TIE

TEST OF INTERACTIVE
ENGLISH

Handbook

The Test of Interactive English (TIE) is administered by IELT

Interactive English Language Tests Ltd

INTRODUCTION
This handbook aims to provide teachers, schools and candidates with detailed information about the
Test of Interactive English (TIE). We hope to answer any queries you might have about the
examination as well as providing useful guidance to teachers preparing candidates for the exam.
Supplementary material is available on our website in the “downloads” section.

WHAT IS TIE?
The Test of Interactive English (TIE) is administered by IELT (Interactive Language Tests). The
Test of Interactive English (TIE) was developed by ACELS (Advisory Council for English Language
Schools) together with a group of ELT professionals in England and Ireland.
The Test of Interactive English (TIE) is designed specifically to meet the needs of all students
coming to Ireland to learn and improve their English. It is intended for learners on either long or
short courses, with the results issued within 15 working days of the test being taken.

The test is designed to assess learners’ communicative and interactive skills in both predictable and
spontaneous situations. It assesses the students’ level of language ability in speaking and writing,
with the receptive skills (reading and listening) being tested indirectly through preparation for the
test and through the skills required to interact effectively during the test.

Candidates receive a certificate which records their level of English using a scale based on the
Council of Europe Common Scale. Success is measured according to whether the learner attains a
level which correlates with his / her self-evaluation or that of his/her teacher. There is no fail grade
as such because performance is measured by what the candidate can do and not according to what
they are expected to be able to do. These ‘can do’ statements are printed on the back of the certificate
and candidates will also be provided with a translation in their own languages

JUNIOR TIE and TIE

TIE is currently available in two formats – Junior TIE and TIE.
Junior TIE is designed for secondary school students between the ages of 12 and 18. In all other
respects the preparation and conduct of the exam is similar to TIE – any slight procedural changes
are explained later in this handbook.
TIE has been designed for all students over the age of 18 of all abilities and motivations following
both long and short courses in language schools or other educational institutions.

TIE is a learner-centred exam. It is flexible, designed to recognise and accommodate the needs and
interests of each learner whatever their level of English, age, cultural or educational background.
The test is task-based with the content chosen by each individual learner and can therefore be used to
assess learners with the following needs and motivations:
- learners of English for general purposes;
- learners of English for business, professional or academic purposes;
- learners of English as a second language.

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 TEST FORMAT

TIE is in two parts – the Oral Test (30 minutes per 2 candidates) and the Written Test (60 minutes).
All the elements of both parts are compulsory and are designed to build upon learners’ background
knowledge, provide relevant language development opportunities to suit the needs of each student,
and reflect tasks with which they will be familiar from the English language classroom and their
daily lives. Both parts of the test must be taken on the same day.

BREAKDOWN OF SPEAKING AND WRITING

SPEAKING (30 minutes)

The test takes the form of a face to face interview between an examiner and two candidates.
Candidates are assessed on their use of spoken English to answer short questions and present
the material prepared for the exam. Each candidate has a long turn to present their investigation
and either their book or news story. Candidates are also assessed on their ability to interact with
their partner and the examiner.

WRITING (60 minutes)

The first task requires candidates to write about their News Story or Book. They will be
expected to write about 150 words giving a personal response or attitude to the story or book.
The second task requires candidates to write approximately 150 words on a familiar topic in the
form of a narrative, description, or simple argumentation.

PREPARING FOR THE TEST

In preparing for the test, the learners are required to carry out three standard, pre-specified tasks.
These form the framework within which the learners select their own topics and materials, and
decide how to develop each task. In addition, there are two spontaneous tasks in the test, which
require the learners to respond in speaking and writing to unpredictable situations. Assessment is
made according to how well each candidate performs in carrying these out.

TIE candidates are required to do the following preparation for the test:

- the candidate needs to carry out an investigation;

- the candidate needs to read a book in English;

- the candidate needs to follow a News Story.

(more detail is given later in this handbook)

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Each candidate is required to keep a logbook which they must bring with them to the test. This is a
notebook in which candidates record the information about the three tasks (described above) they are
required to prepare. Candidates are required to produce their logbook in the oral test. The logbook
represents a record of each candidate’s learning during the process of preparation for the test.
Although the logbook is not awarded a grade, the TIE certificate contains the following statement:
‘This award is supported by a logbook produced by the candidate in fulfilment of test requirements’.

