SPEAK Test

The test is used to evaluate the spoken English of International TAs. The test is available only to students holding or under consideration for a teaching assistantship. SPEAK test scores cannot be sent to or accepted from other educational institutions. 

The test consists of a video containing 9 questions. You will hear each question being asked and you will see the question in text on the screen. You will have 15 minutes to complete the test.

UW System policy requires that non-native English speakers demonstrate proficiency in spoken English before they are assigned classroom duties as teaching assistants. 

Departments may utilize the following mechanisms to demonstrate spoken English proficiency by potential TAs: 

• A satisfactory score greater than or equal to 50 on the SPEAK test
• A score of 26/30 or higher on the speaking section of the iBt TOEFL test
• A score of 8.0 or higher on the speaking section of the IELTS 

Score greater than or equal to 50 on the SPEAK test

If you do not score 50 or above, you will be recommended to enroll in an ESL course. You must re-take the SPEAK test until you earn a score of 50 or above.

Each college or school determines its own policy for the hiring of teaching assistants, in accordance with general university guidelines. The general guidelines for the use of SPEAK test scores follow.

Students with a score greater than or equal to 50 may teach with no further English language testing requirements.

Students with a score of 45* can perform instructional duties that require spoken English only if also enrolled in a program to improve English skills.

Students with a score lower than 45 cannot perform instructional duties that require spoken English.

*Note: Students are required to re-take the SPEAK test until they have earned a score of 50 or above to teach without further English Language testing requirements.

SPEAK tests will be scored within five working days and results will be sent to both the student and the department, accompanied by a recommendation for those with scores of 45 or lower. Scores will be sent by e-mail. On request, a PDF copy can be sent.

The test is delivered in Canvas and proctored through Honorlock. Honorlock is an online proctoring service that allows you to take your exam from the comfort of your home. You will show your photo ID and your picture will be taken before the exam begins. Your webcam, screen, and voice will be recorded during the exam. In order to use Honorlock, you will need to complete a one-time installation of a Chrome browser extension (The system will guide you through this simple step, and you can remove it after use by following these instructions.)

Honorlock support is available 24 hours a day every day. If you encounter any issues, you may contact them through live chat within the exam itself on the support page. Honorlock support staff will have instant access to your session to save time diagnosing problems.

Some guides you should review are Honorlock MSRs, Student FAQ, Honorlock Knowledge Base, and How to Use Honorlock.

For problems with VPN, hardware, or software, contact DoIT Help Desk help@doit.wisc.edu or go to https://it.wisc.edu/help/ for live chat option.

If you are unable to successfully complete the test virtually by the due date in your home country, you will be able to re-take it on campus with assistance from your department during the next scheduled test. 

If you are unable to complete the test by the due date while on campus, you will be rescheduled to take the test on the next test date. 

See the test dates on the SPEAK Test website. There are no make-up tests. 

1. Set up your computer and install the Honorlock extension. (You can delete the extension after the test using these directions.) You must allow for 3rd party cookies.
2. Take the Honorlock Practice Test and the SPEAK Practice Test as soon as you have access to the Canvas course. (Download this sample SPEAK test for examples of the types of questions you will be asked on the test.)
3. The Honorlock extension does not allow you to maximize the test window.
4. The questions and the time will also be shown in text on your screen. You will see a progress bar displaying elapsed time.
5. For most of the questions begin speaking as soon as the interviewer finishes asking the question. You will not be told when to stop speaking. You may continue speaking until you hear the interviewer start to ask the next question.
6. For 2 of the questions, you will have some time to prepare your answer: for the story (#3) 60 seconds; for the schedule (#9) 30 seconds. You will be told when to start speaking.
7. Do not wait to take your test until the last minute in case you encounter technical difficulties.

The test can be taken only once in any three-month period.

Students who wish to take the test should contact their department. Departments must authorize their teaching assistants or potential teaching assistants to take the SPEAK test by pre-registering them with the ESL Program. (See registration Procedures above for more detailed instructions.)

Students should inform your department letting them know why you are unable to take the test and work with them to re-schedule the SPEAK test. 

Your department will complete the registration process for you.

The SPEAK test is rated by qualified and trained language specialists for pronunciation and how well the student addresses the question being asked. Two graders independently score each test, and their scores are averaged. The scoring guide used to evaluate the SPEAK test is indicated below. 

The SPEAK rating scale: Link

Adapted from the SPEAK Band Descriptor Chart in SPEAK Rater Training Guide, published by Educational Testing Service. (1996). Princeton, New Jersey.