Building on the tremendous success of our Online Testing division, we are excited to share with you our brand-new English testing product: OIDI Spotlight.
Spotlight is designed to help students quickly indicate their English language abilities and provide insight into their education opportunities.
What is Spotlight?
Spotlight is a fully online English language level indicator that students can take from the comfort of their homes. It provides a quick and accurate reflection of a student’s English language abilities in just 90 minutes.
Administered online, Spotlight assesses a candidate’s English level across four skill areas: Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading, and Listening. Over 90 minutes a candidate will complete 84 questions divided into 6 ‘Tracks’. Each track contains multiple skill-based questions which adapt in difficulty based on the candidate’s performance. Across the 6 Tracks a candidate’s level is determined, refined, and scored to deliver an accurate indication of their English language proficiency.
Upon completion candidates receive an instant result mapped to a CEFR score from A1 to C1 based on their overall performance.
It is important to note that the Spotlight is not a substitute for the ELLT, however, a candidate may choose to take a spotlight before conducting accredited English level testing. For entry into university a SELT or accredited English proficiency test such as the ELLT is required.
How does it work?
Students can take Spotlight on any suitable desktop computer or laptop with reliable internet access. Upon sign-up students will receive clear instructions on how the test is conducted and to set up the required equipment.
Spotlight is made up of 6 tracks. Track 1-3 are used to determine a student’s level with track 4-6 determining the candidates level score. Each track contains 14 multiple choice questions with one correct answer and three distracters.
Benefits of Spotlight
For test takers:
- Spotlight is administered completely online, allowing students to take their test from the comfort of their home or an agent’s office
- Spotlight provides an accurate English language level score in just one sitting
- Spotlight will enable students to quickly determine their English language skills and take action to continue their desired education route
- Spotlight is accessible anywhere, at any time
For agents
- Gain an accurate understanding of your student’s language abilities to best advise them on future study options
- Cost and time effective test
- Can be administered either at home before a consultation or within an office
- Saves agent time and resource with accurate information
- Simple tool for student recruitment
Test Content
The OIDI Spotlights draws from a wide range of questions and topics. This large resource of questions enables the platform to issue the candidate with their examination but ensures that no two tests are the same.
The content is written and developed by Oxford International Digital Institute’s in-house academic development team. This team has extensive experience in test creation, examination development and testing principles. All content is based on academic themes ensuring it is relevant to test takers, considers cultural sensitivities, and covers topics relevant to students.
All questions are multiple-choice consisting of only one correct answer and three distractor answers.
Security and Accuracy
The Spotlight test is conducted through a Secure Exam Browser (SEB*), an internet browser plugin installed before the commencement of the test. Through the SEB candidates are not able to:
- Access other web-based applications
- Reload or switch between web pages
- Use shortcuts or hotkeys including being able to switch user
- Capture screenshots
- Implement the clipboard (copy/paste feature is disabled)
- Implement spell checking or 3rd party grammar software
- Activate multiple screen extensions
All test material including test items is pre-tested in exam conditions on adult students at Oxford International’s seven English Schools across the UK, USA and Canada. These students have already undertaken a placement test on arrival and are grouped into level classes accordingly. All Spotlight assessment sets are tested twice, using two cohorts of different levels to ensure the accuracy and validity of results.
An accuracy study on the Spotlight test material was conducted across Oxford International’s English Schools consisting of 8 cohorts with a sample size of 90 students representing 21 countries. Under exam conditions, students were given a maximum of 11-minutes to complete each track. Under these conditions, the Spotlight tests were 98.3% accurate in matching the student’s language course level.
What is the difference between Spotlight and ELLT?
The ELLT is a modularised skill test that assesses the four key skills: reading, listening, writing and speaking. The ELLT has two components, writing and speaking, that are access by human examiners for accuracy and validity. ELLT results and certificate can be used to apply to one of our partner universities.
Spotlight, however, is an online adaptive test designed to help prospective students quickly indicate their English skills and determine what route to take to fulfil their academic requirements. As a fully automated test Spotlight uses AI proctoring and intelligent security measures to maintain integrity but has no direct human proctoring. Security features are monitored to ensure reliability of results.
What can students do after completing the Spotlight?
After completing the test and receiving their results, agents have greater insight into the potential study options a student may take.
Depending on each student’s academic goals, agents can offer targeted ways to help students with their study destination.
Students may choose to enrol in our online pre-sessional English course to increase their academic English language skills to the level required by their chosen degree programme before applying to study in higher education institutions.
Discover our Pre-sessional English course
Alternatively, if a student is satisfied with their Spotlight results, they may choose to book our ELLT exam. After completing the ELLT and receiving their results and certificate, students can apply to their desired study programme at our partner universities.
How to book the test?
You, or the student, can purchase the Spotlight directly via our website.
Simply visit our Spotlight page, click ‘Buy Now’ and follow the instructions.
Alternatively, to become an OIDI Spotlight partner please contact [email protected]
