The Koç University English Proficiency Exam (KUEPE) is designed based on the objectives of the integrated curriculum implemented at the English Language Center (ELC) and aims to assess students’ competency in English, focusing on the academic productive skills they will need in order to complete their studies at Koç University.

ELC does not provide a sample exam for KUEPE. However, detailed information about each section of the exam is given below:

READING COMPREHENSION

• 1 long text; 900-1000 words: 10 questions,
• 2 short texts; 500-700 words each: 5 questions each

Sub-skills assessed:

• understanding main ideas
• finding supporting details and specific information
• guessing meaning from context
• making inferences
• paraphrasing
• understanding author’s purpose

USE OF ENGLISH

• Part 1: Structure, a text of about 400 words assessing language use, 10 questions
• Part 2: Vocabulary, a text of about 400 words, assessing academic vocabulary, 10 questions

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

• Part 1: While-listening: an interview, 5 questions
• Part 2: Listening and Note-taking: a lecture, 10 questions

Sub-skills assessed:

• understanding main ideas
• understanding the speaker’s purpose
• drawing conclusions
• understanding supporting details
• understanding specific information

• taking notes by selecting and noting information from listening texts under the given headings

WRITING

• 1 question: an academic essay about 450 words on academic or current events topics

Sub-skills assessed:

• understanding a given prompt
• producing a coherent, accurate and relevant text, adhering to academic writing conventions
• generating and organizing ideas
• justifying, supporting and exemplifying
• using a range of grammar structures and vocabulary accurately and appropriately

SPEAKING

• Introduction: student information & Warm-up (This part is not graded)
• Part 1: questions about personal experiences
• Part 2: a prompt asking students to give their opinion on an issue within a limited time period
• Part 3: follow-up questions on an issue related to Part 2

Sub-skills assessed:

• effectively communicating in an academic setting
• conversing with ease and confidence on a variety of topics using various speaking functions, which include identifying, describing, expressing preferences, explaining and suggesting
• employing a range of basic and complex grammatical and lexical knowledge
• conveying message with little confusion on the listeners’ part
• using communicative strategies to deal with conversation repair
• interacting with a degree of fluency and spontaneity, rarely hesitating
• using appropriate intonation, placing stress correctly and articulating individual sounds clearly