Upcoming Interruption in ITA Certification
The last day to request ITA certification before the start of the Spring 2025 semester is December 14. ITA certification will pause during the upcoming university closure (December 21-January 1). Certification via TOEFL or IELTS score will resume January 2; certification via ITA test will resume January 15.
ITA Language Certification
Language assessment is required for all nonnative English speaking students who want to work as teaching assistants (TAs) at Carnegie Mellon, in accordance with CMU policy and PA law.
Apply for Certification
Overview of the ITA Test
The ITA test is an exam that assesses a candidate's ability to communicate with learners/ people outside their field. The test consists of two parts (both will be recorded):
- A conversational interview on various academic topics.
- A more formal explanation (roughly 5 minutes) of a topic from the candidate's field (topics are not chosen in advance). The team of raters will ask questions to clarify misunderstandings and to elicit additional aspects of academic fluency.
Language Skills Assessed
- pronunciation
- grammar
- the fluency to explain and define academic terms and concepts
- the ability to understand and respond clearly to questions.
Teaching skills and knowledge of the field are NOT assessed.
Scoring
ITA test candidates receive one of four scores.
| ITA Certification Score | TOEFL Speaking Score | IELTS Speaking Score |
|---|---|---|
| Pass | 28 to 30 | 9 |
| Restricted I | 26 to 27 | 8.5 |
| Restricted II | 22 to 25 | 7 |
| Assesstment Test Option not used | Below 22 | Below 7 |
Feedback and Results
Test-takers meet with a Language Specialist to learn their score, review strengths and weakness, and get advice about additional language training. While the final test score is based solely on language skills, feedback on presentation skills and cultural understanding is also included, but is not part of the final score. Both students and their departments receive copies of the final written evaluations.
Assessing teaching fluency in an ITA test
Who Needs to have a Language Certification
Both university policy and PA law require that all nonnative English speaking students, undergraduate as well as graduate, have their language skills assessed before working as teaching assistants who meet with students.
Commonly Asked Questions About Language Certification
Who is a nonnative English speaker (NNES)?
- Newly arrived international students
- Students who attended all or part of high school or college in the US
- Students who attended English speaking schools in another country
- Students who are nonnative speakers but live in an English speaking country, e.g., a Canadian student who is a native English speaker does not need this certification; a native French speaking Canadian does
- Students who are speakers of another variety of English, e.g. from India, Singapore, Hong Kong
Do US residents / citizens need a language certification?
Do speakers of other varieties of English, e.g. students from India, Singapore, Hong Kong, need a certification?
Do graders need a certification?
Graders who work with students need to have the ITA certification.
Department defines "grading" in many ways: different skill sets are required for
- quantitative grading only with no student contact
- grading while also meeting with students to explain and discuss grade
- grading that requires the ability to communicate effectively in written English, e.g., grading lab reports or journals, essays, responding to discussion boards, writing test questions.
Use the chart below to determine what type of assessment would be appropriate for a specific grading job. However, be aware that the TOEFL Writing score does not give information about the ability to respond in a culturally appropriate way to students.
|
Type of Grading Assignment |
Method to Certify Appropriate Language Skiils for Job |
| Grading that requires meeting with students to explain and discuss grade, answer questions, etc. | Language assessment required, Restricted II minimum. |
| Grading that requires ability to communicate effectively in written English, e.g., grading lab reports or journals, essays, writing test questions, responding to discussion boards. | Recommend minimum TOEFL Writing score of 24 along with department assessment of the necessary skill set, including ability to respond in a culturally appropriate way to students. |
| Quantitative grading only with no student contact | TOEFL Speaking score of 18 (minimum recommended for academic work at CMU). |
What about a student who has been studying in the US for several years?
Students who have completed undergraduate and graduate work in this country may still have basic problems with speaking and listening skills. Even a student who has worked as a TA at another university may not have the language skills necessary to function as a TA at Carnegie Mellon University.
To insure a uniform policy, please insist that all nonnative speakers complete the language certification.
ITA Language Certification for Master Students
Students in master programs can request an ITA Certification only when they have a job offer for a specific class, even if it is just a tentative job assignment.
Why do master students need to find a job before requesting ITA certification?
This allows us to use our resources efficiently. Not every master student who wants to TA will find a job. One added note: given the competition for TA jobs, master students should start looking for TA positions on campus as soon as possible.Do master students need an ITA certification rating before applying for a job?
No, they do not. However, students who use their TOEFL or IELTS speaking score in lieu of the ITA test can anticipate their rating in advance by referring to the ITA Language Certification scoring guide.Students can satisfy the certification requirement in 1 of 2 ways
TOEFL or IELTS Option
Use this option if you:
- Have a TOEFL or IELTS Speaking score that gives you an ITA Certification score which meets your TA job requirements.
| TOEFL Speaking Score | IELTS Speaking Score | ITA Certification Score |
|---|---|---|
| 28 to 30 | 9 | Pass |
| 26 to 27 | 8.5 | Restricted I |
| 22 to 25 | 7 | Restricted II |
| Below 22 | Below 7 | Cannot use TOEFL or IELTS Option |
ITA Test Option
Use this option if you:
-
Do not have TOEFL or IELTS
-
Do not have minimum TOEFL Speaking score of 22 or IELTS Speaking score of 7
-
Have a TOEFL or IELTS Speaking score that gives you an ITA Certification score which does not meet TA job requirements
The test will determine your certification rating
If you have a condition that may impact your ability to successfully complete the ITA Test, contact Disability Resources at access@andrew.cmu.edu.
Certification Rating Using Assessment Test Speaking Scores
TOEFL 28 - 30 or
IELTS 9
Pass - Strong Proficiency
TOEFL 26 - 27 or
IELTS 8.5
Restricted I - Adequate Proficiency
TOEFL 22 - 25 or
IELTS 7
Restricted II - Limited Proficiency
TOEFL Below 22 or
IELTS Below 7
Not Ready - Weak Proficiency
ITA Language Certification Scoring Guide
For additional information, see Understanding the four certification scores [PDF] and Understanding the four proficiency levels [PDF].
Pass - Strong Proficiency
Jobs Permitted:
- All TA assignments
- Can also serve as sole instructor
Restricted I - Adequate Proficiency
Jobs Permitted:
- All TA assignments
Restricted II - Limited Proficiency
Jobs Permitted:
- One-on-one sessions: e.g., office hours or tutoring, instructor assistant for labs or studios (if supervised by an instructor present in the lab or studio, and not responsible for safety instructions or for giving presentations),
- Grader: meeting with students to explain and discuss grades, answer questions, etc.
Not Ready - Weak Proficiency
Jobs Permitted:
- Assignments that do not require communication with students
- (on-going language support strongly recommended)
Applying for ITA Language Certification
Please review the following information before filling out the ITA certification application.
NOTE: ITA testing takes place at the beginning and end of each semester.
First-time Applicants
If you are requesting language certification for the first time, complete the application.
Students in master programs can register for an ITA language certification when they have a job offer for a specific class. Review the certification policy for Masters students before filling out the application.
ITA Recertification
To test for ITA recertification, students must fulfill the following two conditions:- Have a job assignment that requires a higher score than what they currently have.
- Have completed a significant amount of the work needed to improve robust fluency; typically students require 25-35 hours of Language Support work, sometimes for several semesters, to move to a higher score. This is especially true for students who just took the test in the previous semester.