FOR ADMINISTRATOR information, Click HERE
What is THE UVELPE?
For Students
The Center for American English Language and Culture (CAELC) uses the UVELPE to ensure that you have the communication skills to thrive in your UVA graduate program, not just meet minimum admissions requirements.
WHO Is Required to Take the UVELPE?
All new graduate students whose first language is one other than English must take the UVELPE
Non-native English-speaking faculty, postdocs, and research fellows may also take the exam
Exceptions and Special Considerations
- If you were not required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score, you should check with your department whether the UVELPE is still required.
- If you may serve as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) in the future, you must take the oral section of the UVELPE only, even if you were exempt from the TOEFL or IELTS requirement.
WHEN Is It Offered?
CAELC offers the UVELPE two times per year: May and December (check the CAELC calendar for exact dates). A make-up exam is offered in August only for certain students. Darden students may have additional testing dates.
Registration for the December 9 test is now open. Please complete the registration form here by the deadline of Monday, December 7 at 11:59 PM ET.
WHY Is It Required?
The UVELPE evaluates your overall English language skills for academic purposes. Based on your results, CAELC may recommend enrollment in free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at UVA to help you communicate effectively in your studies, in professional settings, and socially within the UVA community and the wider community.
WHO Sees Your Results?
Scores and recommendations are shared with your Director of Graduate Studies, Graduate Coordinator, and Associate Dean.
WHAT Does the Exam Include?
The UVELPE is an online, free exam. There are two components of the written section and one component of the oral section. The full exam takes approximately two hours, and results are available within a few weeks.
Written: (90 minutes)
1. Essay (written)
2. Grammar and Vocabulary Test (multiple choice)
Oral: (45 minutes)
1. Oral Assessment (videotaped)
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA)s:
The oral portion of the UVELPE meets the graduate record testing requirement for prospective GTAs whose first language is not English. A score of 55 or higher is required to begin teaching without additional oral language training.
For more details, see the current Graduate Record and the Policy on Graduate Assistantships.
UVELPE SECTIONS
1. UVELPE Written Section
WHAT Does the Written Assessment Measure?
The written assessment aims to measure your ability to write in academic English, a crucial skill for success in graduate studies. Specifically, the assessment evaluates your ability to organize an essay, maintain cohesion, and use an appropriate formal academic tone. It also assesses your proficiency in grammar and vocabulary in written English.
HOW Is the UVELPE Written Scored?
Your essay will be evaluated based on two aspects: rhetoric and language. Rhetoric refers to your ability to organize ideas and support them with appropriate examples and explanations. Language evaluates how effectively you use sentence structures and maintain an appropriate tone. Rhetoric is scored on a scale of 1–10 points, and language is also scored on a scale of 1–10 points.
The grammar test is worth 100 points and is a multiple-choice test to assess vocabulary depth, breadth, and usage, as well as grammatical structures.
2. UVELPE Oral Section
WHAT Does the Oral Assessment Measure?
The oral section of the UVELPE assesses how well you can communicate in English, not just your grammar and pronunciation. It looks at how effectively you can express ideas in academic and professional settings. This includes using grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation correctly, but also responding appropriately to your audience and situation, completing tasks like explaining or persuading, and organizing your ideas clearly. Doing well does not mean speaking without an accent or never making mistakes; those are not required for effective communication. Success means your listener can easily understand you without extra effort.
HOW Is the UVELPE Oral Scored?
Scores reflect overall communicative effectiveness, not just linguistic accuracy. High scores mean communication is clear, appropriate, and coherent—even if there are minor mistakes. Two professional raters score each test. Discrepancies are resolved by a third professional rater.
Simplified Oral Rating Scale
60 – Communication almost always effective; task performed very competently
50 – Generally effective; task performed competently
40 – Somewhat effective; task performed somewhat competently
30 – Generally not effective; task performed poorly
20 – No effective communication; task not performed
HOW Is the UVELPE Different from TOEFL, IELTS, and DET?
Tests like TOEFL, IELTS, and the Duolingo English Test (DET) are designed for general English proficiency and are often used for university admissions decisions. They measure your ability to use English in broad academic and everyday contexts, but they are not tailored to the specific communication demands of graduate-level work at UVA.
The UVELPE is a local institutional test created for UVA graduate students. It focuses on the language skills you need to succeed here, including:
Academic Communication – Participating in seminars, presenting research, and interacting with faculty and peers.
Professional Communication – Teaching, collaborating in research teams, and handling workplace interactions.
Social Communication in Academic Settings – Engaging in informal discussions, networking, and building relationships in the UVA community.
Unlike standardized tests, the UVELPE provides the basis for recommendations for free ESL support, such as ESL courses, the Writing Center, 1-1 student “Language Consultants,” or the VISAS Café discussion group offered by CAELC.