TIE TASKS
TIE is a task-based test. The TIE tasks specify what the learner is required to do both in preparation
for the test and in the test itself. There is no content-based syllabus for this examination as students
select topics and materials that reflect their individual areas of interest or specialisation. Therefore, in
this respect, TIE is designed to be inherently flexible. This makes TIE suitable for all learners of all
backgrounds, interests and needs.
The choices of topics for each task depend on the learner but their teacher can help and guide them
as necessary,
All candidates who complete TIE receive a statement of results and provided that the candidate does
not receive a DNF (did not fulfil) in either component of the exam, will also receive a certificate,
issued by IELT. The certificate describes their ability in both speaking and writing in English
according to the Council of Europe’s Common Scale of Language Proficiency.
TIE COMPONENTS
The test is in two parts – the Oral Test (approx. 30 minutes per 2 candidates) and the Written Test (1
hour). All the elements of each part are compulsory; there are no options available. Each element
builds upon each learner’s background knowledge and reflects a task-based approach to learning.
THE ORAL TEST
For the TIE oral exam there is one examiner for two candidates for 75% of interviews and two
examiners for 25%. In exceptional circumstances, IELT reserves the right to increase the number of
candidates in an interview to three.
The Oral test requires candidates to take part in an interview lasting 25-30 minutes per two
candidates; 40-45 minutes for three candidates.
Candidates are required to bring the following into the exam:
- their logbook (and any other realia regarding their investigation as appropriate);
- their book;
- their News Story.

Important: candidates must bring a hard copy of their logbooks, books and newspaper articles.
Students not having the requisite materials will receive a DNF (Did Not Fulfil). Candidates
who have not completed the necessary preparation for the exam, will also receive a DNF.

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THE WRITTEN TEST
The Written test requires candidates to produce two pieces of writing in an hour (approx. 30 mins.
per text). There are two tasks on the Written test and both tasks must be completed.
1. Prepared task
2. Unprepared task.
For each task there are two choices of question. The candidate is required to choose and write about
one of the choices for each task. The texts are required to be a minimum of 100 words in length –
150 to 200 words is the recommended length as it allows time for the candidate both to produce the
text and read it critically in order to make any corrections.

Candidates may bring a monolingual or bilingual dictionary (no digital, only paper versions).

Candidates are not allowed to refer to any material during the writing test.

WRITTEN TEST COMPONENTS:

Task 1 (prepared)

Candidates do not know in advance whether they will be required to write about their book or
their new story

Candidates are asked to write an essay about either their Book or News Story. Each candidate is
asked to write about the task s/he didn’t discuss in the Oral test, i.e. if the candidate discussed his/her
book in the Oral test, s/he is asked to write about her News Story, and vice versa.
Task 2 (unprepared)
Candidates are asked to respond in writing to an ‘authentic’ task, e.g. writing an article to give
information, a formal or informal letter, a report or a review. All tasks are derived from general
personal experience. Please note that candidates are not graded on format, e.g. layout of an informal
letter or email but punctuation and paragraphing are important.

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ASSESSMENT OF TIE
All TIE examiners are experienced and well-qualified teachers of English who receive initial training
and ongoing support through workshops, seminars etc in examining for TIE.
 The TIE oral assessment is carried out by trained examiners.
 All interviews are recorded for standardisation and quality assurance purposes.
 QA is carried on one in four interviews. Writing papers are marked by two trained examiners
working independently and then together.
 Where two markers cannot agree, a third examiner marks the papers.

The TIE Scale of Assessment has been drawn up using the Council of Europe’s Common
Framework Scale of Language Proficiency. The TIE Scale is made up of 6 basic levels and the
addition of a + at A1, A2, B1, B2, and C1:
Proficient User: C1, C1+, C2
Independent User: B1, B1+, B2, B2+
Basic User: A1, A1+, A2, A2+
The back of the TIE certificate provides the scale along with a description of what each level means.

