LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST
The language proficiency test is an evaluation of how well a person can use language to communicate in real life. So, for someone who wants to work in a specific country or take advanced classes, a language proficiency test might be a required element of your application. So you get motivated because you’re paying for it yourself and because you don’t get to take it every day.
Advantages of Learning a Foreign Language, Learning a foreign language has some obvious benefits:
- A vast world of job opportunities.
- Increase cultural awareness.
- Better understanding of one’s mother tongue.
- Increase your decision-making skills.
- Meet new people & quickly get connected to the world
- It can help you to boost your brainpower
- You will become better at multitasking
- Become smarter, self-confident & Boost your creativity
- You can travel the world
- Language Learning to Study Abroad
- Language can help you in Immigration & Work permit
- Learning Languages For Fun or as a Hobby
- It can help increase your salary
- What is a foreign language proficiency exam?
The foreign language proficiency exam proves the competency of a person’s ability to speak a particular language. It is the international standardized tests that assess someone’s non-native language skills. Whether you are at the advanced level in your language studies or just starting, you can prove your competency level through various international tests.
Some of the famous ones are
DELF, TEF, DELE, HSK, TOPIK, JLPT, ZD, TestDaF, TORFL, CELI, to name a few.
Test are divided into 4 categories i.e.
- Writing
- Reading
- Speaking &
- Listening
MOST POPULAR LANGUAGE EXAMS
As far as foreign language proficiency exams are concerned every level has a test and there are different sets of rules and test patterns as per your fluency level, requirement, and convenience.
Here is the list of the most prestigious and widely-recognized foreign assessments in India’s or abroad for top foreign languages.
1. FRENCH PROFICIENCY TEST
Exams for Kids & Teens
DELF PRIM (ages 8–12)
DELF PRIM (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française PRIM) is an official diploma awarded by the French Ministry of Education to certify the proficiency in French as a Foreign Language of children ages 8 to 12.
DELF Junior Version (ages 13+)
DELF Junior is a specially adapted version for juniors/teenagers of the DELF diplomas. DELF (Diplôme d’ Études en Langue Française) is an official qualification awarded by the French Ministry of Education to certify the competency of candidates from outside France in the French language.
Exams for Adults
Important: The TCF IRN and TEF IRN as well as the DELF B1 up to DALF C2 are recognized by the French government to certify the level of French of persons applying for French citizenship.
DELF–DALF
DELF (Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française) and DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française) are official qualifications awarded by the French Ministry of Education certifying level of fluency in French. Useful for school records and college and job applications in French-speaking countries. Scores valid for life.
DFP
Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris offers exams leading to advanced specialized diplomas, including DFP Juridique B2 (Diplôme de Français Professionnel Juridique), DFP Affaires B2 et C1 (Diplôme de Français Professionnel Affaires).
TCF
The TCF (Test de connaissance du français), designed by the CIEP (Centre international d’études pédagogiques) and accredited by the French Ministry of Education, is a French language proficiency test for non-native speakers of French who wish to evaluate and have their level of proficiency certified for professional, academic or personal reasons.
TCF Canada
TCF CANADA is intended for anyone 16 years of age or over, regardless of their nationality or native tongue, needing to certify their level of French as part of the procedures for economic immigration to Canada or for obtaining Canadian citizenship.
TCF IRN
As of January 2022, the Test de connaissance du français Intégration, Résidence, Nationalité (TCF IRN), newly introduced by the French Ministry for the Interior, allows you to certify your level of French for French nationality, for a long-term resident card and as part of the citizen course.
TCF DAP
TCF DAP (Test de Connaissance du Français pour la Demande d’Admission Préalable), an official test conducted by the French Ministry of Education, is designed to assess your French competency for preliminary admission to undergraduate university studies and school of Architecture in France.
TCF Québec
TCF Québec is a specific version of the Test de Connaissance du Français (TCF) which has been elaborated by the CIEP based on the request of the Ministry of Immigration and Cultural Communities of Québec to assess the level of competency in French, specifically the listening and oral skills, of an audience that wishes to emigrate to Québec.
TEF Overview
Created in 1998 by the French Language Centre of the CCI Paris Ile-de-France, the TEF (Test d’Evaluation de Français) is an international benchmark test that measures a person’s level of knowledge and skills in French. See an overview of the different TEF exams.
TEF
TEF (Test d’Evaluation de Français) exam to evaluate a person’s level of French for French Universities or for work.
TEF Canada
TEF Canada is required by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC- Canadian Federal Government) for the linguistic evaluation of immigration applicants belonging to the category “skilled workers”.
TEF IRN
As of January 2022, the Test d’évaluation de français Intégration, Résidence, Nationalité (TEF IRN), newly introduced by the French Ministry for the Interior, is required for anyone applying to the French State for a resident card or a naturalization. Read more.
TEF for Québec (TEFaQ)
The TEF Québec (TEFaQ) is a specific version of the TEF which has been elaborated based on the request of the Ministry of immigration and cultural communities of Québec to assess the level of competency in French, specifically the listening and oral skills, of an audience that wishes to emigrate to Québec. Read more.
French exam training material
2. GERMAN PROFICIENCY TEST
Here are the types of widely recognized German proficiency exams and certifications you can earn.
