ALTA Language Proficiency Testing

ALTA is a third-party organization used by U.S. government agencies, global corporations, national healthcare providers, financial institutions and global non-profit organizations. They are a trusted source for proficiency testing for organizations with a multilingual workforce.

 

TLC administers three ALTA language tests: listening and speaking, writing, and a reading assessment. 

A woman takes an online training at her desk.
Offered at TLC

ALTA Language Tests

All of these tests are proctored online, not in-person. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with the test date and time. Then, 2-3 days before your test, you will receive a message from the test proctor with additional instructions.

1. Listening and Speaking

  • Measures how well candidates can speak and understand the language when spoken.
  • Format: Live or interactive voice recognition (IVR) via phone
  • Duration: 30–40 minutes
  • Available in 80+ target languages.
  • Results are available in two business days.
  • Test fee: $105


2. Writing  

  • Measures the candidate’s ability to write in the target language.
  • Format: A series of prompts
  • Duration: One hour
  • Available in 80+ languages.
  • Results are available in two business days.
  • Test fee: $105


3.  Reading Assessment

  • Evaluates the candidate’s ability to read the target language.
  • Format: A passage with multiple-choice questions
  • Two tests are available: General and legal. The general test has several passages with general topics. The legal test replaces two general test passages with passages related to legal topics.
  • Duration: One hour
  • Available in 90+ languages.
  • The test is automatically scored and results are emailed.
  • Test fee: $65
ALTA logo

Schedule a Test

Schedule a test through our online platform.

Schedule a Test

Contact Us

worldlanguages@tennessee.edu

ALTA Testing

Important Notices

Verify Your Test

Verify your test and format required by the business or organization receiving your test scores. TLC only administers the tests and cannot guarantee which test, format or score is required by a business or organization. Confirm these details before scheduling a test.

When scheduling the test on TLC’s online booking system, request a date/time at least four to five business days after the booking date. TLC will submit your requested day/time to ALTA, contact you via email to confirm the booking and provide you with testing instructions. 

Test fees must be paid in full when making the scheduling request through TLC’s online booking system. Fees are payable by Visa, Mastercard or Discover. 

Test takers must log on at least 15 minutes before the confirmed test time and present a photo ID. No refunds will be issued for late arrivals—even five minutes.

A date/time change (due to unforeseen circumstances) or cancellations may be requested by contacting TLC by 4:30 p.m. CT at least two business days before the confirmed test date/time. No refunds will be issued for any cancelled test that does not abide by this policy.