IUS - ELS Proficiency Exam - Sample Proficiency Writing Exam

Sep 15, 2026

ELS Proficiency Exam sample materials for the International University of Sarajevo (IUS) define a B2-level assessment aligned with CEFR. The exam includes four equally weighted components—Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking—totaling 100 points, with minimum score requirements for undergraduate and graduate admission. It outlines schedules, accepted validity windows, task types, timing allocation, and marking focus. Writing practice covers a gap-fill task and a B2 opinion essay with structured requirements and point breakdowns.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Exam Description

Sample Proficiency Writing Exam

Sample Proficiency Reading Exam

Sample Proficiency Listening Exam

Sample Proficiency Speaking Exam

Sample Proficiency Exam Answer Keys

Sources

Marking Criteria - Writing

Marking Criteria - Speaking

6/1/2025 IUS – ELS SAMPLE PROFICIENCY EXAM International University of Sarajevo INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SARAJEVO TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. EXAM DESCRIPTION........................................ 3 2. SAMPLE PROFICIENCY WRITING EXAM .......... 5 3. SAMPLE PROFICIENCY READING EXAM.......... 8 4. SAMPLE PROFICIENCY LISTENING EXAM...... 13 5. SAMPLE PROFICIENCY SPEAKING EXAM ...... 17 6. SAMPLE PROFICIENCY EXAM ANSWER KEYS 19 7. SOURCES ....................................................... 20 8. MARKING CRITERIA – WRITING.................... 21 9. MARKING CRITERIA-SPEAKING ................... 22 1. EXAM DESCRIPTION The ELS Proficiency Exam provides a B2-level qualification according to the CEFR scale. It is intended for those who wish to study at the International University of Sarajevo (IUS) or use English for academic, professional, or social purposes. The exam consists of four equally weighted components, amounting to a total of 100 points. To begin undergraduate studies at IUS, candidates must achieve a minimum of 65 points (65%) . For graduate programs, the minimum scores are 70 points (70%) for master's programs and 80 points (80%) for doctoral programs. Double diploma programme requirements are defined in separate documents. The ELS Proficiency Exam is held six times per year—at the beginning of the academic year, at the end of each session, and after the ELS Summer School. The exam schedule is published in the ELS Academic Calendar by mid-September and is available on the ELS website and ELS notice boards. The IUS accepts ELS Proficiency Exam results from the past two years. Exam Content and Structure The Reading and Listening components consist of three tasks based on unfamiliar materials and are aligned with B2-level CEFR standards. Each question is worth one point. The Writing component includes: - One closed-ended task (20% of the writing score), - One essay (80% of the writing score) based on general English topics at the B2 level. The Speaking component covers general English themes and includes an interview and a discussion based on a speaking card, along with two additional questions from the exam question list. All instructions and questions are written at a B2-level language range. | Reading Listening Writing Speaking | | | | | | | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Time
allocated | 1 hour 5 minutes | | | 45 minutes | | | 1 hour 15 minutes | | | 10-15 minutes per candidate | | | | Type of
tasks | Open-ended questions, multiple choice,
multiple matching,
gapped text, gap completion | | | Open-ended questions, multiple choice, multiple matching, gap completion, sentence completion | | | Task 1: Multiple choice, error correction, gap-fill; Task 2: Essay of 300 words opinion, cause, effect,
advantages/disadvantages | | | Presentation and discussion based on the speaking card, interaction with the interlocutor based on exam question sheet | | | | Number
of tasks | 3 | | | 3 | | | 2 | | | 2 | | | | Type of
texts | | Newspaper and magazine articles,
information material (brochures, guides, manuals), reports, fiction (rarely, and only if appropriate) | | | Monologues: commentaries, documentaries, instructions, lectures, news, public announcements, advertisements, reports, speeches, stories, talks. Interactive speakers: chats, conversations, discussions, interviews. | | General English themes and topics | | | General English themes and topics | | | | Task
focus | | Ability to understand gist and main ideas,
understand detail,
follow text structure, locate specific information, deduce meaning | | Ability to understand main ideas, roles and relationships, mood, attitude, intention, feeling, opinion, details or specific information. | | | | Ability to write an essay which expresses and justifies opinions systematically with relevan

FAQs

What level is the ELS Proficiency Exam and what is its purpose for IUS?

The ELS Proficiency Exam provides a B2-level qualification according to the CEFR scale. It is intended for applicants who wish to study at IUS or use English for academic, professional, or social purposes.

What are the four components of the exam and how are they weighted?

The exam has four equally weighted components: Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. Together they amount to a total of 100 points.

What does the sample Writing exam include?

The Writing section includes Task 1, a closed-ended gap-fill exercise where each gap is completed with ONE word, and Task 2, an opinion essay based on general English topics at the B2 level.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Maya Linwood