English Language
Examination Center

Trinity College London is a leading internationally recognised awarding organisation and independent education charity that has been providing assessments around the world since 1877. We specialise in the assessment of communicative and performance skills covering music, drama, combined arts and English language. With over 850,000 candidates a year in more than 60 countries worldwide, Trinity qualifications are specifically designed to help students progress. Our aim is to inspire teachers and learners through the creation of assessments that are enjoyable to prepare for, rewarding to teach and that develop the skills needed in real life.

At the heart of Trinity’s work is the belief that effective communicative and performance skills are life enhancing, know no boundaries and should be within reach of us all. We exist to promote and foster the best possible communicative and performance skills through assessment, content and training that is innovative, personal and authentic.

About Trinity’s English language exams

Trinity’s exams in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) are organised into four suites. These share a common philosophy, but provide different learners with the opportunity to choose a qualification which most suits their individual needs.

International ESOL exams — available worldwide:
◗  Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE)
◗  Integrated Skills in English (ISE) exams

Graded Examinations in Spoken English
(GESE)

GESE (Graded Examinations in Spoken English) is a practical, one-to-one spoken English test offered by Trinity College London. Designed to assess real-life communication skills, GESE focuses on the ability to interact naturally and meaningfully in English. Conducted face-to-face with a professional Trinity examiner, the exam offers a supportive environment for candidates to demonstrate their speaking and listening abilities across a wide range of everyday topics.

With 12 progressive levels from Pre-A1 to C2, GESE provides a clear and accessible pathway for learners at every stage of their language journey. It is internationally recognized and trusted by employers, education providers, and governments for immigration, study, and professional development purposes.

Communicative Competence – Focuses on real-life communication rather than memorisation.
12 Discrete Levels – A clear progressive pathway from Pre-A1 to C2, ensuring structured language development.

Development of 21st Century Skills – Encourages critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving through meaningful discussion.

Personalised & Flexible – Candidates discuss familiar topics and select themes, making the exam more engaging and relevant.

International Recognition – Accepted by governments, institutions, and employers worldwide for education, work, and visa requirements.

One-to-One Format – Provides a supportive environment with a professional examiner, reducing test anxiety.

Fast & Reliable Results – Quick turnaround times with clear and detailed feedback on performance.

Aligned with the CEFR – Matches the Common European Framework of Reference for easy comparability with other qualifications.

Aim:
Trinity’s Graded Examinations in Spoken English provide a reliable and valid scheme of assessment through which learners and teachers can measure progress and development, whether for educational and vocational purposes or as a leisure activity.

Framework:
This series of 12 progressively graded exams is designed for speakers of languages other than English and sets realistic objectives in listening to and speaking with English speakers. The 12 grades provide a continuous measure of linguistic competence and take the learner from absolute beginner (Grade 1) to full mastery (Grade 12).
A major benefit of a graded exam system is that it provides a motivational tool with which to encourage learners to develop and progress by acknowledging small steps. All learners make progress at different rates, and a graded system ensures that at every stage of their development there is an opportunity for them to mark that progress.

Exam format:
The exams take the form of a one-to-one oral assessment between the candidate and an examiner. This is available in three delivery modes: face-to-face with a visiting examiner, online in registered centres or, for Grades 1 to 4 only, online at home. The exam at each stage, and with increasing demands at each grade, replicates real-life exchanges in which the candidate and the examiner pass on information, share ideas and opinions and debate topical issues.

The 12 Graded Examinations in Spoken English are organised in four development stages. The four stages are designed to give a framework to the teaching and learning progression, and the tasks in the different stages are designed to allow candidates to demonstrate their abilities in a number of different discourse types.

◗ At the Initial stage (Grades 1–3) the conduct of the exam is initiated by the examiner. Grades 2 and 3 have been mapped to the first common reference level (Basic User) in the Common European Framework of Reference.

◗ At the Elementary stage (Grades 4–6) the candidate introduces a topic of his or her own choice. The examiner directs the discussion using the points prepared by the candidate. Then the examiner moves on to the Conversation phase, selecting two subject areas for discussion from the list provided. Exams at the Elementary stage provide a bridge from the first to the second common reference level (Basic User to Independent User) in the Common European Framework of Reference.

◗ At the Intermediate stage (Grades 7–9) the candidate initiates and maintains a discussion on a topic of his or her own choice. This is followed by the interactive task initiated by the examiner and then maintained by the candidate, and the exam ends with a conversation on two subject areas selected by the examiner from the list provided. Exams at the Intermediate stage have been mapped to the second common reference level (Independent User) in the Common European Framework of Reference.

