What is the VPA?
The Voxy Proficiency Assessment (VPA) is an objective English proficiency test built into the Voxy platform. Learners take it before starting their course to establish a baseline level, and again at regular intervals to measure progress over time.
Scores are mapped to Voxy's 15 proficiency levels and aligned to internationally recognised frameworks including CEFR, GSE, TOEFL, IELTS, and TOEIC.
What does the VPA assess?
The VPA has up to four sections:
Reading comprehension Tests vocabulary in context, identifying main ideas, critical interpretation of text, and understanding of discourse structure. Passages are authentic materials such as news articles, job advertisements, and how-to guides.
Listening comprehension Tests listening for specific details, identifying speaker purpose, making inferences, and decoding meaning. Content includes speeches, interviews, conversations, and advertisements.
Grammar Tests word and sentence formation, including tenses, modals, prepositions, cohesion, and information management. Items range across four difficulty levels: easy, medium, hard, and very hard.
Speaking — Oral Proficiency Test (OPT) (optional) Learners record spoken responses to prompts. AI grades each response on three dimensions: meaningfulness (how well the answer fits the question), grammatical competence (accuracy and complexity), and delivery (fluency and intelligibility). Results are immediate.
📌 Note: Reading, Listening, and Grammar appear on every VPA. The Speaking section is optional and must be enabled by the program administrator.
How long does the VPA take?
Most learners spend between 30 and 45 minutes on the VPA. The exact duration depends on the version assigned and the learner's proficiency level.
How is the VPA version determined?
When learners first set up their Voxy account, they self-assess their proficiency level. This determines which version of the test they receive:
0-beginner — for learners with no prior English experience; shorter test with fewer items
Easier — for beginner to intermediate learners
Harder — for intermediate to advanced learners
Items are weighted by difficulty. Harder questions carry more weight in the final score than easier ones.
How is the overall score calculated?
All VPA scores are scaled to a standard total of 1,680 points, regardless of which sections the learner took. This makes scores comparable across different program configurations.
Each section contributes a different maximum number of points to the raw score:
Section | Max points | % of total (without Speaking) |
Grammar | 720 pts | 52% |
Reading | 560 pts | 40% |
Listening | 400 pts | 28% |
Speaking (optional) | 600 pts | — |
Because sections carry different weights, a learner's skill scores should always be read in the context of that section's maximum — not compared directly to one another.
The raw scores are then scaled using the following formula:
(Raw score ÷ Total possible points) × 1,680 = Overall score
For example, a learner with Grammar 380 + Reading 250 + Listening 175 + Speaking 371 has a raw total of 1,176. Scaled: (1,176 ÷ 2,280) × 1,680 = 867 overall score.
The overall score appears in the learner's profile, their proficiency certificate, and the Manage Learners report in the Voxy Command Center.
📌 Note: Mobile apps do not currently display the scaled score. Learners with a Speaking section enabled may see a higher score on mobile.
What configuration options are available?
Program administrators can customise several aspects of the VPA experience:
Mandatory VPA The VPA can be set as mandatory, requiring learners to complete it before accessing the course. This ensures accurate level placement from day one. Administrators can also add tolerance days, giving learners a grace period before the platform is blocked.
Retake interval By default, Voxy sets 90 days between VPAs — the average minimum time for learners to show measurable progress. Custom intervals are available to match your organisation's review cycle (for example, every 120 days).
Specific VPA dates Administrators can schedule the next VPA for all learners at a specific date using the Voxy Command Center, or by contacting Partner Support.
Speaking section (OPT) The oral proficiency component can be enabled or disabled per program.
Stand-alone VPA The VPA can be deployed as a standalone assessment without access to the rest of the platform. Learners can view their results and print a proficiency certificate directly from the results page.
What does the research say?
Internal Voxy research consistently shows that usage is the strongest predictor of proficiency improvement:
Learners need to complete at least 276 activities (equivalent to 92 lessons) to see improvement
Learners who completed 276+ activities and took a second VPA improved their scores by an average of 11%
Learners who went on to take a third VPA improved by an average of 16%