International Test of English Proficiency (iTEP) Test-Taking Tips

April 2017

The International Test of English Proficiency or iTEP is offered by iTEP International (formerly Boston
Educational Services). There are many types of iTEP tests. The main tests are the iTEP-Academic-
Plus, a 90 minute test consisting of the following 5 sections, and the iTEP-Academic-Core, a 60
minute test consisting of the first 3 multiple-choice sections:

• Grammar (10 minutes)

o Part 1 – 13 multiple-choice fill-in questions (choose the correct word).
o Part 2 – 12 multiple-choice error identification questions (choose the incorrect word).

• Listening (20 minutes)

o Part 1 – 4 brief conversations, each followed by 1 multiple-choice question.
o Part 2 – 1 three-minute conversation followed by 4 multiple-choice questions.
o Part 3 – 1 four-minute lecture followed by 6 multiple-choice questions.

• Reading (20 minutes)

o Part 1 – 250± word passage with 4 multiple-choice questions.
o Part 2 – 400± word passage with 6 multiple-choice questions. The last question has 3
answers for a total of 8 points for Part 2.

• Writing (25 minutes)

o Part 1 – 5 minutes for a 50-75 word note or correspondence (100 word limit).
o Part 2 – 20 minutes for a 200-250 word opinion (250 word limit).

• Speaking (5 minutes)
o Part 1 – Listen to and read a brief question about something of interest to the you. 30
seconds to prepare a response and 45 seconds to speak.
o Part 2 – Listen to 2 sides of a topic. 45 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak and
present an opinion or argument.

Scoring

The iTEP uses an evaluation scale of 0 to 6.0 for each section of the test. The proficiency level is
determined by the number of correct answers for the multiple-choice sections and the evaluation of
the graders for the Writing and Speaking sections. The Overall iTEP Level is obtained by adding the
proficiency level for each section and dividing by 5 for the iTEP-Plus and dividing by 3 for the iTEP-
Core, which means the sections are equally “weighted”. The following chart summarizes the current
(as of March 2017) interpretation of the Common European Frame of Reference (CEFR) Level for
each iTEP Level.
CEFR Level iTEP Level
C2 Mastery 5.5 – 6.0
C1 Advanced 4.5 – 5.4
B2 Upper Intermediate 3.5 – 4.4
B1 Intermediate 2.5 – 3.4
A2 Elementary 2.0 – 2.4
A1 Beginner 0 – 1.9

The iTEP Academic Ability Guide describes the English proficiency at each level.

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TIP #1: NEVER LEAVE A QUESTION UNANSWERED IN THE MULTIPLE-CHOICE

SECTIONS.
One question can change the Overall Level by 0.1 on the iTEP-Plus or by 0.2 on the iTEP-Core,
which can be the difference between two CEFR levels. For example, the Reading section has 12
questions. On the 0 to 6.0 point scale, each question counts for 0.5 of the score for that section. For
example, 6 correct answers is an iTEP level of 3.0. On the iTEP-Plus the sum of the section scores is
divided by 5 to get the Overall iTEP Level, so each Reading question contributes 0.1 to the Overall
Level. This can be the difference between, say, a B1 Intermediate CEFR level (iTEP Level 2.5) and
an A2 Elementary CEFR level (iTEP Level 2.4).

When a test is finished, the iTEP Score Report is available at the iTEP Results Verification website,
and shows the Overall iTEP Level and how you performed on each section. The Score Report has
charts that show the percent correct for each sub-skill in the multiple-choice sections of the test.
These sub-skills are discussed below for each section of the test.

Grammar Section

You have 10 minutes to answer 25 grammar questions, which is fewer than 25 seconds for each
question. In the Grammar section you can go back to previous questions. To save time some
students skip a hard question and plan to come back when they have answered the rest of questions,
but either run out of time or forget which question they left unanswered.

