TRACE

TRACE (Test of Readiness for Academic English)

If students successfully pass the Placement Test or complete the B2 level at Özyeğin University, they are eligible to take the TRACE.

The TRACE is designed to determine students' readiness for a course of academic study in English. In order to begin studying in their faculties at Özyeğin University, students must score 65 or higher on the TRACE exam.

The test is based on a general subject area, and all parts of the exam are related to this overall topic. The reason for this is to provide the students with content and allow them to process the information using critical thinking skills. This reflects the real-life needs of students in a university setting. The exam directly tests reading, listening and writing skills for academic purposes. Grammar and vocabulary are not tested directly; however, competence in these areas is determined by comprehension and usage.

The exam has been designed using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels B1, B2 and C1 as references. The test focuses on assessing the language and skills of a candidate at the high B2 level. The content of the exam is primarily academic because the students are preparing for full-time study at an English-medium university.

There are 3 parts in the TRACE exam:
Part 1. Reading
Part 2. Listening
Part 3. Writing

Part 1 - Reading
There are 3 reading texts in this part of the exam. The first text is a short one (up to 250 words); the second text is a medium-length one (about 500 words); and the third text is a longer one (of about 1000 words). The reading part lasts 60 minutes and consists of 35 questions in total.

Part 2 - Listening
There are 2 listening sections. The first one consists of a lecture of up to 10 minutes. Students need to take notes as they listen. After they finish listening, they will receive a list of questions. Then they will use their notes to answer these questions. The second listening section consists of one conversation of up to 10 minutes. Students will answer the questions as they listen. They will not need to take notes for the second part. The Listening part lasts around 35 minutes and consists of 20 questions in total.

Part 3 - Writing

The final part of TRACE is writing an academic text answering a question related to the topic of the exam. Students will write an extended paragraph* of about 250 words to directly answer the question. The writing part lasts 50 minutes.

 * An extended paragraph is a paragraph with a topic sentence, several supporting and expanding details, and a concluding sentence.