Trinity's graded examinations in Spoken English are a progressive series of twelve graded levels, taking students from their first steps in English to near first-language fluency. Registration is open to anyone aged, 7 and above whose mother tongue is not English.

The GESE exams are one-to-one, face-to-face conversations with a trained UK based examiner who is a native speaker of English. The examiner and you, pass on information, share ideas and opinions, and debate topical issues.

The exams are conducted at 12 levels, grouped into 4 developmental levels:

Grades 1-3 (initial stage)
Grades 4-6 (elementary stage)
Grades 7-9 (intermediate stage)
Grades 10-12 (advanced stage)

The exams do not come at the end of any course. They are a test of language skills that you already possess. The required language skills for each grade are clearly listed in the syllabus that will be given to you at registration and it will help you in deciding what grade you should sit.

It is your ability to communicate through conversation that is tested in GESE. And since the exam is available in 12 grades, you can choose the grade that best suits your level of language skills. The grades provide a continuous measure of linguistic competence from absolute beginner to full mastery.

THE INITIAL LEVEL
Grades-1, 2, 3
Test Pattern – Conversation.

THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL
Grades – 4, 5, 6
Test Pattern – Conversation +Topic Discussion

THE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
Grades – 7, 8, 9
Test Pattern- Conversation + Topic Discussion + Interactive task

THE ADVANCED LEVEL
Grades-10, 11, 12
Test Pattern- Conversation +Topic Discussion + Interactive task + Listening task

Conversation – This is an opportunity for a realistic exchange of information, ideas and opinions. The conversation phase involves a meaningful and authentic exchange rather than a formal 'question and answer' interview. At each stage, the candidate is expected to take more responsibility for initiating and maintaining the conversation.

The topic – Before the exam, the candidate prepares a topic which is used as a basis for the interaction. Trinity's philosophy is that candidates should be given every opportunity to demonstrate to the examiner what they can do in English. They can do this by talking about a topic which is of interest to them and which they feel confident talking about. This task allows candidates to demonstrate the range of structures, functions and lexis at their command and of the grade.

The interactive task –The candidate initiates and controls the interaction. This phase provides the opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate his or her ability to take control in a conversation through the use of questioning techniques and functions associated with requesting information, seeking clarification and encouraging further detail.

The Listening task - Three short spoken passages prompt the use of the skills of deduction, prediction and inferring. The passages are non-specialist in nature, and the candidate is required to give brief verbal responses indicating comprehension achieved through the use of listening skills.