◗ At the Advanced stage (Grades 10–12) the exam begins with a formal presentation of a topic leading into a candidate-led discussion of the presentation. The candidate-controlled interactive task is followed by the listening task, and the exam ends with a conversation on two subject areas selected by the examiner from one of the lists provided. Exams at the Advanced stage have been mapped to the third common reference level (Proficient User) in the Common European Framework of Reference.

Integrated Skills in English
(ISE)

ISE Digital is Trinity's innovative, fully digital English language exam, designed for modern learners who need a recognised qualification to support their education, career, or visa applications. Delivered 100% online, ISE Digital assesses real-world communication skills in Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening, ensuring candidates can confidently use English in academic and professional settings. I have attached the Teacher's guide for your reference.

100% Online – A fully digital format offering maximum flexibility for candidates anywhere in the world.

Integrated Skills Assessment – Tests Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening, reflecting real-life language use.

Academically Rigorous – Designed to meet international higher education standards, supporting university admissions and professional development.

Real-Life Tasks for Positive Washback – Tasks reflect authentic communication scenarios, helping learners develop skills they can apply immediately in education, work, and everyday life.

Develops Skills for Real-World Success – Encourages critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis, essential for academic and professional communication.

On-Demand Exam Sessions – Candidates can schedule exams at their convenience, reducing wait times.

Recognised Worldwide – Trusted by universities, employers, and governments for education, work, and visa requirements.

Secure & Reliable – Uses advanced proctoring technology for a safe and fair testing environment.

Fast & Transparent Results – Clear performance feedback with a quick turnaround time.

Aligned with the CEFR – Levels from A2 to C2, ensuring comparability with international standards.

ISE Digital assesses all four language skills — speaking, listening, reading and writing. The skills are tested individually and together. This integrated approach reflects how language skills are used in real-life settings.

There are four modules. Each module primarily focuses on one language skill and includes a number of tasks. The Reading and Listening modules are computer adaptive. This means that an algorithm detects each candidate’s level and adjusts the difficulty of the questions accordingly.

The main features of the exam are:
◗ Builds real-life communication skills
Preparing for ISE Digital develops relevant real-life English language skills and transferable communication skills that students need for study and employability.

◗ Tests integrated skills in English
ISE Digital reflects how people use English in real life, by testing a candidates’ ability to use speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in an integrated way.

◗ Blending digital and communicative skills
ISE Digital has been designed to assess communicative skills within a digital context. It reflects how modern classrooms, projects, learning tasks, independent research and informal assessments function in today’s global environment.

◗ Multi-level and adaptive
Candidates are guaranteed to receive a result, with a corresponding CEFR level. The adaptive nature of the exam means that candidates will receive a selection of tasks that are suitable for their language proficiency level.

◗ Personalised
The Speaking module includes a presentation task that candidates prepare in advance, based on their own experiences, interests and opinions. This motivates learning and builds candidates’ confidence to perform at their best.

◗ Assessment by experts
Candidates’ performances are marked by experienced assessors who are trained to maintain the highest standards of assessment practice.

◗ Feedback on candidate performance
Candidates receive detailed post-exam feedback in the form of diagnostic information, providing insights into their strengths and areas for improvement.

◗ Mediation skills for multilingual contexts
ISE Digital includes mediation skills, through listening into speaking, and reading into writing tasks — an essential component for multilingual communication, emphasised in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR, 2020).

ISE Digital is delivered entirely by computer. Candidates take each module under strictly controlled supervision on verified secure computer equipment. Candidates who would like to improve their score may resit one module within 90 days.

ISE Digital adapts to each candidate’s language ability. This means that the test uses each candidate’s answers during the exam to determine the CEFR level of the next set of items delivered to the candidate. At the beginning of the exam, candidates will take a 10-minute Levelling test. Each candidate’s performance on the Levelling test is used to determine the difficulty of the items that they will receive in each module. This ensures that candidates receive tasks that are suitable for their language proficiency level.
After the Levelling test, candidates will take each module in the following order: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. Candidates will take each module in sequence and cannot navigate back to earlier parts of the exam.The length of ISE Digital is 105 minutes. This includes the Levelling test and time for reading the exam instructions.

ISE Digital supports and develops skills that are essential to communication in educational, public and work contexts. Educational institutions and employers require learners to evidence their language proficiency and skills for completing tasks such as source-based writing, listening to and understanding talks and presentations, giving presentations and contributing to discussions. For this reason, the subjects, genres, skills, texts and real-life language that a candidate encounters in the ISE Digital exam are reflective of the tasks and contexts that they would expect to encounter at school, college or work. Additionally, the digitally mediated nature of ISE Digital reflects how modern classrooms, projects, learning tasks, independent research and informal assessments function in the modern world.