TIP #2: TAKE YOUR BEST GUESS

If you do not know the answer to a grammar question, take your best guess. Mark the number of the
question on your note paper that you can use during the test. If you have time at the end of the
Grammar section, you can go back to the questions you have marked. If not, at least you answered
every question with a best guess.

Here are the grammar skills you need to know for the test according to the iTEP Sub-Skills:
Description and Examples document:

Verb Forms. You must be able to determine the proper tense to use in a specific sentence. You
must be able to correctly describe an event that occurs in the past, present, or future using the simple,
perfect, or continuous form of the verb.

Example: It would be best for them _________ procrastinating so that they can avoid
feeling stressed over the weekend.
A. stop
B. stopping
C. to stop
D. stops

Example: David often watches television while eat his breakfast.

A. watches
B. television
C. eat
D. his
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Expressing Quantity. These questions test your ability to distinguish between countable and non-
countable nouns and to use the appropriate quantity modifiers. For example, you must choose ‘I like a
lot of salt in my food’ instead of ‘I prefer many salt in my food.’

Example: Popular movie stars are ________ famous than unknown authors.
A. many
B. most
C. more
D. much

Example: There are any new restaurants in town I am hoping to try.

A. There
B. any
C. in town
D. hoping to

Articles & Prepositions. These questions will ask you to use the correct definite or indefinite
article or the correct preposition according to the context of the sentence. You must be familiar with
the basic rules of articles as adjectives and the use of prepositions in phrases and with phrasal verbs.

Example: She is getting married _____ Peter next month.

A. at
B. for
C. to
D. with

Example: Of all the books in his library, his favorite was an old copy of a very first
novel written by Balzac.
A. Of
B. the
C. an
D. a

Pronouns. These questions ask you to select the correct pronoun as it should be used in a specific
sentence. You must be able to identify pronouns as they agree with the subject in both number and,
when applicable, gender. You must also be able to distinguish among subject, object, possessive, and
interrogative pronouns.

Example: We will take ________ car to the park.

A. their
B. theirs
C. they’re
D. there

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Example: Although Rebecca looked for hours, she could not find her Algebra textbook
somewhere.
A. looked
B. hours
C. find
D. somewhere

Conjunctions. These questions test your ability to link two ideas in a sentence. You must be able
to make a distinction between conjunctions that show contrast and ones that indicate agreement.

Example: Becky is leaving her job _________ her master's degree in linguistics.
A. to be pursued
B. in order to pursuing
C. so that she can pursue
D. and were pursuing

Example: I should probably stay home and clean, despite I'd really like to go with you.
A. should
B. stay
C. despite
D. with

Sentence Structure. For these questions you must be able to understand elements of sentence
construction such as sequence and basic idioms. One example might be a comparison question for
which you must recognize the key words or phrases that indicate a comparison is being made. For
this type of question, you must also identify the correct parallel construction that a comparison
sentence requires.

Example: During the class trip to the zoo, Rachael __________ where the monkeys
were.
A. spent the entire time
B. the entire time spent
C. entire the time spent
D. spent time the entire

Example: Most of students reported being displeased with the condition of the
auditorium.
A. Most of
B. reported being
C. condition
D. the auditorium

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Parts of Speech. These questions test your ability to identify and correctly use various indicators
and modifiers such as adjectives and adverbs. You must be able to distinguish, for example, when a
sentence requires an adjective instead of an adverb or which conjunction is most appropriate.

Example: Susan _______ several errors in the report.

A. quickly identified
B. identifying quickly
C. quick identification
D. quick to identify

Example: Whatever you may have heard, their no spaces available in the dance class.
A. Whatever
B. may have
C. their
D. available

TIP #3: READ EACH SENTENCE CAREFULLY

Look for words in the sentence that may determine the correct answer or a word that may be missing.
The additional words are often adjectives or adverbs. In the above example about definite and indefinite
articles, the words ‘very first’ suggest that the definite article ‘the’ be used instead of the indefinite ‘a’:

Of all the books in his library, his favorite was an old copy of a very first novel written by
Balzac.

