Second Language Evaluation – Oral Language Assessment

The Oral Language Assessment was developed by the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) to help departments and agencies staff bilingual positions. It assesses a person’s ability to communicate orally in their second official language (French or English). A second language assessor certified by the PSC administers this test, which includes questions about situations related to work, studies or volunteer activities. This test is available for all types of requests.

The test is administered remotely over the internet using the Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) video conferencing platform and lasts 20 to 40 minutes (including pre-test instructions). The camera is on throughout the test. Since candidates don’t need to be in a federal government building to take the test, an onsite responsible officer is not required. The test can be taken from home; however, candidates should make arrangements to be alone in a quiet place where they will not be disturbed for the duration of the test.

The criteria for oral proficiency are defined by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Qualification Standards in Relation to Official Languages.

Test takers play a crucial role in protecting the integrity of the test. Before taking the test, candidates must read, understand and accept the terms of use. 

Contact the Personnel Psychology Centre at cfp.cpp-ppc.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca if you think that you have seen Public Service Commission of Canada test questions posted or shared on-line (for example, on a Web site or a private chat room) or shared in another manner (for example, via practice test).

To learn more about how the Public Service Commission ensures its testing is reliable, valid and fair, visit the Test integrity web page.

Candidate responsibilities are outlined in the candidate information section of our website. The person scheduled for the test must be the one taking the test, and must do it in good faith without the help of other people and resources.

Handwritten, printed or electronic resources are not permitted during the test. This includes any notes prepared in advance, translation tools, artificial intelligence software or live captions.

The use of adaptative technology must be preapproved by the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) as part of an accommodation.

Maintaining the integrity of the testing process is important. The test result will only be valid if the PSC is fully satisfied that candidates have complied with these conditions. If it is not satisfied that the test conditions and terms of use were respected, it may terminate a test early, invalidate a test result and impose enhanced security conditions on a candidate’s next assessment.

Candidates will be asked to present government-issued photo identification that will be verified by the assessor prior to the test. Any case of identity fraud for the purpose of this test may result in the invalidation of the result of this language test, an investigation under the Public Service Employment Act and possible measures that may affect their employment in the federal public service.

If cheating, fraud or identity theft is suspected during the test, the assessor will intervene to remind the candidate of the terms of use. If necessary, the assessor is mandated to report the incident to the PSC (Personnel Psychology Centre) in order to maintain the integrity of the test.

If you have reason to doubt the validity of a candidate’s assessment, please contact the Personnel Psychology Centre at cfp.cpp-ppc.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca.

If a candidate breaches the terms of use, the PSC reserves the right to pursue any legal remedy and to take action against a candidate, which could include suspending their test results, terminating their employment application, or claiming for copyright infringement and breach of confidence.

For more information on how the PSC responds to the threat of cheating, see the Test integrity web page.

Requests for this test must be submitted by human resources officers through the Second Language Evaluation–Scheduling System. When scheduling the test, the fields are mandatory for the Personnel Psychology Centre to properly schedule and administer the test:

• Select “Second Language Interview” since this test is currently not an option in the scheduling system. All requests for a second language interview will be scheduled as an oral language assessment.
• Linguistic profile of the position: This is the required level for the position.
• Telephone test: although the standard version of the Oral Language Assessment is conducted by MS Teams only, the system will still select “Telephone test” by default. You then need to enter the candidate’s name and phone number as these are required fields.
• Test centre:
• Montreal test centre: this centre should be selected for all requests from the Québec region and the Atlantic region
• Gatineau test centre: this centre should be selected for requests from all other regions
• Preferred date: please indicate the date you would like the candidate to be tested. Organizations are asked to discuss date options with the candidate before sending the request to avoid having to reschedule.
• Candidate email address: please provide the email address in the comments section of the request. This information is required to send the MS Teams meeting link to the candidate for the test, along with connection instructions. The test will not be scheduled without the candidate’s email address.
• When the test is scheduled, confirmation of the test date and time will be sent to you through the scheduling system, and the MS Teams link will be sent directly to the candidate by the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC). The scheduling confirmation will refer to the test as a second language interview for level B or C; however, all tests will be scheduled as oral language assessment.
• Please note that you are responsible for informing candidates of the scheduled date and time of their test as this information is not included in the PSC’s email to candidates.
• If necessary, you can access the MS Teams meeting links in the comments section in the scheduling confirmation sent through the scheduling system. Please note that all MS Teams meeting links are unique and can only be shared with the candidate named in the scheduling confirmation. The links are not interchangeable between candidates.
• If the requirements as outlined above pose an accessibility barrier for your candidate, please contact us by email at cfp.els-sle.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca or telephone at 1-844-681-8695 for alternative options.

