Description

In order to progress in the use of a language, it is essential to know the level of proficiency. For this reason, TECH has designed this placement test by means of which the students will be able to know their linguistic level in Spanish according to the criteria of the Common Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Thus, after completing it, the students will have the option to choose the best path according to their personal objectives, either to certify their level or to enroll in a language program that adapts to their circumstances, such as those offered by this academic institution. 

It is proven that learning languages increases your Intelligence. Learning a foreign language strengthens the brain's neural networks” 

José Antonio Marina.
Philosopher, writer, and teacher.

 

Language skills are essential today. At a professional, academic and personal level, being able to communicate in a second language greatly facilitates individual progress, so knowing the exact level at which one masters a language is very valuable.

For this reason, TECH has been in charge of creating this university language placement test through which the student will be able to know at what level they can handle in Spanish. Thus, with this complete test that follows the criteria of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, the students will be more confident when preparing their curriculum or participating in selection processes or applying for academic positions, among many other issues. 

Thus, after taking this test, the students may decide to certify their level or enroll in language classes to continue improving their Spanish.  

 

You will finally be able to show how much Spanish you know.

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Flexible and Tailored 

Choose the best time to take your exam, with TECH you set the date!

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At Your House or Mine?

We conduct our placement test in person and individually, but if you prefer, you can take it completely online without having to travel. 

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No Waiting

Once the test is completed get your level certificate in less than 72 hours.

Syllabus

The structure, contents and duration of the placement test are described below:

The test lasts 100 minutes and is divided into 4 parts: 

  • Listening: 20-30 minutes 
  • Speaking: 10-15 minutes
  • Reading: 20-30 minutes
  • Writing: 20-30 minutes 
curso preparacion online espanol

 

At TECH, you will find the most effective way to improve your communication skills" 

The following is a description of the TECH placement test model specifications: 

Skills Assessed 

The exam consists of four parts designed to assess the candidates' linguistic and strategic abilities in the following skills: 

  • Reading 
  • Listening 
  • Writing This skill is assessed by two examiners 
  • Speaking The evaluation will take into account both the spoken presentation and the interaction between the candidates. This skill is assessed in person by two examiners 

Subjects

The subject areas and subcategories used in the placement test are heterogeneous and based on what is described in the CEFR. The following is a list of some of the subject areas and subcategories used so far, which is based on Chapter 7 ("Specific Notions") of the same bibliography used in the writing of the CEFR: 

  • Leisure and recreation (free time, hobbies and interests, radio, TV, movies, sports) 
  • Travel (public transport, private transport, vacations, lodging, luggage, travel documents) 
  • Relations with others (invitations, correspondence, government and politics, social affairs) 
  • Health and physical awareness (body parts, personal comfort, hygiene, medical services) 
  • Education (school, subjects, grades) 
  • Shopping (facilities, food, clothing, fashion, basic necessities, prices) 
  • Food and drink (types of food and beverages, eating and drinking away from home) 
  • Services (e-mail, telephone, banks, police, hospitals) 
  • Places (ask for and give directions to locations) 
  • Language (skills, comprehension and expression) 
  • Weather (understanding weather forecasts and exchanging information on weather forecasts, climate) 

Features of the Texts Used in the Test

The texts are completely authentic. In other words, they are samples of the real language that have not been produced especially for language teaching and may be subject to minimal ad hoc adaptations. Materials are gathered from sources as diverse as the Internet, magazines, newspapers, guidebooks, novels, advertisements, letters, e-mails, etc., which are adapted to the contextual domains of use described by the CEFR. 

Assessment Criteria

The scores for each skill are expressed in percentages, which are reflected in the certificate issued to those who pass the test. The requirement for a candidate to be considered eligible for accreditation is to have obtained 50% or more in each of the four skills (reading, speaking, writing and listening), in addition to obtaining an average of at least 60% in the exam as a whole. The different scoring criteria for each of the skills are detailed below: 

Listening and Reading Comprehension: Each correct item (minimum of 25 and maximum of 30) equals one point. A candidate's total number of correct items in this skill is weighted to obtain the corresponding score in percentages.

Writing: When marking the two exercises to be carried out by the candidates, the following aspects are taken into account: relevance to the topic, cohesion and coherence, lexis and grammar. 

Each aspect is evaluated with a score ranging from 0 to 5 points (maximum total of 20 points). Subsequently, the sum of these grades is weighted to obtain the percentage corresponding to each of the two tests.

Speaking: Once the interview has been completed, the examiners (interviewer and observer) give the test as a whole a score between 0 and 5 points for each of the four aspects evaluated: grammar and vocabulary, speech management, pronunciation and interactive communication. 

