The Language Testing Services of the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) has signed a three-year contract to test current and prospective employees of the Canada Post Corporation. Amelia Hope, head of Language Testing Services, and Test Operations Coordinator Mary Ruth Endicott developed the proposal to deliver English and French oral interviews to about 1,000 test candidates each year.
In 2005, the Canada Post Corporation purchased a test battery, originally developed by the Second Language Institute, predecessor of OLBI, for several Crown corporations in the 1990s. A test battery is a set of tests measuring different skills, for example, listening, reading and speaking.
“Our location in the nation’s capital, our nationally recognized expertise in language testing and the University’s commitment to promoting bilingualism make us an ideal testing partner,” says Hope. Revenues for the nationwide project will be reinvested in ongoing test development projects and will further enhance OLBI’s ability to pursue external clients.
