English Language Test

An English language test can help you hire the right employees, based on their proficiency in English.

  • What is an English language test?

    An English language test assesses an individual's understanding of the English language in a business setting. The test is designed to determine an individual's proficiency in using the English language.

    This timed test covers various topics that enable you to get an objective measure of a candidate's skill level in using the English language. Examples of topics covered include questions that test a candidate's understanding of vocabulary, the use of grammar, reading comprehension and sentence structure.

    The test results can be used in your hiring process, enabling you to hire candidates who demonstrate the required skill level in using the English language to express themselves appropriately, both verbally and in writing.

Jump to a section on this page:

  1. What is an English language test?
  2. Why is an English language test so important when hiring?
  3. How to assess English language skills using our test
  4. English Language Test FAQs

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Our pre-employment tests let you drill down to the best candidates at the click of a button.

  • Find those candidates who will excel in the role.

    Select the assessments that match the skills or behaviours for the position. You can test for software or coding competency, soft skills like teamwork, or personality traits, to be sure those who pass have high potential.

  • Reduce costs and time.

    No more laborious sifting of resumes or cover letters. Pick your ideal assessment mix, invite your applicants to take them, see the results in your dashboard. Get to the interview stage fast.

  • Eliminate bias.

    All your candidates take the assessments on a level playing field. Only their results determine whether they get shortlisted.

  • Why is an English language test so important when hiring?

    As a recruiter, you want to shortlist and hire the best candidates from your candidate application pool. To do this, you need to determine which candidates in your application pool demonstrate the necessary English language skills for the role you have to fill.

    Determining a candidate's proficiency in using the English language can be tricky from a resume or interview alone. A candidate may say they are proficient in writing in English in a business setting, but as a recruiter, you want the reassurance of assessing this skill in practice.

    This is where the English language test comes in. The test gives you a practical and bias-free way of evaluating an individual's proficiency in using the English language as relevant to your recruiting role. Those who score highly on the test can progress to the next stage, and those who don't can be eliminated.

    Given that this test helps you determine whether candidates can communicate effectively using the English language, there are many roles where an English language test would benefit the recruitment process. These include any roles where individuals need to be proficient in English to communicate appropriately or recognise the English language differences to communicate to suit different settings, whether that be business or social.

    Examples of roles where you can use the English language test to improve the rigour of your assessment process would be:

    • Customer service roles
    • Editors
    • Writers
    • Business managers
    • Content creators
    • Marketing roles

More Language Proficiency Tests

Sample English Language Test question

This is Nadja and she ___ of our Strategy & Innovation department.

  • is responsible

  • take care

  • oversees

  • is in charge

How to assess English language skills using our test

Our English language test asks a variety of questions that vary in difficulty level. Candidates who are proficient in English should be able to answer most of the questions correctly.

The English language test provides valuable data insight into what a candidate knows and understands. The test is structured using multiple-choice questions: a familiar format for most test-takers, that allows for instant and objective scoring.

As well as the correct answer, there are typically 2–4 distractors, representing common misconceptions and mistakes. This helps make the test more challenging, so a candidate's ability can be measured more accurately.

Test scores are provided within the platform and can be compared to other test-takers in your talent pool, to see how they perform relative to each other.

Each test has been thoroughly reviewed to ensure accuracy and validity in line with industry standards. It has been written, examined and edited by English language experts and psychometric professionals. It has also been reviewed by a diverse sample of job seekers to check for any issues including sensitivity, face validity, fairness and accessibility.

This test is continually monitored so our team can optimize performance and regularly assess fairness issues.

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  • Assessments

    A full suite of assessments

    Our platform comes with 12 tests across both foundation and advanced levels so they’re suitable for everyone. Including aptitude, behavioural and personality tests, you’ll have a full range of tests to help you find the candidates you’re seeking.

  • Analytics

    An array of candidate metrics

    For each of your candidates, you’ll be given a comprehensive report. Included will be all the metrics you need to build a detailed picture of each candidate and ensure you’re making the right hiring decisions.

“The platform is so simple to use. I had used competitor providers for over six years and will never go back. Fast, efficient and friendly!”
Greg Chambers, HR Business Partner, Littlefish Ltd
Greg Chambers, HR Business Partner, Littlefish Ltd

English Language Test FAQs

What level of fluency does an English language test assess?

Candidates who have strong proficiency in the English language will be able to answer the questions with relative ease. The questions are testing future applicants at an intermediate level across a range of areas including grammar, spelling, reading and writing.

Is English considered a business language?

English is regarded as one of the most preferred languages in business globally.

Globalisation has brought about the opportunity to work with clients and employees in different countries. While many employees are multilingual, having a working knowledge and proficiency in using the English language in a business environment is essential for many employees.

How do you test an applicant's English language competency?

Assessing a candidate's competency in using the English language can be difficult from a resume review alone. Using the English language test gives you a practical and bias-free way of determining a candidate's written and verbal proficiency in the English language as relevant to the role.

Why is knowledge of speaking English important?

English is one of the most commonly used languages in the business world. It is crucial to have a working knowledge of speaking English and be able to flex your use of the language according to the setting: business or social. This enables you to work effectively and appropriately in all environments.

“An unbeatable service, impressive platform and fantastic value for money.”
Laurence Fishman, Partner, NLPCA
Laurence Fishman, Partner, NLPCA

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