Language Proficiency Test Glossary, IELTS, TOEFL Terms

IELTS (International English Language Testing System): A standardised test assessing English language proficiency for study, work, or migration, jointly managed by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge Assessment English.

Academic IELTS: The version of IELTS designed for university admissions and professional registration, featuring more complex academic texts and tasks.

General Training IELTS: The version of IELTS for work experience, training programmes, or migration, featuring everyday and workplace-related texts.

Band Score: IELTS scores range from 0 to 9 in half-band increments, with each band representing a level of English proficiency.

Band 9 (Expert User): The highest IELTS band, indicating full operational proficiency with no errors or misunderstandings.

Band 7 (Good User): A score indicating operational proficiency with occasional inaccuracies and misunderstandings in complex language.

Band 6 (Competent User): A score indicating generally effective use of English with some inaccuracies and misunderstandings.

Listening Section: A 30-minute test with four sections of increasing difficulty, featuring conversations, monologues, and academic discussions.

Reading Section: A 60-minute test with three passages from books, journals, and newspapers, testing comprehension, inference, and skimming.

Writing Section: A 60-minute test with two tasks: describing visual data (Task 1) and writing an essay (Task 2).

Speaking Section: An 11–14 minute face-to-face interview with an examiner, comprising three parts covering familiar and abstract topics.

Task Response: The IELTS Writing criterion assessing how fully the candidate addresses all parts of the task with a clear position.

Coherence and Cohesion: The IELTS Writing criterion assessing logical organisation and the use of linking words and devices.

Lexical Resource: The IELTS Writing and Speaking criterion assessing the range and accuracy of vocabulary used.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: The IELTS Writing and Speaking criterion assessing the variety and correctness of grammatical structures.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): A standardised test measuring English language ability of non-native speakers, administered by ETS.

TOEFL iBT (Internet-Based Test): The most common format of the TOEFL, delivered via the internet with sections for Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.

TOEFL Essentials: A shorter, more flexible version of the TOEFL measuring core English skills in a streamlined format.

Reading Section: A 35–54 minute section testing academic reading comprehension with passages from university-level texts.

Listening Section: A 36–53 minute section testing understanding of lectures, classroom discussions, and conversations.

Speaking Section: A 16-minute section with four tasks testing the ability to speak English in academic settings.

Writing Section: A 29-minute section with an integrated task (reading, listening, writing) and an independent writing task.

Total Score: TOEFL scores range from 0 to 120, with each of the four sections scored from 0 to 30.

ETS (Educational Testing Service): The organisation that develops and administers the TOEFL and GRE tests.

TOEFL Score Validity: TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date.

MyBest Scores: ETS’s feature combining the highest scores from multiple TOEFL attempts across all sections.

Independent Writing Task: Writing an essay in response to a prompt expressing and supporting an opinion on a given topic.

Integrated Writing Task: Writing a response that summarises information from both a reading passage and a listening lecture.

TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication): A test measuring English proficiency in workplace and business contexts, also administered by ETS.

TOEIC Listening and Reading Test: A 2-hour test with 100 multiple-choice questions testing listening comprehension and reading ability.

TOEIC Speaking and Writing Test: A computer-delivered test assessing productive English skills in professional contexts.

TOEIC Score Range: Listening and Reading scores range from 10 to 990. Speaking scores range from 0 to 200; Writing from 0 to 200.

Brown Score: Another term for the TOEIC score, derived from the original developers.

Cambridge Assessment English: The non-profit organisation producing Cambridge English Qualifications, including KET, PET, FCE, CAE, and CPE.

KET (Key English Test): The entry-level Cambridge exam at CEFR level A2, testing basic English communication.

PET (Preliminary English Test): A Cambridge exam at CEFR level B1, testing everyday English for social and work situations.

FCE (First Certificate in English): A Cambridge exam at CEFR level B2, testing ability to communicate confidently in most everyday situations.

CAE (Certificate in Advanced English): A Cambridge exam at CEFR level C1, testing advanced English for academic and professional settings.

CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English): The highest Cambridge exam at CEFR level C2, demonstrating near-native English proficiency.

Grade A, B, C: Cambridge exams are graded A (exceptional), B (good), or C (adequate) at the relevant CEFR level. Below C is a Level B2 certificate for CAE/CPE.

CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference): An international standard for describing language ability, with levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2.

Proficiency Test: A test designed to measure a person’s ability to use a language in real-world situations, rather than knowledge of grammar rules.

Placement Test: A test used to determine a learner’s current level to place them in an appropriate course or class.

Diagnostic Test: A test identifying a learner’s strengths and weaknesses to guide teaching and learning.

Achievement Test: A test measuring what a learner has mastered after completing a course of study.

Norm-Referenced Test: A test where scores are compared against the scores of other test-takers, ranking performance relative to the group.

Criterion-Referenced Test: A test where scores are compared against a fixed standard or set of criteria, measuring mastery of specific skills.

Valid (Validity): The extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure, with high validity indicating accurate and meaningful results.

Reliable (Reliability): The consistency of test scores across different occasions, raters, or versions of the test.

Authenticity: The degree to which test tasks reflect real-world language use.

Washback: The effect that a test has on teaching and learning, influencing what is taught and how it is assessed.

Backwash: Another term for washback, referring to the impact of testing on curriculum and instruction.

Grammar: The system of rules governing the structure of language, including word order, tenses, and agreement.

Syntax: The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

Morphology: The study of the forms of words, including roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

Lexis: The vocabulary of a language, including individual words and their meanings.

Collocation: Words that naturally go together, such as “make a decision” rather than “do a decision.”

Register: The level of formality in language use, ranging from informal (casual speech) to formal (academic writing).

Discourse: Connected speech or writing forming a meaningful whole, such as a conversation, lecture, or essay.

Cohesion: The use of linking words and devices to connect sentences and create logical flow in a text.

Inference: Drawing conclusions from implied information rather than what is directly stated.

Paraphrasing: Restating text or ideas in different words while preserving the original meaning.

• See IB Glossary for International Baccalaureate language requirements
• See Admissions Glossary for university language requirements
• See SAT Glossary for US college admissions testing

Can-Do Statement: A descriptor of what a learner can perform at a given CEFR level (“can describe experiences and events” for B1); exam tasks map directly onto them.

Washback: The effect an exam’s format has on teaching, positive washback encourages communicative practice, negative washback drills test tricks.

Band Score: The IELTS 0-9 scale, reported in whole and half bands; writing and speaking use public descriptors.

Scaled Score: TOEFL’s 0-120 conversion of four 30-point sections; percentile meaning shifts by year’s cohort.

Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) Levels: The standardised Chinese proficiency ladder (HSK 1-6, plus the advanced 7-9 band); HSK 4 is the common university-entry threshold.

JLPT N-Levels: Japanese proficiency graded N5 (basic) to N1 (advanced); no speaking or writing production sections, recognition only.

TOPIK Levels: Korean proficiency (Level 1-6) split into TOPIK I (1-2) and TOPIK II (3-6).

DELE Levels: The Spanish Instituto Cervantes diploma aligned one-to-one with CEFR A1-C2.

Cloze Test: Gap-fill measuring contextual vocabulary and grammar inference.

Listening Pre-Read: Using preview time to predict answer types and synonyms before audio starts.

Speaking Prompt Card: The cue card (IELTS Part 2) with one minute of preparation and two minutes of monitored talk.

Word Count Penalty: Writing tasks penalise under-length responses; IELTS Task 2 requires at least 250 words.