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iTEP inFocus – July 2025 Newsletter

Message from iTEP Academics

Where every score supports a journey

iTEP Academics has been keeping busy enhancing our products and improving grading services. Whether you are a long-standing partner of iTEP or just getting familiar with our high quality assessments, let me tell you about some of the exciting things going on behind the scenes (and screens) of the iTEP exams.

Product Development – A Quick Look Back

Have you tried the iTEP All Skills test yet? We built this exam with businesses in mind, launching the beta version in the summer of 2024. With authentic speaking and writing tasks and results that land in your inbox moments after the test is complete, this product meets the demands of the modern workplace. Try it today and give us your feedback. We are working on the iTEP All Skills 2.0 this fall!

In 2023, we reformatted the scoring for the Placement Plus exam, so the 1-8 scores align with the CEFR sublevels (e.g. A1+, B1+) and we reintroduced the exam to our North American intensive English Program partners. The results tell us we are on the right track! In the first year, we saw a 400% increase in usage for that region and we are on track to set record sales again in 2025. If your language program hasn’t experienced the iTEP advantage yet, contact sales to see how this tool can save you time placing students and tracking their progress throughout the year.

Product Development – What’s Next?

The iTEP Score Reports are getting a facelift this summer! In addition to a fresh design, iTEP Score Reports will soon include a photo of the candidate and a QR code for digital access. We are also modifying how results are displayed so it is easier for candidates and stakeholders to interpret scores and correlate them to the CEFR scale and “can-do” descriptors. Expect to see some changes in early fall!

iTEP’s Flagship Assessments will see some enhancements in the coming months as well. While the heart of our Academic and SLATE products will stay consistent, we are making some changes to improve candidate experience and protect user privacy. Our item banks are being refreshed and you may see some new question types unveiled soon too!

Practice & Prep

iTEP Academics is excited to announce a speaking improvement course with our partners at Carnegie Speech®. Members of the iTEP community can enjoy a deep discount on this personalized, adaptive pronunciation program and see significant improvement on their speaking scores! Share the link with your candidates. Reach out if you’d like to use it with a group of learners.

In addition, Academics will be unveiling new, AI-graded practice tests so users can get feedback on their speaking and writing skills before taking an official test. More info coming soon!

Grading & Security Reviews

When Perry Akins and Sharif Ossayran started iTEP over 20 years ago, they challenged industry standards in almost every way possible. They designed a standardized English test that was shorter to administer, easier to access globally, and faster to turn around accurate results. And in 2025, iTEP continues to push forward on these fronts.

Our results are still fast. iTEP’s grading team spans eight time zones, delivering human-scored results in 24-hours or less (for the vast majority of all exams).

Our exams remain easy to access. Because iTEP wants to meet customers where they are, we have increased at-home testing in recent years. We also maintain very competitive pricing so candidates can afford our exams over many traditional alternatives.

Our commitment to validity stays strong. As the testing environment changes, the security landscape does as well. In response to that, iTEP has adopted advanced security technology to identify and deter possible cheating and has expanded our security review team.

The assessment world has experienced dramatic changes over the past 5 years – and no doubt, there will be more challenges to face in the span ahead. But one thing hasn’t changed. iTEP Academics is as committed as ever to developing and delivering high quality, innovative, and reliable English exams that reflect the needs of valued – and varied – global partners.

If you have ideas or questions, drop us a line. We would love to hear from you. Stay tuned for exciting updates this fall!

Christina Wade, Director of Academic Affairs

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IT Updates

iTEP Developer Hub

A new portal has been created for all API and Integration needs, for new and existing partners. If you need to integrate your system with ours, visit this page to read the documentation and contact our developers directly.

Access the developer hub

Pre-call Speed Check

For those who use the new Rosalyn proctoring solution, you can use this connectivity checklist webpage to ensure your environment conforms to the required specifications.

Vote on Upcoming Projects

Our IT team is reaching out to get your input on upcoming projects! We’ve put together a quick survey asking both administrators and clients to vote on which initiatives you’d like us to tackle first. Whether it’s system upgrades, new software, or improvements to make your daily work easier, your voice matters in helping us prioritize what gets built next. The survey takes just a few minutes, and your feedback will directly shape our development roadmap for the coming months.

Access the survey

Testing Administration

ICYMI – Meet Rosalyn: Your New AI Proctoring Assistant
We’re excited to introduce Rosalyn.ai, our new AI-powered proctoring partner for at-home iTEP testing! Rosalyn works behind the scenes to monitor the testing environment and maintain test integrity, giving you peace of mind.

During the exam, live proctors send candidates real-time notices about potential rule violations. And after the exam, potential events are also reviewed by iTEP’s trained team of graders and reviewers. Don’t worry – while Rosalyn adds an extra layer of security, your candidates’ exams are still carefully reviewed by our experienced human graders who ensure accurate scoring of writing and speaking submissions.. Not sure if your exams are using Rosalyn yet? Reach out today for more information.

Help Us Help You: Lockdown Proctoring Tips
Did you know that writing-assist programs like Grammarly can be running at the systems level of your computer? Because of that, it can be hard for proctoring tools to completely prevent candidates from using those tools. However, with Rosalyn.ai, we have a full view of the candidate’s screen and can see if they have tried to use a writing-assist tool.
We’ve been working with partners to continue to address security concerns for both at-home and on-site exams. Be sure to share the testing expectations with your candidates frequently. 👉 Testing resources

To ensure your candidates have the best testing experience, We’d love to help you set up our lockdown proctoring system – even if you already have a live proctor on-site. Our friendly IT team is standing by to walk you through the setup and answer any questions you might have.

