ISLPR Language Services Blog
What can I expect in the Teacher Registration Test?
Previously on our blog we had posted guidelines for each part of the ISLPR test (i.e. speaking, listening, reading and writing). We continue to receive questions from candidates about what they can expect in each part of the test. We are re-sharing this information below with the focus on the Teacher Registration (or Professional Registration) Test.
Writing
You will write two texts, totalling about 400 words, in 60 minutes.
- At least one of the texts will be directly related to teaching practice.
- The audience is likely to be students, parents, colleagues or other members of the school community, or officers in the education system.
- The other task could be a memo, report, essay, article, submission or open letter (e.g. a letter to the editor of a newspaper) in which you might be expected to express opinions about education.
- Dictionary use is not allowed.
- Generally tasks will relate to the sorts of tasks teachers could be expected to undertake.
Listening
Listening skills are judged throughout the interview. In one part of the interview, however, audio or video recordings will also be used.
You will listen to authentic texts related to education and the socialisation of young people. After you have listened to a text, you will demonstrate your comprehension by talking to the tester about it.
You may choose to take notes as an aid to memory. The tester may check your comprehension of a section of a text and then resume playing the tape. Generally any text is heard only once; occasionally a short segment may be repeated so that the tester can check your comprehension of certain key details.
The texts may be:
- news stories
- news commentaries
- interviews
- talk-back
- documentary material
- community announcements or,
- advertisements.
The voices will be mainly those of speakers of standard Australian English but there may be segments with other varieties of English. The tester is also likely to ask you to listen to children speaking.
Reading
In one part of the interview, you will read a variety of texts related to education and the socialisation of young people. You will demonstrate your understanding of a text by talking to the tester about it.
Texts may be selected from such materials as the following:
- curriculum materials (e.g. syllabuses or text-books)
- research reports
- material from the mass media or professional journals (e.g. news stories, feature stories, editorials, letters to the editor, columnists opinions, articles, reviews)
- community information (e.g. brochures)
- advertisements, or
- material related to conditions of employment (e.g. newsletters from an employer or union).
The time allowed for the reading will depend on the type and length of the text, with some flexibility to account for individual differences in reading speed. You may make notes, underline, or use a highlighter as you read. You may refer back to the text while you talk to the tester. Dictionary use is not allowed.
You will also be asked to read aloud a short text. This is likely to be a notice for students, or a section of one of the reading texts
Speaking
Speaking skills are judged throughout the interview. The first part of the interview (about 15 minutes) is a conversation including education-related topics. The tester is likely to ask you to talk about some aspect of your personal experience and to discuss issues related to education and the socialisation of young people.
Did you find this helpful? If you have any questions leave a comment below and we’ll endeavor to get back to you as soon as possible.
Unsure which test you need to take? Read this blog to learn the difference between the academic, vocational and teacher registration test.