Another example would be the adverb ‘yesterday’ that requires the past tense of the verb in the following
sentence:
There _______ twelve students who decided to work on the project at lunch
yesterday.
A. is
B. are
C. were
D. was
If the adverb is at the end of a long sentence, it is easy to miss it and to incorrectly select ‘are’ as the
verb.

If a word is missing, it is often a preposition or article that is easy to miss:

Most of students reported being displeased with the condition of the auditorium.
A. Most of
B. reported being
C. condition
D. the auditorium

Missing is the word ‘the’. The correct sentence structure would be ‘Most of the students’ or just ‘Most
students’. If you read the sentence too quickly, you may select another answer.

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Listening Section

The Listening section is both a memory and an English exercise because you see the questions after
you listen to the conversations or lecture. It requires you to take good notes because it is difficult to
remember all of the details. Also, you cannot go back to a question as you can in the Grammar and
Reading sections.

TIP #4: TAKE NOTES, WHEN PERMITTED

It’s easy to forget the English by the time you read the questions. To get a better score, you should
take good notes while listening to the conversations or discussion. Here are the listening skills that
you will be tested on. Examples of the questions are shown, but the correct answers cannot be
shown because there are no audio files to listen to.

Main Idea. You are asked to correctly identify the primary subject of a lecture or the main focus of a
dialogue or conversation between two speakers. You must demonstrate that you can tell the difference
between minor details and the main idea in a lecture or dialogue as illustrated by the following question.

Example: What is Stacy's problem?

A. She doesn't have transportation to a party.
B. She wants to attend two events at the same time.
C. She doesn't know when the debate tournament is.
D. She needs help getting to the debate tournament.

Determining the Purpose. For the conversations (Listening 1 & 2) you will be asked to state the
reason for a particular event in the conversation. For the lecture (Listening Part 3) you will be asked
about the intention of the speaker and why he or she presents information in a certain way.

Example: Why does the speaker mention gorillas?

A. To give an example of a highly intelligent animal that uses tools
B. To identify a type of animal that can be taught how to use tools by humans
C. To show how animals use tools to find food in bodies of water
D. To illustrate how animal families cooperate to transport tools

Making Implications. You will be asked to answer questions for which the answers are not
explicitly expressed. Instead you will need to understand the ‘context’ of the conversation or lecture.
For example, you may have to figure out the relationship of speakers from the way the speakers talk
to each other. Is the relationship peer-to-peer, for example, a pair of students, or is it a student
speaking to a professor?

Example: Which subject are they most likely discussing?

A. French
B. Math
C. History
D. Biology

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Catching Details. These questions test your listening comprehension and recall. The questions
require you to note specific points that are the basis of an exchange, discussion, or lecture. In
Listening Part 1 and 2 (Dialogues), you might be asked to identify a particular topic in the
conversation. In Listening Part 3 (Lecture) you may need to recall a date, reason, or similar detail that
is important in the lecture.

Example: Why will the teacher make a reservation at the hotel?

A. So the party can be held in a large room
B. So the competition can be held in a large room
C. So the team members will have a place to stay
D. So Stacy and her sister will have a place to stay

Connecting Content. These questions test your ability to connect key pieces of information in the
discussion, lecture or dialogue. For these questions you might be asked when or where a particular
event has taken place, even though it was not specifically mentioned in the conversation.

Example: How are monotremes different from dinosaurs?

A. They are all herbivores.
B. They have a longer lifespan.
C. They evolved before dinosaurs.
D. They carry their eggs in pouches.

Reading Section

TIP #5: READ THE QUESTIONS FIRST

You don’t have to read the articles in both Part 1 and Part 2 before reading the questions. You can
read the articles or parts of the articles as you read the questions and look for the answers in the
articles, which can save time.

