SPEAK, ELPT, and TAPE Class Procedures

What Our Students Say Conditional Undergraduate Admission TOEFL Linguistics/ TESL at Iowa Photo Gallery	Guidelines for the SPEAK Test If you would like to become a TA, your first step is to contact the department where you wish to be a TA. If they are interested in hiring you, they will complete a three-part carbonless Request for Evaluation for TA Certification form and send it to ESL Programs. (Request forms can be obtained by contacting the ESL Programs Office.) If the ESL Programs office has received the necessary form from your department, you will receive a letter informing you that you need to officially register for the SPEAK test. The letter will be sent to your department mailbox, not to your home. You will be told to come to 1112 University Capitol Centre the day before your scheduled SPEAK test to register for a specific time to take the test. On the day before the test, you will sign up for a specific time and we will inform you of the location of the test and answer questions you may have. If you would like to see sample SPEAK test questions, please visit the ETS website. Click here for detailed information about the SPEAK test and how it is scored. When you take the SPEAK test, you will be told when the results will be available. Come to 1112 University Capitol Centre on that day to check your results. The ELPT is given on the day after you receive your results. If you score 50 or 55 on the SPEAK test but do not come in on the assigned day to check your results, you will miss the ELPT and have to wait until the next test date. If you score a 50 or 55 on the SPEAK test, sign up immediately for the ELPT. (The ELPT is a lecture test during which a student gives a ten- to fifteen-minute presentation on the topic of his or her choice). If it is important that you take the ELPT at a certain time of day, come as early as possible to check your results, as more time slots will be available. A photo ID is required to register for the tests, to take the tests, and to pick up results. NO EXCEPTIONS will be made. If you do not bring an ID, you will not be allowed to test or pick up results. A student ID, driver's license, and passport are all acceptable forms of ID. Students who score 60 on the SPEAK test are not required to take the ELPT. They are fully certified TAs and are able to assume full responsibility for a lecture or discussion class.

If you would like to become a TA, your first step is to contact the department where you wish to be a TA. If they are interested in hiring you, they will complete a three-part carbonless Request for Evaluation for TA Certification form and send it to ESL Programs. (Request forms can be obtained by contacting the ESL Programs Office.)

If the ESL Programs office has received the necessary form from your department, you will receive a letter informing you that you need to officially register for the SPEAK test. The letter will be sent to your department mailbox, not to your home. You will be told to come to 1112 University Capitol Centre the day before your scheduled SPEAK test to register for a specific time to take the test.

On the day before the test, you will sign up for a specific time and we will inform you of the location of the test and answer questions you may have.

If you would like to see sample SPEAK test questions, please visit the ETS website.

Click here for detailed information about the SPEAK test and how it is scored.

When you take the SPEAK test, you will be told when the results will be available. Come to 1112 University Capitol Centre on that day to check your results. The ELPT is given on the day after you receive your results. If you score 50 or 55 on the SPEAK test but do not come in on the assigned day to check your results, you will miss the ELPT and have to wait until the next test date.

If you score a 50 or 55 on the SPEAK test, sign up immediately for the ELPT. (The ELPT is a lecture test during which a student gives a ten- to fifteen-minute presentation on the topic of his or her choice). If it is important that you take the ELPT at a certain time of day, come as early as possible to check your results, as more time slots will be available.

A photo ID is required to register for the tests, to take the tests, and to pick up results. NO EXCEPTIONS will be made. If you do not bring an ID, you will not be allowed to test or pick up results. A student ID, driver's license, and passport are all acceptable forms of ID.

Students who score 60 on the SPEAK test are not required to take the ELPT. They are fully certified TAs and are able to assume full responsibility for a lecture or discussion class.