CanTEST (very general info.)
CanTEST is a standardized English proficiency test used to see if your level of English meets the requirement level needed in order to be admitted into Canadian post-secondary institutions or Canadian professional associations.
The CanTEST tests you on four skills: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
Listening: 40 multiple choice or short-answer based on recordings. The speaker in the recording will talk at a normal speed. The duration of this part of the test will be about 50 minutes.
Reading: There are two parts to this skill test: the first part will be a 10 to 20 question skimming and scanning test (reading quickly through text in order to find answers to the questions), and the second part will last about 50 minutes, where you will be reading a passage (between 400-700 words) in order to answer multiple choice and short-answer questions. There will also be a fill-in-the-blank test, in which words are missing from a passage. That will be in a multiple choice format.
Writing: You will be writing a text about a topic that will be assigned to you. The duration of this will be about 45 minutes.
Speaking: You will have a face-to-face interview with two evaluators. They will be asking you questions about personal, professional and general interests. That will last about 15 minutes.
After being tested, you will receive a score between 1-5 (1 being Novice, and 5 being Very Good User) for each skill. These will determine your level of English according to number of right answers you had during the reading and written test, along with what the evaluators think according to the interview and your written composition. A score of 5+ (Fluent User) may also be given for the Writing and Speaking tests.
In order to pass, you need about a 4.5 average, but this will depend on which institution you are sending your scores to. Some institutions require a higher average, while some will accept a lower one.
For more details about the CanTEST and/or examples of what the CanTEST may look like, click here.
