The 8 best English tests for recruitment (November 2026)

TL;DR: The best English tests for recruitment in 2026 are Talketet for enterprise hiring with test customization, with all four skills in about 30 minutes, Linguaskill for certifying employees, Versant for teams familiar with Pearson's GSE scores and The English Quiz for small volumes with human marking. Tracktest, Bright Language, TOEIC Link and EAT fit narrower needs, compared below.

English skills are among the most in-demand skills in the job market, but they are still hard to verify reliably.

Some recruiters trust the CV, but over 60% of candidates overestimate their skills, and English is one of the most exaggerated.

Others ask a few questions in English during the interview, but every interviewer judges differently. The risk is having no standardized, documented process to establish the candidate's actual level.

Online assessment tools can help, but the market for language testing tools is crowded. Some cost too much, others only assess grammar and listening, others take an hour or more, and others still take days to return results or don't adapt to the role.

That's why we created this guide: to compare the main English tests for recruitment on the same criteria and help you choose the one that fits your hiring process. To build it, we researched the best alternatives, tried different options and drew on our own conversations with customers and partners.

How we selected the tests on this list

The tests on this list passed one essential filter: they assess speaking and writing, as well as listening and reading, either in the core test or as an add-on module. We believe this is an essential criterion for assessing English properly in 2026.

For this reason, we excluded multiple-choice-only tests, tests that assess pronunciation instead of speaking proficiency, and dictation and word repetition tests. The one exception is EAT, a multiple-choice test we include because it is widely used in Italy and Spain.

7 criteria for a reliable pre-employment English test

• Duration: candidates are already under stress during recruiting, so a test can't be too long
• Ease of use: HR should be able to send a test with one click and view the results with another
• Reliability: there must be a technological and scientific validation process
• Customization: available for specific roles, with questions based on your work scenario
• Privacy compliance: GDPR and the AI Act in particular require attention to the assessment tools used in selection
• Price and scalability: does ROI increase with candidate volume?
• Speed of results: how long does scoring take?

Based on these criteria, the English tests that made the list are:

1. Talketet
2. Linguaskill
3. Versant Professional English Test
4. The English Quiz
5. Tracktest
6. Bright Language
7. TOEIC Link
8. EAT (Giunti Psychometrics)

English proficiency tests for corporates: comparison

The 8 best English proficiency tests for recruitment

1. Talketet

Talketet is an AI-powered language assessment platform. Talketet's English test assesses speaking, writing, listening and reading and is aligned with the CEFR. It is built for enterprise recruitment teams that want to add English skills verification to their selection processes, with tests customized to each role.

Example of a Talketet speaking question

In Italy, it is used by multinational recruiting experts such as Gi Group for English assessments on large candidate volumes.

Key features

• 30 minutes on average for 4 skills, 15 minutes for 2 skills
• Select a test, send it, view and export results in 3 clicks
• Peer-reviewed validation studies with researchers from the Universities of Pavia and Rome Tor Vergata
• Data in the EU (north-east Italy), GDPR and AI Act compliant for English tests and proctoring
• Custom quote based on hiring volume, languages and customization
• Customization (optional) by industry, role and individual question, for companies with role-specific English requirements: it adapts to your selection process
• Personalized feedback for candidates and recruiters
• Instant scoring and results in 3-5 minutes, fast enough to assess 200 candidates in 2 hours

Example of a Talketet candidate report

Pros

• Full 4-skill test in about 30 minutes, with results in minutes
• Peer-reviewed validation published with university researchers
• Data in the EU, with GDPR and AI Act documentation available
• Role-based customization, set up around each company's hiring process

Cons

• Less brand recognition than Cambridge, Pearson or ETS
• Not built for one-off tests or very small teams

2. Linguaskill

Cambridge's online adaptive English test, available in General and Business versions. It reports results on the Cambridge English Scale, which is aligned with the CEFR. It replaced the old BULATS, one of the best-known language testing solutions of the early 2000s.

Source: Cambridge English, Linguaskill website

Key features

• Modular: you can choose any combination of the four skills
• Adaptive reading and listening, more accessible for lower-level candidates
• Free results verification for organizations, and certificates with no expiry date

Pros

• Strong institutional recognition from Cambridge
• Business version built around workplace English
• Validation documentation publicly available

Cons

• Very long for a candidate: about 2h30
• Slow results: 3 to 15 working days
• From about €99 per test at partner centers

Linguaskill is hard to beat on recognition, but its length and turnaround make it better suited to assessing a selected number of employees than to recruiting. It is also considered quite expensive: some partner centers offer it from about €99 per test.

3. Versant Professional English Test

Pearson's four-skill workplace English test, with results reported on the Global Scale of English (10-90) and aligned to the CEFR. It is well known in Southeast Asia, especially in the BPO sector, and offers a good compromise between brand recognition (Pearson) and usability for hiring.

