The final exam for the second language certification is a standardized proficiency test. For this reason, the exam is only offered twice a year.
The exam includes four components (see description below) and it is delivered in two parts:
Part 1: Speaking (30-40 minutes)
This part will be delivered in person in the Simard Hall computer labs.
Part 2: Writing, listening, and reading (2-4 hours)
Both parts will be delivered in person in the Simard Hall computer labs.
Note:
- If you are unable to attend for valid reasons, you must request a deferred exam from the Faculty of Arts.
- If you need academic accommodations, please contact [email protected]
Description of the four test components
Listening component
The listening component consists of four to six recorded listening passages which are heard twice. Students will mark their answers by clicking on their choice of answer on their screens. The test questions are all multiple-choice This component includes between 30 and 40 questions and lasts approximately 60-90 minutes.
Reading component
The reading component has two parts: a reading comprehension section and a Cloze passage (fill-in-the-blanks).
The reading comprehension section consists of four to six reading passages, which may vary in length from approximately 400 to 800 words. This section includes approximately 30 to 40 multiple-choice questions. Students will mark their answers by clicking on their choice of answer on their screens.
The cloze passage consists of a passage with blanks where words have been deleted from the text. Students must choose, from multiple-choice options, the word that best fits the blank. Students will choose their answer from the drop-down menus.
The entire Reading Component lasts approximately 60 to 90 minutes.
Writing component
The Writing Component is a written composition. Students have 50 minutes to write approximately 300 to 400 words on a specified topic of general interest. The topic is presented in such a way so as to elicit a written response relating factual information and providing opinions and/or recommendations about this information. Students will type their answer directly on the online test platform.
Speaking component
This part of the test consists of a series of recordings that must be made in response to pre-recorded questions. After reading a short document explaining two perspectives on a subject, students have to answer a series of questions relating to the subject in question. This part of the test takes between 30 and 40 minutes.