FOCUS Audit System
With FOCUS you will be able to select the employees that speak your clients‘ language.
FOCUS is a modern platform for verifying and assessing the language skills of candidates and employees, created by Skrivanek. The purpose of this service is to assess the foreign language level of the person being tested quickly, effectively, and accurately.
ACCURACY
The FOCUS audit tool is more accurate than any subjective opinion. You will receive an objective evaluation based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF, levels A1-C1).
ASSESSMENT
All of the most important linguistic competencies are evaluated precisely and accurately. They include speaking, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary skills.
RESULTS
You will receive the test results within 48 hours. The report also includes commentary from the expert that conducted the language audit.
TIME
FOCUS will adjust to your working pace. You can choose to complete the test remotely, from the comfort of your own home or from wherever you feel comfortable. There is even an option of taking the test via phone call.
CHOICE
You will be able to choose from more than 30 languages, and to adjust the tests to fit the specific needs of your company or area.
THE FOCUS AUDIT TOOL ALLOWS YOU TO TEST ALL 5 LANGUAGE SKILLS:
Grammar
Vocabulary
Reading
Writing
Speaking
FOCUS – WHO IS IT FOR?
Personnel specialists know what language skills their employees need in order to fulfil their responsibilities in an effective manner.
FOCUS – is the most useful platform which allows you to assess language skills without wasting time waiting for reliable information.
All tests are:
- Constructed according to your company’s goals.
- Taken online at the time that’s convenient for you.
- Asses not only the skill level but also the ability to apply it in a business environment.
Tests that are conducted periodically are an ideal solution for those trying to choose the right courses and assess how much investing in them would pay off.
The Skrivanek language school is also offering study programs, designed according to the specific language skill audit results.
We offer you a modern language skill audit tool that enables the language skills of employees to be assessed in a quick and effective manner. The FOCUS audit is conducted online so using the platform is convenient, no matter where you are. The results of the audit correspond with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF, levels A1-C1), include commentary from the expert that conducted the audit, and are ready within 48 hours.
Our system helps evaluate:
- Your current language skill level.
- Who still needs to improve their language skills.
- Who could use the course as a complementary motivational tool.
Choosing the right courses guarantees that the investment pays off. The FOCUS audit tool is a budget-friendly and effective solution when wanting an unlimited number of employees to be tested. You can choose from more than 30 languages, and we will make sure that the language competencies that are most relevant to you are being tested.
A professional employee selection process leads to business expansion, client satisfaction, and a good reputation. At times, language skill assessment is one of the most important parts of the process. After joining the FOCUS platform, you will be able to create tests for candidates and they will receive a direct email inviting them to take the test. As a result, you will save time as meeting candidates in person will only be necessary when you are sure their competencies meet your expectations.
You will receive a report with a reliable competence assessment within 48 hours. The report will:
- Be constructed in accordance to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF, levels A1-C1).
- Include objective commentary from the expert conducting the audit.
On our platform you can effectively assess your candidate’s speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary, and language use in specific situations skills.
Certain positions require specific language skills, which are necessary for communicating and performing practical work-related tasks. We can organize non-standard tests and adjust the assessment system to fit your specific business needs. A coordinator is assigned to every project. They oversee the whole audit process and ensure the best possible results.
Knowing one language is often not enough when applying for a job in a service or call centre. The FOCUS audit system is a fast and reliable method for verifying and assessing all language skills mentioned in the candidate’s CV. An accurate and convenient assessment system offered by FOCUS will save you money in the long run, as it will make sure that the need for additional courses does not arise in the future.
The FOCUS audit system offers:
- More than 30 different languages.
- More than 300 different test variations.
- An ability to test all language competencies.
- An ability to adjust the test to fit your specific needs.
- You will receive an objective report withing 48 hours, including a detailed language skill evaluation in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF, levels A1-C1), and commentary from the audit specialist conducting the test.
The FOCUS audit tool is especially liked by lecturers. They do not need to waste their time assessing their students’ skill levels in order to present their final results. The main advantages of the platform include complete objectivity and convenience. With FOCUS you can assess skills by choosing from more than 30 languages and five language competencies – speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary, and grammar. And you can do all of it online.
You decide what skills are being tested and we organize the tests when it’s convenient for you. The tests can be conducted:
- Prior to starting the course (i.e. at home).
- During the course (i.e. in a classroom).
- At the end of the course.
With FOCUS you can have an overview of the students’ improvements and adjust your teaching methods accordingly.
HOW DOES THE TESTING PROCESS ON THE FOCUS PLATFORM LOOK LIKE?
When accessing the client’s account, you can enable him to see the test and generate a link manually. If you need to create multiple tests at once, you can send a filled-out form to a language school coordinator.
An invite to take the test can be sent in one of two ways. First, you can send a link directly from the platform itself and the person will receive an automated email (this needs to be enabled when creating the profile) or, you can copy the link to the test and send it to the person directly via email.
When making the test available to the person, you can decide whether or not the report will be sent directly from the platform to the test taker or do you want to receive it first, and send it to them on your own.
If a link to the test was sent directly from the platform, the test taker will receive an email with basic information about how the test works and he will receive instructions prior to the test. He will only need to press the link to the test in order to begin – accessing the platform separately is not needed.
The questions in different categories rotate and get harder depending on the skill level. Every question needs to be answered within a specified time limit. This lowers the risk of the test taker using additional aid outside of the platform.
When the test is complete, the test taker receives a confirmation via email. If the test taker chose his speaking skills to be tested via phone, he will receive a confirmation email including the time and date of the call he specified during the test.
