Recognizing the Oxford Test of English

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About the tests

Recognizing the Oxford Test of English

Proud to be recognized by a growing number of institutions around the world, the Oxford Test of English and the Oxford Test of English for Schools are general English proficiency tests, targeted at learners aged 16 and above or between the ages of 12 and 16, respectively. They are the same test, with the same format and marking criteria, but provide tailored content to better suit the interests and experiences of the test taker.

Available online through a network of Approved Test Centres, the Oxford Test of English and Oxford Test of English for Schools assess understanding and communication across three levels of the CEFR: A2, B1 and B2. The Oxford Test of English Advanced measures English language proficiency at B2 to C1 of the CEFR.

Developed by Oxford University Press and certified by the University of Oxford, the tests are designed by a team of education, language, and assessment experts. Independent of any curriculum or course, the Oxford Test of English provides results that universities, employers, and professional bodies can trust.

Discover the full list of institutions that recognize the Oxford Test of English:

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Verified by Ecctis

The Oxford Test of English has been independently verified against the CEFR by Ecctis.

Read executive summary

"Of particular note is the adaptive feature of the test in listening and reading. This ensures that the test provides a fair test of the candidate's competency in these skills." Ecctis

Recognized worldwide

The Oxford Test of English suite of English proficiency tests are recognized by some of the worlds leading renowned institutions, such as;

  • University of Oxford
  • English UC – Universidad Pontificia Catolica de Chile
  • Humboldt University, Germany
  • University Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain
  • University College Dublin
  • University of Liverpool, UK

Accepting the Oxford Test of English will open doors to a global pool of applicants who you can be sure have the language skills to succeed – whether that be pursuing higher education or in the workplace. Don't forget to update your website to let potential candidates know that you accept the Oxford Test of English.

Become a recognizing institution

The Oxford Test of English is designed to give universities, employers, and professional bodies the information they need to make confident decisions about an individual's proficiency in English.

Test takers will receive a Module Report Card for each module they complete, and an Oxford Test of English Certificate of Proficiency if they complete all four modules.

Test takers may retake individual modules or the entire test, and their best results will appear on the Certificate or Module Report Card. The 'Taken' date shown with each module confirms when the test taker received the score shown on the certificate.

Oxford Test of English results are valid for life – they never run out. However, institutions may wish to specify that results have been gained within a set period of time, for example, in the last two years.

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Your guide to understanding and verifying test results:

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How the Oxford Test of English is changing students' lives:

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Learn more about the Oxford Test of English in our Fact Sheet.

Stories from recognizing institutions

Selim
The Oxford Test of English strengthens our offer to our students – it makes our courses more attractive to them.

Selim Burak YEŞİLDAĞ, English Language Instructor, Türkiye

Read Selim's story (PDF, 3MB)

As a receiving institution, such as a university or employer, you want to be confident that the Oxford Test of English results presented to you are legitimate. Our Results Verification Service gives you the reassurance you need. Find out more about the Results Verification Service.

Developed according to international standards

The Oxford Test of English has been designed and developed over several years, with great care taken to ensure reliability, accuracy, alignment to the CEFR, and quality.

The test uses adaptive technology and task randomization within a large item bank, to ensure that test takers have a comfortable user experience, while providing an accurate and efficient calibration of competence in the separate skills.

Read the Oxford Test of English and Oxford Test of English Advanced test specifications for a detailed description of the development process.

Security prioritized at every step

The test design ensures test takers receive different combinations of test questions. This reduces the chances of malpractice and increases confidence in the results. All of our Approved Test Centres are also vetted and independently inspected to ensure they comply with the necessary security procedures, as detailed in the Test Centre Handbook.

Endorsed and certified by the University of Oxford

The following letter marks the University's endorsement and certification of the Oxford Test of English. Endorsement is founded on the University's ongoing quality assurance auditing of the test, so you can be confident that the test meets the highest standards.

Letter

Need help to align your Oxford Test of English requirements to the scores you set for other tests? Do the scores you set vary by components?

Download our equivalences document to learn how the Oxford Test of English scoring system compares to other English language proficiency tests – as well as how it lines up against the CEFR – so you can determine the minimum scores required for your institution:

Download equivalences document

Please note: These equivalences should be used for guidance only, and are subject to change as testing organizations update their mapping or score equivalences