General English

Trinity College London, the international examinations board incorporating Trinity Guildhall, offers accredited qualifications in English language and the performing and creative arts

Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE)

Basic Information The Graded Examinations in Spoken English test candidates’ ability in listening and speaking. They are one-to-one oral examinations with a native English-speaking Trinity examiner who travels from the UK.

About GESE

There are 12 grades altogether which are linked to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The exams encourage students to develop and progress by acknowledging each step forward; at every stage of the student’s development there is a chance to mark success. There are four stages with three grades at each stage: Initial (Grades 1-3) Elementary (Grades 4-6) Intermediate (Grades 7-9) Advanced (Grades 10-12) With 12 grades available, there is a grade to suit every candidate. The number of tasks depends on the level at which students enter the examination. The language requirements for each of the 12 Grades is clearly shown in the GESE Syllabus. It’s the examiner’s job to put candidates at their ease and give them the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to communicate in English. The assessment is a balance between fluency and accuracy. Examiners are interested in finding out what candidates really can do. Learners can choose to take the spoken examinations on their own or at key points in their learning program, they can combine them with the Integrated Skills in English (ISE) if they also need to demonstrate reading and writing ability. Grades 4, 6, 8, and 11 of the spoken exams correspond to the oral components of the ISE0, ISE I, ISE II, ISE III respectively.