Product or service

RATEr (online)

Radboud Academic Test of English

Objective

RATEr is an online test of academic English. The test aims to determine whether prospective students, students and PhD candidates and other academic researchers possess the required English proficiency to follow an English-taught degree programme or to perform academic activities in an international higher education environment.

You can take the RATEr at Wageningen in’to Languages as part of your application for a master’s or minor programme at WUR. The RATEr is also an accepted test of English proficiency for the Wageningen Graduate Schools.

Content

RATEr consists of four components:

  • Reading skills and academic vocabulary
  • Writing skills for an academic environment
  • Speaking skills for an academic environment
  • Listening skills for an academic environment

You can find more information on the right-hand side of this page.

Target audience

  • Current and prospective students
  • PhD candidates at institutes of higher education.

Please click here for the admission requirements for Bachelor students of Wageningen University and here for the admission requirements for Master students of Wageningen University.

Level of the test

The RATEr test is based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and tests from B2 to C1 level.

After taking the test, the candidate is awarded one of the following qualifications:

  • Candidate has not yet mastered the B2 level
  • Candidate performs successfully at the B2 level (comparable to IELTS 6.0-6.5 and TOEFL iBT 80-100)

Practical information

  • There are no entry requirements for the test, anyone is allowed to participate. If you fail to pass one or more components of the test, it will not be possible to retake any components separately. It is, however, possible to register again for the full test. There are no discounts for re-registrations.

  • Wageningen in’to Languages will announce the results by email. Please refer to the table below for the corresponding dates. The candidate will only receive the results if the payment has been made.

Fee

Students €185,-
PhD candidates €240,-

The course participant will receive an invoice by email once registration has closed.

Dates (Academic year 2021)

The RATEr is organized five times a year. Please find the next upcoming date below:

Date Deadline registration Date test results Note
27 May 20 May 12.00 h 17 June
3 June 27 May 12.00 h 24 June Note: This is the last exam moment before the registration deadline for a master's study
8 july 1 July 12.00 h 29 July

Please Note:  It is not possible to register for both exams on 27 May and 3 June.

Registration

You can register by clicking the orange button on the right-hand side of this page. In order to participate in the online RATEr exam, the following must be in order:

  • Use Chrome;
  • You must be able to take the exam in a quiet room with a stable internet connection;
  • You must have a laptop or PC with a camera and speakers, and you must be prepared to use these during the examination;
  • Headphones or earphones;
  • You must have a phone with the possibility to make a sound recording. The phone must be charged and have a storage capacity of at least 10-50 MB;
  • We use remote proctoring during the examination. Below you will find a document with further explanation about remote proctoring as it is used at WUR. Remote proctoring is used to prevent fraud. We will respect your privacy in that regard;
  • We strongly advise you to take the practice exam at least once before taking the exam proper. This allows you to practice the exam content and it is also the best way to check whether your system, your browser and the remote proctoring function as they should. Experience has shown that candidates who have taken the practice exam before the exam perform better and experience less stress during the exam because they are more comfortable with the systems used before and during the exam;
  • Valid ID;
  • During the administration you may not use a (digital) dictionary or other websites

Remote proctoring

Reliable test

RATEr was developed by Radboud in’to Languages and the Faculty of Arts of Radboud University Nijmegen. This test has been extensively pre-tested with various user groups and has been calibrated to the standard of other well-known international tests. RATEr has proven to be a highly reliable and useful test with a high predictive value.

Assessment Regulations

Assesment Regulations RATEr (online)