The TSE examination is designed to evaluate the general oral language proficiency of non-native speakers of English. It is required mainly at graduate level and proves beneficial to students who seek Financial aid in terms of a teaching assistantship. The test is approximately 20 minutes long.

TSE examination tests a person’s ability to converse in an academic or professional environment. TSE scores are used by many North American institutions of higher education to select international teaching assistants. The scores also are used for selecting and certifying health professionals, such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, and veterinarians. The test requires you to demonstrate your ability to communicate in English by responding orally on tape under timed conditions to a variety of printed and recorded information.

On the day of the test, an interviewer on tape will ask you questions. The questions will be printed in the test book, and the time you will have to answer each one is printed in parentheses after the questions. While most of the questions on the test may not appear to be directly related to your academic or professional field, each question is designed to tell the raters how well you communicate in English.

The Test of Spoken English (TSE®) score is reported on a scale of 20-60. There are no passing or failing scores on the Test of Spoken English. Each institution determines for itself what scores are acceptable.

Reporting Your Test Results

Your TSE payment entitles you to three copies of your test results: an Examinee's Score Record for you and two Official Score Reports for institutions and agencies that you specify on the mailing instruction form attached to your admission ticket.

Test results will be mailed five weeks after you take the test.

TSE test scores are retained on a database only for two years from the date of the test.