BEST Test of English Proficiency - website

About the Test

• What is the difference between BESTEP and other tests of English Proficiency in the market?

  ● The BESTEP is designed to meet the needs of college and university students for further education and employment. BESTEP aims to understand the current English proficiency of college students, track their learning, and provide feedback to the teaching of English courses in colleges and universities, driving the cycle of testing, teaching, learning, and employment in a positive direction.

  ● Other English tests in the market are not developed for higher education contexts, and do not correspond with domestic academic English/workplace competencies. The BESTEP is the first of its kind to be developed specifically for domestic higher education and related contexts. It is an English proficiency test for domestic academic programs. The communication skills tested can be linked to the needs of further education and workplace (please refer to the following questions for details).

  ● We emphasize the concept of "learning-oriented assessment". For example, in an attempt to help enhance students' motivation to plan their own learning, the test taker’s score report provides not only the overall score of the test but also the achievement rate of each component and the descriptors of the competency, which is rare for large standardized tests.

• BESTEP and CEFR

  Please visit: CEFR Video

• What is the content of the test? How does the test relate to college students’ academic studies and job applications?

  This test is designed to measure the core English communication competency required in colleges and universities and under related contexts. The speaking test, for example, includes such functions as answering questions, giving a presentation while the writing test includes such functions as expressing opinions, writing an integrated essay. All questions are designed according to clear competency indicators and real-life communication situations, with difficulty levels ranging from CEFR A (Elementary) to C (Advanced). The aim is to motivate students to apply what they have learned in their regular English courses to achieve common listening, reading, speaking and writing communication tasks. The communication language functions measured in this test are also applicable to workplace situations that college and university students often encounter, such as answering questions in English, capturing the main points of graphs, integrating graphical information, and expressing opinions to agree or disagree. The English communication skills tested are essential not only for further education but also for internship and employment in the workplace.

• How are the tests administered?

  The listening & reading and writing tests are paper-based.
  The speaking test is administered in an audio-visual or a computer classroom where each test taker sits in front of a computer and all test takers are recorded at the same time.

• Are there any restrictions on eligibility?

  This test will be first launched for the colleges and universities participating in the campus-based program.

• What are the test results used for?

  The results of this test can be used to understand a test taker's current English proficiency, track their learning, and serve as an indicator of their English proficiency prior to graduation as well as for purposes related to further education and employment.

Membership Q&A

• How do I apply for a member account?

  Please click "Test Registration / Register now" on the home page of the official website for the test, and follow the steps to enter your information and complete the verification.

• What should I do if I don't receive a verification email after applying for an account and thus cannot complete the verification?

  Failure to receive the verification email may be due to the following reasons. We remind you to
  (1) check the Junk mailbox of your email;
  (2) make sure that your email inbox is working (whether the mailbox is full).
  If you have tried the two steps above and still do not receive the verification email, please call the LTTC during office hours (Mon. to Fri. 08:00 ~ 17:00) for assistance.

• What should I do if I forget my password?

  After becoming a member, you can reset your password by using the "Forgot Password" button. Click "Forgot Password" and follow the instructions to enter your registered email address. A verification letter will be sent to your email address. Click the link on the received email to reset the password.

• What else should I pay attention to after becoming a member?

  After becoming a member:
  (1) Log in to change your password and edit your information. If you have taken the test before, you can check your test record.
  (2) After logging in and registering for the test, you can check your registration information during the registration period. You can download Test notices and check your test results.

Registration Q&A

• How do I register?

  You can only register for the test online.

• Can I take this test if I am not a college student?

  This test is mainly organized for colleges or universities participating in our campus test session.

• Can I register for sessions other than the one in my university?

  Test takers can only take the test at the university they attend; therefore, please check first to see if the test is available at your university.

Before the test Q&A

• When will the test date and test venue be announced?

  Email and SMS will be sent 7 days before the test to remind test takers to go online to check and print out the Test Notice.

• How long does the test take?
  • The total test time for the listening & reading tests is approximately 110 minutes (including the ID check and the distribution and collection of test papers), with no break between the two tests. The actual answering time for the listening test is approximately 35 minutes and for the reading test, 50 minutes.
  • The total test time for the writing test is approximately one hour (including the ID check and the distribution and collection of test papers). The actual answering time is 50 minutes.
  • The total test time for the speaking test is approximately one hour (including the ID check and the distribution and collection of test papers). The actual answering time is 15 minutes. Due to the limited number of audio-visual/computer classrooms, the speaking test will be held in separate sessions.
  • The sessions will be arranged depending on the number of test takers and the chosen tests. Please refer to the Admission Ticket for the exact time of your speaking test session, and please plan a full day for the test.
• Are there resources available for preparing the test?

