English Language

English Language Exams

Trinity ESOL qualifications are recognised internationally as reliable evidence of proficiency in English. Our exams assess and promote the skills needed for effective communication in real life. They're available to individuals, schools and colleges in more than 60 countries.

Who are Trinity ESOL exams for?

Trinity ESOL exams are intended for candidates are learning English as a foreign, second or additional language. In Hong Kong, our range of ESOL examinations is available for students aged four to adult, and includes:

GESE - Graded Examinations in Spoken English (listening & speaking)
GESE online
ISE - Integrated Skills in English (listening & speaking; reading & writing)

Recognition

UK Visas and Immigration

ISE and GESE are accepted by UK Visas and Immigration for the Spouse/Partner visa and for Tier 1, 2, and 4 immigration.

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

View the CEFR chart to see how Trinity's English qualifications are aligned to the CEFR.
The CEFR Calibration Report details how GESE and ISE examinations are related to the Common Europeans Framework of Reference (CEFR). The CEFR Project Summary is a shorter version of this report.

ALTE

Trinity College London is a member of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE). In 2012 GESE and ISE were awarded the ALTE 'Q' Quality mark - evidence of meeting all 17 of ALTE’s stringent quality standards.

Ofqual

In the UK, ISE and GESE are regulated by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), and its respective partners in Wales and Northern Ireland.

UCAS

The UK's University and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) does not specify acceptable levels of English language proficiency. Their guidance advises international applicants to check the language level requirements of individual universities before making an application.

Typical requirements for UK university degree programmes in the UK are ISE level II or above:

ISE II (B2 / Level 1)
ISE III (C1 / Level 2)
ISE IV (C2 / Level 3)

Recognition

Trinity College London's Integrated Skills in English (ISE) examinations and Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE) are recognised by higher education institutions around the world as evidence of English language proficiency for student admission.

UK Higher Education institutions which recognise ISE

ISE and GESE exams are taken by hundreds of thousands of candidates worldwide each year and the number is growing in China, Hong Kong, India, UAE, Italy, Spain, Turkey and South America.

Trinity's ISE is a contemporary multi-skills qualification that evidences the effective English language communication skills that students need to compete in the 21st century. It also promotes the development of other transferable skills for study.

English Language