Friendly Reminder: Test Expiration Dates
Just a quick heads-up that your test IDs stay active for up to 12 months from when you purchase or activate them in your account. We’re always here if you need help managing your test inventory!

Canada

Atlantic Canada Language Academy (ACLA) is a welcoming and innovative English language school located in the picturesque UNESCO World Heritage town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia – Canada. Celebrating 15 years of academic excellence, and known for its personalized approach and community-focused environment, ACLA offers high-quality language programs that help students achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals—while experiencing the charm and natural beauty of Canada’s East Coast.

“Working with ACLA has been an absolute privilege—not just for me, but for our entire iTEP team. In a world increasingly focused on automation, ACLA shines by keeping students at the heart of everything they do. Whether their programs are online or in person, their warmth, dedication, and genuine care for each learner truly stand out. Their passion is contagious, and it’s a joy to support such an inspiring team.” — Lorena Chatwell, Director of Global Business Development, iTEP

Words from our partners at ACLA:

“We had been searching for a suitable placement test for some time and met iTEP at the Languages Canada Conference. We were impressed by both the platform and the iTEP representative who was eager to answer our questions and help us experience the platform in a way that met our needs. What we most liked was the virtual proctoring, ensuring that the assessment was completed by the desired individual and creating assurance that the language level presented was a true reflection of that client. We found the platform fairly easy to use and send to future clients. The customer service from iTEP was excellent and gave us confidence that we could trust them from the very beginning.

iTEP allowed us to expand to larger contracts that would have previously been prohibitive due to the labour hours required to assess each client’s language level with individual meetings. Because we now have a placement test that we can confidently use to do this assessment for us, we are able to increase our student intake efficiency and have more detailed data about our clients’ language ability prior to program entry. iTEP also allows us to be more flexible in our client intake process because it can be completed at any time, from anywhere. It has increased our transparency with clients and colleagues about their intake levels and the length of study time needed to reach their goals.

Our Pathway program has improved because of this change to using iTEP as a placement test. Potential clients now get an iTEP test to clearly show their language skills prior to starting. We can give tangible data to clients about what areas they are more successful in and which they need improvement on. Not only is this faster and more convenient but it also sets a clear tone to the students of the expectations of study that we have. Because this placement test is more formal, it helps our students see just how much we can help them with their academic English training for success in college or university programs in Canada. Our teachers are happier to know exactly what their students need to focus on, which has in turn helped them adapt the curriculum to meet the goals and needs of their class. Thank you iTEP!”

Melanie Goode, Academic Director

Atlantic Canada Language Academy, ACLA

www.StudyAtlantic.com

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USA

“At iTEP, we’re proud to support the exceptional team at San Francisco State University’s College of Professional and Global Education (CPaGE). Over the past few years, we’ve had the pleasure of partnering with SFSU to deliver reliable, secure, and accessible English placement testing for their short-term international programs. With hundreds of students arriving each year, SFSU’s commitment to quality and student experience is clear—and we’re honored to play a role in helping them uphold that standard. Collaborating with their team has been seamless and rewarding, and we’re excited to continue growing together.”

— Lorena Chatwell, Director of Global Business Development, iTEP

Words from our partners at San Francisco State University:

“The College of Professional and Global Education (CPaGE) at San Francisco State University has collaborated with iTEP for the past couple years to administer English language placement tests for our students coming for short-term programs, namely our San Francisco Discover program. Every summer and winter, we regularly receive over 100 international students for our programs and there is a need for us to measure their English proficiency to ensure that our program and our instructors are able to deliver a quality experience, and iTEP has been extremely instrumental in allowing us to do that. We have chosen to work with iTEP due to the ease of accessibility, testing security to ensure score accuracy, and customer support. We look forward to continuing our partnership with iTEP for our programs and we are glad to know we have a reliable partner for future programs as well. “

Benjamin Huynh , Interim Program Lead

College of Professional & Global Education

San Francisco State University

Enhanced iTEP Preferred Partner Program

We’re thrilled to share that we’ve revamped our iTEP Preferred Partner Program with even more benefits for our partner schools and agencies! The updated program now includes our career exams and offers enhanced conditions designed to better support your success.

This improved partnership model is perfect for English schools, study abroad agencies, recruitment platforms, and other stakeholders looking to add comprehensive English testing solutions to their portfolio of offerings for international students. We’d love to discuss how these enhancements can benefit your organization.

Learn more

Expansion updates

iTEP Approved in Costa Rica

We are thrilled to announce that the iTEP Academic Plus and iTEP Slate Plus tests have received official approval from the Ministry of Public Education of Costa Rica (MEP). This pivotal decision, formalized on May 22, 2025, through an official circular issued by the Ministry, lists both iTEP exams among the recognized language proficiency assessments.

Read the press release

iTEP Workforce Exams: AI-Powered Testing with Instant Results

We’re excited to announce that iTEP Workforce Exams are now available for direct corporate purchase, offering organizations flexible options to assess English language proficiency in professional settings. Whether you need to evaluate job candidates, support employee development, or ensure workplace communication standards, iTEP All Skills and Interview exams provide reliable, industry-relevant assessment tools. Organizations can now choose between one-time purchases for immediate testing needs or subscription models for ongoing workforce assessment programs. This expansion makes it easier than ever for HR departments, training organizations, and corporate clients to access our trusted English proficiency testing solutions. Both the comprehensive All Skills and targeted Interview exams are available, allowing organizations to select the assessment format that best meets their specific evaluation needs.

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New Partner School