Source: Pearson website

Note: Versant includes open speaking and writing questions, so it meets our selection criterion, but only partly: the open questions take up little time compared with the overall length of the test, which relies heavily on repetition and dictation tasks.

Key features

• 58 questions based on workplace scenarios
• Automated scoring, with an immediate report
• Accessible results dashboard

Pros

• Strong institutional recognition from Pearson
• Results in a few minutes
• Validation documentation publicly available

Cons

• Few customization options
• Long for some candidates: about 60 minutes
• Open speaking and writing questions are short compared with the length of the test

Versant has long been an established name in workplace English testing, especially for BPO hiring. Its fast results make it practical for recruiting, but its few customization options and the weight of repetition and dictation tasks over open questions make it less suited when you need a full speaking and writing assessment for specific roles.

4. The English Quiz

An online English test for recruitment, with ready-made and customizable assessments. Organizations use it to test candidates and employees quickly and reliably.

Source: The English Quiz website

Key features

• 25-minute four-skill test
• Easy-to-buy packages
• Automated proctoring and identity checks

Pros

• Quick and easy to complete
• Public pricing, with no annual or setup fees, and credits that never expire
• Speaking and writing assessed by professional evaluators

Cons

• Results take about 24 hours because of human marking
• From €16 per four-skill test

The English Quiz is quick for candidates and simple for HR, but its results depend on human evaluators. This can matter in high-volume recruiting, when hundreds of people apply at once and you need results fast.

5. Tracktest

An online English Assessment Center platform that certifies English language skills for companies, universities and individual users. It is well known and well established in Europe, with clients and partners worldwide.

Source: Tracktest website

Key features

• Certificates available for companies as well as individuals
• Speaking and writing pre-processed by AI, then rated by 1-2 people
• Optional proctored Verified version

Pros

• Public pricing, both for listening and reading only and for the complete test with speaking and writing
• Company and servers in the EU, with a GDPR statement
• ALTE and Eaquals recognition

Cons

• Speaking and writing results take 2 to 14 business days
• €32 per four-skill test

Tracktest is a well-known English test with transparent pricing and partners, but its four-skill results arrive too late for most hiring processes. At €32 per four-skill test, it is better suited to individual certification than to recruitment.

6. Bright Language

A language proficiency test for companies, universities and training providers, used mostly for recruitment and placement. Bright Language has more than 30 years of experience and is widely used in France, where some of its certifications are registered with France Compétences.

Source: Bright Language website

Key features

• The standard Bright test has 120 multiple-choice questions on grammar, vocabulary, syntax, reading and listening, and takes 40 to 60 minutes on average
• Optional speaking and writing assessments
• Global network of partners and clients

Pros

• Comprehension scores come back in minutes, with an instant PDF report
• Optional proctoring
• 24/7 technical support

Cons

• The base test doesn't assess production: speaking and writing are paid add-ons
• It's hard to tell the test formats apart and how each one affects the price

Bright Language is fast to deploy for comprehension screening, and its long track record in Europe and beyond makes it a solid choice for proficiency testing. However, the base test alone takes 40 to 60 minutes without covering speaking or writing, and it isn't clear when scoring is done by AI and when by human assessors, or how that fits hiring needs.

7. TOEIC Link

No English test review is complete without an ETS product. TOEIC Link is ETS's online four-skill test, not the classic TOEIC Listening and Reading. It reports a 0-25 score mapped to CEFR levels A1 to C1. It is ETS's dedicated English test for companies, and it is also meant to offer an alternative after the acquisition and closure of Pipplet in 2025.

Source: ETS website

Key features

• Four modules that can be taken together or separately
• Listening, reading, speaking and writing in about 80-90 minutes
• AI monitoring, or AI plus human proctoring

Pros

• Backed by ETS, the organization behind TOEIC
• Instant listening and reading results
• Tasks include emails and spoken opinions

Cons

• 90 minutes is quite long for candidates
• Speaking and writing results take up to 48 hours, not ideal for recruiting

TOEIC Link carries a name many HR teams already know, but it is too long for hiring. That name was mostly earned by the older TOEIC, so check which test a recruiter actually means.

8. EAT (English Assessment Test) by Giunti Psychometrics

Note: EAT is a multiple-choice test, so it doesn't meet our selection criterion. We include it anyway because it is widely used by assessment centers in Italy and Spain.

An English placement test from Giunti Psychometrics, the Florence-based publisher that has supplied psychometric tests to HR departments, psychologists and schools since 1950. Many companies in Italy and Spain already use Giunti's platform for aptitude and personality tests, so EAT is often the English test they add during selection.

