A transparent look at the format, difficulty and scoring of the ICS GLC — Global Language Certificate (CEFR-aligned).
Four skills, difficulty spanning A1 to C2, delivered under proctored conditions.
Candidates read a short text and choose the best answer. Difficulty rises from concrete everyday texts to abstract, academic prose.
The Riverside Café is looking for a part-time waiter. Experience is not necessary, but applicants must be friendly and able to work at weekends. Training will be provided. To apply, send an email to [email protected].
What is one requirement for the job?
For years, Mara had dreamed of running a marathon, but she never found the time to train properly. After moving to a job with more regular hours, she finally joined a local running group. The group met three times a week, and the encouragement of the other runners kept her going even on cold mornings. Six months later, she completed her first marathon.
What most helped Mara achieve her goal?
The widespread adoption of remote collaboration tools has been hailed as a democratising force, allowing talent to be sourced regardless of geography. Yet the picture is more ambivalent than such optimism suggests. As organisations grow accustomed to hiring across borders, workers in high-cost regions increasingly find themselves competing with equally qualified counterparts willing to accept lower pay. The technology that promised to liberate the workforce may, in some sectors, simply have intensified the pressures of a global labour market.
What is the author's main point about remote collaboration tools?
Candidates hear a recording once and choose the best answer. The transcript is shown here for illustration only.
A: Have you signed up for the first-aid course yet? B: Not yet. Is it worth doing? A: Definitely. It's only two evenings, and you learn what to do in an emergency — things like helping someone who is choking. B: That does sound useful. Where is it held? A: At the community centre on Elm Street. I can send you the link to register.
What does the woman say is a benefit of the course?
A common assumption about bilingual children is that learning two languages at once will confuse them and delay their speech. Decades of research have put this fear to rest. While bilingual children may briefly mix vocabulary from both languages — a phenomenon parents often mistake for confusion — this is a normal and temporary stage. In fact, by managing two linguistic systems from an early age, these children often develop stronger skills in switching between tasks. The apparent 'delay' is little more than a myth.
What does the speaker say about bilingual children mixing languages?
Two tasks: a short functional message and a longer argumentative composition.
You recently attended an online workshop that was cancelled halfway through because of technical problems. Write an email to the organisers explaining what happened and asking what they intend to do about it.
Some people believe that companies should be legally required to let employees work from home whenever the job allows it. Others think this decision should be left entirely to employers. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
A three-part interview moving from personal, concrete questions to abstract discussion.
Describe a place where you feel completely relaxed.
Candidates receive short preparation time before the long turn.
Each response is rated against CEFR-anchored criteria, not a single impression.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Task achievement | Whether the response fully addresses the task, covers all required points, and suits the intended reader and register. |
| Coherence & cohesion | Logical organisation of ideas, paragraphing, and controlled use of linking devices. |
| Lexical resource | Range, precision and appropriacy of vocabulary; ability to paraphrase and avoid repetition. |
| Grammatical range & accuracy | Variety of structures and the frequency and communicative impact of errors. |
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation & intelligibility | Acoustically assessed clarity of sounds, word stress and intonation, and overall ease of understanding. |
| Fluency & coherence | Speech rate, hesitation and self-correction, and the logical flow of extended turns. |
| Lexical resource | Range and precision of vocabulary and flexibility in discussing abstract topics. |
| Grammatical range & accuracy | Complexity and control of structures across the three parts of the interview. |
Each criterion is scored on a band scale mapped to CEFR descriptors; the section level is the profile across all criteria.
Every premium exam is delivered under controlled conditions.
Every candidate receives a certificate like this, with a unique verification code and QR.
Stand out with ICS GLC
Free Test | GLC Standard | Most PopularGLC Verified | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 5-8 minutes | ~60 minutes | ~60 minutes |
| Skills | MCQ + Speaking | Reading + Listening + Writing + Speaking | Reading + Listening + Writing + Speaking |
| Proctoring | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Certificate | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Employer Verification | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Exam Equivalences | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Speaking audio retained | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Downloadable recording pack | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Live Voxi AI examiner | ✗ | ✗ | ★ |
| Integrity report | ✗ | Standard | Advanced |
| Price | Free | $49.99 | $99.99 |
Sit the full proctored exam and receive a verifiable CEFR certificate.
Go to the exam