PURPOSE OF THE TEPS
TEST STRUCTURE
TEPS, the Test of English Proficiency in South Korea, was designed by Seoul National University to test examinees' proficiency in practical English, meaning English used in every-day and real-life academic contexts. A high score equates to a high ability in practical language skills from carrying simple conversations to complicated discourse . The administrators of the test, the TEPS Council, claim that the test accurately reflects proficiency because the questions replicate a wide-range of environments in which English is used and also requires both speed and accuracy to succeed.
TEPS is used to score applicants applying for admission into higher education and can be used for work-related purposes as well. In general, applicants range from college students to working adults. Listed below are some of the ways TEPS is used:
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Undergraduate/Graduate schools admissions (Seoul National 551, Korea U, Yonsei, etc.)
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Graduation requirement for university
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Recruitment in professional occupations
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members of the judiciary, foreign affairs and public administrators, etc.
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Employee performance and development of English skills
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used in selection of diplomats in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
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Overseas Dispatch Trainee selection in government programs
For more information, feel free to review the TEPS Council Brochure linked here.
TEPS is made up of 4 sections: Listening, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Reading. In total, the test is 2hrs 20 min long and contains 200 questions.
LISTENING
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Uses a variety of situations and topics to simulate everyday conditions test takers may face
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Requires a test taker to identify main ideas, find correct details, and make valid inferences.
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Divded into four subsections of 15 questions each:
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Listen to a STATEMENT and choose the best respone.
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Listen to a SHORT CONVERSATION and choose the best response.
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Listen to a LONG CONVERSATION and answer the question.
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Listen to a MONOLOGUE (lectures, broadbasts, advertisements, announcements) and answer the question.
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All listening comprehension questions are presented orally.
GRAMMAR
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Emphasizes a test taker’s ability to apply grammar skills in real- life situations, rather than focusing on memorized grammar rules or principles.
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Avoids non-practical sentences for questions; instead, adopts real language that native speakers would naturally use
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Time constraint of 30 seconds per question, which helps measure a test taker’s true ability to apply grammar knowledge in real-life situations
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Divided into 4 subsections:
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Given a CONVERSATION, fill in the blank = 20 questions
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Given a STATEMENT, fill in the blank = 20 questions
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Identify the awkward or ungrammatical expression in a CONVERSATION = 5 questions
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Identify the awkward or ungrammatical expression in a PASSAGE = 5 questions
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VOCABULARY
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Measures a test taker’s ability to use vocabulary in authentic and practical contexts
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Tests knowledge of collocations in order to measure the ability to distinguish between synonyms, related words, and words the look similar.
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Asked to fill in the blank with the word that best fits the sentence or conversation.
READING
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Set of reading skills required for the TEPS reading comprehension section is identical to that required for reading tasks in everyday, academic, and work contexts
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Given one minute to read each short, self-contained passage and answer one, single question based on it
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Advice: because of limited time and variety of topics covered, it is not possible to answer the questions with rote memorization or test-wise strategies.
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Divided into 3 sections:
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Complete the passage = 16 questions
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Read the passage and answer the question = 21 questions
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Read the passage and identify what does not belong = 3 questions
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total time: 55 min
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# of questions: 60
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total points: 400
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total time: 25 min
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# of questions: 50
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total points: 100
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total time: 15 min
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# of questions: 50
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total points: 100
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total time: 45 min
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# of questions: 40
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total points: 400
TEPS scores based on the Item Response Theory (IRT) method, meaning that diffcult questions are worth more points than easier ones . Therefore, proficiency is based on how many questions are correctly answered as well as how difficult they are.
TEPS scores are categorized by 10 levels of proficiency on a scale of 1-5 (1 being the highest):
(table taken from TEPS Council Brochure)
SCORING