  Please refer to the "Teaching and Learning Resources" section.

On Test Day Q&A

• What documents/stationery do I need to bring on the day of the test?

  You should bring the original copy of your national ID card (or driver's license, or valid passport, or student card plus your National Health Insurance card). Please bring a black ballpoint pen and correction tape for the speaking and writing tests, and a 2B pencil and an eraser for the listening and reading test. Also, it is recommended that you prepare an analog or a digital watch to monitor the allotted time for each part of the test.

• Can those who do not bring their qualification documents be admitted to the test?

  If you do not have a valid national ID card, you must first go to the Test Center Office to apply for additional identity verification before you are allowed to take the test. The verification must be completed on the same day; otherwise, the test will not be scored.

• Are cellphones, smart watches, and other similar electronic devices allowed in the test room?

  You may bring such devices into the test room, but you must cancel the alarm setting. You must turn off the power before entering the room rather than just switching it to airplane or silent mode. After entering the room, you must place it at the front of the classroom. It will be considered a violation of test regulations if you carry the device to your seat.

• If I am late, can I still take the test?

  You will not be allowed to enter the test room later than 10 minutes after the start of each session.

• Can I take notes on the test papers?

  Yes. During the tests, you may use the blank spaces in the test papers for note taking. But please note the following: Copying test questions or making marks on any other items/body parts other than the test papers is not allowed and violates the test regulations, and any attempts to do so will result in your test not being scored.

Test Results Q&A

• Score Report/Certificate Sample.
  • Score Report Sample

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  • Certificate Sample

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• When will the results be announced?

  The results of the listening & reading test will be released approximately 3 to 4 weeks after the test.
  The results of the writing and speaking test will be released approximately 6 to 8 weeks after the test.

• How are the writing and speaking tests scored?

  The writing and speaking tests are marked manually. The responses from each test taker will be scored by two trained and qualified raters (English professional teachers from domestic universities, including those with Academic English teaching experiences) based on the writing and speaking scoring standards of this test. The test will be rated according to score bands based on three parts. The focus for the scoring includes topic relevance and language performance (vocabulary, grammar, fluency, organization, coherence, etc.).
  The first part of the writing and speaking tests are rated between score bands 0-5; and the second and third part of the tests are rated between score bands 0-6. If the score difference between the two raters is within one band, the average of the two score bands will be taken as the score band of that part. After converting the score bands into scale scores, the scores of each part will be summed to get the final score, with a full score of 360. If the scores from the two raters differ more than one score band on any part of the test, then that part will be scored by a senior rater for a third mark. The test scale of this test corresponds to the CEFR and is intended to be used as a reference for students and schools to evaluate their language proficiency and testing needs.
  All raters are required to receive training before the official scoring of the writing and speaking tests begins. We will monitor the scoring speed, scoring amount and the stability of the raters during the scoring period (including whether different raters mark the same test taker with a consistent score and whether a rater scores the same test taker with consistent score at a different time period) and confirm that all raters are able to apply the scoring standards stably.

• Do you provide a score report/certificate? How do I obtain one?

  All test takers who have taken the test without committing any violations of the test regulations will receive score reports; certificates will require a separate application.

• What should I do if I don’t receive my score report?

  Score reports are sent by registered mail, and the date of dispatch can be found in the Latest News. Unclaimed or undeliverable score reports will be returned to our center.
  Returned score reports can be resent once free of charge. To request that a returned score report be resent, please file an inquiry/application by email. (If you intend to change the mailing address, please email your request from the same email address you provided at registration.)

  Please note that the returned score reports will be retained for one year, after which they will be destroyed without prior notice. Thank you for your attention.

• What is the valid period for the score?

  The required passing scores, recognition of the test, and the duration of the validity of the test results are set accordingly by the institutions that accept the BESTEP. In addition to score reports, test takers may apply for certificates if needed.
  The score reports and certificates will remain valid in perpetuity. Please keep them in a safe place. However, the test results will be retained for only two years. No requests for additional score reports or certificates will be honored beyond this period.

• If I have doubts about my test results, can I request a re-mark?

  If you want to apply for a re-mark, please go to the "Score Review" and submit your application within 10 working days of the date of the announcement of the result; otherwise, we will not accept your application.

• How do I apply for certificate?

  Test takers may apply for certificates within 2 years of the test date as needed, and scores from different test dates within the two-year period can be combined. For detailed information regarding the fees and application processing time, please see the "Score Certificates" page.