ACTFL OPI Tester

The path to OPI certification begins by participating in an OPI Assessment Workshop or Modified OPI Assessment Workshop. Workshops hosted by ACTFL are held multiple times each year online.  You may sign up as an individual for these workshops, or you may have your school, university, district, or consortium arrange to host their own private workshop. For Individuals: ACTFL-hosted virtual workshops are scheduled multiple times throughout the year. For Institutions: ACTFL institutional workshops can be arranged with a school, university, district, or consortium. * Prerequisites: Affiliation with an academic institution as defined by ACTFL, undergraduate degree in a related field, minimal proficiency level of Intermediate High in the language training. To apply to become a certified tester or rater, candidates must meet the following general 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. Candidates can apply for one of two types of OPI certification: - Full OPI Certification requires a candidate be able to demonstrate a speaking proficiency of Superior. This certification will allow you to rate interviews officially from Novice to Superior. - Limited OPI Certification requires a candidate be able to demonstrate a minimum speaking proficiency of Advanced Mid. This certification will allow you to rate interviews officially at the Novice and Intermediate levels. This certification tends to be most useful to educators who teach in programs with proficiency goals in the novice and intermediate ranges. Those with a limited certification may apply for full certification after one year of being an ACTFL OPI tester in good standing. Candidates must have a speaking proficiency level of Superior on file and must attend an advancement workshop. After the workshop, tester candidates may apply for certification. In order to be certified as an ACTFL OPI Tester, candidates must successfully complete the following steps: - Attend an ACTFL OPI or MOPI Workshop - Apply for OPI certification within 60 days (see Submitting an Application section below) - Demonstrate one’s language proficiency as evidenced by an official ACTFL OPI in the language of certification (Personal OPI) - Prepare and submit recorded interviews and rating rationales - Demonstrate the ability to conduct ratable samples and to rate reliably