List of language proficiency tests


The following is a non-exhaustive list of standardized tests that assess a person's language proficiency of a foreign/secondary language. Various types of such exams exist per many languages—some are organized at an international level even through national authoritative organizations, while others simply for specific limited business or study orientation.

Multilingual

  • American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages tests are offered to assess language proficiency in many languages.
  • The Foreign Language Achievement Testing Service at Brigham Young University offer both BYU and non-BYU students language proficiency tests.
  • Certificados en Lenguas Extranjeras. Certificate of proficiency in six languages: English, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. The certificates are issued by the Ministry of Education of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The test targets primary and secondary-level students in Buenos Aires, for whom it is free of charge.

Albanian">Albanian language">Albanian

  • University of Tirana offers its own levels from A1-C2. Exams are held on the last Friday of every month, except July, August and December.

[American Sign Language]

  • ASLPI American Sign Language Proficiency Interview
  • SLPI Sign Language Proficiency Interview

Arabic">Arabic language">Arabic

  • is a standardized Arabic language proficiency test for non-native speakers, aligned with CEFR levels A2 to C1, developed by King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language for academic and professional purposes.
  • The Arabic Language Proficiency Test is a standardized Arabic proficiency test designed by Arabic Academy and endorsed by the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It was started in 2002 and has five sections: listening, reading, structure, writing, speaking.
  • Berlitz Language Institutes offer a competency test in reading, writing, speaking and listening assessing proficiency in Arabic according to the CEFR benchmark.
  • Eton Institute in Dubai offers its own "Arabic Language Competency Test", a 4-skills exam which generates a band-score result for Arabic similar to the IELTS model.
  • The AL-ARABIYYA-TEST by the Al Arabiyya Institute, is an Arabic language proficiency test conducted online that measures a learner's level according to the CEFR benchmark.
  • CIMA is a standardized Arabic proficiency test developed by the Institut du monde arabe in Paris, France, and is offered since 2018 at the institute and in several accredited centres around the world.
  • ILA - Certificazione Lingua Araba is an Arabic proficiency test of the 'Centro Studi' of Milan.

[Brazilian Sign Language]

  • ProLibras - Brazilian Sign Language Certificate
  • ProLibras - Certificação em língua brasileira de sinais

[British Sign Language]

  • Signature - British Sign Language Certificate Levels 1-6
  • iBSL - British Sign Language Certificate Levels 1-6
  • Scottish Qualifications Authority - British Sign Language Certificate Levels 1–6, along with other related qualifications.

Bulgarian">Bulgarian language">Bulgarian

  • The Standard Test of Bulgarian as a Foreign Language
  • ECL - European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages

Catalan">Catalan language">Catalan

Chinese">Chinese language">Chinese

Mandarin">Standard Chinese">Mandarin

  • HSK - Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi. Official test of Mandarin in mainland China, consisting of reading, writing, listening and comprehension
  • HSKK - HSK Speaking Test. HSKK assesses the test takers’ oral Chinese abilities. HSKK is divided into three levels: primary, intermediate and advanced. The test is conducted in the form of audio recording.
  • TOCFL - Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language. Test used in Taiwan for Mandarin as a foreign language.
  • TSC - Test of Spoken Chinese was conducted under the leadership of YBM, the largest language institute in Korea. Most large South Korean companies now require Chinese employees to pass the TSC.
  • BCT - Business Chinese Test, as an international, standardized test of Chinese language proficiency, focuses on assessing non-native Chinese speakers’ abilities to use the Chinese language in real business or common working environments and evaluating the language tasks they are able to complete. The BCT, as a test series, consists of three independent tests: BCT, BCT and the BCT Speaking Test.
  • YCT - Youth Chinese Test. International standardised Chinese language, for primary and secondary school students.

