LTI is the organization that issues certificates for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) which a variety of government organizations rely on to do their work. LTI offers hundreds of languages for assessment which is further explored on their website.
Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI)
The ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview, or OPI, is a live, fifteen to thirty-minute telephone conversation between a certified ACTFL tester and the candidate. It measures how well a person speaks a language. The procedure is standardized to assess global speaking ability and measures language understanding by finding patterns of strengths and weaknesses. Test takers answer personalized questions and are rated against the proficiency levels described in ACTFL proficiency guidelines.
The ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview by Computer (OPIc) is a thirty-minute speaking test delivered online or over the phone. The OPIc assesses proficiency across the entire ACTFL scale. Certified ratings are available within five business days. The computer-delivered assessment emulates the live OPI but may be taken on demand.
Writing Proficiency Test (WPT)
The Writing Proficiency Test is online and should reflect the interests and experience of the test-taker. The candidate receives four to five prompts about practical, social and professional topics they have encountered and must provide written responses. Certified ACTFL raters assess the responses and provide results from the ACTFL scale. The test takes twenty to eighty minutes.
Reading Proficiency Test (RPT)
The online reading assessment requires the candidate to read a number of passages, review questions, and select the appropriate answers. Results are available immediately after completing the test. The test takes one to two hours to complete.
Retake Policy
Retests are allowed once with no waiting period. After the second time taking an OPI, OPIc, WPT, or RPT, you must wait ninety days to test again.