ITSC

About ITSC

G-TELP

Research

Social
Contribution

  • At the International Testing Services Center (ITSC), we are passionate about providing equitable education opportunities to individuals worldwide through our innovative and reliable English assessment solutions. As a leading research-oriented, independent educational measurement and evaluation organization, we have been at the forefront of English language testing since 1985.
  • ITSC offers a unique opportunity for researchers interested in contributing to the enhancement of our testing products through innovative research. We believe in the power of research to drive product improvements and are eager to support ambitious projects in the field of language assessment that align with this vision.
  • Corporate social contribution encompasses activities undertaken by companies to positively impact society and local communities beyond the pursuit of profit. We aim to address educational inequalities and eliminate disparities in educational opportunities across countries, regions, and races through education and exchange. We believe that international peace and human progress can be achieved through these efforts.
speaking_main_visual

Speaking

Levels of Proficiency Evaluated by the Speaking Test

11 levels of English Language proficiency

Level 1: Authentic

Level 1 speakers are able to communicate with ease in all situations, whether familiar or unfamiliar. They use extensive vocabulary, appropriate idiomatic expressions, and accurate sentence structure and patterns. Their pronunciation is clear and shows no trace of their native accent.

Level 2: High-Advanced

Level 2 speakers are able to communicate their ideas effectively in nearly all situations using a wide vocabulary. Their speech is marked by the use of detail to create appropriate and informative responses. Grammar and sentence structure are usually well-controlled, with only rare errors that don’t interfere with meaning. There is a trace of regional accent, but that does not interfere with understanding.

Level 3: Advanced

Level 3 speakers are usually able to communicate their ideas effectively in nearly all situations. They often display appropriate word choice, and can usually paraphrase when lacking vocabulary in unusual or unexpected circumstances. Their speech is usually clear and understandable, although there is a marked regional accent. There are also occasional pauses or fillers but they seldom interfere with meaning.

Level 4: High-Intermediate

Level 4 speakers are generally able to communicate their ideas in most situations. Grammar and sentence structure are generally well-controlled, with occasional errors which sometimes interfere with meaning. They speak with a marked regional accent, it only sometimes interferes with understanding and occasionally exhibit unnecessary pauses or fillers.

Level 5: Intermediate

Level 5 speakers are generally able to communicate their ideas in common situations, but may occasionally have trouble when dealing with unfamiliar or uncommon events. Grammar and sentence structure are relatively well-controlled, errors that would interfere with meaning occur frequently. There is an obvious regional accent, which sometimes interferes with understanding, and there are also unnecessary pauses and fillers, which can interfere with meaning.

Level 6: Low-Intermediate

Level 6 speakers are generally able to communicate their ideas in common situations, but are sometimes unable to effectively respond when dealing with unfamiliar or uncommon situations. Grammar and sentence structure are generally not well-controlled, errors that commonly interfere with understanding. Word choice is also generally inappropriate, and regional accent is heavy, which occasionally interferes with understanding. They may occasionally have difficulty paraphrasing sentences to convey the meaning.

Level 7: High-Basic

Level 7 speakers generally have a difficult time communicating their ideas in common situations and find it difficult to effectively respond when dealing with unfamiliar situations. Their responses are often delayed, and are usually inadequate. Grammar and sentence structure are often inappropriate, with errors that interfere with understanding. Word choice is commonly inappropriate, and they are usually unable to paraphrase effectively. Regional accent is heavy, and commonly interferes with understanding. Level 7 speakers usually exhibit unnecessary pauses and fillers, which are often distracting.

Level 8: Basic

Level 8 speakers usually have a difficult time communicating their ideas in common situations, and are frequently unable to effectively respond when dealing with unfamiliar situations. Frequent grammatical errors are made, which almost always interferes with understanding.

Level 9: Low-Basic

Level 9 speakers frequently have a difficult time communicating their ideas in common situations, and are almost always unable to effectively respond when dealing with unfamiliar situations. Responses are almost always delayed, and are frequently inappropriate. Frequent grammatical errors and inappropriate word choice almost always interfere with understanding.

Level 10: Beginner-Basic

Level 10 speakers almost always have a difficult time communicating their ideas, even in familiar situations. Responses are always delayed, and are almost always inappropriate. Speech is nearly impossible to understand because of the regional accent, grammatical errors, inappropriate word choice, etc.

Level 11: No mastery

Level 11 speakers may exhibit a vocabulary of a handful of memorized words and isolated phrases only. They are unable to communicate in a meaningful way.