[Cantonese]

[Hokkien]

  • MSC - Minnanhua Shuiping Ceshi. Offered in mainland China. It is a speaking test with four parts: reading out words, sentences, a passage and speaking on a topic. There is no preferred dialect of Hokkien for the test; any dialect may be used as long as the pronunciation is proper in that dialect. The first test was held in Xiamen on 19 November 2016 to select future examiners, and so it was only for people in the education, broadcasting and cultural sectors who have received prior trainings. The first test open to the public was held on 9 and 10 December 2017 in Xiamen and a free 2-day pre-test training was provided to test-takers.
  • General Taiwanese Proficiency Test is a standardized proficiency test for speakers of Taiwanese Hokkien designed by the Center for Taiwanese Languages Testing at National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. In addition to GTPT, there is another International Taiwanese Proficiency Test for speakers of Taiwanese Hokkien as a second language.

[Hakka]

  • Since 2005, the Hakka Affairs Council of Taiwan has conducted the Hakka Proficiency Certification. The test is divided into 6 levels and participants take a written and speaking exam. The speaking exam is conducted in the 5 main Taiwanese Hakka dialects to cater to each dialect's distinct intonations and vocabularies.

Croatian">Croatian Language">Croatian

  • TPHJ - Testiranje poznavanja hrvatskog jezika
  • ECL - European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages

Czech">Czech language">Czech

  • CCE - Czech Language Certificate Exam
  • ECL - European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages

Danish">Danish language">Danish

  • CLAVIS Danish Language Proficiency Test

Dutch">Dutch language">Dutch

  • Staatsexamen Nederlands als tweede taal. A two-part examination required in the Netherlands to study at the tertiary level. Part I is less thorough than II. Successful completion gains a NT2-I or NT2-II diploma
  • Certificaat Nederlands als vreemde taal. A set of six exams, each aimed at confirming proficiency for specific fields. "Profile Tourist and Informal Language Proficiency " is equal to ECF A2, and "Profile Language Proficiency Higher Education" is equal to ECF B2.

English">English language">English

[Esperanto]

  • CEFR certification for levels B1, B2, C1

Estonian">Estonian language">Estonian

  • Estonian Language Proficiency Examinations

Finnish">Finnish language">Finnish

French">French language">French

[French Sign Language]

  • Le Diplôme de Compétence en Langue des Signes Française is a national diploma that was created specifically for adults.

Galician">Galician language">Galician

German">German language">German

Greek">Greek language">Greek

  • KGP -
  • Πιστοποίηση Ελληνομάθειας - Certification of Attainment in Greek, administered by the Center for the Greek Language, in accordance with CEFRL

Hebrew">Hebrew language">Hebrew

  • The Hebrew Proficiency Test takes place in Israel and is taken by students who seek to demonstrate a sufficient knowledge of Hebrew for the sake of university admissions.
  • ECL - European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages.

Hindi">Hindi language">Hindi

  • Kendriya Hindi Sansthan

Hungarian">Hungarian language">Hungarian

  • ECL - European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages. The certificate examinations are staged on four levels of language proficiency according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: A2 beginner, B1 basic, B2 intermediate, C1 advanced.
  • ELTE Hungarian Language Courses from complete beginner to proficiency levels
  • ORIGO Egynyelvű vizsga by Idegennyelvi Továbbkepző Központ levels B1, B2 and C1 recognized by the Hungarian State

Indonesian">Indonesian language">Indonesian

  • UKBI also called TOIFL
  • BIPA

Irish">Irish language">Irish

Italian">Italian language">Italian

According to the Ministero degli Esteri, there are four officials Italian certifications approved CLIQ : CILS, CELI, PLIDA and.IT ROMA TRE

Japanese">Japanese language">Japanese

[Japanese Sign Language]

  • Zenkoku-Shuwa Kentei

Kazakh">Kazakh language">Kazakh

Klingon">Klingon language">Klingon

Korean">Korean language">Korean

Kurmanji">Kurmanji language">Kurmanji

Kyrgyz">Kyrgyz language">Kyrgyz

  • КЫРГЫЗТЕСТ

Latin">Latin language">Latin

Latvian">Latvian language">Latvian

  • State Language Proficiency Certificate in Latvian

Lithuanian">Lithuanian language">Lithuanian

  • Level Examinations of Language Proficiency for Lithuanian

Luxembourgish">Luxembourgish language">Luxembourgish

  • LaF - Diplom Lëtzebuergesch als Friemsprooch

Malay">Malay language">Malay

  • The Malay Language Proficiency Certification Test, or Sijil Kecekapan Bahasa Melayu Bagi Warganegara Asing, endorsed by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education, and governed by Malaysian Examinations Council ;
  • The Malay Language Entrance Proficiency Test, only applicable for applicants being considered for teaching Malay in Singapore.

