The Interuniversity Test of Academic English (ITACE) for Lecturers is a test of proficiency in English for Academic Purposes. The test is developed and administered by all members of the Interuniversity Testing Consortium (IUTC):
- Ghent University: Ghent University Language Centre – UCT
- KU Leuven:
- Leuven Language Institute – ILT
- University Language Centre of the KU Leuven – Campus Brussel
- University of Antwerp: Linguapolis – Language Institute of the University of Antwerp
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel: Academic Language Centre – ACTO
These university language centres have collaborated to create their own, flexible language test to be offered as an alternative to existing standardized tests such as TOEFL and IELTS. Their extensive expertise in academic English ensures that the ITACE for Lecturers is a reliable test that meets international test standards.
In April 2014, at the request of the VLIR (Flemish Interuniversity Council), the ITACE for Lecturers was evaluated and validated by an international panel of independent experts. To this end, a self-assessment report was prepared according to ALTE’s 17 minimum standards, followed by a quality review visit of the expert panel.
The ITACE for Lecturers assesses English proficiency in an academic context to enable participants to obtain a C1 certificate, using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). It should be noted, however, that the sole aim of the test is language assessment. As such, it is in no way intended to reflect academic success in general.
All sentences, texts and listening fragments used in the test were taken from a wide range of authentic scientific, academic, and general contexts. The writing and oral tasks have been designed to ensure that topics are accessible to lecturers from all disciplines.
This website contains sample questions that illustrate the structure of the test and a few typical test questions. However, the test centres do not offer any practice material or training sessions specifically designed to prepare participants for the ITACE.
The ITACE is not an online test: it can only be taken at the campuses of one of the universities mentioned above.