How your assessment works
Fifteen minutes, taken from home, with nothing to install. This page walks through every step before you sit it, so nothing on the day is a surprise.
What to expect, step by step
The assessment runs hands-free in your browser: each stage begins on its own, you speak or type, and it moves on.
Consent
You read what is recorded and why, and you agree before anything starts. Nothing is recorded before you consent.
Sound and camera check
A quick check that we can see and hear you clearly, with a live level meter. Fix anything here, at no cost, before the assessment begins.
Your photo
You take a framed photograph of yourself. It appears on your certificate, so the certificate shows the person who sat the assessment.
Your ID document
Hold your passport, UK driving licence or biometric residence permit up to the camera. It is checked against your photo and your registered name.
Say your name
You say your full name aloud. That recording anchors your voice to your identity evidence.
Practice round
Three warm-up items that are not scored: say your name, repeat a sentence, answer a question. The real tasks measure English, not nerves.
Five speaking and listening tasks
A short spoken interview, reading aloud, listen and repeat, an everyday scenario, and listening questions. Everything is about everyday life: buses, appointments, messages and plans.
Two typed tasks
Reading comprehension with typed answers, then a short typed message written under a timer. This is where reading and writing are scored.
Instant result
Your result appears on screen as soon as the assessment is scored, and your certificate follows by email. Borderline results go to a human assessor first.
What you need
A laptop or desktop with a webcam
In a quiet room on your own, on stable wifi. A computer sits still, keeps its connection and frames you naturally, which makes it the most reliable way to take the assessment.
- Built-in webcam and microphone are all you need
- Quiet room, door closed, on your own
- Stable wifi, close to the router if you can
A modern phone, set up with care
A current phone running the latest Chrome or Safari works well, if you set it up so nothing can cut the sitting short.
- Propped stable at face height, not held in your hand
- Battery full or on charge
- Do-not-disturb on, so a call cannot interrupt you
Be aware: if the test is interrupted or the browser is sent to the background, the attempt may have to be restarted.
- A current version of Chrome, Edge or Safari
- Camera and microphone permissions allowed when the browser asks
- No headphones: sound plays out loud and your voice is recorded openly
- A stable internet connection for the whole sitting
- About 15 minutes, uninterrupted
The rules
Three rules protect the value of every certificate, yours included. All of them are stated on screen before you consent.
You take the assessment on your own. Prompting by another person, playback of recorded audio or any other help counts as malpractice and voids the result.
Have your passport, UK driving licence or biometric residence permit within reach before you start. The name on it must match the name you register with.
Camera and microphone stay on from consent to the end, behind a visible recording banner, and monitoring images are captured during the spoken tasks. This protects the value of your certificate.
Common questions
What if I have a bad day? Can I retake it?
Yes. If you bought the assessment yourself, your purchase includes one further attempt within 14 days when you do not meet the target level, with a minimum of 48 hours between attempts. Nerves settle; the practice round exists for exactly that reason.
What happens if my audio fails?
You are never failed for a technical problem. If a recording is missing, too short or too unclear to score fairly, the result is held for a person to review, or your attempt restarts at no cost.
How do I get my result and certificate?
Your result appears on screen as soon as scoring finishes. Your numbered certificate arrives by email as a PDF, stating your CEFR level overall and in each of the four skills.
How does an employer check my certificate?
Anyone can verify a certificate free of charge using its number. The full evidence record behind every result is retained, so the certificate stands up to checking. Verify a certificate