University of Chester English Language Test

The University of Chester English Language Test has been developed by the International Centre to evaluate the English Language ability of prospective, University of Chester students.

The UoCELT gives applicants an excellent opportunity to demonstrate they can meet the required level of English to join one of our courses. The test can also determine whether a student needs any additional English Language support- either before or during their studies.

The UoCELT is done online, via Skype and is priced at just £50.  

Who can take the UoCELT?

• Students who hold a conditional offer for a place at University of Chester but have not yet taken an IELTS test.
• Students who hold an IELTS score but have not yet reached the required English level for their particular course of study at University of Chester.

There are four parts to the test: listening, reading, speaking and writing. Sections range in duration, from 10 to 30-minutes and the whole test is expected to take approximately 90-minutes.

The test is conducted by a certified English for Academic Purposes Tutor in a one to one environment, so students can be as relaxed as possible.

More information on each part of the test can be found below:

Listening

(approx. 10 minutes including 5 minutes listening & 5 minutes discussion with the interviewer)

Students will listen to a piece of audio focused on a particular topic.  This will be an extract of a lecture or talk on a topic similar or related to the Reading & Writing components. You will be expected to make notes on key points and be able to paraphrase and summarise content. Students must then show their understanding by answering a number of questions related to what they have just heard.

B2 UoCELT Listening – Sample

Reading

(approx. 25 minutes including 10 minutes reading & 15 minutes discussion with the interviewer)

Students will be given a passage of text to study. They must then answer a series of true or false questions.  You will be asked to read the passage and highlight key information in the text. You will then discuss your answers with the interviewer, making close reference to the text. The interviewer may ask you to justify your answers or explain key vocabulary and textual features.

B2 UoCELT Reading – Sample

Speaking

(approx. 10 minutes)

The examiner will ask students a series of questions which they must answer verbally. Students will be asked questions on subjects such as their hobbies, studies and home country.

Writing

(approx. 30 minutes including 5 minutes discussing the topic, 10 minutes planning & 15 minutes writing)

This will be an academic essay of between 150 and 250 words on a non-specialist abstract topic, such as the environment. The task will be sent to you during the interview and you will need to use Microsoft Word.

B2 UoCELT Writing – Sample

Answers

B2 UoCELT Answers – Sample

Like any test, the key to success is practice!

You should practise talking about yourself, what you are doing at the moment, what you have been doing since school / university / college, how long you have been learning / using English, what difficulties you have with English (reading, writing, speaking, listening), why you want to do a course in the UK / Chester, how you will adapt to life here, what you hope to do when you graduate as well as giving your opinion on more abstract topics such as social issues and problems, social behaviour, the environment, the economy, technology, the media etc.

You should practise writing academic essays in timed conditions (10 minutes planning and 15 minutes writing without a dictionary), paying particular attention to academic style, register and vocabulary, good text organisation (paragraphing, clear introduction, main body and conclusion), good cohesion (linking ideas with appropriate conjunctions and linking devices), grammatical accuracy, spelling and punctuation.

Practise reading articles from sources such the BBC news, ‘quality’ UK newspapers, without a dictionary or translation software. Highlight key points in the text and try to understand the meaning of new vocabulary from the context. Practise explaining the key points you have highlighted orally and in your own words.

Practise listening to short talks, or extracts from talks or lectures and making notes on key points. Pay attention to discourse markers such as ‘First of all, …’ ‘What’s important here is…’ etc.  to help you identify key information. A good source for this might be BBC Radio 4 podcasts,  http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/genre/factual or TED Talks https://www.ted.com/. Then practise explaining the key points you have made orally and in your own words.

Students will usually receive their results within 2-3 working days of completing the test. Results will be sent by email.

Please visit our UoCELT booking page to complete your purchase.  You will also need to provide your student reference number and Skype ID name at time of booking.  If you have not already, you will also need to provide the University with a copy of your passport to confirm your identity during the interview.