Create an account:

The resources available on the Second Language Evaluation–Scheduling System main page outline the steps to sign up and create an account in the scheduling system. Once activated, it allows human resources to schedule candidates to be tested. Only people who have the delegated responsibility within their organization to make second language evaluation requests are permitted to create an account in the scheduling system. Typically, these delegated individuals are hiring managers, human resources advisors and assistants, and official language coordinators.

Contact information regarding the Second Language Evaluation–Scheduling System:

• email: cfp.els-sle.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca
• phone: 1-844-681-8695

Candidates who think they need assessment accommodation to fully demonstrate their abilities have the right to request them. Only the Personnel Psychology Centre at the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) can establish assessment accommodation when a PSC test is administered.

• Notify the PSC well in advance of the test date so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Scheduling of the test can only take place once the accommodation recommendations are prepared.
• The procedure for requesting an Oral Language Assessment with accommodation measures is the same as the usual procedures: Procedure to request PSC administration services when accommodation is involved.

Requests for rescheduling or cancelling tests can only be submitted through the Second Language Evaluation–Scheduling System by the human resources officer who initiated the request. Advise candidates that if they are unable to attend a testing session, they must notify your organization in order for you to determine if other arrangements can be made. Requests received directly from candidates will not be actioned or responded to.

If a test is rescheduled, a new MS Teams meeting link is not required since the original link remains valid.

Important: As organizations are asked to provide us with their 3 preferred testing dates in the system, it is understood that these dates have been confirmed with the candidate prior to sending the request, which should limit the need to reschedule tests.

Cancellation, rescheduling and candidate no-show fees

If the Public Service Commission of Canada is not notified through the Second Language Evaluation – Scheduling System of a request to reschedule or cancel a test at least 4 business days before the test, or if a test does not take place due to a candidate’s absence, your organization will be charged with a test administration fee. This no-show fee applies to both core and extended jurisdiction clients.

For more information on the costs of products and services, consult the price list.

• Advise candidates that they will be receiving an email from the Public Service Commission of Canada containing the MS Teams link for the test. If they can't find it in their inbox, they should check their junk mail or spam folder. You should also inform the candidate of the date and time of their test.
• If needed, you can access the MS Teams meeting links in the comments section in the scheduling confirmation sent through the scheduling system.

Here’s how you can help candidates prepare for the day of their test:

• Ensure candidates are aware of the information in the candidate information section on our website.

• Inform candidates that they must be ready to show 2 pieces of valid original photo identification, at least one of which must be government-issued (a copy or a photo of the identification document will not be accepted).

• Remind candidates that they must arrange to be alone in a quiet place where they will not be disturbed for the duration of the test and where exchanges with the person administering the test cannot be overheard or recorded. The test cannot take place in a cubicle or open workspace.
• For privacy purposes, candidates must take the test in a neutral environment free of personal items. To ensure test security, candidates are not permitted to use background effects or virtual backgrounds in MS Teams.
• Ask candidates to test the MS Teams meeting link they received well in advance of the scheduled test date. Access to MS Teams is essential to take the test. They should also become familiar with the audio and video options available to them to ensure that the test runs smoothly.
• Inform candidates that if they are using a smartphone or a tablet to connect to the meeting, they should download the MS Teams mobile application to be able to join the meeting.
• Inform candidates that if they intend to use a computer to connect to the meeting, they must use a compatible browser (Microsoft Edge Firefox or Google Chrome) or download the MS Teams desktop application.
• Ask candidates to connect to the MS Teams meeting link at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time of the test to ensure they can access the virtual waiting room. The assessor will be notified that they are waiting and will admit them to the test at the scheduled time.
• If there is a connection issue at the scheduled test time, the assessor will try to call the candidate at the phone number provided by the department that scheduled the test. The assessor can only provide basic advice and won’t be able to resolve complex technical issues. For this reason, ask the candidate to take the time to test the meeting link well in advance to ensure they can connect to the meeting, using the same electronic device they’ll use for the test.
• Remind candidates that they must provide their personal record identifier (PRI) if they are a federal government employee. If they do not have a PRI, they will be asked to provide their date of birth for identification and recordkeeping purposes.
• Inform candidates that they may take notes during the test. Remind them to be ready with the necessary equipment or material (for example, pens, pencils and paper). They may refer to the notes they have taken during the test as a memory aid or to organize their thoughts, and should be limited to jotting down ideas or key words to ensure the flow of communication is not disrupted. Since the test content is protected, candidates must destroy their notes after the test. The assessor will also remind them of this at the time of the test.
• Remind candidates that they must take the test without the help of any resources. Handwritten, printed or electronic resources are not permitted during the test. This includes any notes prepared in advance, translation tools, artificial intelligence software or live captions.
• The use of adaptative technology must be preapproved by the Public Service Commission of Canada as part of an accommodation.
• Remind candidates that if they feel unwell before or during the test, and this could interfere with their performance, they should inform the assessor, who will end the test. If the candidate chooses to continue, they will have to accept the test result.
• Remind candidates that if there are any distractions around them, or if they experience technical difficulties during the test, they should let the assessor know. Otherwise, they will have to accept the test result.

