Communicative Competence
Focuses on real-life communication rather than memorisation.
Trinity College London
Val Institute is an approved English test centre of Trinity College London for Hungary.
About Trinity
About Trinity College London
Trinity College London is a leading internationally recognised awarding organisation and independent education charity that has been providing assessments around the world since 1877. We specialise in the assessment of communicative and performance skills covering music, drama, combined arts and English language. With over 850,000 candidates a year in more than 60 countries worldwide, Trinity qualifications are specifically designed to help students progress.
Our aim is to inspire teachers and learners through the creation of assessments that are enjoyable to prepare for, rewarding to teach and that develop the skills needed in real life. At the heart of Trinity’s work is the belief that effective communicative and performance skills are life enhancing, know no boundaries and should be within reach of us all.
About Trinity’s English Language Exams
Trinity’s exams in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) are organised into suites that share a common philosophy, while helping different learners choose a qualification that suits their individual needs.
International ESOL exams — available worldwide:
- Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE)
- Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Digital exams
Recognised Countries (GESE & ISE Digital)
Trinity's Integrated Skills in English (ISE) qualifications and Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE) are recognised on over 4000 courses and programmes at universities and institutions worldwide as evidence of English language proficiency.
GESE
Graded Examinations in Spoken English
A practical one-to-one spoken English test focused on real-life communication skills.
GESE (Graded Examinations in Spoken English) is a practical, one-to-one spoken English test offered by Trinity College London. Designed to assess real-life communication skills, GESE focuses on the ability to interact naturally and meaningfully in English. Conducted face-to-face with a professional Trinity examiner, the exam offers a supportive environment for candidates to demonstrate their speaking and listening abilities across a wide range of everyday topics.
With 12 progressive levels from Pre-A1 to C2, GESE provides a clear and accessible pathway for learners at every stage of their language journey. It is internationally recognized and trusted by employers, education providers, and governments for immigration, study, and professional development purposes.
12 Discrete Levels
A clear progressive pathway from Pre-A1 to C2.
One-to-One Format
Supportive environment with a professional examiner.
International Recognition
Accepted worldwide for education, work, and visa needs.
Aim: Trinity’s Graded Examinations in Spoken English provide a reliable and valid scheme of assessment through which learners and teachers can measure progress and development, whether for educational and vocational purposes or as a leisure activity.
Framework: This series of 12 progressively graded exams is designed for speakers of languages other than English and sets realistic objectives in listening to and speaking with English speakers — from absolute beginner (Grade 1) to full mastery (Grade 12).
Exam format: One-to-one oral assessment between candidate and examiner, available face-to-face with a visiting examiner, online in registered centres, or for Grades 1 to 4 only, online at home.
- Initial stage (Grades 1–3): Exam conduct initiated by the examiner. Grades 2 and 3 map to CEFR Basic User.
- Elementary stage (Grades 4–6): Candidate introduces a topic of their choice, followed by a Conversation phase. Bridge from Basic User to Independent User.
- Intermediate stage (Grades 7–9): Candidate-led topic discussion, interactive task, and conversation. Mapped to CEFR Independent User.
- Advanced stage (Grades 10–12): Formal presentation, interactive task, listening task, and conversation. Mapped to CEFR Proficient User.
ISE Digital
Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Digital
A fully digital English language exam assessing Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening.
ISE Digital is Trinity's innovative, fully digital English language exam, designed for modern learners who need a recognised qualification to support their education, career, or visa applications. Delivered 100% online, ISE Digital assesses real-world communication skills in Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening.
100% Online
Fully digital format with maximum flexibility for candidates worldwide.
Integrated Skills
Tests Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening together.
On-Demand Sessions
Schedule exams at your convenience with secure proctoring.
- Builds real-life communication skills for study and employability.
- Tests integrated skills reflecting how English is used in real life.
- Blends digital and communicative skills for modern learning contexts.
- Multi-level and adaptive — candidates receive a CEFR-aligned result.
- Personalised Speaking module with a prepared presentation task.
- Assessment by expert markers with detailed post-exam feedback.
- Includes mediation skills through listening-into-speaking and reading-into-writing tasks.
ISE Digital is delivered entirely by computer under strictly controlled supervision on verified secure computer equipment. Candidates who would like to improve their score may resit one module within 90 days.
The exam adapts to each candidate’s language ability. At the beginning, candidates take a 10-minute Levelling test. After that, modules follow in this order: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. Candidates take each module in sequence and cannot navigate back.
The length of ISE Digital is 105 minutes, including the Levelling test and time for reading the exam instructions. Levels range from A2 to C2.