Versant English Speaking & Listening Test (VESLT)
Demonstrating oral English proficiency through the Versant English Speaking & Listening Test (VESLT)
The Versant English Speaking & Listening Test (referred to as the VESLT) is a test of spoken English distributed by Pearson Publishing, and administered on-site at Northwestern University. It is offered at Northwestern as a placement test for incoming international PhD and MFA students who have not already fulfilled The Graduate School’s English Proficiency Requirement. Students are required to re-take the VESLT approximately every 6 months until they fulfill this requirement.
Incoming international PhD and MFA students, including students who have transferred from Master’s to PhD programs, are required to take the VESLT during the first test period after they arrive on campus (typically September of the first year). The Graduate School only accepts VESLT scores from tests administered by English Language Programs at Northwestern University. Based on their placement score, certain students may be required to participate in services offered by English Language Programs.
Continuing international PhD and MFA students are required to participate in proficiency testing, such as the VESLT or SPEAK Test, until they fulfill The Graduate School’s English Proficiency Requirement. VESLT testing periods take place during early September and February of each academic year, giving students approximately 6 months between testing sessions to make significant improvements in their spoken English proficiency.
Please see Pearson’s Versant website for details about the test format.
Have more questions about Versant testing at Northwestern? Contact our staff at elp@northwestern.edu.