The level received is based on the candidate’s sustained performance throughout the test. Based on that performance, candidates can obtain one of the following results:

• level A, B or C
• an X (the candidate’s performance does not meet the minimum requirements for level A)
• an E (the candidate’s performance indicates that they can be expected to maintain proficiency at the C level indefinitely and they will receive an indefinite exemption from further testing)

Results are sent out to the requesting department or agency and to the candidate within 5 business days of the test administration. Information requests about recent test results can be emailed to cfp.els-sle.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca.

• Test result is:
• valid only if the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) is fully satisfied that the candidate has complied with test conditions (please consult the terms of use)
• valid for 5 years, provided the 30-day retest period has been respected
• valid for an indefinite period, for persons who remain in the same position, provided that the linguistic profile of the position is not raised above the person’s skill level while they are in the position
• portable, meaning it can be used to apply for other bilingual positions across the federal public service

The candidate’s valid result for the Oral Language Assessment will replace any previous valid oral test result recorded by the PSC.

Managers may request that a person be reassessed at any time before or after making an appointment if there are concerns about an employee’s proficiency level, or to respect departmental policies on updating expired test results.

The Public Service Commission of Canada offers 2 feedback products:

Feedback report

When the result is sent out, a feedback report will be sent directly to the candidate. The report is general in nature and indicates a candidate’s overall linguistic performance; it is not a diagnostic tool.

Feedback session 

Feedback sessions offer candidates more information about their most recent Oral Language Assessment performance. The sessions last approximately 1 hour on the MS Teams platform and are delivered by a Quality Assurance Consultant after review of the linguistic performance. This service is available for test-takers who:

• have taken the Oral Language Assessment at least twice without having obtained the desired result, and
• have taken the most recent test within 8 weeks of the request for feedback. 

It is strongly recommended that test-takers be accompanied by a pedagogical advisor or teacher who can interpret the feedback delivered by the Quality Assurance Consultant. 

This service is available on a cost recovery basis and, consequently, those requesting this service must have their manager’s approval. Consult the price list for more information. Requests for services will be accepted only from Canadian federal government departments or organizations. Due to limited capacity, we may prioritize or restrict the number of requests that we accept. For more information, or to request a feedback session, send an email to cfp.tco-cq-qc-top.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca.

There is a 30-day waiting period before a candidate can retake this test. If a candidate retakes the test before the retest period is over, their result will not be valid, and they will have to wait another 30 calendar days to retake the test and receive a new valid result.

Rescore

Candidates may ask for a rescore if they have concerns that the result they received does not reflect their performance during the test or if they believe that the test was not administered under favourable conditions (complaint). A rescore is the process whereby an assessor other than the one who administered the test listens to the audio recording of the test and rates the candidate’s performance without knowing the result originally granted. In case of disagreement with the initial assigned rating, the quality assurance unit for the Oral Language Assessment will make the final decision on the result of the performance.

Candidates must initiate the rescore request, in writing, within 10 business days after the results were sent to the organization that requested the test, via the departmental human resources officer that submitted the request for testing. Departmental officers can, in turn, complete and submit the Request to rescore tests form to cfp.tcorelecture-rescoretop.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca.

Please note that after a rescore, the new result (whether it is higher, lower, or identical) becomes the valid and official result entered in the test results system.

If a candidate is being offered a retest, they must confirm their intention to be retested, in writing, by replying to the received notification so that their previous result can be invalidated. The result obtained in the retest will become their official result.

To schedule the retest, a new test request has to be entered in the Second Language Evaluation–Scheduling System. In the "Comments" section, please indicate “Retest offered by the PSC for (name of candidate)’s test on (date of test).”

Complaint

A candidate may file a complaint if they believe that the test was not administered under favourable conditions. To request a retest due to unfavourable testing conditions, the candidate must send an email to cfp.tco-cq-qc-top.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca. Their email will be forwarded to the Oral Language Assessment quality assurance unit for action.

If you have concerns about the actions the Public Service Commission has taken to protect the integrity of its testing program, consult the Test integrity web page to learn what options are available to you.