CERTIFICATE
After taking TIE, each candidate is awarded a certificate recording either:
 Two Grades –
OTIE (Oral) and WTIE (Written)
OR
 One Overall Grade
Students will also receive a ‘Statement of Results’ sent by email. This ‘Statement of Results will
give a breakdown of the four skills – Speaking and Listening and Writing and Reading. If preferred
students, may still receive a certificate showing two grades – OTIE and WTIE.
Results are issued within approximately 15 working days. Certificates are later issued and this
normally takes approximately four to six weeks. All results are sent to the schools or institutions
entering the candidates and it is their responsibility to ensure that candidates receive their
certificates. In the case of individual adult candidates certificates can be sent directly to the
candidates but there will be an additional charge for postage.
The TIE certificate is suitable for inclusion in a learner’s Council of Europe language portfolio or
Europass.

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 TEST MODULES
Each candidate takes two TIE test modules, one in Speaking and one in Writing. The receptive skills
of Reading and Listening are tested indirectly through preparation for the test and through the skills
required to interact effectively during the test.

SPEAKING
Duration and Format
The Speaking test takes 30 minutes. There are five components.
The speaking test is done in pairs with an examiner and is recorded. The exam assesses the ability of
both candidates to interact with each other, as well as with the interlocutor.
The format and timing of the speaking test can be represented as follows:

TEST FORMAT

Component Timing Task

Introduction 3 mins Personal introductions

(spontaneous) Exchange of personal information
Investigation 10 mins Presentation and discussion of investigations
(prepared) (both candidates)
*The Book 5 mins Presentation and discussion of book
(prepared) (one candidate)
*News Story 5 mins Presentation and discussion of News Story
(prepared) (one candidate)
Decision- 5 mins Candidates discuss the task between themselves and make a decision which
Making Task they present to the interlocutor. The (dis)advantages, reasons for the
(spontaneous) candidate’s choice are discussed and developed.

*The oral and written sections of the exam are organised so that the book and the news story are
referred to alternately in the oral test and the written test. For example, if a candidate has been
required to do a task on his book in the oral test, he will then be asked to do a task on his news story
in the written part, and vice versa. This means that candidates are always expected to carry out one
task referring to each of these prepared tasks in either the oral or the written test. The candidates do
not know beforehand which one will come up in which part of the test.
The timings for Junior TIE are slightly shorter in each section as the interview lasts 25 minutes rather
than 30 but all components are included.
Important: The examiner decides which candidate talks about their News Story and which
candidate talks about their Book. In the introduction both candidates participate equally; in the
investigation each candidate takes an individual long turn to describe his/her investigation with
comments or questions from the other candidate(s) as appropriate. One candidate goes on to talk
about his/her book while the other candidate presents his/her news story. The decision making
task involves equal participation in the interaction.
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MARKING and ASSESSMENT
Detailed performance descriptors have been developed based on the Council of Europe scale. They
describe spoken performance at the six levels from A1 to C2. All criteria carry equal weight.
Interaction refers to the candidate’s ability to interact with his/her partner and the examiner.
Communicative Effectiveness refers to the candidate’s ability to convey his/her message.
Accuracy refers to the accurate and appropriate use of the candidate’s grammatical resources.
Range and Complexity refers to the variety of language at the candidate’s disposal and his/her
ability to select appropriately from it.
Phonological Control refers to the candidate’s ability to produce comprehensible speech at word
and sentence level to fulfil the demands of the test.

CANDIDATE ROLES:
The Presenter: the presenter is expected to initiate the presentation or discussion, answer different
types of questions appropriately, be able to participate in any divergence from the topic, express
(dis)agreement, express an opinion, conclude a discussion and take turns using appropriate
techniques.
The Respondent: the respondent is expected to question the presenter and respond to the presenter’s
input. It is important that s/he takes full advantage of every opportunity to participate in the
interview. In the same way as the presenter, s/he should be able to participate in any divergence from
the topic, express (dis)agreement, express an opinion, conclude a discussion, and take turns using
appropriate techniques. In this way, the exam assesses the ability of both candidates to interact with
each other, as well as with the Interlocutor.

EXAMINER ROLES:

The Interlocutor:
During the interview: the interlocutor manages the interaction in the interview. It is the
interlocutor’s responsibility to ensure that each candidate has an equal opportunity to interact and
participate. The interlocutor takes part in the interview by asking questions, prompting and directing
the conversation as appropriate. S/he will ask questions to provide opportunities for divergence from
the prepared topics and for development of issues arising naturally in the conversation.
After the interview: the interlocutor evaluates each candidate’s performance and awards the grades.
These are recorded on each candidate’s record form with the examiner’s signature. When two
examiners are present, this is done collaboratively.
The Assessor:
During the interview: the assessor listens to the interview and grades the candidates’ performance
on a grading sheet with the criteria for reference. S/he does not participate in the interview unless an
exceptional circumstance arises. The assessor is seated in a position where s/he is visible to the
candidates but clearly sitting apart from the interview.

