SPEAK Test                                                                                                    contact us on Whatsapp >

You need a SPEAK Test score if  you are an F-1 graduate student who is either:  

• Serving as an instructor of record for an undergraduate course or
• Serving as a graduate assistant and your department requires you to take a SPEAK Test because your duties require a high level of English proficiency.

You must obtain a score of 50 or higher . Students scoring below 50 are allowed to re-take the Speak Test once. If you fail to achieve the minimum score, you must enroll in the IEI's Communication Skills and Conversation Courses and successfully complete it before being allowed to take the test again. 

• To schedule a SPEAK Test appointment, please send an email to the Intensive English for Internationals (IEI) at iei@memphis.edu or Contact the Speak Test administrator "Stacey T Smith (satrimbl)" <satrimbl@memphis.edu> .

• The Speak Test Fee is $100. This fee must be paid by the student's department/program. The fee will be charged each time the student takes the exam. Please have your departmental business officer or administrative associate to contact Lofton Wilborn (lwilborn@memphis.edu), in the scholarship office, for instructions to initiate and complete the payment BEFORE your Speak Test Appointment. 

• A copy of your scores will be sent to you, your department and to the Graduate School by email after your test has been rated. All tests should be completed and scored before the contract deadline set by the Graduate School. 

Communication Skills and SPEAK Test Preparation Courses

Students who need to improve their communication skills—including conversation, listening, speaking, and pronunciation—are encouraged to enroll in the IEI's Communication Skills and Conversation courses. These courses are offered year-round in 8-week intervals.

To enroll, please contact Stacey Smith at strimble@memphis.edu. Students must enroll in these courses at least one full semester prior to the start of teaching assistantship (TA) appointment.

Department Payment Option: Departments may cover the cost of these courses through the graduate scholarship process. For more information on payment and funding, please contact:

• Cheri Chadwick – crchdwck@memphis.edu

• Lofton Wilborn – lwilborn@memphis.edu

IMPORTANT: Please read SPEAK TEST GUIDE 

The following test scores may be used instead of the SPEAK Test for Teaching Assistantships:

• TOEFL iBT - Speaking Section Score: 26+
  Log in to the ETS website and request that your TOEFL iBT scores be sent to the University of Memphis, institution code R-1459. Ask your department to contact the Graduate School office to look up your scores.
• IELTS - Speaking Section Score: 8.0+
  Email a copy of your IELTS Test Report Form to the Graduate School with a note indicating that the score is for your Teaching Assistantship requirements. Ask your department to contact the Graduate School office to authenticate your scores.
• PTE Academic - Speaking Section Score: 67+
  Log in to the PTE Academic website and request that your PTE Academic scores be sent to the University of Memphis. Ask your department to contact the Graduate School office to look up your scores.
• Duolingo English - OverAll Score (Temporary): 120+
  Log in to the Duolingo English Test website and request for your scores to be sent to The University of Memphis. Ask your department to contact the Graduate School office to look up your scores.
• Students who have a completed undergraduate or a graduate degree from a US university in their field in the past 5 years are exempt from the SPEAK Test.