• Zertifikat Deutsch (ZD) …
The Goethe-Zertifikat A1:
Start Deutsch 1 is a German exam for adults. It certifies that candidates have acquired very basic language skills and corresponds to the first level (A1) on the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
The Goethe-Zertifikat A2
Is a German exam for adults. It requires elementary language skills and corresponds to the second level (A2) on the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
The Goethe-Zertifikat B1
Iis a German exam for young people and adults. It certifies that candidates are independent users of the German language and corresponds to the third level (B1) on the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
The Goethe-Zertifikat B2
Is a German exam for young people and adults. It certifies that candidates have acquired advanced language skills and corresponds to the fourth level (B2) of the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Goethe-Zertifikat C1
Is an examination for adults. It certifies that candidates have acquired advanced language skills and corresponds to the fifth level (C1) on the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
The Goethe-Zertifikat C2:
Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom (GDS) is a German exam for adults. It certifies that candidates have acquired extremely advanced language skills and corresponds to the sixth level (C2) on the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
TestDaF Exam. …
The TestDaF is an advanced-level language exam. It covers levels B2 to C1 on the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
The certificate issued upon successful completion of all four sections of the TestDaF exam at TestDaF level 4 will act as evidence of the language skills needed to gain admission to almost any subject and degree course at universities and institutions of higher education in Germany. The TestDaF language exam also provides internationally recognized evidence that your knowledge of German is sufficient to complete scientific projects and enter academic professions.
Young people (Fit in Deutsch)
The Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Fit in Deutsch 1 is a German exam for children and young people between 10 and 16 years of age. It certifies that candidates have acquired very basic language skills and corresponds to the first level (A1) on the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
The Goethe-Zertifikat A2: Fit in Deutsch is a German exam for young people between the ages of 12 and 16. It certifies that candidates have acquired basic language skills and corresponds to the second level (A2) on the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
3. SPANISH EXAM
DELE EXAM
What is DELE Exam?
DELE stands for Diplomas de Español Como Lengua Extranjera. DELE is administered on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education & Science by Instituto Cervantes. The examination adheres to the strict standard of the CEFR — Common European Framework of Reference for Language.
What are the DELE Levels?
The test has six different levels from which you can choose at will.
A1 (Breakthrough or Beginner)
A2 (Waystage or Elementary)
B1 (Threshold or Intermediate)
B2 (Vantage or Upper-intermediate)
C1 (Effective Operational Proficiency or Advanced), and
C2 (Mastery or Near-native)
The A1 level is the most basic, and the C2 level is the most advanced.
DELE Exams in India
Each of these Spanish diplomas is strictly independent of one another. It means that candidates are free to register and sit for the course of their choice. You can choose beforehand which test you would like to take. The Diplomas you will obtain from DELE are valid for a lifetime. The minimum age is 16 for these DELE exams. There are also DELE exams for young learners or schoolchildren (aimed at students from 11 to 17 years old). There are only two levels, namely A1 and A2/B1.
4. ITALIAN LANGUAGE EXAMINATIONS :
ITALIAN TEST
You need to pick the most appropriate one according to your needs and better in terms of available testing centers in India, exam dates, and fees.
CELI — Certificate of Knowledge of the Italian Language. …
CILS — Certification of Italian as a Foreign Language. …
PLIDA — Italian Language Project Dante Alighieri.
The CEDILS exam includes five tests (4 written examinations and one oral exam ) for 5 hours.
5. Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT )
The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (日本語能力試験, Nihongo Nōryoku Shiken), or JLPT, is a standardized criterion-referenced test to evaluate and certify Japanese language proficiency for non-native speakers, covering language knowledge, reading ability, and listening ability.
The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) has been offered by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (formerly Association of International Education, Japan) since 1984 as a reliable means of evaluating and certifying the Japanese proficiency of non-native speakers. At the beginning, there were approximately 7,000 examinees worldwide. In 2011, there were as many as 610,000 examinees around the globe, making JLPT the largest-scale Japanese-language test in the world.
JLPT 5
JLPT 4
JLPT 3
JLPT 2
JLPT 1
6. Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK)
Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK), an international standardized test of Chinese language proficiency,assesses non-native Chinese speakers’ abilities in using the Chinese language in their daily, academic and professional lives. HSK consists of six levels, namely HSK (level I), HSK (level II), HSK (level III), HSK (level IV), HSK (level V), and HSK (level VI).
HSK Speaking Test(HSKK)
HSK Speaking Test (HSKK) assesses the test takers’ oral Chinese abilities. HSKK consists of three levels, HSKK (Primary level), HSKK (Intermediate level) and HSKK (Advanced level). HSKK is conducted in the form of audio recording.
Youth Chinese Test
Youth Chinese Test (YCT),an international standardized test of Chinese language proficiency, assesses the primary and middle school students’ abilities to use Chinese as second language in their daily and academic lives. YCT is divided into writing and speaking tests, which are independent to each other. The writing test consists of four levels, namely, YCT (level I), YCT (level II), YCT (level III), and YCT (level IV). The speaking test consists of two levels, YCT Speaking (Primary Level) and YCT Speaking (Intermediate Level).
Business Chinese Test
Business Chinese Test (BCT), an international standardized test of Chinese language proficiency, assesses non-native Chinese speakers’ abilities to use the Chinese language in real business or common working environments.BCT is dividd into writing and oral tests, which are independent to each other. The writing test consists of two levels, namely, BCT (A)and BCT (B).BCT(Oral iBT)are Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) and conducted via Internet