TUTOR TOOL · SPEAKING PLACEMENT

Find the right level in one 30-minute conversation

An adaptive speaking interview built on CEFR can-do descriptors — no written test, no multiple choice. Just a natural conversation that quietly narrows in on where a student really is.

0–5 min · Warm-up

Build rapport, lower the stakes

Easy, personal questions with no "correct" answer. The goal isn't scoring yet — it's getting the student talking freely and settling their nerves.

5–22 min · Core assessment

Adaptive leveling

Start near the middle and move up or down based on how the student handles each round — the same logic computer adaptive tests use, done in conversation.

22–30 min · Confirm & close

Stretch, then wrap up

Push one level above the estimate to find the ceiling, confirm the recommendation, and end warmly — this is still their first impression of the school.

Why adaptive, not a fixed script: A single list of questions either bores an advanced speaker with A1 questions or overwhelms a beginner with abstract ones. Testing "up and down" like this — start mid-level, go harder if they handle it, go easier if they don't — finds the true level in far fewer questions, and keeps the conversation always at the edge of what the student can just about do (their "i+1"). Judge grammar range, fluency, vocabulary, and pronunciation as separate threads, not one blended gut feeling — a student can be very fluent with limited grammar, or very accurate but hesitant.

00:00

Not started

Pick a rough starting guess if you have one — a total beginner or a clearly advanced speaker — otherwise leave it on "Not sure" and the tool will start in the middle and find its way from there.

Starting estimate

Expert notes for the interviewer

Never ask yes/no questions. "Do you like your job?" invites one word. "What do you like and dislike about your job?" forces real language out.
Use silence on purpose. Resist filling every pause — three seconds of quiet often produces a fuller answer than jumping in to help.
Always ask "why" or "tell me more." The follow-up is where you actually hear grammar range and connected speech, not the rehearsed opening line.
Separate the four threads. Fluency (flow), accuracy (grammar), range (vocabulary/structures), and pronunciation don't always move together — note them separately in your head.
Find the ceiling, not just the floor. If a question feels easy for them, that's a signal to go up, not a reason to relax — the goal is the edge of ability.
Anxiety isn't low level. A nervous strong speaker may freeze on an easy warm-up question — weigh the core-assessment rounds more heavily than the first two minutes.
Watch for memorised chunks. "Nice to meet you, I am from Kyiv" can be rehearsed. Ask something that can't be pre-scripted to check it's real.
The tool is a guide, not a verdict. Trust your own judgement over the algorithm on the screen — it's there to keep you moving efficiently, not to replace the decision.

Find the right level in one 30-minute conversation

Build rapport, lower the stakes

Adaptive leveling

Stretch, then wrap up

Browse the full question bank

Expert notes for the interviewer