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After the interview: the assessor discusses the interview with the interlocutor and presents the
grades with rationales. The assessor and the interlocutor agree on the grades and they are recorded on
each candidate’s application form with the examiners’ signatures.
Important: The interview and the post interview discussion between the two examiners are
digitally recorded. These recordings are used for QA purposes.

WRITING
Duration and Format
The Writing test takes 60 minutes. There are two tasks. Each task requires candidates to write
approximately 150 words and an absolute minimum of 100. Shorter answers will receive a DNF
(‘does not fulfil’ indicating that the candidate did not fulfil the requirements of this part of the test).
Both tasks receive equal weighting so equal time should be spent on them.
Candidates write their answers in the space provided on the question paper.
The candidates may bring a monolingual and / or bilingual dictionary into the test for reference. It is
the responsibility of each candidate to ensure they have a dictionary for the test.
Task Types
Task One (prepared)
Candidates are asked to write an essay about either their Book or News Story. Candidates select one
of two options.
Each candidate is asked to write about the task he/she did not discuss in the Oral test; if he/she
talked about his/her book, then s/he is asked to write about his/her News Story, and vice versa.
Task Two (spontaneous)
Candidates are asked to respond in writing to an ‘authentic’ task, e.g. writing an article to give
information, a formal or informal letter, a report or a review. All tasks are derived from general
personal experience. Candidates select one of two options.
Marking and Assessment
Detailed performance descriptors have been developed based on the Council of Europe scale. They
describe written performance at the six levels from A1 to C2. All criteria carry equal weight.
Production measures the candidate’s ability to produce clear, structured text.
Task Achievement assesses how appropriately, accurately and relevantly the candidate responds to
the tasks set.
Accuracy refers to the accurate and appropriate use of the candidate’s grammatical resources.
Range and Complexity refers to the variety of language at the candidate’s disposal and his/her
ability to select appropriately from it.
Orthographic Control assesses the candidate’s control of the conventions of layout, spelling and
punctuation.
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THE PREPARED TASKS
How can candidates prepare for TIE?
In order to prepare for taking TIE, candidates need to do the following:
1. Decide on and select a theme for their Investigation.
This is a piece of research or mini-project. The topic should be of interest or relevance to the learner
personally. They should find as much information as possible, present it in an organised way and be
prepared to present, explain and discuss it.

Candidates record the findings of their investigation in their logbook.

2. Obtain and read a book in English (this can be one that they already own).
The book can be fact or fiction, e.g., a graded reader, a novel, a guidebook or a factual book for
example on art etc. What is important is that the book has been chosen by the candidate. The
candidate is required to have read the entire book.
The candidate is not allowed to select a magazine, comic, periodical or ELT course book.
Each candidate is required to produce the book at the oral test, and it should not be covered in
translation notes. If it is not possible for the candidate to bring the actual book, then they must
produce a photocopy of the front and back of the book.

3. Follow a News Story over 2–3 days by watching TV, listening to the radio, scanning the
newspapers/the internet.
The candidates should take notes and must have hard copies of articles and graphics (either from
an actual newspaper and/or website with the internet address clearly visible) that they must then put
in their logbook. In the Oral Test they may be asked about the different sources of information or
different media that they used to follow their news item.
The News Story must be relatively current (that is, it happened approximately 1 to 3 weeks previous
to the candidate’s exam date) and cannot be a film or a book review.

4. Produce a logbook with the candidate’s preparation recorded in it.

Each candidate is required to produce their logbook at the Oral test as it provides evidence of the
candidate’s work. The role of the logbook is as an aide memoire and catalyst for discussion.
There is no prescribed format for the logbook. A candidate may use an A4 exercise book, A4 sheets
of paper stapled together or a scrapbook, A5 exercise book etc. What is important is that all the
candidate’s work for the prepared tasks is included in it.

The logbook is not assessed. However, production of the logbook at the Oral test is compulsory.

