Step 4: Skills Tests

If your application is provisionally selected you will then proceed with skills testing. You will be notified by email in September; please check your email daily. The EHLS Program typically invites 50 individuals to skills testing, and up to 18 of those candidates will be selected for admission to the program (see selection criteria).

Testing typically occurs in late September and early October. If you are provisionally selected for the 2025 program year, your English abilities in listening, reading, and writing plus basic technology skills will be tested in a virtual environment.

Your critical language speaking test will take place remotely via webcam, during the weeks surrounding the test dates. The EHLS Program will schedule these for you and will make every effort to accommodate your needs.

Provisionally selected candidates will be notified of the specific testing window in late September.

Description of the Tests

All provisionally selected applicants will take 4 tests.

1.English listening and reading: This test will be scheduled through Language Testing International (LTI). It is the Listening and Reading Computer Adaptive Test (L&R CAT). The test will be administered remotely with remote proctoring. The test usually takes between 1-1.5 hours to complete.

2.English writing: This is an essay test; it takes 1 hour.

3.Critical language speaking: This test (called an OPI) is taken over the telephone and takes approximately 30-45 minutes. This is similar to the English OPI taken during the application, but will be in your critical language.

To qualify for the EHLS Program, you must receive a score of at least 2 on the ILR scale on all 3 English language skills tests and receive a score of 3 on the critical language test.

4.Basic technology skills test: This test will measure your technology skills. You should be prepared to demonstrate your skills with: file management, word processing (including accurate keyboarding), presentation software, internet navigation, emailing, and attaching documents. This test is a pass/fail assessment.

Preparing for the Tests

English and critical language assessments: These tests evaluate your general proficiency in the language being tested. Test questions cover general interest topics and common social and professional situations. There are no sample test materials available for review. To prepare for the tests, we recommend reading the newspaper, listening to the news on the radio, and using English and your critical language in discussions of current events and in professional contexts.

Basic technology skills: Because you will type your English writing test and compose an email, you should be comfortable with standard office technology skills: file management, word processing (including accurate keyboarding), presentation software, and internet navigation. To learn more about what skills are required, review the technology skills self-assessment.

Go to Final Notification.