OPI Certification Process Frequently Asked Questions

The Full OPI Assessment workshop is appropriate for all educators. If you primarily teach and test students at the Novice and Intermediate levels, the MOPI Workshop format can also meet your needs.

Yes. ACTFL offers a range of in person and online workshops throughout the year. You can find more information here.

The workshop registration fee includes workshop attendance, full participation in all workshop activities, and workshop materials. The fee does not include travel, housing or meal expenses nor does it include the certification application fee.

ACTFL accepts personal checks, institutional checks and purchase orders, VISA, and Mastercard.

If your language of specialization isn't offered you would need to enroll in the Mixed Languages offering. The course is presented in English, but there are opportunities to do activities in your language.

No, membership is not required for workshop attendance. However, reduced registration fees are available to ACTFL members. It is possible to become an ACTFL member and to register for a workshop at the reduced fee at the same time.

Yes. ACTFL arranges on-site ACTFL workshops at individual schools. For more information, contact workshops@actfl.org

Attendees meet each day for large group presentations followed by language-specific break-out sections of ten participants with one trainer. The majority of the day is devoted to hands-on activities including: a) observation of demonstration interviews; b) rating practice; c) individual practice testing; and c) group and trainer critique and feedback.

Workshop participants who wish to pursue ACTFL OPI Tester Certification may apply to the program to be able to provide advisory OPI ratings within their institution after certification has been achieved.

In order to apply to become an ACTFL OPI Tester, you must meet the following prerequisites:

• Affiliation with an accredited academic institution as defined by ACTFL*
• Possession of an undergraduate degree in a related field
• Minimal proficiency level of Advanced-Mid for Limited Certification and a Superior for Full Certification in the language of training.

*An academic institution is an accredited school, college, or university where foreign languages are taught. The term affiliation with an academic institution is defined as a current faculty and/or staff member who is involved in the instruction or evaluation of language students. Private language companies that offer translation services or language testing do not qualify under ACTFL’s definition of an academic institution. Private for-profit companies also do not qualify.

ACTFL OPI trainers are highly qualified language faculty and educators who are nationally recognized experts in the area of oral proficiency assessment. OPI trainers are certified by ACTFL.

The maximum amount of time to complete certification is one calendar year from the completion of workshop training. There is no minimum amount of time required to complete the certification process. The sooner one completes all the requirements, the shorter the certification process. A motivated candidate can obtain the certification within six months.

OPI Testers are certified for four years, after which time all testers must recertify to maintain their certification.

ACTFL certified Testers are a critical resource to their institutions in the areas of language assessment, curriculum, and instructional practices. Certification as an ACTFL OPI Tester is recognition that an individual understands and can apply the principles and concepts of proficiency testing with consistency and reliability.

Certified ACTFL Testers are authorized to conduct OPIs and assign advisory ratings within their own academic institutions. They may also participate in the official ACTFL Testing Program through LTI, the ACTFL Testing Office.

https://tms.languagetesting.com/CandidateSite/individualTestTracker.aspx

No. Please note that ACTFL does not have access to your personal OPI result. The link will only work for you. Once the personal OPI test is completed, you will receive a message by email (as below example), with your own specific username and password in order to access the result.

Dear XXXX,
The rating for the language assessment you took on xx/xx/xx is now available.
Click on the link below to view the rating and print a certificate.
https://tms.languagetesting.com/CandidateSite
Username: xxxxx
Password: xxxxx
Thanks,
Language Testing International, Inc.
The ACTFL Testing Office
800-486-8444 extension 0
(Outside the US: 914-963-7110 extension 0)
languagetesting.com

Because the personal OPI link is specific to you, ACTFL does not have access to it. You are provided with a username and password from LTI which you can use to access the link. You should download your certificate and forward it to ACTFL via email.

ACTFL does not have access to your results. If, however, you did not get an email from LTI, please write to them at support@languagetesting.com

Sorry, we cannot do that on your behalf. You need to send it directly to LTI to support@languagetesting.com

You must complete your entire certification process (all four certification phases) and obtain your certificate before you start testing.

ACTFL must approve the retest, and if granted, you are responsible for any fees associated with retesting through LTI.

Testing with LTI does not keep your certificate valid. In addition to working with LTI you must also attend norming events and your record with LTI must be consistent.

Personal OPI results are valid for 2 years. Unfortunately, you cannot use a personal OPI that was done in 2009 for this certification program. To move ahead with your certification program, you need to schedule a new OPI test.

The certification process should be completed within one calendar year. If you took the workshop less than 2 years ago, then you are eligible to take an online refresher course rather than retaking the full workshop. If more than 2 years have passed since the time you completed your workshop, you will need to retake the workshop and start the certification process again.

We handle hundreds of applications every week so please be patient. Also, please note that should there be a delay in processing we will be sure to extend your application and certification deadlines to accommodate that delay.

In the practice round, rating grids are not required. The rating grid sheet is provided to you for practice purposes only. You will need to submit rating grids in Phases 3 and 4.

The 45-day deadline is only a suggestion. We do recommend that you stick to the timeline (below) so as not to face delays later in the process. Certification Process should be completed within one year from admission to the program. Trainees may progress through Certification activities faster than suggested timeline provided below:

1. Complete OPI or Modified OPI (MOPI) Assessment training workshop
2. Apply for OPI Tester Certification within 30 days of completing workshop
3. Complete Personal OPI and Rating Activity within 45 days of notification that application has been processed
4. Complete Guided Interviews within 45 days of passing Rating Activity
5. Conduct and submit Independent Interviews within 75 days of completing Guided Interviews. Trainee will receive Feedback on interviews within additional 60 days.
6. Conduct and submit Certification Interviews within 60 days of completing Independent Interviews. Results of Evaluation will be returned to Trainee within 60 additional days.

LTI gets in touch with you 5 days prior to the test date. Please be patient. If you have questions related to scheduling your OPI, you may contact them at support@languagetesting.com(link sends e-mail).

Instructions are sent to you in the enrollment email and are can be found here.