Overview
The Second Language Evaluation (SLE) is the standardized test the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) uses to measure how well a person reads, writes and speaks in their second official language, English or French. It is used across the federal public service to assess candidates and employees being considered for bilingual positions, and the result decides whether a person meets the language requirement set for a job. The SLE is really three separate tests — the Test of Reading Comprehension, the Test of Written Expression and the Oral Language Assessment (also called the Test of Oral Proficiency) — and a person is only tested on the skills that a given position actually requires.
Who can take the SLE
Serving public service employees take the SLE when the language requirement of their own position, or of a position they are being considered for, calls for a skill they have not yet demonstrated. Candidates from outside the public service take the SLE only inside a staffing process for a bilingual position: after applying, the hiring department's human resources office invites the candidate to the relevant test or tests and books the sitting. A member of the public cannot book an SLE test on their own outside such a process.
Proficiency levels
Each skill — reading, writing and oral proficiency — is rated on its own three-point scale: Level A (beginner), Level B (intermediate) and Level C (advanced). A bilingual position states its requirement for each skill as a "linguistic profile"; for example, a profile of CBC calls for Level C reading comprehension, Level B written expression and Level C oral proficiency. Two further outcomes sit outside A/B/C: a result below Level A is reported as "X", and a result strong enough to show the skill will hold up over time earns an exemption, reported as "E", which exempts the person from retesting that skill indefinitely.
Exam pattern
| Test | Format | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 60 multiple-choice questions — 10 unscored pilot items, so 50 count toward the result | Up to 90 minutes |
| Written Expression | 65 multiple-choice questions — 10 unscored pilot items, so 55 count toward the result | Up to 90 minutes |
| Oral Language Assessment | Four parts of structured, work-related speaking tasks, held remotely over Microsoft Teams | 20 to 40 minutes, including instructions |
The reading test asks two kinds of questions: choosing the best word or phrase to complete a blank, and answering a question about a short passage. The writing test also asks two kinds: filling in a blank and identifying an error in a sentence, built around workplace texts such as emails, memos, letters, bulletins and report excerpts. The oral assessment is a live conversation-style session rather than a written test, built around everyday work topics.
Score bands for the written tests:
| Test | X | Level A | Level B | Level C | E (exemption) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 0–17 | 18–27 | 28–37 | 38–44 | 45–50 |
| Written Expression | 0–19 | 20–30 | 31–42 | 43–51 | 52–55 |
The Oral Language Assessment is not published as a numeric score band; it is rated directly to one of X, Level A, Level B, Level C or E.
Marking and results
The SLE has no overall pass or fail — each of the three tests produces its own result (X, A, B, C or E) for that skill alone. Results are managed centrally by the PSC, stay valid for five years, and are portable, so a department can rely on a result a candidate obtained through a different federal organization. Candidates can check their own reading and writing results through the My Tests section of the Candidate Assessment Tool, typically from 48 hours after the test's deadline date; departments look up results through the PSC's own search tool. A candidate must wait at least 30 calendar days before retaking a given test.
Fees
Candidates do not pay to take the SLE. Where a fee applies, it is billed to the organization running the staffing process, in Canadian dollars. Organizations staffed directly under the Public Service Employment Act are not charged. Organizations with their own separate appointment authority — for example the Canada Revenue Agency, Parks Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency — are charged a per-candidate fee: CAD 48 for a paper reading or writing test, CAD 30 for the online version of either, and CAD 375 for an oral proficiency test administered by the PSC. Either type of organization is charged a separate fee if a booked sitting is not cancelled or rescheduled at least 4 business days beforehand, or if the candidate does not show up.
How to register
A candidate cannot sign up for the SLE on their own outside a staffing process. Once invited by a hiring department's human resources office, the candidate creates an account on the PSC's Candidate Assessment Tool, choosing English or French for the interface, and uses it to see test invitations and complete the reading and writing tests online. For the Oral Language Assessment, the candidate joins the scheduled session on Microsoft Teams at the booked time.
Preparation tips
Start by rating your current level honestly against the Level A/B/C descriptions for each skill, since reading, writing and oral proficiency are tested and scored on their own. For reading and writing, practise the exact question formats — picking the best word or phrase for a blank, and spotting the error in a sentence — against workplace-style material such as memos, emails and short reports, since the real test draws on the same kind of text. For the oral assessment, practise speaking about everyday work topics out loud in a structured way, since the test is built around set speaking tasks rather than open conversation.
What does the SLE actually test?
It tests three separate skills in a person's second official language, English or French: reading comprehension, written expression and oral proficiency. A candidate is tested only on the skills a position's linguistic profile requires, not all three by default.
What do the A, B, C, E and X results mean?
A, B and C are increasing levels of proficiency in one skill, A being beginner and C advanced. E is an exemption, granted when a result is strong enough to exempt the person from retesting that skill indefinitely. X means the result fell below Level A.
How long do SLE results stay valid, and can they move with a candidate?
Results stay valid for five years from the test date and are portable: a different federal department or agency can rely on a result obtained elsewhere in the public service, without the candidate retesting.
Do candidates have to pay to take the SLE?
No. Any fee is billed to the organization running the staffing process, not to the candidate. Organizations staffed under the Public Service Employment Act pay nothing at all; organizations with their own separate appointment authority pay a set per-candidate fee in Canadian dollars.