The ACTFL Language Testing Office
3 Barker Avenue Suite 300, White Plains, NY 10601

ACTFL CERTIFIED PROFICIENCY TESTING PROGRAM:
ORAL AND WRITING PROFICIENCY TESTING
FOR NCATE APPLICANTS

Please Note: All relevant applications, forms, and information are available through the links below.

THE ACTFL ORAL PROFICIENCY INTERVIEW

The ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) is:

The ACTFL OPI takes the form of a carefully structured conversation between a trained and certified interviewer and the person whose speaking proficiency is being assessed. The interview is interactive and continuously adapts to the speaking ability of the individual being tested. There is no script or prescribed set of question; the topics discussed during the interview are based on the interests and experiences of the speaker.

Through a series of personalized questions, the interviewer elicits from the test candidate examples of his or her ability to handle the communication tasks specified for each level of proficiency in order to establish a clear "floor" and "ceiling" of consistent functional ability. Often candidates are asked to take part in a role-play to prove linguistic functions not easily elicited through the conversational format.

Since the ACTFL OPI is an assessment of functional speaking ability, independent of any specific curriculum, it is irrelevant when, where, why and under what conditions the candidate acquired his/her speaking ability in the language.

The interview lasts from ten to thirty minutes. Each interview is digitally recorded and assigned an initial rating by the tester. The interview is then blindly rated by a second certified tester. Under the supervision of the ACTFL Testing Office, Language Testing International, a final rating is assigned and an ACTFL OPI Certificate is issued.

THE ACTFL WRITING PROFICIENCY TEST

The ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test, or ACTFL (WPT) is:

The ACTFL OPI takes the form of a carefully constructed assessment with four requests for written responses dealing with practical, social and professional topics that are encountered in informal and formal contexts. The writer is presented with tasks and contexts that represent the range of proficiency levels from Novice to Superior on the ACTFL scale. The tasks and prompts are articulated in English with the expectation that the responses be written in the target language. The prompts ask for written constructed responses of paragraph length or longer demonstrating narrative writing, informative writing and persuasive writing.

Since the ACTFL WPT is an assessment of functional writing ability independent of any specific curriculum, it irrelevant when, where, why and under what conditions the candidate acquired his/her writing ability in the language.

The examinee is given 90 minutes to read the directions and complete the test. A completed WPT is reviewed by an ACTFL certified testers to assign the ACTFL proficiency rating that best describes the proficiency demonstrated by the individual. The test is then forwarded to another ACTFL certified tester for a second independent ("blind") rating for final rating confirmation.

THE ACTFL CERTIFIED TESTERS

ACTFL OPIs are conducted and rated by ACTFL certified proficiency testers. ACTFL WPTs are also rated by ACTFL certified raters. These testers and raters are highly specialized language professionals who have completed a rigorous training process that concludes with a tester's demonstrated ability to consistently elicit ratable samples and to rate samples with a high degree of reliability. ACTFL strictly monitors all testing and rating.

ACTFL ASSESSMENT IN 50+ LANGUAGES

As of the printing of this brochure, ACTFL provides certified oral proficiency testing in the 50+ languages listed below. The ACTFL writing proficiency test is offered in the 13 languages that are highlighted.

Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Baluchi, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Cebuano, Chavacano, Croatian, Czech, Dari, Dutch, Egyptian, English, Filipino, French, German, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hilgaynon, Hindi, Hmong, Ilonggo, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Javanese, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Malay, Mandarin, Norwegian, Pashto, Persian Farsi, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tausug, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Visayan.

FEES FOR INDIVIDUAL OPI

Individual Certified ACTFL OPI $129.00
Individual Certified ACTFL WPT $ 65.00
Rescheduling Fee $ 25.00
Missed OPI appointment/No Show $ 55.00
Express Processing Service $ 50.00 (Final rating guaranteed within 10 business days)

Payment may be made by credit card authorization (MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card), money order, or personal check. Payment must accompany application form(s).

SCHEDULING AN ACTFL OPI

APPLICATIONS, FORMS & INFORMATION


Step 1. Complete an Application Form: Click here for Individual OPI Application (required)

Use and complete an ACTFL Proficiency Assessment Application Form and the Test-taker Waiver attached to the application.

Step 2. Telephonic OPI

You must identify someone who is willing to act as your Proctor. This person must be someone who works in an official capacity at a school or school district office. This includes Principals, Department Chairs, Administrative Secretaries, Personnel Office Staff, etc.

Telephonic OPI- requires the presence of a designated Proctor who:

Step 3. Submit Application

A completed application includes;

- Payment (please include check, money order, or credit card authorization)
- The Proctor Form (signed by your proctor)
- A completed Test-Taker Agreement

Please Note: Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Step 4. Wait for notification of your OPI Appointment.

