Tips to Better Prepare for OPI Exams

Oral Proficiency Test (OPI)

Oral Proficiency Interview or OPI measures your oral proficiency skills in a target language. The OPI testing system evaluates your ability to engage in real-time conversations, convey ideas, and navigate real-world situations. OPI aims to elicit spontaneous speech, which means you must be prepared.

Spanish Oral Proficiency Interview testing consists of a 15–30-minute recorded telephone interview. For the test taker, the exam resembles a conversation, but the reviewer probes candidates to discover their maximum sustained functional level. The three-part interview begins with a warm-up, followed by level checks, and ends with a wind-down. Two separate American Council on the Teaching of Foreign languages (ACTFL)-certified Testers/Raters determine a score for an official rating after evaluating the recorded session.

How to Prep for Oral Proficiency Interviews

1. Oral proficiency interviews are interactive, allowing the reviewer to adjust the questions based on a candidate's responses. This free-form approach provides a more accurate picture of your language abilities. Below are a few proven Spanish Milestone OPI prep tips:

   • Familiarize yourself with the standards for each level and identify your target.

   • Based on a previous language assessment or feedback, create a roadmap of where you are and where you need to be for a successful OPI result.

   •  Contact a coach for a language assessment to confirm your current level and identify your strengths and areas for improvement. At Spanish Milestones, assessment and feedback are our "Golden Rule" tools to improve your language skills and reach your goals.

   
   

2. Your coach will highlight any language structure or part of the discourse you will need to practice. Based on your testing date and specific needs, the coach will create a personalized study plan. At Spanish Milestones, our Spanish Oral Proficiency Interview Coaches will guide you toward language success by tailoring our proven methods and strategies to your language needs and schedule.

   • High-impact practice is recommended for every level; be consistent and track your progress.

   • Read a variety of online articles, listen to podcasts, and write down new words. Spanish Milestones provides authentic materials to the format of the test.

   • Narrate to yourself a summary of what you read or listened to using a two-minute burst.

   • Record yourself and listen to it for self-assessment.

   • Identify areas for OPI improvement. Make a note of your mistakes and correct them.

     
     

Importance of Mock Tests for OPI Success

Your OPI coach will facilitate the mock test and familiarize you with the phases of the interview and protocol. This strategy allows you to be strategic in your speech.

At Spanish Milestones, our Spanish Oral Proficiency Interview Coaches provide constructive feedback after the mock test that build a strengths roadmap that highlight areas of improvement for students.

Our Spanish Oral Proficiency Interview Coaches recommend the following strategies:

1. Prepare mentally for the Oral Proficiency Interview test.

2. Visualize your plan. Choose a test date based on your progress and your coach's advice.

3. Take plenty of mock tests until you feel confident and at ease with your performance.

4. Remind yourself of your goal. Visualize yourself speaking clearly and confidently in the target language.

Is Spanish your target language for the Oral Proficiency Test? Contact Spanish Milestones to set up an evaluation with one of our Spanish OPI Coaches. Our proven, personal approach will guide you toward OPI testing success.

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