US Standard Test

us-standard-testSLEP Tests: Secondary Level English Proficiency Test

Introduction

SLEP is the abbreviation of Secondary Level English Proficiency Test, it is designed to check the listening and reading capability of non-native speakers. Test papers will be provided by Educational Testing Service(ETS), Princeton, New Jersey. The SLEP test was set in 1980, which has witnessed more than twenty-year development. SLEP is an important base for English teachers to judge the English levels of international students. SLEP has been adopted as reference for class arrangement and enrollment of international students in more than five hundred middle schools and community colleges. Generally the students who provide SLEP results need not to provide TOEFL results.

SLEP Test

SLEP is a norm-referenced test, which consists of eight different multiple choice questions. There are three kinds of questions (question 4, question 5 and question 6), all questions have been tested actually in American high schools. Test time shall be 85 minutes, including two parts:
Part I: Listening test (74 questions, 40 minutes): the questions are designed according to frequent oral English in American high schools.
Part II: Reading skills (71 questions, 45 minutes): the questions are related to grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension.

SLEP Scores

SLEP scores shall be 20-67, so parents shall not worry about the scores, for the average score of international students in American high school is 43 only.

Conversion between SLEP and TOEFL

Grade TOEFL TOEFL(New) SLEP English Level
7/8 (Grade 1)* 350-399 20-31 37-41 Primary
9 (Grade 2)* 400-449 32-44 42-46 Medium level
10 (Grade 3)* 450-449 45-60 47-52 Medium and Advanced
11 (Grade 1)** 500-549 61-79 53-57 Advanced
12 (Grade 3)** 550-677 80-120 58-67 Excellent

* Junior Middle School
** Senior High School