Each aspect is weighted equally in the assessment of the skills. The total sum is divided by two and weighted, as is the case when marking the writing test. All sessions are recorded.

Types of Tasks

The tasks proposed in this test are designed to assess whether candidates are able to: 

  • Understand the main points of clear, standard-language texts dealing with common matters, whether in work, study or leisure situations (reading information brochures, reading billboards, reading text messages, understanding radio or television news)
  • Perform in most situations that may arise during a trip in places where the language is used (identifying timetables and directions through reading or oral interaction, asking for directions, etc.)
  • Produce simple and coherent texts on topics that are familiar to them or in which they have a personal interest 
  • Describe experiences, events, desires and aspirations, as well as briefly justify their opinions or explain their plans

 

Description of the Exercises

The details of the exercises for each of the skills are given below:

Reading: It consists of two exercises, each of which is based on reading a text. In turn, these two exercises may be subdivided into up to three different sections according to the type of questions/items contained in them. .

So, the first of the two exercises of an exam could include a true or false questions section, a second short answer section, and a third section of multiple choice questions, to mention just one of the different possible configurations. 

Listening: It consists of two exercises, each of which is based on listening to a passage that can be repeated up to two times.

Writing: It consists of two writing/composition exercises. The candidate must complete both of them.

Speaking: It consists of four exercises:

  • The first is a conversation about personal information that each of the candidates holds individually with one of the two examiners present at the test
  • The second is an interaction exercise between the two candidates being examined (in order to assess the candidate’s ability to interact, they are examined in pairs)
  • In the third exercise, the candidate must sustain a monologue
  • The fourth exercise is a conversation between the two candidates and one of the two examiners present at the test 

Number of words

Reading: Minimum of 900 words in total between the texts of the two exercises.

Listening comprehension: Not applicable. An audio text lasting a maximum of five minutes is used for each of the two exercises.

Writing: Candidates will have to produce two texts, one containing between 120 and 150 words and the other between 150 and 180.

Speaking: The instructions provided by the examiner to the candidates at the beginning of each of the four exercises state that no more than 50 words are to be used. In this case, the duration of each of the four exercises is also relevant: personal conversation between 2 and 3 minutes; interaction between candidates between 2 and 3 minutes; sustained monologue of 3 minutes (one and a half minutes per candidate) and a 3-minute conversation between examiner and candidates..

Test duration

The maximum total duration of the test, including the four skills evaluated, will be 100 minutes, distributed in different periods for each part of the test (written comprehension, oral comprehension, written production and oral production). 

Reading: between 20 and 30 minutes.
Listening: between 20 and 30 minutes.
Writting: between 20 and 30 minutes.
Speaking: between 10 and 15 minutes.

Basic Instructions

At the beginning of the assessment for each of the four skills, written instructions are given on the specific examination procedure for each skill.

Materials Used and Test Format

The four tests that make up the exam are designed with a common format that TECH uses expressly for this exam, with the objective of making it easier to read the content and provide answers. 

The exam contains separate "question" sheets for each test or skill (with instructions, text, graphics and questions) and a separate answer sheet for each skill, on which candidates must write their answers. 

In just over 3 hours, you will take a test that will allow you to precisely assess your level of Spanish in 4 different areas" 

CEFR Spanish Language Placement Test

If you have the ability to understand and speak Spanish, the school of languages of TECH Technological University, a global leader in distance education, offers you a great option to know your language proficiency according to the standards of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: the CEFR Spanish Language Placement Test. In a world as globalized and competitive as today's, knowing another language is key to stand out, however, in most job and academic offers in the bilingual field, the applicant is required to have a specific level of the language in question. This type of requirement makes it essential for the person to be aware of their language level, whether it is elementary (A1), beginner (A2), basic (B1), intermediate (B2), advanced (C1) and expert or native (C2). Our assessment will measure your skills so you know your exact level so you can improve academically or apply for higher paying jobs.

Know your Spanish level with TECH

Spanish is one of the three most spoken languages in the world with around 460 million native speakers. Its market is, therefore, one of the largest globally, in terms of commerce and economy. This translates into great opportunities for entrepreneurship and professional growth for all those with Spanish speaking skills. Think you can communicate in Spanish at either a basic or advanced level? Then add to your resume the language level thanks to the CEFR evaluation offered by TECH. Through a completely online format that brings together content of remarkable quality, optimal educational standards and an eminent teaching staff in the knowledge of foreign languages, you will be able to access an accurate, dynamic and comfortable test that will evaluate your skills in four aspects: reading comprehension, writing, listening comprehension and oral expression. At TECH you will find everything you need to have a competitive advantage in the world of languages. Take advantage and enroll today