
What is Versant?
What is Versant?
Versant™ is a completely automated test of spoken English that enables you to ensure applicants and employees have the level of spoken English language skills necessary for any job.- Use Versant to assess an individual’s spoken English language skills in 15 minutes or less.
- Convenient, easy and secure administration by telephone.
When interviewing time is limited, use the fully automated Versant test to screen any number of candidates and make sure you interview only those with sufficient spoken language skills. The tests are simple and intuitive for proficient non-native speakers of English. Items have been reviewed for fairness and bias-free usage.
How does the Versant test work?
Versant with Ordinate Technology requires a standard land-based telephone. Scores are provided online just minutes after the test is completed. The three easy administration steps are:- The administrator provides the candidate with written instructions and a personal access number.
- The candidates can access the test 24 hours a day by phone from wherever they are, home or overseas.
- The administrator retrieves scores online within minutes.
(presented in Adobe acrobat PDF format).
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Validation
Valid, reliable and secureVersant spoken language tests are based on years of research in speech recognition, statistical modelling, linguistics and testing theory. Independent studies have shown that these tests are more objective and as reliable as human-rated tests, including one-on-one oral proficiency interviews.
Versant provides a cost-effective measure of oral competence developed by expert linguists and validated with reference to human judgements of proficiency.
The tests are secure because each presents a random selection of items drawn from a large item pool. This means individuals taking the test more than once will be presented with a random selection of items each time.
Click here for a full test description and validation summary (presented in Adobe acrobat PDF format).
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Who Uses Versant?
Versant solutions are currently used by organisations worldwide to help ensure employees have the necessary English communication skills, to interact effectively with their customers.Versant is an ideal assessment tool for use with customer-facing positions in a variety of work settings and industries:
- Call Centres
- Customer Service
- Technical Support
- Sales
- Cashiers/Clerks
- Receptionists
- Financial Services
- Hospitality
- Food Service
- Education
- Health Care
- Government
- Travel
- Retail
Many industries can benefit from Versant