Here are the reading skills that are tested. For some of the skills, examples of the questions are
shown but the correct answers cannot be shown because the articles are not provided. Two of the
skills, Sequencing and Main Idea, have examples that include enough text to show the correct
answers.

Detail. These questions measure your ability to identify significant points that form the author’s
thesis. You must be able to understand the details and how they support the main point of the article.

Example: According to Paragraph 2, how were taxes computed under Darius the
Great in the Persian Empire?
A. Each region had to pay equal amounts of silver and gold.
B. Larger regions paid more taxes than smaller ones.
C. Regions paid taxes according to their local resources or wealth.
D. Each region could choose to pay in gold or crops.

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Vocabulary. Testing more than simply the standard definition of a word, vocabulary questions test
your ability to determine the meaning of a word as it is used in a distinct context. Vocabulary
questions don’t simply ask for the standard definition of a word, but also for how that word is used to
convey an important concept.

Example: In the passage, the word "yield" means:

A. Give way
B. Harvest
C. Surrender
D. Enter

Synthesis. For these questions you must consider the relationships between key points in an
author’s thesis and determine what purpose each point serves to communicate the author’s argument.
To answer these questions correctly, you must be able to take apart and re-connect pertinent
information as presented in the passage. Essentially these are the why questions, asking you ‘why
does the author add this particular point’ or ‘why does the author mention…’?

Example: According to the passage, what is one way that dolphins exhibit social
behavior?
A. They are aggressive toward researchers.
B. They live in groups called pods.
C. They swim to the surface to breathe.
D. They make unique whistle sounds.

Sequencing. You must choose where to insert one additional sentence into a paragraph. To
answer these questions correctly, you must demonstrate a fundamental understanding of how to
construct a coherent paragraph in English by properly adding an important point in the proper position
in the paragraph.

Example: Click on a circle [●] to insert the new sentence into the passage:

Though the surfaces may vary in different parts of the world, the goal is essentially the
same: get the marble in the hole.

Other popular versions of the game are played in different variations around the world.
●In a game known as 'Grids' in the United Kingdom, players try to land their marbles
into a hole. ●In Canada, players use the heel of their foot to make a hole. ●The
players use their feet to shoot the marbles into the hole. In Taiwan the game involves
a course containing five holes, and is usually played on hard-packed clay ground.●

The new sentence fits best at the last circle because it concludes the topic after the examples
that are given. Also, if the new sentence was inserted at the first circle (the next best choice),
the following sentence would read better if it also said ‘into the hole’ rather than ‘into a hole.’

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Main Idea. These questions test your ability to determine the primary focus of a particular passage.
You must understand the author’s main position and separate it from minor, supporting points. You
must also be able to separate the main point from lesser details.

Example: According to the passage, what helps a Marbles player to win?

A. Being able to shoot marbles a great distance
B. Knocking marbles out of holes
C. Developing strategies for shooting marbles
D. Aiming one's marbles toward a target

Here is an example of the Part 2 Main Idea question that has 3 answers:

The following is a sentence that begins a summary of the main points of the passage:
Germany is pioneering a major transformation it calls the energiewende—an energy
transition that scientists say all nations must complete to avert a climate disaster.

Continue the summary by choosing 3 of the 6 sentences below that best represent the MAIN points
in the passage. Mark 3 answers by selecting the appropriate checkboxes. To change an answer, click
again on that checkbox to remove the check mark.
1. Germany is the world’s fourth largest economy and has promised to make some of the most
aggressive emission cuts by 2050.
2. In 2016 about 34% of its electricity was generated from renewable sources such as wind,
water, and solar power compared to only 6% in 2000.
3. Germany’s change from nuclear to renewable power accelerated after the 2011 meltdown at
Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant.
4. Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that Germany would shut all 17 of its nuclear reactors by
2022.
5. What makes Germany so important to the world, however, is the question of whether it can
continue to lead the retreat from fossil fuels.
6. Compared to the Apollo moon landing that took less than a decade and involved only a few
Americans, the energiewende will take much longer and will involve every single German—a
project for a generation.

