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English Language Proficiency Requirements for International TAs

In order to establish eligibility for appointment as a UCI Teaching Assistant (TA) or Teaching Associate, international students who are not citizens of countries where English is either the primary or dominant language are required to pass an oral English proficiency exam approved by the UCI campus. To determine which countries are exempt from this requirement under the criteria offered by the Graduate Council, please contact your department’s student affairs office, or Jonathan Lew or Tina Choi in the Graduate Division.

The Oral English proficiency requirement applies to international students who:
  1. are permanent residents or hold other non-citizen status and are residing in the U.S.; or,
  2. have completed their undergraduate education in the United States; or,
  3. 3. have attended "American" schools abroad.
Students can fulfill this requirement by passing one of the following exams:
  • Test of Spoken English (TSE) which is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) at centers outside of the US and Cananda. (Please see TSE website for more information);
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Testing1 (TOEFL iBT) is administered by ETS in U.S. centers and abroad;
  • International English Language Testing System1 (IELTS) is available in over 120 countries. With a number of IELTS test centers offering off-site testing, the test is accessible in 30 more countries;
  • Spoken Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) which is available at UCI only after a student is admitted;
  • Test of Oral English Proficiency (TOEP) which is administered at UCI and is only an option if a student fails to pass the TSE or SPEAK.
For more detailed information (including the respective passing scores) on these exams of spoken English proficiency, please review our FAQ Page or review the summary chart.

To help UCI graduate students strengthen their oral English proficiency, UCI offers several on-campus resources including our ESL Program and our oral communication workshops (note: link is unavailable during the summer sessions). Additional resources are available from off-campus sites including sites offering special oral language practice exercises.

1Although these tests must be taken in their entirety, passing only the speaking module/section on either test with the score specified will meet UCI’s oral proficiency requirements.