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Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE)

Skills tested: Speaking and Listening

12 levels (CEFR: pre-A1–C2)

Suitable for absolute beginners to advanced learners

Typical learners include school, college and mature learners
What is GESE? The GESE (Graded Examinations in Spoken English) exams 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.
Why is spoken English so important?Did you know that 80% of all international phone calls are made in English? The common language for more than one billion people is now English. Spoken English is essential on any CV. Universities and employers increasingly demand evidence of spoken English skills.
In the 21st century, a good level of spoken English will be an important part of any career progression and personal development. This is why many universities and employers are increasingly demanding evidence of spoken English skills. Universities, multi-national companies and several thousand schools and colleges around the world have chosen Trinity GESE and ISE examinations. They know they can trust the assessments made by Trinity's professional UK-based examiners.
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 GESEThere 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)

Grades 1-3	Grades 4-6	Grades 7-9	Grades 10-12
Initial	Elementary	Intermediate	Advanced
5–7 mins	10 mins	15 mins	25 mins
			Topic presentation
			Topic discussion
		Topic presentation & discussion	Interactive Task
	Topic discussion	Interactive Task	Listening task
Conversation	Conversation	Conversation	Conversation

They GESE Syllabus is available for download and provides complete academic information. For teachers of young learners please see the GESE 1-3 Syllabus - this syllabus is the same in content as the existing GESE Syllabus however the format and support materials are intended to help teachers of young learners.

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.