TIP #6: In selecting 3 out of the 6 sentences that best represent the Main Idea, focus on
the main points of the passage, differences between supporting details and the Main
Idea, the Main Idea expressed in different words, and the author’s purpose:
• Sentence 1 provides miscellaneous information that is not about the energy transition.
• Sentence 2 continues the summary with data that supports the Main Idea and explains what
the energy transition consists of.
• Sentence 3 is a detail that, while informative, is not as good at summarizing the passage as
the other sentences.
• Sentence 4 is a detail that also is not as good at summarizing the Main Idea.
• Sentence 5 repeats the main idea of energy transition in different words – retreat from fossil
fuels – and describes the challenge.
• Sentence 6 is a good concluding sentence about the Main Idea and its challenge.

Which sentences best summarize the Main Idea?

#2, #5, and #6 summarize and expand upon the Main Idea. The language flows nicely.
#1, #3 and #4 primarily provide supporting details.

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Writing Section

There are no shortcuts to writing well. The best way to prepare for the Writing section is to practice in
advance by writing letters, stories, and reports and correcting your errors.

TIP #7: WRITE SHORT SENTENCES.

Instead of using too many conjunctions like ‘and’, ‘or’, & ‘because’, end a statement with a period and
start a new sentence. Avoiding long sentences makes it easier for the reader to understand what you
have written.

TIP #8: CHOOSE WORDS THAT YOU KNOW.

You get to pick which words to write, and there are different ways to say the same thing. For
example, you can say “I did not remember …” instead of “I forgot …”

Speaking Section
TIP #9: KEEP TALKING.

Silence is deadly when you are being recorded. Part 2 is the toughest part of the Speaking section
because you don’t get to read the question. You hear it only once, and you may not understand what
was said. The question will present two sides of an issue and ask for your opinion. At least try to
identify the issue and the keyword associated with each side. If you don’t understand the issue or
don’t have an opinion, you can still take the minute to talk about it. For example, if the question is
about taxes and you don’t know about taxes, you could respond by saying:

Whether a country should use an income tax or a sales tax to raise money is an
important issue. I don’t know much about taxes and hope to learn more about them in
my studies. I like the way that taxes in Mexico are included in the price of an item. If
the price is 100 pesos, I know that I will be paying 100 pesos and not some additional
amount. I know that money is deducted from my weekly paycheck. Both ways of
collecting taxes are probably necessary, but as I said, I don’t know which approach
may be better or fairer.

You didn’t answer the question, but you showed that you understood the question and mentioned the
keywords ‘income tax’ and ‘sales tax’. Then you said enough about the topic to enable the grader to
score your English. Saying what you don’t know and what you would like to learn more about is better
than saying nothing.

TIP #10: AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR NOTE PAPER, CREATE AN OUTLINE FOR THE
PART 2 SPEAKING QUESTION.

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Write the following at the bottom of your note paper:

issue:
keywords:
opinion:
example 1:
example 2:
example 3:
example 4:
In conclusion,

You have 45 seconds to prepare your answer. When it is time to speak and you see the clock ticking
away, you may get nervous and forget something you want to say or you may ramble in your
response. An outline will help you organize your response.

For example, if the opinion question is about the internet, the outline may look like:
issue: internet
keywords: useful dangerous
opinion: Internet can be both useful and dangerous
example 1: stay in touch with friends – social media
example 2: get info on topics, online purchases,
example 3: accounts get hacked
example 4: lose privacy
In conclusion, I think the internet is more useful than dangerous

When it is time to speak, use the outline as a reminder about what to say. You may think of more
examples to support your opinion, but at least you won’t forget the ones you listed. When the clock
shows 10 seconds left, you immediately end by saying, “In conclusion”, and use the last few seconds
to say your conclusion.

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