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PCAT
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What we measure

Which four skills does PCAT measure?

PCAT measures all four skills in a single sitting of about 60 minutes. Every task uses a format you actually meet at work.

Reading

ReadingWork chat & short specs

Part 1 · Work chat · Multiple choice
Sarah K. (Customer Support) · 10:23Quick update on order #88291 — a small delay at the warehouse, but we expedited shipping at no extra cost. It should reach you tomorrow evening.

What did Sarah do about the delay?

Upgraded the shipping at no extra costCharged extra for faster shipping

Work chat threads and short specification documents — the register you actually read on the job.

Listening

ListeningMeetings, calls, announcements

Part 3 · Meeting · 3–4 speakersproject-sync · 3 speakers · 02:14

What did R. Patel propose?

Splitting the migration into two phasesPostponing it until the engineers return

Meetings, calls and announcements, answered in multiple choice.

Writing

WritingChat replies & short emails

Part 1 · Chat reply · 25–50 words · 2 min
Colleague · team chatHi! I’m preparing the client presentation for tomorrow at 10 AM, but I don’t have the latest sales numbers. Can you help?
Reply · 25–50 words

Hi! The Q1 report is in our shared folder — link below. The marketing team updated the latest numbers yesterday …

Chat replies and short emails, scored on whether the message gets through.

Speaking

SpeakingQ&A, description, opinion, role-play

Part 4 · Role-play · 30 s prep · up to 150 s

Vendor contract renewal — raise the slower support response times and negotiate an SLA.

“We’re approaching the end of our current contract. Is there anything you’d like to discuss before we get into the details?”

YOUR TURN · REC 00:12 / 02:30

Spoken responses, scored on both pronunciation and content.

Scoring principle

Why does PCAT weight getting through over grammar?

The scoring principle is Communicative Effectiveness over Grammatical Accuracy. Communication — did it get through — contributes 85% of the total; Language Quality — was it correct — contributes 15%. Whether you moved the other person comes first; grammatical precision comes second.

Communication
Task Achievement — did the task get done30%
Intelligibility — can the listener understand22%
Appropriateness — fit for the situation and audience18%
Coherence & Cohesion — logical structure10%
Strategic Competence — rephrasing and repair5%
Language Quality
Grammar · Vocabulary · Pronunciation — shown as bands15%
Blocking error — stops the message

An error the other person cannot decode, or decodes wrongly. It hits Intelligibility directly and pulls the total score down.

“I will confirm → conform the schedule tomorrow.”
Non-blocking error — precision

An error the meaning survives. It only moves the Language Quality bands and barely affects the total.

“She don’t have the file yet.” — the meaning gets through

How it works

How does the test run, from sitting it to the report?

  1. Create an account and buy credits

    Create an account and buy test credits.

  2. Environment check

    Run the environment check for your microphone and browser.

  3. Take the four-skill test

    Sit the four-skill test (about 60 minutes). You may resume within 24 hours if interrupted.

    About 60 min

  4. Receive your report

    Receive your CEFR level and dimension-level report within 48 hours.

    Within 48 hours

Take it once and see

From JPY 5,500 per credit (tax included). Credits are valid for one year.

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