 |
|
The test's three multiple-choice sections (Reading, Listening, Grammar) are graded automatically by the computer. Candidates receive both a numerical score from
1-100 for each subject, as well as a corresponding Level ranking from 0 (Beginning) to 6 (Advanced).
The candidate's Writing and Speaking samples are evaluated by Boston Educational's team of trained ESL professionals and assigned a level in accordance with iTEP's standardized Writing and Speaking Scoring Rubrics.
If a university or other educational institution wishes to have its own academic personnel grade the Writing and Speaking samples, Boston Educational Services can provide a training program that will qualify those personnel to do so.
The levels assigned for all five sections are combined by iTEP's grading software to produce an "Overall" proficiency level as follows:
Level 0: Beginning
Level 1: Elementary
Level 2: Low Intermediate
Level 3: Intermediate
Level 4: High Intermediate
Level 5: Low Advanced
Level 6: Advanced
Return to Top of Page
Following are brief descriptions of the "real world" ability one can expect from a candidate at each of iTEP's seven proficiency levels:
Speaking/Listening – may know a few isolated words, but does not have the ability to speak or understand even simple, one-sentence utterances;
Reading/Writing – may recognize and be able to write the alphabet, but very little beyond that.
Speaking – can communicate using single words or short phrases in basic "survival" situations; makes frequent grammatical mistakes even with simple structures; knows basic greetings, days of week/months, numbers, colors, simple objects;
Listening – understands short, simple utterances when spoken slowly and/or repeated;
Reading – reads only highly simplified texts designed specifically for learners at this level;
Writing – can write words or short sentences in response to structured exercises.
Speaking – can communicate, with much difficulty, basic ideas having to do with everyday life and personal experience using limited vocabulary, simple structures, and with frequent mistakes in grammar;
Listening – can understand and respond to simple "what, where, when, who, how" questions; is not able to understand most authentic English when spoken at normal speed;
Reading – can read simplified texts for this level and occasional, limited examples of authentic writing;
Writing – when given directed assignments, can write short paragraphs using simple grammatical structures.
Speaking – albeit with much difficulty, can manage to express a variety of concepts by making improvisational use of the structures and vocabulary at his/her command; communicates without significant pauses but fluency is marred by frequent structural errors and lack of precision in vocabulary; is starting to make use of some limited complex structures;
Listening – is beginning to understand the gist, though not the details, of native-speaker communications on general subjects;
Reading – when reading authentic materials, gathers some bits and pieces of information but fails in overall comprehension;
Writing – writes well enough to communicate his/her basic ideas, but this writing lacks most characteristics of organization and development and contains frequent grammatical errors.
Speaking – is beginning to communicate using more complex structures and a wider vocabulary; can use more than one approach to express a concept; is usually successful at finding strategies to "work around" expressing concepts that may at first seem beyond his/her linguistic capabilities;
Listening – is able to understand the greater part of "everyday" social conversations spoken at normal speed; shows ability to comprehend topics which are removed in place and time from the present;
Reading – is able to gather useful amounts of information from authentic written material, though with significant gaps in comprehension;
Writing – produces writing that begins to display elements of organization and development, along with partial success at integrating more complex grammatical structures.
Speaking – is able to communicate satisfactorily in most situations and contexts, making generally appropriate use of complex grammatical structures; is capable of describing moderately complex ideas and processes;
Listening – can grasp main ideas – though limited details – from business presentations or academic lectures;
Reading – can assimilate most written material (textbooks, manuals, magazines, etc.) if given sufficient time and with the use of bilingual and English dictionaries;
Writing – can write adequate personal and some business communications, as well as narrative texts with clear evidence (if uneven execution) of logical organization and development.
Speaking – has sufficient command of grammatical structures and vocabulary to communicate – clearly and effectively – ideas on nearly all social, business or academic topics encountered;
Listening – comprehends the overall meaning – though perhaps not every word – of business presentations and academic lectures;
Reading – can read and understand virtually any type of business or academic material, though not at the speed of someone with native proficiency;
Writing – writes business communications or academic assignments which make appropriate use of stylistic and organizational conventions to convey and support the writer's purposes.
Return to Top of Page
iTEP's grading software is capable of producing the following reports. Please click on the respective links to view full-size samples.
Official Score Report: An individual report that includes the candidate's Overall Proficiency Assessment, scores and levels for each of the test's five subjects, and a graphical summary that shows the test-taker's strengths and weaknesses at a glance.
iTEP Certificate: An attractive, personalized certificate which states the candidate's level of proficiency, as well as the date and location of the test administration.
Sorted List: After administering iTEP to a group of candidates, you can print a list that shows all candidates' scores. This list may be sorted by Candidate Name (first or last), Overall Level ranking, or Candidate ID#. The sample shows a list sorted by Overall Level ranking.
|
|
