Test takers who receive a score at the HIGH level, as you did, typically understand academic texts in English that require a wide range of reading abilities regardless of the difficulty of the texts.

Test takers who score at the HIGH level, typically

• have a very good command of academic vocabulary and grammatical structure;
• can understand and connect information, make appropriate inferences, and synthesize ideas, even when the text is conceptually dense and the language is complex;
• can recognize the expository organization of a text and the role that specific information serves within the larger text, even when the text is conceptually dense; and
• can abstract major ideas from a text, even when the text is conceptually dense and contains complex language.

Test takers who receive a score at the HIGH level, as you did, typically understand conversations and lectures in English that present a wide range of listening demands. These demands can include difficult vocabulary (uncommon terms, or colloquial or figurative language), complex grammatical structures, abstract or complex ideas, and/or making sense of unexpected or seemingly contradictory information.

When listening to lectures and conversations like these, test takers at the HIGH level typically can

• understand main ideas and important details, whether they are stated or implied;
• distinguish more important ideas from less important ones;
• understand how information is being used (for example, to provide evidence for a claim or describe a step in a complex process);
• recognize how pieces of information are connected (for example, in a cause-and-effect relationship);
• understand many different ways that speakers use language for purposes other than to give information (for example, to emphasize a point, express agreement or disagreement, or convey intentions indirectly); and
• synthesize information, even when it is not presented in sequence, and make correct inferences on the basis of that information.

Your responses indicate you are able to speak in English about your personal experiences and opinions in a mostly clear and coherent manner. Your speech is mostly clear with only occasional errors. Grammar and vocabulary are somewhat limited and include some errors. At times, the limitations prevent you from elaborating fully on your ideas, but they do not seriously interfere with overall communication.

Your responses demonstrate an ability to speak in English about reading material and experiences typically encountered by university students. You are able to convey relevant information about conversations, newspaper articles, and campus bulletins; however, some details are missing or inaccurate. Limitations of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation at times cause difficulty for the listener. However, they do not seriously interfere with overall communication.

Your responses demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively in English about academic topics typical of first-year university studies. Your speech is mostly clear and fluent. You are able to use appropriate vocabulary and grammar to explain concepts and ideas from reading or lecture material. You are able to talk about key information and relevant details with only minor inaccuracies.

You responded to the task, relating the lecture to the reading, but your response indicates weaknesses such as

• an important idea or ideas may be missing, unclear, or inaccurate;
• there may be unclarity in how the lecture and the reading passage are related; and/or
• grammatical mistakes or vague/incorrect uses of words may make the writing difficult to understand.

You responded with a well-organized and developed essay. Weaknesses, if you have any, might have to do with

• use of English that is occasionally ungrammatical, unclear, or unidiomatic and/or
• elaboration of ideas or connection of ideas that could have been stronger.