Oral Proficiency Interview

To be eligible to student teach all Adolescence Education 7-12 French or Spanish majors are required to achieve the Advanced Low Level on the ACTFL OPI by Feb.1 for fall student teaching placement or by Sept. 15 for spring placement; It is recommended that students take this exam during the first semester of their senior year, preferably shortly after having studied abroad in a country where the target language is spoken. This exam is conducted via telephone (OPI) or computer (OPIC) with a certified OPI interviewer and takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Either OPI is valid, but be sure to pick the right link.

Students must schedule their own exams. Please complete the following:

  1. Contact the Department Secretary (see below) to confirm that she will be available on the dates and times you are proposing to take the exam. The exam cannot take place during non-business hours, on weekends or holidays. It may take up to four weeks to get your results and so please plan accordingly. You must arrive at the test site 15 minutes before the exam so plan accordingly when filling in the Range of Availability.
  2. Review the following links and then apply to take either the OPI or OPIc:
    https://tms.languagetesting.com/IndividualSite/Download/FAQ_Doc.pdf
    https://www.languagetesting.com/profluent/organizations
    http://www.languagetesting.com/take-a-test

Susana Castillo-Rodríguez has completed the Full Certification process as  ACTFL Certified OPI tester.

According to ACTFL OPI agreements:
"I may conduct OPIs and assign Advisory ratings within my academic program, department and/or school. I also understand that Advisory OPIs may be forwarded to the LTI, ACTFL’s designee, for an official rating and certificate. I understand that Advisory testing is a service that I provide to my institution. Under no circumstances can I receive payment from my institution, from an individual or a student for this service." (ACTFL 2019).

If you are interested in knowing more about the OPI, you can contact Prof. Castillo-Rodriguez at castillos@geneseo.edu. She will serve students in the best of her capacity in this matter.

Important Contact Information:

  • Name of Proctor:  Melinda Skinner
  • Title of Proctor:  Department Secretary
  • Name of School:  SUNY Geneseo Department of Languages and Literatures
  • Proctor Email: skinnerm@geneseo.edu
  • Proctor Telephone:  585 245-5247

Missed appointments, appointments rescheduled with less than 24 hours advance notice, and tests that are cancelled and not rescheduled are assessed an additional fee by the Testing Service (not by Geneseo).

Please note that the ACTFL policy requires that each test taker wait at least 90 days between test taking occurrences (retesting).