Source: Giunti Psychometrics website

Key features

• 50 multiple-choice questions on grammar, structures, vocabulary and reading, in 50 minutes
• CEFR levels from A1 to C2, with B1 and B2 split into sub-levels (B1:1, B1:2, B2:1, B2:2)
• Taken online on Giunti Testing, either remotely or in person, with a shorter version also available

Pros

• Well-known brand, on a platform many HR teams in Italy and Spain already use
• Sub-levels within B1 and B2 make borderline candidates easier to place
• Pay-per-use credits, charged only when the report is generated

Cons

• Covers only grammar, vocabulary and reading: no listening, speaking or writing
• 50 minutes is long for a test that only measures written comprehension
• Price per test isn't public, and the norm sample isn't disclosed (the test dates from 2012)

EAT is an easy choice for companies in Italy and Spain that already work with Giunti Psychometrics, since it runs on the same platform as their other selection tests. However, it only measures grammar and reading, so it can't tell whether a candidate can actually speak or understand spoken English, which is what matters most in most roles.

Which English test should employers use for hiring?

The right English proficiency assessment for companies should fit your use case and needs.

• You run large hiring programs and need speaking and writing results the same day: Talketet
• You need questions built around a specific role or industry: Talketet
• You need a recognized certificate for a few employees: Linguaskill
• Your team is more familiar with Pearson's GSE scores than with CEFR levels: Versant
• You test a few candidates and accept human marking: The English Quiz
• Candidates need an individual certificate: Tracktest
• You only need to screen comprehension: Bright Language
• Your team already knows TOEIC: TOEIC Link
• You already run other selection tests on Giunti Psychometrics: EAT

The best English tests for companies: conclusion

Choosing the right English test makes a big difference to the standardization of your recruitment process, your time to hire and your candidate experience. CVs and interviews are not enough to know a candidate's real level, and many online tools are too long, too slow, or only assess grammar and comprehension.

So why pay for a multiple-choice quiz or a very expensive certificate when you can choose the right solution for English testing?

For a fast, standardized and reliable selection process, choose Talketet. While other tools take up to two and a half hours, make you wait days for results or only assess written comprehension, Talketet assesses all 4 skills, including speaking, in about 30 minutes, with results in minutes.

Why Talketet for enterprise English testing

Talketet is a specialized language assessment platform that assesses speaking, writing, listening and reading with CEFR-aligned AI, validated together with university researchers.

• Full test with speaking and writing in about 30 minutes, results in 3-5 minutes
• Send, view and export results in 3 clicks
• Personalized feedback for candidates and recruiters
• Scientific validation with researchers from the Universities of Pavia and Rome Tor Vergata
• Data in the EU, GDPR and AI Act compliant platform and proctoring
• English test customization by industry, specific role and questions
• Built for enterprise hiring, with pricing quoted on your volume and languages

Example of the Talketet recruiter dashboard

How to get started with Talketet

Book a demo with us. Here is what happens next:

1. We look at your use case to cover your needs, such as customization, anti-cheating and required volume
2. We show you a product demo and give you a trial
3. We send you a tailored pricing offer for your English assessment needs, with our DPA template and compliance documentation, including the AI Act

Book your demo

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a pre-employment English test be?

Around 30 minutes for all 4 skills: long enough to assess speaking and writing reliably, short enough for candidates to finish. Talketet takes 30 minutes on average for 4 skills and 15 minutes on average for 2 skills.

What language skills do you assess?

Speaking, writing, listening and reading.

Can I choose the language skills?

Yes, but we recommend combining comprehension and production skills. Ideally, you run the complete assessment with all 4 skills. Otherwise, a combination of speaking and listening, or of reading and writing.

How much does it cost?

Pricing depends on your hiring volume, the languages you test, the skills you include and any customization. Advanced features like proctoring increase the price. Some customizations are free of charge, others may have a cost. It depends on what you need, which is why we prepare a personalized offer.

How do you prevent cheating?

Every test includes basic anti-cheating: copy-paste is blocked and the test stops if the candidate leaves the screen. For processes that need more security, AI webcam proctoring is available through our partner ProctorSafe. The report shows an Integrity Budget and the detected violations, so the recruiter can decide with full information.

Is it reliable?

Yes. We are one of the first providers to publish our technology and validation papers with university researchers. We also run thousands of assessments every year for enterprises and large European institutions. Visit our research section to learn more.

Can I customize my test?

Yes. Tell us the customizations you need during the demo and we will let you know which ones we can offer. We can almost always meet every need.

Is it GDPR compliant?

Yes. Both the test and proctoring are designed GDPR- and AI Act-first. Our data is stored in Europe (north-east Italy), and our framework covers topics such as AI transparency, AI policy and human oversight. Our Data Protection Officer (DPO) is always available for privacy-related inquiries.

Can Talketet be integrated into my ATS or LMS?

Yes. Our integration roadmap follows the needs of our clients and partners, based on a priority queue. Tell us which platform you use and we will give you a fair estimate.