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PREPARING FOR THE INVESTIGATION
A candidate needs to choose a topic for his/ her investigation.
Selection: The candidate should select a topic which is of interest to him/ her. It should be a topic
that s/he is motivated to research, explore and gather information on. The topic can be related to his/
her studies, or may be a topic of general interest to him/ her.
Some sample investigations:
Given below is a sample of some Investigations that have been selected and carried out by candidates
in the past. Creative students will certainly be able to come up with many more suggestions!
1. Discovering something about Ireland/ their home country that they didn’t already know.
Previous examples of this type have been on the history of Guinness, the Vikings in Dublin,
the GAA, Aer Lingus, Irish golf courses, islands around Ireland etc.
2. Students have chosen football teams, places of interest in their own towns or cities,
favourite pop or film stars, traditional food, etc;
3. Suggesting improvements to an aspect of the local environment / context;
4. Visiting a local place of interest and producing a (new) leaflet;
5. Reseaching a person of interest – historical or contemporary – and producing a biography or
an interview;
6. Finding out about hobbies – photography, cooking, football or other sports, theatre, cinema,
music;
7. Describing something unique to Ireland or their home country;
8. Comparisons between Ireland and their own country. Topics such as culture, food, education,
landscape and weather are always popular.

Candidates need to prepare their Investigation.

As TIE encourages candidates to draw upon their background knowledge, they have the opportunity
to be ‘experts’ using their own experience. Candidates in the past have done such things as:
- researched important historical buildings in their home city/ city of study, compared
monuments in Ireland and their home country;
- researched the rules of a sport / sporting event;
- (in groups) written, rehearsed and produced dramas, learnt and performed folk/ traditional
dances;
- built models/ drawn maps/ diagrams of places, musical instruments, or machines.
All these activities should be recorded in the candidates’ logbooks with photographs or pictures.
There is no restriction on candidates working in groups, but they are required to keep individual logs
to bring to the Oral test.

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A SUMMARY OF THE STAGES OF THE INVESTIGATION:

1. Planning: Teachers and students negotiate the themes, the activities, the timetable and the
materials.
2. Investigating and gathering information: Students read books and newspapers, talk to
people who have relevant information and take notes about what they say; they visit
interesting places and observe the art, architecture, scenery or atmosphere. They keep their
logbooks up-to-date with brochures, leaflets, photographs and postcards, as well as their
notes. One investigation may be conducted by a group of students, but each is required to
keep an individual logbook.
3. Reflecting: The Council of Europe hopes that language learning will contribute to the
personal and professional development of the individual. Reflecting on the personal value of
the task as a language learning activity is an important element of TIE. Some suggestions of
how to encourage this are - discussion in groups, pairs or with the teacher; keeping a diary of
what they have done and how they feel about it; conducting a dialogue (written or spoken)
between the teacher and candidate.
4. Presenting: The Oral Test is the culmination of the candidates’ activities and is their
opportunity to show how well they can perform in English.

Candidates need to be able to talk about their investigation.

Taking part in the oral test: Below are a few examples of questions that the Interlocutor or the other
candidate might ask. Please note, however, that, after the first question, the conversation will be
contingent and reciprocal. In other words, each ‘turn’ will depend on what has already been said. The
discussion is, therefore, guided by the material and not by a pre-set list of questions. Therefore, it is
important that candidates listen to each other and respond appropriately.
- Why did you do this investigation?
- What is this? (referring to an item of realia)
- Describe your investigation briefly.
- Did you find it interesting to do? Why/ why not?
It is very important that candidates feel comfortable talking about their investigation. The language
used to present and discuss the investigation should be language familiar to the learner and
appropriate to his/her level of English. Learners should be encouraged to express themselves and
their information in an appropriate way. If it appears that a learner is presenting material which has
been learnt ‘off by heart’, the interlocutor will change the focus of his/her questions in order to
deflect the candidate from a prepared ‘speech’. Candidates will lose credit if it is clear that they have
memorised a text and are repeating it in the test.

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PREPARING FOR THE BOOK TASK
Candidates need to obtain a book in English.
Selection: The book should be selected by the candidate to ensure that it is of interest to him/ her,
and can be on any subject that interests them - fact or fiction, serious or light-hearted, business or
leisure, original text or graded reader. Books of Poetry, plays and collections of short stories are all
acceptable.
Please note that ELT textbooks, magazines, periodicals, comics, manga and religious text (i.e. The
Bible) are not allowed for this task.
Hint: the main publishers’ websites (CUP, Macmillan, Longman, OUP) all contain materials on
their graded readers.
Candidates need to read their book.
Preparation: Candidates should read all of their book. They should be able to talk about their book’s
general content and understood enough to be able to express an opinion about various aspects of it.
When reading, they should take notes about their text. These can be put in their logbook and referred
to during the oral test. Candidates should not write translations on the pages and they must bring the
book of a copy of the front and back cover of the book to the oral examination.

