample test with answer key and audio files.
Results and certification
With the Oxford Test of English, your overall level of English is certified by the University of Oxford. The results are ready within 14 days. Sign in to your account to see your results and print out your certificate.
Sign inOrganizations and institutions
Organizations and institutions are also able to independently verify the results.
How your certificate works
- You are given a score for each module.
- If you have taken all four modules you will get an overall score.
- The overall score is the average of each module.
| Module | Score |
|---|---|
| Speaking Taken 03 September 2016 |
100 |
| Listening Taken 25 June 2016 |
112 |
| Reading Taken 25 June 2016 |
128 |
| Writing Taken 03 September 2016 |
140 |
| OVERALL LEVEL |
| B2 |
| OVERALL SCORE |
| 120 |
- The Oxford Test of English scale is from 51–140.
- The scale is aligned to CEFR levels B2, B1 and A2.
- This scale is used for individual modules and overall score.
Breakdown of the Oxford Test of English certificate
- The Oxford Test of English scale is from 51–140.
- The scale is aligned to CEFR levels B2, B1 and A2.
- This scale is used for individual modules and overall score.
Oxford University Press is committed to making the Oxford Test of English accessible to learners with special requirements. For more information about the options available, click the links below:
How the test was developed
The Oxford Test of English has been designed and developed over several years, with great care taken at each stage to ensure reliability, accuracy, alignment to CEFR, and quality.
Read the Oxford Test of English Test Specifications (PDF) for a detailed description of the development process.
A letter from the University of Oxford
The following letter marks the University's endorsement and certification of the Oxford Test of English.
The Oxford Test of English
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