Mongolian">Mongolian language">Mongolian

  • Mongolian Language Proficiency Test

Myanmar (Burmese)">Burmese language">Myanmar (Burmese)

  • Myanmar Language Test : Test levels include MB, M1, M2, M3, M4.

Norwegian">Norwegian language">Norwegian

  • Norsk Språktest - Folkeuniversitetet:
  • Bergenstest for voksne innvandrere - Level B2

Pashto">Pashto language">Pashto

Persian">Persian language">Persian

Polish">Polish language">Polish

Portuguese">Portuguese language">Portuguese

Brazilian Portuguese

  • CELPE-Bras - Brazilian Certificate of Proficiency in Portuguese for Foreigners

European Portuguese

  • TELC - The European Language Certificates
  • CAPLE - Centre for Evaluation of the Portuguese Language

Romanian">Romanian language">Romanian

Russian">Russian language">Russian

Serbian">Serbian language">Serbian

  • Nacionalni sertifikat o poznavanju srpskog jezika organised by the Department of Philology of the Univerzitet u Beogradu

Slovak">Slovak language">Slovak

  • Certificate of Slovak language proficiency. Levels: A2, B1, B2, C1, C2.
  • ECL - European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages

Slovene">Slovene language">Slovene

  • Izpit iz znanja slovenščine. Levels: A1, A2/B1, B2, C1/C2. Offered by the Department of Philosophy of the Univerza v Ljubljani

Spanish">Spanish language">Spanish

  • DELE - Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera. Levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2.
  • - Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española
  • CELA - Certificado de Español como Lengua Adicional del Centro de Enseñanza para Extranjeros de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. 3 Levels: Independent Level, Advanced Level and Proficiency Level
  • CELU - Certificado de Español: Lengua y Uso, Certificate of Spanish: Language and use.
  • Certificado de las Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas, Spain - Diploma de español, level "Básico" - A2, "Intermedio" - B1, "Avanzado" - B2, C1
  • ECL - Consorcio Europeo para el Certificado en Lenguas Modernas
  • LanguageCert USAL esPro Comprensión auditiva y de lectura
  • LanguageCert USAL esPro Expresión escrita
  • LanguageCert USAL esPro Expresión oral
  • TELC - The European Language Certificates

[Spanish Sign Language]

  • The University of Granada offers a course in Spanish Sign Language The exam consists of two parts:
  • * Expression
  • * Comprehension

Swedish">Swedish language">Swedish

  • Swedex - Swedex consists of three different levels corresponding to the A2, B1 and B2 levels in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It can be taken in examination centres in twenty-five different countries. Swedex tests the skills of the student in five different areas: vocabulary, grammar, listening, writing and reading.
  • TISUS - Test in Swedish for University Studies is another certificate, often used as a proof of competence in Swedish to gain access to Swedish universities.
  • Stockholm Chamber of Commerce Certificate in Business Swedish
  • Allmänna språkexamina, Ulbildningsstyrelse

Tamil">Tamil language">Tamil

  • AJA Tamil Language Assessment

Thai">Thai language">Thai

  • The Thai Competency Test for foreigners is arranged by the Ministry of Education.
  • The Chulalongkorn University Proficiency Test of Thai as a Foreign Language : CU-TFL is a standardized proficiency test for speakers of Thai as a foreign language designed by the Sirindhorn Thai Language Institute, Chulalongkorn University, located in Bangkok.
  • TPA - The School of Language and Culture of the Technology Promotion Association offers its own Thai proficiency test.

Turkish">Turkish language">Turkish

  • Turkish Proficiency Exam - Türkçe Yeterlik Sınavı
  • UTS - Distance Turkish Test
  • TELC - The European Language Certificates

Uyghur">Uyghur language">Uyghur

Vietnamese">Vietnamese language">Vietnamese

Welsh">Welsh language">Welsh

  • WJEC offers Defnyddio'r Gymraeg tests at Mynediad level, Sylfaen level, Canolradd and Uwch level.