Candidates need to be able to talk about their book.

Taking part in the oral test: Below are some examples of questions that the Interlocutor or the other
candidate might ask. Please note, however, that, after the first question, the conversation will be
contingent and reciprocal. In other words, each ‘turn’ will depend entirely on what has already been
said. The discussion is, therefore, guided by the material and not by a pre-set list of questions.
Therefore, it is important that candidates listen to each other and respond appropriately.
General:
- What book did you read? Why did you choose it?
- Who wrote it?
- Tell me one thing you liked or found interesting.
- Did you enjoy the book? Why? / Why not?
Fiction:
- Who are the main characters?
- Where does the story take place?
- Is it set in the time it was written?
- What type of story is it?
Fact:
- Did this book tell you any new information?
- Is the writer an expert on this topic? Why do you think that?
- How is the information presented – are there any graphics or illustrations?
- Do you now want to read more on this topic?
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PREPARING FOR THE NEWS STORY
Candidates need to choose a News Story.
Selection: Candidates should select a news story that they can follow over three or four days. To do
this, they have to watch the news on TV or listen to the radio, and read newspapers. The internet may
also be used as a source. It is recommended that candidates read more than one newspaper as each
newspaper may present the story differently. They should choose a story that looks as if it may last
for more than one day so that they can get plenty of information about it from different sources.
Students should be encouraged to follow the news for a couple of days and collect newspapers before
deciding on the story they would like to cover to ensure that the story lasts for more than a day.
Where time is short or access to sources in English is limited candidates must have at least two
sources for their story. These may be two newspapers from the same day or a newspaper and radio or
TV coverage which the learner needs to be able to describe. The source of the media coverage should
be acknowledged e.g. name of newspaper and date of issue or TV/Radio News edition with channel
and time.
Please note that reviews (i.e. films, books, etc…) are not acceptable as News Stories.

Sources of information:

• newspapers/ magazines;

• radio and television;

• Internet websites.
Important: Journals such as Newsweek and Time are not acceptable if they are the only sources of
information, i.e. they must be used in conjunction with a selection of texts from other sources.
Monthly magazines are also not acceptable as a sole source of information.

Candidates need to prepare and be able to talk about their News Story.
Taking part in the oral test: Below are some examples of questions that the Interlocutor or the other
candidate might ask. Please note, however, that, after the first question, the conversation will be
contingent and reciprocal. In other words, each ‘turn’ will depend entirely on what has already been
said. The discussion is, therefore, guided by the material and not by a pre-set list of questions.
Therefore, it is important that candidates listen to each other and respond appropriately.
- What story did you choose? Why did you choose this story?
- What appealed to you about the story?
- How do you think it will / did it end?
- What do think will happen next? Why?
- What did you learn from this story?
- What sources did you use to find out about the story?
- Why did you like/dislike certain sources?
- How did these sources differ?
- Which sources did you find best/easiest to follow?

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Candidates will be asked to write about their News Story or their Book.
Each candidate will be asked to write about either the Book or the News Story. Candidates should
not do the following:

• simply summarise the story;

• memorize a summary.
The rubric will ask about the candidate’s personal response or attitude to the story. A summary of the
story may be appropriate as part of the task but it should not occupy more than a few lines of the text.
Candidates may consult any dictionaries that they have brought with them.

THE SPONTANEOUS TASKS

The Oral Test: Preparing for the Decision-making Task:

Candidates need to discuss and negotiate in order to come to a conclusion.
The candidates will be given some pictures as prompts, and instructions from the Interlocutor. They
are asked to use the pictures to solve a ‘problem’, give advice, come to a consensus, make a
suggestion or choose between alternatives. This activity involves negotiation between the candidates.
The Interlocutor will broaden the topic, prompting further discussion between the candidates. The
candidates are required to present their conclusion to the Interlocutor with their rationales.
In preparation for each stage of the oral test it is essential that candidates become familiar with a
range of functional language appropriate to their level of English. This should be the level of
language that is already in use in their English language classroom and reflects what has been
introduced in their course books. Students need to be encouraged to use standard phrases to:

• express an opinion;
• ask another student for his/her opinion;
• agree or disagree;
• ask questions (of his/her partner or the examiner).

