As determined by the UCI Graduate Division, all graduate students, except those who have earned an undergraduate degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Higher Education Database, are required to demonstrate oral English proficiency before they are appointed to Teaching Assistant or Teaching Associate titles. The aforementioned exception will apply only when the undergraduate degree has been earned within five years prior to admission to a graduate program at UCI.
In order to establish eligibility for appointment as a UCI Teaching Assistant (TA) or Teaching Associate, students are required to pass a campus-approved test, or if eligible, by an exception.
For more detailed information on these exams of spoken English proficiency, including the respective passing scores and how to determine if a student is eligible for an exemption, please review the English Proficiency Chart.
Campus Approved Tests and Passing Scores
- Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Testing (TOEFL iBT) is administered by ETS in U.S. centers and abroad (Passing Score: 26 on the speaking section)
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is available in over 140 countries including the U.S. (Passing Score: 8 on the speaking section)
- Spoken Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) is available at UCI only after a student is admitted (Passing Score: 50)
- The Test of Oral English Proficiency (TOEP) is a speaking exam administered by the Program in Global Languages & Communication at UCI (Passing Score: 5)
Exception to the Policy
A student earned an undergraduate degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Higher Education Database within five years prior to admission to a graduate program at UCI.
Exemption to the Policy
Students who have received an undergraduate degree in an institution with English as its sole language of instruction and who are more than five years beyond degree may request an exemption in the form of an alternative assessment, called the Oral Screening. The Oral Screening is free and short (only about 5 minutes long) and it is administered and scored quickly. The graduate program requesting an exemption for a graduate student should email TOEP@uci.edu with the following information:
(1) the student’s information (name, UCI ID number, email address) and
(2) confirmation that the student has received an undergraduate degree in an institution with English as its sole language of instruction and is more than five years beyond degree.
The staff in the Program in Global Languages and Communication will then contact the student directly to set up an appointment for an Oral Screening, which will be assessed by instructors or academic coordinators in the Program in Global Languages and Communication.
Do You Still Have Questions?
Please contact UCI Graduate Division: