Testing on the Telephone

Testing the language skills of students over the telephone represents a convenient way to assess proficiency in spoken English. So say hello to the PhonePass test, a new method of performing language evaluation tasks within the limits of a ten-minute phone call.

The testing service, launched by Ordinate Corporation earlier this year, establishes a higher level of convenience and cost-efficiency for language testing services. Administered by a computer, the PhonePass test measures English speaking and listening skills in a test that is available on demand round-the-clock from anywhere in the world.

Based on Ordinate's speech recognition technology, the PhonePass test offers highly accurate test scores, which are available immediately in a variety of convenient formats. At a cost of less than $50 per test, the PhonePass test offers industry and education a simple and affordable way to determine the level at which a person can speak and understand everyday English.

The PhonePass test is targeted at a wide variety of industries and English language-critical professions, such as security guards and medical personnel, as well as secondary, post-secondary and adult education.

The service has undergone extensive validation site testing during the past 14 months at academic institutions including Iowa State University, Sapporo International College in Japan, Stanford University, the University of Bologna in Italy and the University of Pennsylvania.