You are presented the results of the grammar, vocabulary, and reading sections immediately after completing the test. You will receive the results for the writing and speaking parts within 24 hours (it won’t indicate the specific mistakes that were made), or within 48 hours (it will include a list of mistakes and a detailed comment from the audit specialist).
As soon as the report is submitted you will receive a notification from the platform, so checking the status of the report manually will not be necessary. The test taker will automatically receive a direct report if this option was selected when creating the profile for him.
You can compare the results of multiple tests, and generate a report comprised of the main data of the conducted tests in a selected time period, in the client account.
An example of a client account
An example of a report
An example of a test
SERVICES
Variant I: a test, whose results are assessed automatically (grammar, vocabulary, and reading skills).
You get the results within 24 hours.
MORE
The short language skills audit:
English, Arabic*, Czech, Dutch, Estonian*, Finish, French, Greek, Hebrew*, Italian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Danish, German, Norwegian, Polish*, Portuguese, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Romanian*, Bulgarian*, Chinese
*There is no reading part.
The grammar section of the test in Arabic, Danish, Holland, Estonian, Finish, Hebrew, Norwegian, Polish, Russian and Swedish also include vocabulary.
Variant II: a detailed test. Different parts of it are also assessed by the audit specialist (writing, speaking skills).
Available test parts: grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, speaking.
You get the results within 48 hours.
MORE
A detailed audit of the language skills:
Lithuanian, English, Russian, Polish**, French, Italian, Spanish
A detailed audit of the language skills:
Swedish, Norwegian, Finish**, German, Dutch, Danish, Estonian**, Latvian, Portuguese, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Greek, Ukrainian*, Hungarian****, Romanian*, Bulgarian*, Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian
A detailed audit of the language skills:
Arabic**, Hebrew***, Turkish, Chinese
*grammar, vocabulary, writing, speaking| **grammar with vocabulary, writing, speaking | ***grammar with vocabulary, speaking |**** writing, speaking
Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finish, Hebrew, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, and Swedish tests include vocabulary as part of the grammar portion of the test.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DO YOU ASSESS THE LANGUAGE SKILL LEVEL?
Specialized tests are used to assess language skill levels. They consist of tasks and questions that increase in difficulty as you go along. Skrivanek uses a modern tool they crated themselves – the FOCUS audit system. The test taker only needs to answer questions, and the results will be calculated by reviewing the answers. A detailed test assessing grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, and speaking skills is an option. The answers are reviewed by a linguist conducting the audit. In this case, the results include recommendations and comments by the audit expert. Skrivanek tests include not only German, Russian, and English languages but also rare ones (such as Serbian, Chinese, Hebrew, etc.). The tests are conducted in accordance to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF, levels A1-C1).
ARE THE TESTS RELIABLE?
These language tests are certainly an effective and reliable tool for assessing foreign language skills. A specialized testing system is used worldwide, not only in Lithuania. The reliability of the tests is first and foremost ensured by the expert linguists conducting the audit. For example, the English test is conducted and coordinated by experienced English experts that have vast knowledge of the language and the European language skill assessment system. When calculating the points, a clear evaluation system is employed so the skill level is assessed in a precise and accurate manner. It has to be noted that the reliability of the tests also depends on the integrity of the test taker. When one does not know the correct answer, there is the option of taking a guess and being correct. If you want the test results to be 100% accurate, we suggest answering the questions in an honest manner.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ASSESS YOUR LANGUAGE SKILLS?
The Skrivanek foreign language test is comprised of taking the test and assessing the results. At the very beginning, the expectations of a future test taker regarding the assessment of language skills are discussed (do they prefer a detailed test, or only grammar and speaking skills to be assessed?). Then, a test that corresponds with their wants and needs is provided. A complete language test is comprised of 50 grammar questions, 50 questions related to vocabulary, 50 to text comprehension, 10 speaking exercises, and one writing exercise. Usually, it takes around 3 hours to complete the test. After receiving the test, usually within the same day, our experts start the evaluation process. After reviewing the answers, conclusions and recommendation are prepared, and the skill level is assessed. These results are then sent out using the provided contacts. Normally, the assessment of the test is performed within two business days.
HOW IS THE FOCUS AUDIT SYSTEM DIFFERENT?
FOCUS is an innovative audit system created by our company, which turns assessing language skills into a fast, precise, accurate, and result-oriented process. This system is special due to professionally assessing language skills online, and providing the results and conclusions within 48 hours. A quick assessment process is especially relevant when verifying the language skills of candidates applying for a job. FOCUS is also special as it focuses on specific needs and goals, rather than on general language skills. In other words, the tests are not the same for everyone, as standardized tests would be, but rather adjusted to fit the needs of your company. The assessment of foreign language skills can also be performed by focusing only on speaking, writing, and reading skills, or on all three at once.
The results provided by the FOCUS audit system are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, and the additional comments and recommendations provided with the results can be useful when planning to work on improving your language skills in the future.
DO YOU GET A CERTIFICATE AFTER COMPLETING THE LANGUAGE TEST?
Yes, after completing the assessment process you will receive a certificate that indicated your language skill level. As the test is conducted in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, it can be translated to a different language and, if needed, submitted to companies and institutions abroad. Apart from the certificate, the test taker also receives a report including the evaluation of separate skill levels and comments by the audit specialist. These comments and recommendations are especially useful when choosing the best language courses.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE SKILL ASSESSMENT SYSTEM?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE?
CONTACT US!