Once your application has been processed you will be sent an e-mail with your confirmed test date, time and other instructions. This e-mail will provide you with a unique ID and PASSWORD to access your test information and status on the LTI Test Candidate Website (www.languagetesting.com/individual). Please keep this important e-mail and website information. Using this website and secure password, you will be able to verify the date and time of your OPI and, after the test, check the status of your test result. On this website, you will be able to print your ACTFL OPI Proficiency Certificate.

The Proctor will also be notified of the OPI date, time and telephone number by e-mail.

Step 5. Confirm Appointment

Finalize appointment arrangement with Proctor. All appointments are considered confirmed, unless we receive notification from the candidate or proctor.

Rescheduled or missed OPI Appointments

In the event that an appointment needs to be rescheduled:

Cancelled Application

There is a fee of $55.00 for cancelled applications which will be deducted from your refund should you cancel an application.

NOTIFICATION OF OPI RESULTS

Once the rating of your test is completed (usually within 2 to 4 weeks), you will be able to view the test result and print your ACTFL Oral Proficiency Certificate on the LTI Individual Information Center site (www.languagetesting.com/individual) using your ID and password. Each test becomes a permanent record in the ACTFL Test Archive. For an additional fee of $50.00, a test rating can be expedited as "express" and a final rating guaranteed within 10 business days

ACE College Credit Recommendation for ACTFL OPI Ratings

The American Council on Education (ACE) College Credit Recommendation Service has established college credit recommendations for Official ACTFL OPI ratings. For ACE credit recommendations for OPI scores, read the ACTFL FL Annals article with ACE recommendations at http://www.languagetesting.com/actfl_article.htm. For more information on the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service, visit the ACE Website at http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Learners.

SCHEDULING AN ACTFL WPT

APPLICATIONS, FORMS & INFORMATION

STEP 1. Complete an Application Form: Click here for Individual WPT form (required)

Use an ACTFL Proficiency Assessment Application Form or apply online.

STEP 2 .Indicate the school or university at which you will take the test.

You must identify someone who is willing to act as your Proctor. This person must be someone who works in an official capacity at a school or school district office. This includes Principals, Department Chairs, Administrative Secretaries, Personnel Office Staff, etc.

To take the WPT from a school requires the presence of a designated Proctor* who will

STEP 3. Submit Application.

For your test request to be processed, you must submit ALL the items below:

Please Note: Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

STEP 4. Wait for notification your WPT assignment

At your school or university:
 Once your application has been processed, you will be sent an e-mail that your WPT may be scheduled with your proctor. The same e-mail will provide a unique ID and PASSWORD for you to use on the LTI Test Candidate website (www.languagetesting.com) to be able to access your test status and results.

Your WPT proctor will also receive an e-mail with WPT instructions. You will then need to determine with your proctor the weekday and time (between 9 am and 5 pm Eastern Time) for the proctor to administer the WPT to you by computer in his or her office. If you or your WPT proctor have any questions regarding the administration of the WPT, please contact us at testing@languagetesting.com.

NOTIFICATION WPT TEST RESULTS

Once the rating of your test is completed (usually within 2 to 4 weeks), you will be able to view the test result and print your ACTFL Writing Proficiency Certificate on the LTI Individual Information Center site (www.languagetesting.com/individual) using your ID and password. Each test becomes a permanent record in the ACTFL Test Archive.

PREPARING FOR AN OPI OR WPT

Read the ACTFL Proficiency Descriptions for Speaking and Writing. Be sure that you fully understand the functions, level of accuracy and discourse length required at your desired level.

TEST TIPS

When taking the oral proficiency interview, listen carefully to the questions asked by the interviewer before answering. When answering, give as detailed a response as possible. Saying little to avoid making mistakes will not improve your rating. If you do not know a specific term in the target language, describe it and try not resort to English or making up words. (If you do use English or slang term, do not be surprised if the interviewer asks you to describe what that word means in the target language.)

When taking the writing test, read the directions for each of the four prompts carefully. Make sure that your written response addresses the tasks and specifications outlined in the prompt. For example, if the prompt asks you describe a specific work experience you have had, be sure to recount the details of a specific work experience and not just give a general description of your work experience. It is also very important that you follow the time allocation specified for each prompt. If a prompt asks you to give a brief description of a paragraph in length that should not take more than ten minutes to write, do not respond to that prompt by writing five paragraphs and taking twenty-five minutes. If you do this, you will not have enough time to address later prompts fully.

LTI: The ACTFL Testing Office
Tel: 914-963-7110 ext. 10
Fax: 914-963-7113
testing@languagetesting.com
www.languagetesting.com

Exclusive Licensee of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Inc.

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