Language assessments
The language assessment process helps ensure that all international students who speak English as an additional language and are appointed to teaching assistantships meet the expectations for oral English proficiency in an academic environment set by the Office of the Provost so that they can move on rapidly to the focus of their teaching and studies at Cornell.
Below you will find a description of the language assessment process. For specific information about language assessments for students or program administrators please follow these links:
Information for students | Information for DGSs & GFAs | How to schedule your assessment | Understanding your language assessment results
About the language assessment
The Office of the Provost requires all first-time teaching assistants from a country where English is not the first language to demonstrate a minimum level of oral proficiency via a language assessment. Students who have earned a TOEFL iBT speaking score of 28 or higher or an IELTS speaking score of 8.5 or higher can be exempt from this requirement.
Scheduling an assessment
For details on scheduling an assessment, including the calendar of upcoming assessment dates, please see How to schedule an assessment.
Understanding assessment results
To learn more about what your assessment rating means, and your eligibility to teach, please see, Understanding your assessment results.
Please contact the ITAP team with any questions about language assessments.