English Proficiency Requirement
English Proficiency Requirement
Students who are non-native speakers of English and do not have a degree from a U.S. institution must pass the Versant English Speaking and Listening Test before they will be permitted to teach as Graduate Teaching Associates or Graduate Teaching Assistants. The Versant Test is not required for students who will be appointed as a Graduate Teaching Grader.
The Versant English Speaking and Listening Test is administered by the English Language Institute and takes about 20 minutes. The College of Graduate Studies will cover the cost of your first Versant Test if you take it at the beginning of the Fall or Spring semester (Test I).
The Versant English Test requirement applies to all students from countries where English is not the native language; however, such students will be exempt if they have completed a previous degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, from a country where English is the only official language, or from a university at which English is the only official language of instruction, or they have received a score of 26 or higher on the Speak portion of the ibt TOEFL. Only exempted students and those who have attended the UCF GTA Training and satisfactorily passed the evaluation of their English-speaking skills may be assigned as GTAs.
| GTA Job | Versant Test Minimum Score Requirement |
|---|---|
| Graduate Teaching Grader (1109) | Not Required |
| Graduate Teaching Assistant (1107) | 59 on the “new” Versant Test as of January 2025. 58 on the Versant Test taken prior to January 2025. (Prior to Spring 2018 – 50 on the SPEAK Test) |
| Graduate Teaching Associate (1106) | 70 on the “new” Versant Test as of January 2025. 69 on the Versant Test prior to January 2025. (Prior to Spring 2018 – 55 on the SPEAK Test) |
Qualifying for Free English-Speaking Training
The university provides you with free English-Speaking training if you score between a 59 and 69 for a test taken January 2025 and onward. To qualify, you must take your initial Versant Test at the beginning of the Fall or Spring semester on one of the “Test 1” date(s) listed in the Testing Schedule below. You must also attend the 8-week in person Academic Oral Communication and Culture for Internationals (AOCC) training and complete the required Versant test (Test II in the Testing Schedule) in that same semester. Failure to complete the required AOCC training or the Versant Test at the end of the semester will result in you being charged for the AOCC training and Versant Test.
For test dates and to register, see https://global.ucf.edu/english-test/. All inquiries regarding the Versant Test should be directed to the English Language Institute (UCF College of Sciences Building Suite 300 or globalrecords@ucf.edu).
See “English-Speaking Ability for Graduate Teaching Assistants” at Graduate Assistantships in the current Graduate Catalog regarding the details of the university’s payment for this training and your responsibilities in order to receive this funding.
For additional information regarding the Versant Test and AOCC course schedules and registration, please go to the UCF Global website at https://global.ucf.edu/english-test/.
Versant Testing Schedule
| Test Dates | Register | Registration Opens | Registration Closes |
| May 5, 2025 (Summer I) (Cost not covered by the College of Graduate Studies) | See UCF Global | April 7, 2025 | May 2, 2025 |
| June 2, 2025 (Summer II) (Cost not covered by the College of Graduate Studies) | See UCF Global | May 5, 2025 | May 30, 2025 |
| August 4, 2025 (Fall I) | See UCF Global | June 23, 2025 | August 1, 2025 |
| August 11, 2025 (Fall I) | See UCF Global | June 23, 2025 | August 8, 2025 |
| October 6, 2025 (Fall II) | See UCF Global | September 8, 2025 | October 3, 2025 |
| December 17, 2025 (Spring I) | See UCF Global | November 17, 2025 | December 16, 2025 |
| January 5, 2026 (Spring I) | See UCF Global | November 17, 2025 | January 2, 2026 |
| March 2, 2026 (Spring II) | See UCF Global | February 2, 2026 | February 27, 2026 |