Language Center

English Assessment for Secretaries

At the Tilburg University campus you hear more English all the time. Supporting staff and secretaries should also be able to foreign students and employees. That is why the Language Center has specially developed an English Assessment for secretaries.

Procedure
During half a day and by appointment, you are tested on the following skills:

1. Reading (1 hour)
   You read a number of short texts with questions and/or assignments.
2. Listening (30 minutes)
   You listen to a number of sections about a general academic topic and answer the questions that go with it.
3. Writing (1 1/4 hours)
   Your written proficiency is tested by means of exercises and writing an essay.
Speaking (25 minutes) by appointment
During a brief conversation, your oral proficiency (and pronunciation) are tested in different settings (social talk, a conversation about an academic topic, and a discussion). The oral assessment is done soon after your general testing session by means of a conversation. You make an appointment for this with one of the English instructors and a colleague on the day of the test.

Results
The results, indicated in a CEF level, reflect your level in the different skills that have been tested. The certificate also gives you an indication of comparable IELTS scores. You will also receive advice about the possible courses suitable for your level and specific needs. To effectively function in English, secretaries should have an average IELTS score of 5.5 to 6.5 (or CEF level B2-C1). Depending on the test results, your supervisor will enable you to attend any necessary courses.

Registration
Send the completed registration form, signed by your director or supervisor to the Language Center (A 15).

• Registration forms should be at the Language Center no later than five workdays before the Assessment. In urgent cases, an exception can be made. Contact the Language Center secretariat by e-mail.
• Registrations are processed in order of receipt.
• There is a maximum number of 16 participants for each Assessment.

For more information, please contact the Language Center secretariat (tel. 2508, A 15) or Linda Mous, Coordinator of English Assessment (tel. 3125, A 15).

Interesting links

• Information about Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
• Information about IELTS: International English Language Testing Sytems
• Information about the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference): European Council Proficiency Guidelines

Sample Tests

• Download a sample test for Reading.
  
• Download a sample test for Listening.
  Should you wish to actually do a sample listening test, please contact Linda Mous.
  
• Download a sample test for Writing.