The Written Test: Preparing for the ‘authentic’ Task:

Candidates should be familiar with the following genres:

• narrative – fiction or fact;

• descriptions of people, places and events;
• descriptions and personal responses to films, books and television programmes;
• simple argumentation, i.e. expressing own and others’ differing opinions.

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Some sample ‘authentic’ tasks:
1. Write a letter thanking someone who helped you recently.
2. Write a letter or an e-mail to a friend or a member of your family describing your stay in
Ireland / a recent trip or holiday.
3. Write an article for a school magazine describing what you think is the best way to learn
English.
4. Describe how you celebrate birthdays/ other festivals in your own country.

Borrowing dictionaries or pens etc from other candidates is not permitted.

© IELT Interactive English Language Tests Ltd 16

HISTORY
The Test of Interactive English (TIE) was developed by ACELS (Advisory Council for English
Language Schools).The development and evaluation of the Test of Interactive English was overseen
by a team of external consultants notably Professor Barry O’Sullivan who is currently working with
the British Council in London as Head of Assessment Research & Development. TIE was launched
in 2000 and has been a very popular and successful examination both in Ireland, and mainland
Europe.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
TIE is available for candidates all year round. It is administered from the IELT office. All exam
sessions are carefully coordinated and monitored by the TIE Coordinator in order to ensure that
quality is assured in all aspects of the test. Applications for TIE are normally made through the
candidates’ language school or college. All arrangements are made by the school or college on behalf
of their candidates. Application forms are also available on the website.
Applications should be received a minimum of 10 working days before the test date to enable
arrangements to be made.

VALIDITY OF TEST SCORE

Test scores are normally considered valid for a period of two years from the date of the test. Older
scores would need to be supported by evidence that a learner has actively maintained or tried to
improve his/her language ability in the intervening period.

COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

Appeals and Complaints procedures are outlined in the TIE Code of Practice available from IELT
Interactive Language Tests Ltd.

REPLACEMENT OF CERTIFICATES
Replacement copies of certificates can be issued but will incur a cost of €30. Results are held on a
secure database for a period of two years after which certificates cannot be reissued.

If you would like to find out more about the Test of Interactive English, please contact IELT –
Interactive English Language Tests:

IELT - Interactive English Language Tests

45, Leeson Street Lower,
Dublin 2, Ireland
Tel.: (+353) 1 662 5991
e-mail: info@ielt.ie
website: www.ielt.ie

© IELT Interactive English Language Tests Ltd 17

 Description of the language user according to
the Council of Europe 6-level Scale
C2  Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read.
 Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing
arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation.
 Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer
shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
C1  Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit
meaning.
 Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for
expressions.
 Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
 Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing
controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
B2  Can understand the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics,
including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation.
 Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with
native speakers quite possible without strain for either party.
 Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a
topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
B1  Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly
encountered in work, school, leisure etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise
while travelling in an area where the language is spoken.
 Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest.
 Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give
reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
A2  Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most
immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local
geography and employment).
 Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of
information on familiar and routine matters.
 Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and
matters in areas of immediate need.
A1  Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at
the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.
 Can introduce him/herself to others and can ask and answer questions about personal
details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can
interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is
prepared to help.

© IELT Interactive English Language Tests Ltd 18

 COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS FORM
Complaints must be made in writing within three months of the test. You must make your complaint
through the school which registered you for the test. If you wish to make a complaint or appeal a
result please fill in the form below:

Name of Candidate: ………………………………………………………………………………...

Date of Birth: …………………………………….

Date of exam: …………………………………..…

Name of School: ……………………………………………………………………………………..

Address of Centre where exam took place:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Nature of Complaint :
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Name of school representative making complaint or appeal:

……………………………………........................................................................................................

Title: …………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Signature of school representative: ………………………………………………….……….……..

Date: ..…………………………………………..

Signature of candidate: ………………………………………………………………………………

Date: ..……………………………………………

Any complaints or appeals will be carefully considered and replied to within ten working days.

© IELT Interactive English Language Tests Ltd 19