Has an invitation to a language audit appeared among your emails and you are wondering if and how to prepare, how best to present your language skills and what the audit itself will look like? Below, you will find the answers to these questions and some tips to make tackling the audit less stressful!
Technical issues – what can be done to make the audit go smoothly?
You will always find the most important information in the email inviting you to the test – when you have to have completed the audit by, what parts your test covers, and the basic technical requirements. To open the test properly, you don’t have to log in anywhere or create an account on yet another platform; we know you don’t like that! All you need is the latest version of the Chrome, Edge or Firefox browser – if you want to take the test on an Apple device, open the test in the Chrome browser (if your test includes a speaking part, unfortunately, you won’t be able to take this section on an iPhone, but you can take it on a MacBook). For devices running a different system, you can open the test in both Chrome, Edge and Firefox, including on Android mobile devices.
To check if you have the latest version of your browser, go into your settings and check the information regarding the version. Also make sure your device is fully charged or plugged in and your Internet connection is strong and stable.
To prevent the test from freezing, it’s best if the test page is the only page open and all other programmes and applications using the Internet are turned off – an added bonus is that you won’t be distracted by notifications of any kind.
Just clicking on the link to the audit does not start it yet – there is a ‘Start’ button on the main instructions page that initiates your audit. The instructions page may sometimes be preceded, for example, by a special welcome screen or information regarding GDPR.
If your audit includes a writing part, we recommend installing a suitable keyboard language for the duration of the test and testing it in advance in any text editor.
What topics are worth reviewing before the audit?
Do you communicate daily in the language in which you will be solving the audit? It is still worth repeating a few aspects that will be assessed. Review grammar, general and business vocabulary and idioms – even if your audit does not cover these parts, they will certainly come in handy when dealing with other sections. If your audit includes a writing part, review the general rules for writing emails, e.g. how to start and end a message correctly, how to format the text properly, how to use formal language in different situations and what the rules of punctuation are. With regard to the speaking part, it is useful to remember not only about accent and pronunciation, but also how to correctly describe your experiences and plans, and how to express your opinion on various topics.
What do the individual parts of the audit look like?
Each audit is divided into individual parts, known as sections. You will find out which parts your audit covers on the invitation letter, on the test instructions page and in a list throughout the language audit – of course, the part you are currently solving will be highlighted.
- Grammar – closed single-choice questions, each question will be displayed on a separate page, the time limit for answering will be separate for each question and the number of questions that will be displayed will depend on your level of proficiency. If you mark an answer but you don’t have time to click next, the system will automatically save it. You can change your answer as many times as you like within the time limit. If you wish to proceed before the time runs out or leave a question unanswered, the system will display an additional confirmation requiring your approval. Just remember that you will not be able to return to previous questions or to unanswered questions.
- Vocabulary – the structure of this section is identical to that of the grammar one.
- Reading – 1 to a maximum of 5 texts will be displayed (depending on your proficiency), closed questions (single or multiple choice) will be listed below each text, the time limit for reading the text and answering will be separate for each text. If the time limit passes and you do not manage to click ‘next’, the system will automatically save your answers. If you try to proceed without marking the answers or before the time limit expires, the system will also ask you to confirm your decision. Remember that you do not have the option to return to previous texts.
- Writing – you will see an instruction on the same page (usually in the language you are auditing) and a special box for typing in the answer, the size of which you can adjust to your preferences. Note that for some instructions, you will have information on the minimum number of words required – you will find a counter below the answer box. The options such as virtual keyboard, and copy and paste are disabled when solving this part – remember to write your answer in the box provided from the beginning. If you do not have a language-specific keyboard, you have nothing to worry about – every operating system allows you to install a keyboard/text input language for free. The time limit you will have to complete this part is combined for reading the instructions (which will be displayed the whole time) and writing your answer. Don’t worry if you do not manage to click next – the system saves your answer in real time. If the time to complete this part has not yet passed and you wish to proceed, an additional message will be shown requiring your approval. Remember that the language audit does not check the information you provide, but only serves to assess your language skills – so you can write things that are not true but, for example, will allow you to better present your language skills.
- Speaking – you will be able to do this part, depending on the choice of the company commissioning your audit, in one or more ways: by recording your answers (online) or by arranging an interview with the auditor (by phone, Skype or WhatsApp). Remember that the language audit does not assess your opinions, attitudes or any other information you give us – we focus solely on assessing your language skills.
– Online: you will have each question displayed on a separate page – in most cases, the question will be in the form of a recording that you can listen to twice. You will also record your answer on the page containing the question. You will have a separate time limit for each question, which also includes the time to listen to it twice. You will see information about which question in a row you are answering on each page with a question. Before taking the speaking part online, you will need to test the recording system – you will be required to make and listen to a test recording (this is not stored by us anywhere, so you can say whatever you want). If any problems arise – please contact us. Once you have correctly recorded and played back the test recording, a page with further instructions for the speaking part will be displayed. In order to listen to the questions and record your answers as comfortably as possible, we recommend that you use an external headset that has a microphone; even the one that comes with every phone will suffice. Before you start this part, find a quiet and peaceful place so that any background noise does not affect the quality of your recordings. When recording your answers, speak in full sentences and present your language skills to the best of your ability. You can listen to your answer each time and, for example, re-record it to change something (as long as you stay within the time limit). If you do not have time to click ‘next’, the system will automatically save the last recording. If you are unable to answer a question – say so without hesitation. This allows us to make sure that a technical error has not occurred.
– Call with an auditor: you will have up to three forms of contact to choose from: telephone call, via Skype or WhatsApp (all calls are voice-only). On the test page, select your time zone and then select what time you are available within the given dates. At the end, give your phone number or, in the case of a Skype call, your Skype ID. You will receive information in a separate email regarding the specific day and time for which your call has been scheduled, according to your stated preferences. The auditor will make 3 attempts to contact you on the scheduled date – if something happens and you cannot make the call, let us know well in advance so we can find another date that is convenient for you. Note that in the case of a telephone call, the auditor may call from an unknown/hidden number. During the call, the auditor will ask you questions covering a variety of topics, remember to answer in full sentences and to cover the topic as thoroughly as possible.
What does the audit process look like?
When you click on the link to the test, you will see the home page of the audit instructions. Sometimes, this page may be preceded by a welcome page and/or a page about data processing. Entering this page does not start the audit. The audit does not start until you click on ‘start’ – a page with instructions will be displayed for the first of the parts scheduled in the test. Such a page appears before each part – read the information we have included there carefully. This is also the point at which you can take a break or, for example, close the test page and safely return to it later. When you click ‘next’ on the instructions page of a given part, you will go straight to the part with the questions – so be ready! The timer indicating the time limit for a given question/instruction is always located in the same place, i.e. in the top right-hand corner of the page. Options such as copy and paste, right-clicking and the use of translation plug-ins are blocked throughout the test. Once the audit has been finished, a page will be displayed to inform you that the audit has been completed. At the bottom of this page, you will also be able to rate our platform and give us your impressions of solving the audit in Focus – we would be delighted if you choose to give us your feedback.
When will you receive the results?
If the company ordering your audit has opted to share the results directly from the platform, you will receive them in the form of a link within 1–2 working days of the correct completion of the audit.
Technical problems? Let us know!
If you have any technical problems with the audit, send us an email at contact@focusaudits.eu – try to describe your problem as accurately as possible and preferably include a full print screen showing it.