The purpose of the Oral English Certification Test (OECT) is to assess how effectively international teaching assistants (ITAs) can communicate in English in typical everyday, academic, and classroom situations. OECT results help ISU departments and graduate programs make informed decisions when assigning teaching duties to their ITAs.

International graduate students with teaching appointments are required to take OECT. Students are strongly advised to complete the registration as early as possible as we may not be able to accommodate late testing requests. The schedule is subject to change. Please keep checking this page for updates.

Learn more about the OECT's test format, question types, topic types, and scoring rubric. The evaluators are professionals in the field of teaching English as a second language, language assessment, or education. At least two evaluators independently rate each section of the test. Check out our sample test guide for helpful tips and test day preparation.

Access this portal to take the OECT, see your test result(s), or to use the pronunciation lab / laptop resources. A valid ISU ID is required to access the portal for test registration. Departments requiring student results will access their records using this portal as well.

Our speaking courses equip you with the necessary strategies for effective classroom communication and aim to help you improve pronunciation, fluency, and comprehensibility. Browse our available course sections and register today by completing the enrollment form and emailing Lily Compton at lcompton@iastate.edu