SPEAK (Oral English Proficiency Testing), Center for Teaching Excellence, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Oral English Proficiency Testing

Prospective TAs who are international and/or non-native speakers of English are encouraged to demonstrate oral English proficiency prior to arriving on campus. The University will accept scores from the following tests: Test of Spoken English (TSE), Internet Based TOEFL (iBT), and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). In addition, the University of Illinois administers the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) on campus.

The following chart provides minimum score requirements for all non-native speakers of English to be considered for teaching assistantships*

English Proficiency Test

Minimum Score Required

Additional information

SPEAK

50

Administered at Illinois

TSE

50

Offered in countries where the TOEFL iBT is not yet available

TOEFL iBT

24 (speaking sub-section)

http://www.toefl.org

IELTS (academic exam)

8 (speaking sub-section)

http://www.ielts.org

*Please note: TOEFL or IELTS scores must be less than two years old from the first day of class at the proposed term of entry in order to be valid. In addition, individual academic programs may require a higher score; contact your proposed program of study office for the minimum TOEFL, TSE, or IELTS requirement.

SPEAK Test Information




SPEAK Appeals


SPEAK Appeals are live tests of oral English proficiency which are administered to prospective ITAs who do not obtain a passing score on the SPEAK Test.