Language Placement Test

Language Placement

The ODU Credentialing Center provides world language placement testing for French, German, Japanese, and Spanish and is located in the Student Success Center of the Library. Visit the ODU Credentialing Center for more information and registration.

ACTFL Language Testing International (LTI)

Oral Proficiency Interview by Computer (OPIc)

The OPIc is an on-demand test that measures your ability to speak in a particular language. Questions are pre-recorded and designed to identify your specific proficiency level. It is a 20-40 minutes virtual conversation conducted online.

The OPIc is an internet-delivered test which provides valid and reliable oral proficiency testing on a large scale. It was developed in response to the increased worldwide demand for the testing of oral language proficiency. The internet-delivered assessment emulates the "live" OPI, but delivery of questions is through a carefully designed program and via a virtual avatar, allowing the test to be taken on demand and at a time convenient to the candidate and proctor.

The goal of the OPIc is the same as the OPI: to obtain a ratable sample of speech which a rater can evaluate and compare to the performance against the proficiency levels described in ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012 - Speaking, Interagency Language Roundtable Language Skill Level Descriptors - Speaking, or the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), depending on the type of language proficiency certification needed. The current version of the OPIc rates the full range of the ACTFL scale, from Novice through Superior. It assesses level 0-3 on the ILR scale and A1-C2 on the CEFR scale.

Listening Proficiency Test (LPT)

The LPT is an on-demand test that measures your listening comprehension in a particular language. Candidates listen to a number of passages and answer related multiple choice questions. It is a 50-125 minutes test taken online.

The ACTFL LPT is a standardized test for the global assessment of listening ability in a language. LPTs measure how well a person spontaneously understands spoken language, without the ability to relisten or ask for clarification. The ACTFL LPT is a carefully constructed assessment which evaluates listening ability according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012 - Listening, Interagency Language Roundtable Language (ILR) Skill Level Descriptors - Listening, or the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), depending on the type of language proficiency certification needed. It is delivered by computer or tablet via the internet.

The test can assess a specific range of proficiency (e.g., Novice Low to Intermediate Mid, Intermediate Mid to Advanced Mid, and Advanced Low to Superior. These optional ranges ensure that the test administered targets the range of the candidate's listening ability and is economical in terms of time and effort.

Writing Proficiency Test (WPT)

The WPT is an on-demand test that measures your writing comprehension in a particular language. The test consists of two to five writing tasks. It is taken online and lasts approximately 20-80 minutes.

The ACTFL WPT is a standardized test for the global assessment of functional writing ability in a language. The test measures how well a person spontaneously writes in a language (without access to revisions and/or editing tools) by comparing his/her performance of specific writing tasks with the criteria stated in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines - Writing, Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Skill Level Descriptors - Writing, or the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), depending on the type of language proficiency certification needed.

The ACTFL WPT is a carefully constructed assessment with four to five requests for written responses dealing with practical, social, and/or professional topics that are encountered in informal and formal contexts. The tasks and contexts presented represent the range of proficiency levels on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines - Writing. The tasks and prompts are written in English with the expectation that the responses be written in the target language. The ACTFL WPT assesses writing proficiency in terms of the ability of the candidate to write effectively and appropriately for real-life writing purposes.

For more information and scheduling, please contact: Betty Rose Facer at bfacer@odu.edu

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