Government Language Testing
For over 20 years, ALTA has been helping government agencies at the state, local and Federal levels with their foreign language testing needs. Whether providing assessments for state troopers to verify that they can communicate in prevalent local languages, or creating a complex testing program for the agencies in charge of homeland defense, ALTA has the experience and know-how to handle government language testing needs. ALTA is a GSA contract holder (GSA GS10F0238T).
Test Types
ALTA offers a full range of language testing services for our government clients. We offer most assessments in more than 90 languages, including those that are important for local governments (English, Spanish, Hopi, Navajo, etc.) and the companies that assemble qualified linguists to carry out Department of Defense initiatives (Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Urdu, etc.). We also understand that personnel in these positions need to be able to use the language in a wide range of formats, from speaking to members of the local population, interpreting between English-speaking and foreign language-speaking groups, and translating signage or other documentation. For this reason, we offer several different test types to help you determine who is qualified to perform these unique assignments:
- The Speaking and Listening Assessment: This test measures how well candidates can speak and understand the language when spoken.
- The Writing Assessment: This test measures the candidate’s ability to write in the target language.
- The Reading Assessment: This test verifies whether or not the candidate can read the language at the required skill level.
- The Interpretation Assessment: This test verifies whether or not the candidate can provide a consecutive interpretation between two speakers in English and the target language.
- The Translation Assessment: This test verifies whether or not the candidate can translate material written in English into the target language, or material written in the target language into English.
Customization
In addition to our standard proficiency tests, ALTA can customize assessments to help you meet your objectives. We are well versed in the needs of our government clients, and have taken on customization projects ranging from modification of our standard tests to the development of a testing program to help linguists-in-training prepare to take the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT).
Our Clients
ALTA is the chosen testing provider for many local, state, and Federal government agencies. Click here to take a look at some of those that rely on ALTA to meet their testing needs.
