Welcome to the Oxford Test of English Advanced
The Oxford Test of English Advanced is a 100% online, flexible, fast English assessment solution for test takers who want to prove their English proficiency at a higher level for professional or academic opportunities:
The only suite of English proficiency tests certified by the University of Oxford.
Secure, individualised digital experience in your choice of Approved Test Centre.
Accurately measures B2 to C1 (CEFR) general English proficiency, to give results you can trust.
Same day results for Reading and Listening. Speaking and Writing results within 5 days.
Overview of the Oxford Test of English Advanced
The Oxford Test of English, Oxford Test of English for Schools, and Oxford Test of English Advanced consist of four modules: Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing. The Listening and Reading modules are computer-adaptive, whereas the Speaking and Writing modules are randomized with questions selected at random from the item bank. The Speaking and Writing modules are marked by trained, expert examiners. The table below shows the approximate length, number of parts, structure and content in each module for the Oxford Test of English Advanced.
The Speaking module has five parts. It takes approximately 15 minutes.
| Part | Task type | Number of questions | Task format | Testing focus | Detailed timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Interview | 6 (first 2 questions not marked) | Answer questions on everyday topics |
| 2 questions x 10 seconds; 4 questions x30 seconds to answer |
| Part 2 | Voice message | 1 | Leave a voice message to respond to a difficult or sensitive situation |
| 10 seconds to prepare, 40 seconds to answer |
| Part 3 | Summary | 1 | Summarize and synthesize the main ideas expressed by two different speakers talking about the same topic |
| 40 seconds to prepare, 50 seconds to answer |
| Part 4 | Debate | 1 | Put a case for or against a proposition using two or three of the ideas provided |
| 45 seconds to prepare, 2 minutes to answer |
| Part 5 | Follow-up questions | 4 | Respond to questions to expand on the topics raised in the debate |
| 4 questions x 40 seconds to answer |
The Listening module has four parts. It takes approximately 35 minutes. Test takers can listen to each audio twice.
| Part | Task type | Number of questions | Task format | Testing focus | Detailed timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Part 1 | Multiple choice with picture options OR text options | 5 | Short monologues or dialogues each with one 3-option multiple-choice question with picture options OR with text options |
| time to answer = length of audio plus an additional 10 seconds |
| *Part 2 | Note- completion | 5 or 6 | Longer monologue with a note-completion task with five 3-option multiple-choice questions OR with six gaps to fill |
| time to read the task = 30 seconds; time to answer = length of audio plus an additional 15 seconds |
| *Part 3 | Matching | 5 or 6 | Longer dialogue with multiple-choice questions to match opinions to the people who express them |
| time to read the task = 30 seconds; time to answer = length of audio plus an additional 15 seconds |
| Part 4 | Multiple-choice with text options | 5 | Short monologues/dialogues, each with one 3-option multiple-choice question with text options |
| time to answer = length of audio plus an additional 10 seconds |
* In these parts of the Listening module the task type and number of questions that the test taker gets will depend on their level.
The Reading module has four parts. It takes up to 35 minutes.
| Part | Task type | Number of questions | Task format | Testing focus | Detailed timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Multiple-choice questions on short texts | 6 | Multiple-choice questions on short texts from a variety of sources, including adverts, blogs, emails, letters, notices, literary extracts, and journal extracts | Careful local and global reading:
| 6 questionsx 1 minute20 seconds |
| *Part 2 | Multiple- matching | 6 or 7 | Multiple-matching task with six profiles to match to four longer texts OR seven questions to match to three longer texts | Expeditious search reading at local and global levels:
| 8 minutes |
| Part 3 | Gapped text | 6 | Gapped text task with extracted sentences to be inserted into a longer text | Careful global reading:
| 11 minutes |
| *Part 4 | Multiple-choice questions on a longer text | 4 or 5 | Multiple-choice questions on a longer text | Careful local and global reading:
| 8 minutes |
* In these parts of the Reading module the task type and number of questions that the test taker gets will depend on their level.
The Writing module has two parts. It takes up to 50 minutes. The tasks in both parts are compulsory.
| Part | Task type | Number of questions | Task format | Testing focus | Detailed timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Essay | 1 | Write an essay of 220–280 words in response to an essay question, including at least two out of three ideas provided |
| 30 minutes |
| Part 2 | Summary | 1 | Write a summary of 80–100 words synthesizing the main ideas from a textbook extract and a lecture transcripton the same subject |
| 20 minutes |
Get ready for the exam!
Preparation materials
Download free practice tests, audioscripts, and audio files for the Oxford Test of English.
How the test was developed
Our team of education, language, and assessment experts at Oxford University Press designed and developed the Oxford Test of English Advanced taking great care at each stage to ensure reliability, accuracy, and alignment to the CEFR, including the new and updated descriptors in the CEFR Companion volume. This alignment with international standards leads to robust quality assurance processes:
- Test questions trialed with various language groups to ensure the questions are fair, valid, and reliable
- Our processes are audited by the University of Oxford
